After two years of working with Wine Trust and seeing how our business is evolving we feel the time is right to set out exactly what we are, what we believe in, but also what we are not and will not engage in.
The last two years have been as challenging as they have been exciting – clichéd as that might read. However two aspects have emerged in that period which has been both reassuring as well as rewarding. Firstly, we have engaged with and built a customer base which is knowledgeable, loyal and also developing. We would like to thank straight away all those people who have bought from us and who keep buying from us – we are simply nothing without you.
Secondly, we are proud to say we have stuck to our principles and ethos and built a wine selection which reflects what we set out to achieve and which we hope keeps our customers invigorated. And we would like to redefine those basic and fundamental principles by which we operate – and not least for new customers whom we hope to encourage to buy and enjoy wines from us in the future.
The key word is Trust – quite simply we aim to source to the highest standards – and reflect that in both the quality of the wines along with fairness and consistency of pricing.
What we believe in and set out to achieve
- We buy fundamentally on the principle of quality first. We then correlate that with both the cost price of the wine and how this relates to its selling price
- If the wine is not of high enough quality (for its price) it is rejected
- If the wine is of good quality but doesn’t meet out 90 point minimum MWS marking criteria it is also rejected
- Not only do we strive for quality wines, but also a quality selection. We constantly look to source a mixture of consumer favourites, but also search out new and exciting areas and grape varieties. We believe striking this balance is an essential aspect of our offering
- We specifically work with specialists – including winemakers, proprietors, suppliers and Masters of Wine – who bring both expertise to defined areas and regions, but also access to special, or more limited parcels of wine. We will continue to go forward on this basis
- We offer straight forward and fair pricing, with no gimmicks. We look to provide a cross section of wines, priced to provide the scope for everyday drinking but also finer, or rarer, examples for special occasions and enthusiasts
- We never buy on pricing for pricing’s sake – with today’s duty and taxation rates there are simply no wines to be found of the quality we require at “bargain basement” prices
- When we offer wines with a discounted or special price it is always a genuine promotional offer. We will never inflate retail pricing simply to offer a “fake” discount, or offer, back to customers
- We support all listings with what we hope is interesting, original and informative backgrounds, supported with mailers and general internet communications
- But ultimately we want our customers to enjoy and enthuse about the wines we offer – and if they do not, for whatever reason, we will refund or replace without quibble. We accept that however hard we focus on quality, we may not always get the exact style that everyone likes for a specific wine, or occasion
Nick Adams, MW