11 December 2006

Wine Down

The Winery

You toiled for years to get a seat at the grown-ups’ table at lunch.

Were you after the hors d’oeuvres? The scintillating conversation? Nope. You wanted access to the Chablis.

Now you’re old enough to buy it for yourself but you haven’t a clue where to start. So pay a visit to The Winery. Almost all of the wines stocked are sourced internationally from local suppliers by the store’s own people (as opposed to being ordered in bulk from mass-market importers). That means most of the bottles are exclusive to The Winery and can’t be bought elsewhere except directly from the grower.

The Winery offers free monthly tastings (the next: December 13 at 4:30 p.m.), but walk in anytime and glean as much insider knowledge from the staff as you can. You’ll appreciate the final product. You’ll remark with confidence on the wine’s purity of fruit, body, and structure.

And when your adult guests compliment you on your expert knowledge?

You’ll simply smile and say you heard it through the grapevine.

The Winery, 4 Clifton Road, W9 1SS (020 7286 6475 or thewineryuk.com); at Liberty, Regent Street, W1B 5AH (020 7734 3239 or liberty.co.uk).