The Wine Merchant's Blog

As we revel in the most welcome yet uncharacteristic sizzle of a summer heatwave in this part of the world many would be forgiven for thinking that the only suitable candidates for an accompanying tipple come in the form of light, fresh whites and rosés across the board (not to mention bubbles). There are, however, […]

Australia is the fourth biggest producer of wine in the world, with only around 40% being consumed locally, which explains why we can get such high quality, reasonably priced wine on our side of the world. Unfortunately, during the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the Australian wine industry was plagued by large conglomerates, mass producing low […]

We have put together 12 bottles of our best value and most popular everyday drinking wines. Whether you are looking for a wine to enjoy by yourself, with friends or with food, this selection of 6 red and 6 white wines covers all your needs. That glass of wine at the end of the day […]

Father’s Day is fast approaching and we have put together our Top Wines under £30.   If he is a wine connoisseur or an enthusiast you don’t need to break the bank to spoil Dad this Sunday with these great wines from across the globe.  We can even deliver the gift for you and can include […]

Who can believe that June is here?  As we enjoy the summer weather (long may it last) we have updated our picks to reflect the stretch in the evening and selected the wines that are best appreciated in the sunshine.  We hope you enjoy! Taryn Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2017, £17.59 Being a new world […]

Summertime makes living easy, with flowers blooming and long warm evenings, it’s the perfect time to entertain and enjoy the outdoors. Whether it’s having the neighbours round for an informal barbeque or the extended family round for afternoon tea in the garden. Summer gives us so much more reason to celebrate and do it with […]

Taryn, the newest member of our Retail team was in South Africa over Easter and got to visit Stellenbosch and the Swartland to catch up with two of our very popular wine producers, Journeys End and AA Badenhorst. Journey’s End is a producer that operates close to the ground, has a deep understanding of the […]

The two main schools of thought when it comes to wine making:  minimal intervention (mostly organic or biodynamic producers) and interventionist, where the winemaker adds certain elements to the winemaking process in order to add his or her own individual “stamp”. Both styles have their merits and in search of balance, the JN Retail team […]

Wine making in Lebanon has recently transformed the countryside and opened the way for attractive business opportunities. Long established wineries and a host of newcomers have helped cement Lebanon’s reputation as a centre of excellence. We at Massaya are neither an old name nor an eager novice and we are proud that during the past […]

Pikes was delighted recently to welcome back the men from Vinsonus, a truly innovative and successful South Australian company. Vinsonus’s High Power Ultrasonic (HPU) barrel cleaning technology has been an invaluable tool in helping Pikes not only improve wine quality but also significantly reduce its spending on new oak products, one of the costliest aspects […]

Spring is just around the corner so our staff have chosen some new wines to reflect the change in the season.   Jane Macon Charnay, Les Chenes, 2015,  Manciat Poncet 75cl, £14.95 Coming into the Spring, this is the perfect wine to enliven the senses. Floral notes combine with citrus and peach on the nose. […]

Cabernet Sauvignon; king of wine grapes. Core foundation of Bordeaux’s greatest estates, the main contributor to the great cult wines of California’s Napa Valley and of major importance to the “Super Tuscans” of Bolgheri on Italy’s Etruscan coast. We all love Cabernet Sauvignon; it is to wine what Frank Sinatra is to music; timeless, full […]