The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | Wine writing competition

Direct – book review

Direct by Tony Laithwaite book jacket

Tony Laithwaite's autobiography tells the story behind the most successful mail-order wine company in the world. See this guide to our book reviews.

Direct 
My story 
Tony Laithwaite 
Published by Profile Editions 
ISBN 9781788161251 
£25 

‘The revenue way back in 1969, by the way, has been estimated at £500 (estimated because I kept no accounts for the first two years. They’d have been too depressing). Anyway, according to the number-crunchers, we now sell that amount every 43 seconds, 24 hours a day!’

There is a chart on page 255 of Tony Laithwaite’s autobiography. It’s the historical sales of the Direct Wines...

Become a member or log in to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 296,934 wine reviews & 16,149 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors

Everything in “Member”, plus:

  • Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
  • Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 296,934 wine reviews & 16,149 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade

Everything in “Professional”, plus:

  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
  • Access to submit wines for review
  • Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
  • API access available for an additional fee
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Book reviews

CWL Wines of Brazil over map
Book reviews Three additions to the Classic Wine Library plus a self-published guide to Portuguese wine. Three of the reviews below are...
Wine & War book cover
Book reviews A reminder of wine’s power to restore humanity, humour and hope in times of conflict. Wine & War The French...
Japanese Wine by Nick Rowan - book cover
Book reviews Nick Rowan’s new book is an amazingly complete guide to the wine (and cheese!) of Japan, for amateurs and professionals...
Judgement of Paris 50th Anniversary book cover
Book reviews A magnificent paean to an event that changed the wine world – just in time for its 50th anniversary on...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Valle de Guadalupe vineyards
Inside information Mexico’s wine industry offers lessons in dealing with climate challenges, says Mexico-based journalist and sommelier Carlos Borboa. Above, vineyards in...
Richard Hemming and Hiromi Ohno outside Sushi Oono
Vinomakase Richard’s new Vinomakase column explores how the experts match wine with Japanese cuisine. For the first edition, a traditional sushi...
Markus and Eben Sadie at Berry Bros April 2026
Free for all Leading new-wave South African wine producer is looking to the future. A version of this article is published by the...
Hops hang from the ceiling at Dylan's at The Kings Arms in St Albans
Bite-sized A 15th-century pub with bang-up-to-date feasting in the Cathedral Quarter of St Albans. The front bar is still reassuringly pubby...
Person in Domaine Sérol's vineyards in the Côte Roannaise (credit Le Bon Cliché)
Wines of the week Thirst-slaking freshness in a red from Central France. From £15.50, $26.95. For a variety so maligned for much of the...
Sadie Family winery exterior
Tasting articles A revealing vertical that traces the evolution of South Africa’s most sought-after white. The wines were shown by UK importer...
Léoville Barton - line-up of wines for vertical tasting
Tasting articles A quarter-century of wines from a legendary Bordeaux estate. See also this guide to our bordeaux verticals . Although Château...
Sam Neill
Free for all Jancis remembers the most charming wine producer she has ever met. Above, Neill in his Two Paddocks vineyard. The worlds...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.