Our kinda boot sale @winecarboot

When you hear 'car boot sale' you immediately think of ridiculously early mornings to tramp around a field with a pile of fuddy-duddies selling their partially used lightbulbs and betamax tapes fighting for pitch space with some hippies who make cabbage and elderflower jam in their bathtub at home. There are many, many other activities I would like to undertake to pass away my precious weekends....such as removing corns from my mother in laws' feet. With my teeth. You probably have guessed, I’m not really a fan.

But here’s a car boot sale with a difference; it’s called Wine Car Boot (or @WineCarBoor for you Twitter types). The idea is simple and delicious. They pop along to a car park (hopefully) near you, each car is an independent wine shop that brings along a sample of their favourite wines for you to taste, try or buy and you don’t spend your day arguing over 50 pence on the price of a 3 legged table that used to have 4.

We love their slogan - ‘taste your way out of the supermarket!.

Entry is £12 which you buy online through their website http://www.winecarboot.com and this gets you entry to the event, five samples tastings, a bottle of water (for those ok with mixing their drinks), a tasting glass and a six bottle wine carrier. There are some cracking independent wine shops that are going to be there so sod the Christmas shopping and give it a go. Plus who wouldn't love a bottle of tasty wine under their tree?? 

The tastings are done in five hour slots and the next event is this weekend at Kings Cross. I would really really really love to be going but alas the mother in law is visiting. Note to self, buy more dental floss.

Decanter Wine Retailer Awards

Decanter, the well known UK based wine magazine, recently announced its winners of their annual Wine Retail Awards for 2015.

The awards aim to offer the UK wine drinker guidance on those wine retailers who, in the view of Decanter judges, show imagination, drive and evangelism across key categories ranging from high street supermarkets to specialist retailers.

Asda - best supermarket retailer. Decanter 2015 wine retailer awards. Photo courtesy of Decanter.

There were some new names on the winners podium this year with Asda winning best supermarket, usurping the multiple winning M&S who took second place.

The Wine Society was a worthy repeat winner of the National Retailer of the Year (we are big fans) with Oddbins coming second.

Other notables were Uncorked of London taking the award for Small Independent Retailer and the crowd funded and quite fabulous New Zealand Wine Cellar recently opened in Brixton winning the award for the best Specialist Retailer of Australian and New Zealand wines.

Congratulations to all the winners - we will look at a number of these in more detail in the near future.

@Tescowines reduces range, shuts down online wine community

It has been announced that Tesco are to close their online wine community which had been established back in 2011 to act as a forum for wine lovers to communicate, gone too are the tastings that will cease in October.

Focus for the supermarket is around reducing its online and in-store wine ranges inline with an overall focus driven by the current CEO to reduce product ranges across the board.

The closure of the site has upset many of its members and it is expected that the reduction of its wine range is likely to disappoint many of its customers. 

Where to buy your wine

We at mywinespace believe that to find great value interesting wines you need to get out of the supermarket bargain buckets and into grown up wine retailers who know their stuff and will deliver a very personalised service.

One of the sections on our developing site will be around which outlets (high street and online) are worth a visit.

Our first article on where to buy your wine focuses on the award winning Majestic where down to earth qualified staff will hold your hand through the whole selection and help you find a bottle of something special. 

You can read the full article here: