The Guardian Newspaper has an article discussing the various strategies people use when choosing wine, such as selecting by grape variety, region or label. It emphasises the importance of looking at the importer’s name on the back of the bottle as a quick guide to finding quality wines. Importers are likened to publishers or record labels, with some focusing on sourcing cheap bulk wine, while the best are seen as tastemakers who discover new and exciting wines from lesser-known producers, regions and grape varieties. However, the scale of the importer does not necessarily correlate with quality as both large and small importers can offer great wines.
Here are the recommended wines from six great importers:
Cuvée Jean-Paul Blanc Sec, IGP Côtes de Gascogne, France 2022 (from £8) – Suppliers: ndjohnwine.co.uk, reservewines.co.uk; Importer: Boutinot.
Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes du Rhône, France 2022 (£12.99, or £8.99 as part of a mixed case of six) – Supplier: majestic.co.uk; Importer: Hatch Mansfield.
Las Estelas Leticia Cabernet Cabernet, Mendoza, Argentina 2021 (£15.50) – Suppliers: thegoodwineshop.co.uk, reservewines.co.uk; Importer: Ucopia Wines.
Quinta Milú Roble, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2021 (from £16.60) – Suppliers: thesourcingtable.com, virginwines.co.uk; Importer: Indigo Wines.
Cantine Rallo Baglio Terre Siciliane, Sicily, Italy 2022 (from £16.95) – Suppliers: buonvino.co.uk, lescaves.co.uk; Importer: Les Caves de Pyrene.
Niepoort Drink Me Nat’Cool Branco, Portugal 2022 (from £19.95 for 1 litre) – Suppliers: thewhiskyexchange.com, fieldandfawcett.co.uk, thefinewinecompany.co.uk; Importer: Raymond Reynolds.
If you are reading this from the USA, Veteran sommelier Alex Bardsley has a useful list of great US importers.
