Tips on how to navigate your local independent wine merchant

Our expert Sophia Longhi gives her tips

(Image credit: Katy McPhedran)

Are you feeling the need to pull away from the supermarket safe bets?

Perhaps you’ve been to one party too many where that wine with the farmyard bird on the label is all anyone brings?

The fabled ‘Independent Wine Merchant’ isn’t that rare at all, even though it might seem that way if you haven’t yet discovered your local one.

Or, perhaps you do know of a wine shop nearby, but you’re too wary of going in, fearing astronomically priced wines, snobbery and judgement. And you feel you wouldn’t know what to ask for, anyway, even if you did go in.

Ditch the fear and don’t stress, as I’ve got top tips on how to buy wine like a pro at an independent wine shop.

1. Say hello!

It sounds ridiculously simple, but establishing a connection straight away will put any nerves at ease and will avoid the awkwardness of them not noticing you, should their head be in a spreadsheet (which is quite likely).

2. Ask for their help

‘I was wondering if you could help me’ is music to a wine merchant’s ears. They want to help you!

These people love wine and want to share their knowledge.

Long days in a shop can be boring, so most merchants will be desperate to chat about their favourite subject on earth. And, helping customers is literally their job, so there’s no need to feel weird about asking.

3. Say what you’re looking for

Even if you don’t know exactly what you want, narrow it down. Are you after a red or white; rosé or sparkling?

Is it for an occasion? Are you cooking something specific? After initially thinking you don’t know what you’re after, you’ll be surprised to learn that you know more than you think about what you want (or don’t want).

4. Establish your budget

This is not strange. There should be no power-play about how much money you have to spend. Be honest and say up front: ‘My budget is £X’. It will save you both time and effort.

Even if you have a very small budget, most merchants will have something to suit. A great advantage of visiting an independent wine merchant is they sometimes have a ‘bin end’ section.

What does ‘bin end’ mean?

Bin end wines are the last few remaining bottles of a particular wine that the merchant needs to shift in order to make way for new vintages or labels. These are perfectly good wines sold at reduced prices. Don’t be embarrassed about asking if they have any bin ends – you’ll be doing the merchant a favour and you should get a bargain!

5. Talk about what you usually drink

This is precious information for a wine merchant to find out about your tastes. Don’t worry about wine-speak and using fancy words – the simpler the better.

Do you like heavy reds, for example, or lighter reds? Do you like richness or freshness?

You can even mention the exact wines that you usually buy, like this brand of Chilean Merlot or that brand of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

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Sophia is an awarded wine communicator, writer and wine judge. Her work can be found in The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveller and Telegraph Travel, as well as numerous wine trade publications, and she regularly shares her wine tales on Instagram at @skinandpulp.