One of the very few good things to have come out of the coronavirus lockdown has been the redistribution of restaurant wines to consumers at home – and we’ve rounded up 10 great examples available for delivery in the UK right now.
Hailing from a famous supplier of fine bottles to the UK restaurant trade, Berkmann Wine Cellars, the following selection gives you a taste of some wonderful and rare wines that were destined for great dining establishments now sadly shuttered up due to Covid-19.
And, by ordering through Berkmann for home delivery, you will also be raising much-needed funds for two charities: The Drinks Trust and Hospitality Action.
The wines have been selected by myself from a bigger list – which can be viewed here – based on what I would ideally order from the site, and take in a mix of gems that would very rarely be seen in UK retailers, if at all.
Among these is a brilliant food-friendly pink Champagne from Drappier, because you don’t need good times to drink great fizz, and a lovely refreshing dry sherry, because it offers so much flavour for so little cash.
Then there are some more unusual drops, such as a delicious Lebanese white, and an aromatic Greek red, because you may as well test your palate with something a little bit different during the tedium of a lockdown.
For those of you looking to spend a bit bigger, I’ve also chosen a few fine wines to cheer you up while you are closed in.
Now, because I can’t sample the wines at Berkmann’s HQ, for each of my chosen wines, I have asked for a comment from Berkmann purchasing director and Master of Wine, Alex Hunt.
Ok, so the person who chose the wines in the first place may not be impartial, but he’s a highly respected taster who samples wine for a living.
So read on for what would make a great mixed case for the lockdown lifestyle (or indeed, any time), and see what Alex has to say about each of the wines in this selection.