An indispensable information to one of the best wine outlets, on-line retail, wine specialists and wine help providers within the UK, the Decanter Retailer Awards 2022 winners have been partially revealed, with extra outcomes to be introduced tomorrow, twenty eighth September.
Challenges are merely a part of the panorama for retailers lately, however there are those that are rising to those challenges in type.
The UK wine retail scene has undergone large modifications within the final 5 years, and our evolving classes purpose to mirror this: on-line is ever-more essential, digital occasions are right here to remain, sustainability is an important situation.
This 12 months’s judging has thrown up intriguing and thrilling winners, all of whom are effectively value your time and a focus. They do us wine lovers proud.
Scroll right down to see the 2022 winners
See the Decanter Retailer Awards 2022 Shortlist
Decanter Retailer Awards: The 2022 winners
Specialist Classes
Australia Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: The Vinorium
Securing this class for an unbelievable fifth 12 months in a row, north Kent-based The Vinorium ‘lives and breathes’ Australian wine. It’s a true specialist, providing greater than 370 wines, with a variety that’s as thrilling as it’s various. Buyer engagement is great, sustainability is prioritised, and the corporate not too long ago invested £100,000 into its new e-commerce platform.
Austria Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: The Wine Society
Members of The Wine Society ‘have a thirst’ for Austrian wines, as witnessed by gross sales exceeding £2m for the second 12 months in a row, together with greater than £400,000 for en primeur, a uncommon enterprise for a UK retailer. ‘Nice producers, excellent own-labels,’ mentioned one decide, as The Wine Society took the award for the third 12 months in succession.
Bordeaux Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Goedhuis & Co Advantageous Wine Service provider
Runner-up: Bordeaux Index
‘Bordeaux isn’t only one factor, and Goedhuis covers all of it brilliantly,’ was how one decide summed up. £10m gross sales, 1,800 wines, 42 vintages, 21 appellations – and glorious communication and engagement to again it up, together with The Wine Dinner (that includes all 5 first progress estates) elevating £300,000 for charity. Bordeaux Index additionally presents an enormous vary and is notably proactive en primeur.
Burgundy Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Goedhuis & Co Advantageous Wine Retailers
Runner-up: Home of Townend
Goedhuis describes its staff as ‘Burgundy fanatics’ – and it exhibits, for a second consecutive 12 months. Be it within the cautious sourcing of latest domaines, relentless engagement with clients, or just pure ardour for the product, Goedhuis goes above and past. Home of Townend presents a wonderful Burgundy vary that includes many mature vintages.
Central & Jap Europe Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Novel Wines
Runner-up: Better of Hungary
‘Sensible to purchase from’, ‘Helps the local people’, ‘Very profitable’, have been the judges’ feedback on Novel Wines, the dynamic Bathtub service provider with an excellent and rising vary, which secured it the highest place as soon as once more this 12 months. Better of Hungary ‘does an excellent job drawing folks right into a class that’s extra various than you assume’.
Champagne & Glowing Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Sip Champagnes
Runner-up: Cambridge Wine Retailers
A really tight name between two excellent operators. Newcomer Sip Champagnes has a laser-like concentrate on cutting-edge wines from the area and, within the phrases of 1 decide, ‘is altering the sport for Champagne’. Cambridge, in the meantime, presents an excellent and various vary of Champagne and glowing wine.
England & Wales Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Grape Britannia
Runner-up: The English Vine
Cambridge-based Grape Britannia is a wonderful evangelist for the English & Welsh wine trigger, stocking 228 wines throughout a variety of costs. Triumphing once more this 12 months, it has refreshed and up to date its vary, bolstered its on-line presence and resumed occasions (even that includes ‘wine and crisp matching’). The English Vine additionally does a laudable job.
Germany Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: The WineBarn
Runner-up: Justerini & Brooks
The WineBarn is a bona fide German specialist whose small scale fails to impede its vociferous championing of the trigger, mirrored in its promotion from runner-up within the 2021 Retailer Awards. Enthusiasm, data and expertise are what you get with The WineBarn – that, and a superb vary of 283 German wines throughout a variety of costs. Justerini earned reward for its ‘nice listing’.
Italy Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Jeroboams
Runner-up: Bat and Bottle Wine Retailers
A extremely aggressive area noticed Jeroboams emerge victorious this 12 months, by dint of its glorious (and ever-improving) Italian vary, passionate communication and interesting occasions together with a Festa Piemontese tasting. Bat and Bottle presents an excellent Italian listing and extremely private service.
New Zealand Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Jeroboams
The judges have been impressed by Jeroboams’ dedication to ‘doing one thing completely different’ with its New Zealand listing, trying past the Marlborough Sauvignon trope to less-established pét-nat and Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc wines. Producers embrace the likes of Craggy Vary, Hunter’s, Kelly Washington and Kumeu River.
Natural & Biodynamic Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: The Good Wine Store
A real dedication to stocking small household producers who make natural or biodynamic wine shines by way of from southwest London-based The Good Wine Store, which additionally does a superb job of flagging these wines up in retailer. The ‘Quirky Sommelier’ combined case additionally works effectively.
