About Laithwaites

Laithwaites Wines The company was started by Tony Laithwaite in 1969 and was originally called Bordeaux Direct and sold just one wine. Fast forward 40 years and today Laithwaites has over 700,000 regular customers and around 2000 wines and has won a whole host of industry awards. Over the years Laithwaites have introduced many new wine regions to the UK.

Laithwaites have an outstanding customer service team and have won Best Retail Call Centre beating some well known household names! Their website is easy to use with lots of useful information to help with your wine choices. Browse by grape, price or country and read customers reviews to help you decide.

If your’re new to wine buying or just want to know a bit more about the wine you’re drinking have a look at the ‘Discover Wine‘ section which is broken down into sections Countries & Regions, Grape Varieties, Food Matching and Winemakers.

English Sparkling Wine Britagne or Merret? A Sparkling Success!

Italy has prosecco, Spain has cava and with the continuing success of English sparkling wine many think the time has come to have a catchy name for it – suggestions include Merret or Britagne. Marks & Spencers have reported a huge 70% increase in sales over the last 12 months.

The grapes used in France to make traditional champagne are now grown in the UK. The climate at vineyards such as Manstree Vineyard Shillingford St John near Devon make it ideal wine making conditions.

So why has this come about now? Many think the term sparkling wine doesn’t do justice to the quality of the wine being produced and the term is just too general and bland. Finding the correct name will appeal to consumers, the international wine industry and restauraters alike.

Wine producer Christian Seely from wine producer Coates & Seely suggest the name Britagne whilst Mike Roberts of wine producer Ridgeview think the name Merret should be adopted.

The name to give to English sparkling wine is set to be debated this month by the trade body English Wine Producers

Three Choirs Vineyard

With popularity of English wine growing a visit to an English vineyard is fast becoming a popular day out. One of the best is the award winning Three Choirs Vineyard in Gloucestershire. Well located the vineyard is within an hours drive of Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff with excellent motorway locations to other parts of the UK.

Experience a wine tour and tasting every day between the 5th January and 23rd December usually between 11.00am and 3.00pm whatever the weather! The tour and tasting last approx 75 minutes more details are available here

At Three Choirs you can enjoy lunch or dinner in the Vineyard restaurant with freshly prepared meals sourced locally wherever possible. A sample of the menus can be seen here. Located close to the restaurant and shop is the Vine Room where you can enjoy fine wine and food overlooking the vineyards. A large decking area with seating is the perfect place to relax.

If you are planning a longer stay in this part of the country perhaps to explore the Forest of Dean or the Cotswolds, Three Choirs has eleven rooms which overlook the vine clad valley or choose to stay in a Lodge room nestled amongst the vines. Rooms are beautifully appointed, furnished to a high standard and a continental breakfast can even be delivered to your door!

Browse the online shop that stocks a wonderful range of English wine, gift and accommodation vouchers or treat yourself to a cookery course. A Three Choirs voucher can also be used for a variety of treats such as Afternoon Tea for Two or a Wine Tasting Tour and Lunch.

So enjoy a great day out or treat yourself to a short break enjoying some of the best English wine and food available. Do your Christmas shopping online for a unique selection of gifts!

Buyagift – Wine Gift Ideas

Are you looking for gift inspiration for a wine lover? Take a look at the extensive range of wine gifts Buyagift have available online.

From single personalised bottles to a luxurious seven course tasting session at a top hotel Buyagift have something to suit all budgets and tastes. Shopping is easy using their secure website with a promise of the best deal on the web and if you have any questions Buyagift have a friendly customer services team ready to help.

English Wines

English wine in the past has always had the stigma of being inferior to wines from other countries. However the tide of change is most definitely underway with some English wines competing and even winning against more traditional competiton. Demand for English wines is high and interest is growing rapidly. Supermarkets such as Tesco now stock a range of English Wines.

It’s hard to believe that there are more than 400 vineyards in England that can produce about 2 million bottles of wine a year. Red wines are the most difficult to produce and account for about 10% of English wine production due to the black grape varieties needing a warmer climate to ripen. White wines are easier to produce and tend to be crisp with a fresh taste and a floral bouquet.

The real success story belongs to producers of sparkling wine credited to a combination of chalky soil in the South East and the local climate. Conditions that have been linked to the champagne regions of France. Many vineyards in the South of England have undetaken significant planting to expand production over the coming years.

The English Wine Producers offers a great resource to find out about the English WIne Industry, its people and vineyards and of course the wine!

Drink Britain A website that explores the finest British drinks with wine featuring strongly. Featuring ‘Producer of the Week’, ‘Drinks if the Month’ and contributions from writers, critics and judges.