In The Press This Week

On Saturday we were delighted to see Toms wine article featured in the Daily Express. Our wines are popping up in the press more often, which we love to see! So we thought it would be great to share these with you. Continue reading to meet owner, Tom, and what interesting bottles he’s been loving recently

“After finishing University I decided a career in law just wasn’t for me and working in wine just seemed so much more appealing. I joined a big High Street chain to learn the business and educate my palate. It was a massive blow when that chain went bust just two weeks before Christmas in 2009. I was just 24. However, we bought the lease, got the doors open as an independent and got to work”.

“Jen and I run the business with a fantastic little team of wine lovers. We operate primarily as a wine shop but also as a ‘hybrid’ wine bar with wines served by the glass. We also do a bit of wholesale locally so if you own a pub, bar or restaurant in the north-west then look us up. Our new website was built last year and obviously this has been a bonus allowing us to sell online and make safe deliveries all over the country”.

“Our ethos is really simple – Great wines, at great prices, in a great setting, served by great people. And we love introducing people to new and different wines. To that end, below are a few of the most interesting bottles we have been selling recently”.

Tikves Cuvee Methodius Vranec, 2018, (£8.99, 14%)

Vranec is the best quality native grape from Macedonia and nearby Montenegro. It produces deep coloured wines with a purple-ish tinge that have lovely bright aromas of blueberry, blackberry and wild garden herbs. I like to think of it as similar to a chunky style of Beaujolais. It’s brilliant and an absolute bargain.

Buy online: £8.99 per bottle

or now only 6 for £50 

Herdade do Rocim Mariana Red, 2018 (£9.99, 14%)

This wonderful blend of native Portuguese grapes arrived in May. Just because the Covid-19 virus has closed the doors, does not mean we are going to stop looking for amazing new wines! This is full of rich, yet soft, dark fruit with little hints of warm spice and a lick of sweet red fruit in the finish. Lovely, fine grained, smooth, tannins in the finish. Rich and smooth without being overly heavy.

Buy online: £9.99 per bottle

or now only 6 for £55

Paso-Primero White blend, 2019, (£9.99, 13%)

These wines come with a brilliant story. Made by an English guy called Tom Holt who, after learning to make wine at Plumpton college in Sussex, worked in New Zealand, Canada and finally landed in Somontano, south of the Pyrenees in Spain, with his wife Emma. This white is a quirky blend of chardonnay, gewurztraminer and riesling and we think it’s brilliant. Soft and textured with lovely floral notes and bright, pretty, delicate fruit.

Buy online: £9.99 per bottle

or now only 6 for £55

Villa Maria Taylors Pass Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 (£16.99, 13%)

This is not the ‘standard’ Villa Maria Sauvignon, Taylors Pass is their very best vineyard making one of their top sauvignons. Fresh, delicate and classy. The aromas are of lovely soft white fruit, hints of white spice with delicate grapefruit and stone.

Buy online: £16.99 per bottle

or now only 6 for £90

Domaine de Loyane ‘Cuvee Elie’, 2016 (£17.99, 15%)

Something a bit more classic from a very under-rated region. Lirac is an area in the Southern Rhone just next door to Chateauneuf-du-pape. If you like your big, full bodied dark reds then this is for you. Made from a blend of 60% grenache and 40% syrah, this comes from 80-year-old wines (the vast majority of vines are under 30). It is powerful on the palate with a rich combination of dark black hedgerow fruits intermingled with the faintest whiff of wild thyme and rosemary.

Buy online: £17.99 per bottle

or now only 6 for £95

We hope you enjoy, 

Tom, Jen and all the Whalley Wine Shop Team xx