Vineyard gate sales
Despite the massive growth in the hectarage of vines in the UK, English and Welsh wine is still difficult to get hold of. There are a number of reasons for this, usually related to McCarthy's 4 P's of marketing.
Product The right product in the right place at the right time. The vaguaries of our weather and the relatively small size of the majority of our vineyards means that in many areas, there is often only a small
supply of wine at the time that it is needed. Since a large amount is sold at the vineyard gate, then it is by definition, available either to locals or to visitors to the vineyard. The best thing to do is to consult the vineyard websites,
or ring up the owners to find out about opening times. Be aware that many vineyards are in remote country areas, or may not be open often as the owner is pruning the vines!
Promotion This includes word of mouth, point-of-sale displays and media advertising. The latter can be expensive unless managed in conjunction with local Food Festivals and markets.
The latter can be very useful, especially
if a relatively small outlay can allow growers to meet the public and to widen their sales area. If you want to find local wines, go to the small or medium sized food festivals as many will have a stall there
Place This can include supermarkets and off-licences. However, growers are squeezed to the bone by the buyers, and often are reluctant to commit a large proportion of their output to one supermarket.
That outlet may also return bottles if it sells slowly, and may also want a proportion of promotional costs. Some wine merchants are very good at giving shelf space to English and Welsh wines- Tanners of Shrewsbury is a good
example. Local shops and farm shops that have an off-licence may also stock local wines.
Price The production costs often include hiring a skilled winemaker, or sending grapes to a larger vineyard for processing. Different areas command different prices. In south Herefordshire for example,
a bottle of still wine will retail for over £13 a bottle. In North Shrophire, growers may only be able to charge about £7.00 The increasing supply of sparkling wines, currently selling for over £25 a bottle,
will soon cause a break down of the market into the Premier wines, such as Nyetimer and Ridgeview
and the less well known ones. A price differential will emerge. Be prepared to spend more than you would on a bottle of imported plonk.It is usually worth it
The list below outlines where UK wines can be purchased on-line. It is not complete, as the number of outlets will grow, and some will disappear. It also includes a few retailers who specialise in UK wines and have a large range. It also includes a few who sell by mail-order rather than having on-line Credit-card systems.
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