The Wine Merchant Magazine
An independent magazine for independent retailers
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Survey of Independents 2025
  • About
    • Meet the Team
    • Editorial Policy
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Digital Editions
    • Subscriptions
  • Contact
  • The Wine Merchant Top 100

German wine harvest hits 15-year low

Rheinhessen alone is down 23% thanks partly to autumn rains
Read More

IRREGULAR THOUGHTS

Cold callers make David Perry hot under the collar
Read More

SCAMMERS TARGET WINE RETAILERS

CNP payment option leaves retailers vulnerable
Read More

PROFILE: CRUSHED & CURED, SOUTHSEA

George Bovill’s pivot from pure retail to hybrid has paid off
Read More

Cape Winemakers Guild Auction raises record £746,000

Around 18% of rare wines on offer were bought by UK bidders
Read More

English wine pioneer Peter Hall dies

Charismatic Breaky Bottom owner was a self-proclaimed hermit
Read More

Latest Articles

Catena makes the switch to Enotria

Argentine Malbec pioneer will end UK relationship with Bibendum
Read More

Alcohol-free trailblazer signs up with Boutinot

Chavin Zéro Vin de France wines are now available in the UK
Read More

Malbec specialist joins the Fells portfolio

Bodega Lagarde is known for site-specific high-altitude winemaking
Read More

BOLNEY ANNOUNCES REPLANTING PROJECT

The Sussex vineyard grubs up old vines
Read More

Good Wine Good People acquires Plonk

Deal sees UK-based e-commerce wine club join growing business
Read More

NORTH SOUTH WELCOMES RIBERA DEL DUERO PRODUCER

Coto de Caleruega is owned by Grupo Baron de Ley
Read More

ENOTRIA&COE ANNOUNCES REBRAND

The distributor restores its original name
Read More

THE LONG RUN

Cat Brandwood makes a welcome return
Read More

PERFECT PAIRINGS IN CARDIFF

Cheese specialist adds wine to its offering
Read More

PROFILE: D BYRNE & CO

A look inside the iconic Clitheroe shop
Read More

Minister hails resilience of South African winemakers

Cape Wine opens with upbeat message amid challenging headwinds
Read More

IRREGULAR THOUGHTS

David Perry decides against local deliveries
Read More

BAILEY’S OPENS IN CREWE

Two more sites are planned
Read More

SIMON ADOPTS STRAY CAT

Cat Brandwood is gainfully employed
Read More

HALLGARTEN & NOVUM IN HIGH SPIRITS

Frapin joins Hallgarten portfolio
Read More

SOUTH AMERICA: THE ROAD AHEAD

A spotlight on Argentina, Chile & Uruguay
Read More

BARKS JOINS SHEFFIELD WINE SCENE

Hybrid model encourages bottle sales
Read More

NEXT STOP, SOUTH MANCHESTER

Kate Goodman continues to spot opportunities
Read More

Merchant Profiles

PROFILE: CRUSHED & CURED, SOUTHSEA

George Bovill’s pivot from pure retail to hybrid has paid off
Read More

PROFILE: D BYRNE & CO

A look inside the iconic Clitheroe shop
Read More

MERCHANT PROFILE: RIPPONDEN WINE CO

From Asda to indie, Ray Nicholls has no regrets
Read More

Refine your search by category:

Filters
Reset
Read the Current Issue
Supplement
Advertisement

Recent Digital Editions

Issue 150 (September 2025)
Issue 149 (August 2025)
Issue 148 (July 2025)
Issue 147 (June 2025)
Issue 146 (May 2025)
View More Editions

Sign up for our Newsletter

Latest from Instagram

Issue 151 of The Wine Merchant is here. What's i Issue 151 of The Wine Merchant is here. 

What's inside? Nasty scammers, majestic hawks, repurposed wine bottles, guilt pangs, bleeding cocoa nibs, Sting (the singer), stings (from bees), 10,000 wine louts, people who lie about chocolate, hedonistic vermouth, Torres v Walkers, hairdresser puns, Lennon and McCartney in the northern Rhône, sesquiterpene rotundone, Leicester City and a small cheese sandwich. 

See if you can spot them all!
So sorry to hear of the passing of Peter Hall, pio So sorry to hear of the passing of Peter Hall, pioneer of English sparkling wine, self-proclaimed hermit and a wonderful raconteur who was generous with his time. Anyone with a bottle of Breaky Bottom in their collection will be toasting the memory this week of a lovely man.

Report on the Wine Merchant website, where you can also read the Q&A we did with Peter in 2022. It was the best article we ran that year – and perhaps in any year. RIP.
We used to be the only wine magazine in the world We used to be the only wine magazine in the world to publish album reviews. Now we're the only one with a psychotherapy column.

Plus: a horrible quiz, a stupid cartoon, in-store opera, people covered in treacle, the black hole of wine retailing, disappointing Belgian cuisine, and David Perry's plums.

Open your copy now while it's still got that strangely intoxicating aroma.
The 149th edition of The Wine Merchant is out ther The 149th edition of The Wine Merchant is out there in the wild. A huge milestone. We enjoyed putting it together for you and yesterday we celebrated its publication by tasting so much vermouth that parts of our mouths are jammed into unfamiliar positions and we’re talking in Dutch accents. Other than that, all good thanks 🤜
Loads of new openings, relocations and expansions Loads of new openings, relocations and expansions to read about in the latest edition of The Wine Merchant. But no closures. 

As Kate Goodman of Reserve Wines tells us in her interview, it's "probably as hard as it's ever been" for indies to keep going. But that's exactly what they're doing – and store numbers continue to rise.
We're delighted to confirm that your repeat prescr We're delighted to confirm that your repeat prescription for The Wine Merchant magazine is ready. If we haven't delivered it to your door, visit the website and follow the links to the digital version. 

The Wine Merchant has no known side-effects. And not only are you able to operate heavy machinery after consumption, it's something that we actively encourage.

All content © Copyright 2025 Graham Holter Ltd

Registered in England: No 6441762 | VAT 943 8771 82

Privacy Policy
Website Designed & Built by Digital Fuse