The Review - FOOD & DRINK- The Wine Press with DON & JOHN Published: 25 October 2007
It’s an end to the days of bringing home vinegar
The Wine Press discovers a cheap and cheerful way of sampling some of the best bottles on the market
WOULDN'T it be nice to sample wines before you buy them. Goodbye to the disappointment of bringing home a bottle costing big money (more than £5) and discovering too late that you just don’t like it. There are many establishments abroad that offer such a service. Small glasses are proffered, often accompanied by simple food. The shopper can sample several wines. Eventually the buyer picks his favourite, orders a quantity and goes home, safe in the knowledge that he has purchased a compatible wine.
London has few such outlets. True, a couple – notably Majestic wine warehouses – will have some opened bottles available for tasting. Others, such as the City Beverage Company organise regular taste-ins once or twice a week. That’s about it.
This shortcoming is in the process of being remedied, thanks to a small innovative shop called The Sampler.
Situated at the increasingly chic Highbury end of Upper Street and within spitting distance of Islington Town Hall, two Irish migrants, Dawn Mannis and Jamie Hutchinson, have opened an ultra-modern wine shop.
They are exploiting state of the art Italian wine technology – intended for use by restaurants and bars. From their stock of more than 800 different wines, they offer amazed shoppers a taste of 80 constantly changing bottles.
The tasting bottles are displayed inside 10 glass-fronted, thermostatically controlled high tech dispensers, which keep the wine fresh. Each dispenser holds eight bottles.
There is no need to hang around, waiting to be served. A smart card is supplied and the shopper purchases credits in multiples of £10 lots. The card is placed inside a slot, a wine is chosen, a pad is touched and a 25cl sample of wine, large enough for a few mouthfuls is dispensed into the tasting glass provided.
There are many classy wines in stock, and dozens are available for tasting. A sample taste of a £20 bottle costs around £1. Samples of cheaper wines can cost as little as 30p. The clever dispenser deducts the cost from the smart card and displays the remaining balance.
The available wines last Sunday included Grand cru, Medocs and St Emilions, alongside cheaper wines from several other Bordeaux areas.
An American Chardonnay stands beside a French one. In the same dispenser is a top of the range Chardonnay – Chanson, Meursault, £22.99 for 75cl, £1 for a taste. This set-up allows the taster to test, compare and learn about wine.
Alongside well-known bottles from Australia, Italy, New Zealand and Spain are some unusual and extremely interesting ones. An Austrian Gruner Veltliner and an Italian Verdechio among the whites and an innovative basket case red, a Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel blend from Oregon.
South American and South African wines are also represented and this is just in the tasting dispensers. There are a further 700-plus wines sitting on the shelves.
Prices appear to be very competitive – Yalumba, The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 at £19.99 for a single bottle compares very favourably with giant mail order company Laithwaites offer at £20.33.
The set-up, with customers moving around the shop and interfacing at the dispensers, encourages conversation and adds to the ambiance.
With the vivacious Dawn and her French manager Sabastien Crozaties (ex Nicolas) – a native of the Alsace wine region – ever-ready to join in the exchanges, the atmosphere is enjoyable and lively.
Winners of our competition for pairs of tickets to The Wine Show at Islington Desin Centre:
Noel Curtin, NW1
Gordan Ristic, SE13
Karin Lock, NW5
Sophie Rhodes, N1
Janet Freshwater, N7
Jonathan Kerry, NW1
Debbie Myburg, N10
John Latimer Smith, W1
Mr J Lenahen, NW6
Fi Hunt, NW5
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