Portugal Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: The Wine Society
Runner-up: Majestic Wine
‘Thrilling’ was the phrase one decide used about The Wine Society’s Portuguese vary – which secured it this class for a second consecutive 12 months – citing indigenous varieties and tremendous own-label wines. No surprise then that its Portuguese wine gross sales have topped £4.2m. Majestic’s Portuguese vary can also be quick bettering.
Rhône Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Carringtons
Manchester-based Carringtons took the Rhône class once more – it is a wonderful vacation spot if Rhône wines are your factor, having labored exhausting to develop the regional vary over three a long time.
South & Regional France Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: The Wine Society
‘Terrific trio of patrons, terrific vary,’ commented one decide of The Wine Society, repeating its final two years’ triumph on this class. It’s a actual forte: 247 wines comprising 17% of the vary (however about half within the £8-£15 candy spot), majoring on worth, range and deliciousness. Madiran en primeur, anybody?
South Africa Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Museum Wines
Runner-up: Majestic Wine
Dorset-based Museum Wines continues to develop and enhance its already spectacular South African listing and specialism, which safely secured it this class within the 2021 and 2020 Retailer Awards. This 12 months the service provider has added three new farms and a enjoyable new blind on-line tasting format. Majestic is growing a wonderful listing with nice worth and variety.
South America Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Style Argentina
Argentina has taken large strides recently, one thing that’s not at all times mirrored on the excessive avenue however actually is at on-line specialist Style Argentina, which wins this class for a 3rd time in a row this 12 months. Turnover is up, buyer retention is excessive, occasions are spectacular and the 214-strong listing goes from power to power.
Spain Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Highbury Vintners
Runner-up: Ultracomida
One other fiercely fought class. Final 12 months’s runner-up, Highbury has improved an already spectacular listing, main one decide to touch upon a ‘pretty vary throughout the piece from Vega Sicilia to Lanzarote’. Aberystwyth-based Ultracomida additionally earned reward for a wonderful vary and courageous pivot from tapas bar.
Candy & Fortified Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Classic Wine & Port Restricted
Runner-up: Cambridge Wine Retailers
Two excellent specialists right here, in a reversal of final 12 months’s class positions. Classic gained for its epic 1,500-strong listing, with the candy wine vary particularly having been bolstered this 12 months (from 18 to 145 wines), in addition to its efforts to win over a youthful viewers by way of YouTube and social media. Cambridge has a joyous vary on this class.
USA Specialist Retailer of the Yr
Winner: Roberson Wine
Runner-up: Wanderlust Wine
Roberson has ‘bust out dancing’ from the pandemic, its USA vary excellent in California but in addition past, and its achingly cool occasions that includes Californian tacos, dwell graffiti and ‘the candy beat of retro vinyl’. Wanderlust continues to develop and impress with its USA vary.
Wine Assist Providers
En Primeur Marketing campaign of the Yr
Winner: Goedhuis & Co Advantageous Wine Retailers (Burgundy Marketing campaign)
Runner-up: Goedhuis & Co Advantageous Wine Retailers (Bordeaux Marketing campaign)
A double win for Goedhuis, impressively for a 3rd 12 months in succession. The service provider earned reward for overcoming Covid-related obstacles not solely to ship spectacular numbers and glorious ranges but in addition to have interaction with its clients admirably. Good service and efficient communication is the important thing to profitable en primeur: Goedhuis nailed it.
Subscription Wine Membership of the Yr
Winner: The Little Advantageous Wine Firm
Runner-up: Bat and Bottle Wine Retailers
A class that continues to develop and grow to be ever-more aggressive, but producing a repeat of the end result within the 2021 Retailer Awards. Little Advantageous Wine champions its area of interest with aplomb, that includes a wonderful vary of half-bottles and a extremely private service. Bat and Bottle’s subscription presents an interesting journey into Italian wine.
The 2022 judging panel
- Peter Richards MW is a daily contributor to Decanter, the DWWA Regional Chair for Chile, and Chair of our Retailer Awards since 2013
- Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW is a wine author, guide, educator and WSET lecturer, and was a DWWA 2022 Appearing Regional Chair for Tuscany
- Laura Clay is a member of the Affiliation of Wine Educators, an accredited Bordeaux and Rioja tutor, and was UK Champagne Ambassador in 2010
- Leona De Pasquale is a wine educator, author and translator, and founding father of London-based tea and wine coaching and occasions firm Camellia & Vine
- Simon Subject MW was a purchaser for service provider Berry Bros & Rudd and now works as a guide. He’s the DWWA Regional Chair for Champagne and the UK
- Vidya Narasimhan is an unbiased wine guide and author with earlier worldwide expertise in banking and administration consulting
In help of the UK drinks group, for a 3rd 12 months all proceeds from the 2022 awards will likely be donated to UK drinks business charities, together with The Drinks Belief and The Ben.
Extra 2022 outcomes introduced tomorrow
Extra outcomes will likely be introduced tomorrow, Wednesday twenty eighth September at 11am BST on @Decanter and @Decanterawards Instagram tales and Twitter, adopted by full outcomes right here on Decanter.com
Winners introduced tomorrow: Regional, Nationwide, On-line, Newcomer, Inexperienced Champion, Hybrid, Digital, Judges’ Alternative & Excellent Retailer of the Yr
