Chateauneuf du Pape
If your main requirement from wine is that it's cheap, take a van to France and "fill 'er up!". But if you'd rather combine regular bargains with a greater appreciation of wine, try buying by the case (12 bottles) – without leaving home.
Laithwaites and The Wine Society are, respectively, the biggest and the oldest in the mail-order wine-by-the-case business. In 1969, working as a student in the vineyards of Bordeaux, Tony Laithwaite bought a van to sell authentic wines to the UK. He now sells five million cases a year to 700,000 customers, with a range of about 2,000 wines. Founded in 1874, The Wine Society sells half a million cases to its 100,000 members, with a range of 1,500 wines.
Both companies buy direct from growers, so there are no agents' fees and, as well as their countless special deals and bin-end offers, they typically reward their customers for buying in bulk. A Chilean Shiraz from Laithwaites, for example, was £6.49 per bottle when buying six, but only £4.99 per bottle when buying a full case.
Crucially, the close, personal relationships these companies develop with their suppliers gives them access to hand-made wines, produced in such small quantities as to be of no interest to the supermarkets or larger high-street wine merchants. Indeed, the majority of wines stocked by Laithwaites and The Wine Society are exclusives. Accordingly, they tend to be more idiosyncratic, tasting of where they come from (terroir), rather than big-brand bland and samey. This exclusivity also makes direct price comparisons with the high street impossible.
The Wine Society describes itself as a non-profit-maximising organisation, a wine drinkers' co-operative whose main function is to offer, dare I say it, interesting wines to its members at fair prices. In order to take advantage one has to buy a £40 share, bestowing life membership, transferable upon death. No down payment needs to be made before dealing with Laithwaites, though it does charge £6.99 per delivery, while The Wine Society's UK deliveries are free for all cases of 12.
Laithwaites, meanwhile, has launched its Premiere service whereby, for an annual fee of £19.95, customers receive two free new wines to try with each order. Both companies offer mixed, or bespoke, cases and themed cases such as Best of Spain or Giants of the New World, packed with tasting notes and suggested food matches as well as tastings, dinners and excellent wine advice at the end of the phone.
Both encourage wine exploration – what The Wine Society calls 'lateral drinking' - and will replace any bottles you're not happy with.
Websites:
www.laithwaites.co.uk; 0845 1947711
www.thewinesociety.com; 01438 741177
Other case dealers worth investigating:
www.bbr.com
www.bibendum-wine.co.uk
www.chateauonline.com
www.corneyandbarrow.com
www.majestic.co.uk
www.oddbins.co.uk
www.virginwines.com
To decant or not to decant?
Simply opening a bottle and leaving it to 'chambr' is whistling in the wind. Young full-bodied reds will 'open up' if poured into a jug or decanter.
The aeration caused by pouring releases the bouquet. Leave it to stand for an hour. With mature reds the bouquet might dissipate with extended exposure.
The main purpose of decanting here is to remove sediment, so pour carefully, allowing all the crud to gather in the bottle's shoulder. Or pour through a coffee filter-paper. A smart Eisch Glas Claret decanter costs £39.95 from www.wineware.co.uk; 01903 786148).
Prices and outlets correct at time of publication (March 2009). Please check stockists for latest prices and offers.