The following list may be useful for those of you currently considering 2005 bordeaux primeur purchases. Britain is still a major hub of the fine wine market even if American salerooms seem to have overtaken their British counterparts on the secondary market. A substantial proportion of the world's fine wine rests undisturbed for years or even decades in damp cellars and warehouses in London and Wiltshire, even though its ownership may have changed several times during its stint there.
These are some of Britain's most prominent specialist fine wine traders with links to their websites if they exist (see the directory otherwise). Let me know via the Contact button at the bottom of any page if you think some other outfit deserves inclusion:
- Farr Vintners of London SW8
- Wilkinson Vintners of London NW1
- Bordeaux Index of London EC1
- Magnum Fine Wines of London SW1
- Fine & Rare Wines of London W10
- Albany Vintners of London N8
- Seckford Wines near Ipswich
- Turville Valley Wines near Henley-on-Thames
Many of the more traditional wine merchants also have fine wine trading and broking arms, often selling the wines they originally sold to one customer, and warehoused for them, to another. They operate in direct competition with the specialist fine wine traders (who also broke, ie sell, wine on behalf of their customers).
Most obvious examples include:
- Armit of London W11
- Berry Bros & Rudd of London SW1 and Basingstoke
- Bibendum Wine (wine merchants, not restaurant) of London NW1
- Corney & Barrow of London EC1
- Genesis of London SW1
- Haynes Hanson & Clark of London SW1 and Stow-on-the-Wold
- Hicks & Don of Westbury
- Justerini & Brooks of London SW1 and Edinburgh
- Richard Kihl of Aldeburgh
- Lay & Wheeler of Colchester
Lea & Sandeman of London SW10 - O W Loeb of London SE1
- Raeburn of Edinburgh
- Savage Selection of Northleach
- Tanners of Shrewsbury
- Uncorked of London EC2
- The Wine Society of Stevenage
A look at any, or preferably several, of the printed lists and/or websites of these operators will give you a good feel for current market prices. In my experience some traders overprice some items and underprice others (bit like antique dealers really). The more work you do, the better the deal you're likely to get. Good luck!
My attention has also been drawn to
- Wine Cellar of Cape Town, South Africa
