ACCORDING to Alcohol Change UK, research shows that there has been a 21 per cent increase in at home drinking during the Coronavirus pandemic. Pubs and bars have been shut across the nation and many of us are starting to miss the simple pleasures of enjoying a nice glass of wine in a bar. With members of the public being urged to stay at home, with the exception of exercise and necessary shopping, our attitude to buying wine has changed over the last few months.
With many businesses extending their services to offer accessible delivery services, it has become much more convenient to order wine online. Wine delivery services are taking measures into account by offering bulk discounts on mixed cases and free delivery to entice customers. In order to ensure you are buying the best wine, we’ve compiled a list of luxury wine delivery services to ensure you can restock your wine rack without leaving the comfort of your own home
The Hattingley Valley Classic Reserve with its box.
Hattingley Valley
Best for: Best of British wines
With international imports at an all time low, it’s time we gave British wine the attention it deserves. Hattingley Valley creates a range of wonderful sparkling wines made with traditional methods of using grapes grown on chalk soils which gives the wine a unique flavour.
The wines then spend some time in oak barrels which encourage the fermentation process, rounding off the flavour before they are bottled. Hattingley Valley have recently launched the pale pink Still Rosé which is the perfect pairing with a light lunch in the sunshine. All Hattingley Valley wines are 100 percent vegan.
For more information on delivery, visit their website
Château de Pommard
Château de Pommard
Best for: The virtual vineyard experienceÂ
Château de Pommard are extending their services by sharing their wine knowledge to the lockdown masses. They have introduced free online wine tasting sessions led by the estate’s WSET-trained wine advisors. Not only will viewers be able to learn about a broad selection of Burgundy wines on offer, they will also be able to purchase the wines featured in the online tasting session, allowing customers to understand more about the tasting notes in their wine collection.
Commencing next week, Chateau de Pommard’s online experiences will run each Saturday at 6 pm for the French version and at 7:30 pm for the English version (FR times) and will be rotating between the three experiences; La Route des Grands Crus Online Experience, Exceptional Online Experience and Clos-Marey Monge Online Experience. There is a small fee of (20€) limiting the class to a maximum of just 8 participants. Specialised wine collections can be purchased from the estate’s e-commerce website to enjoy during the tasting, ensuring a worldwide delivery within 3-5 days from placing an order.
For more information on tasting sessions and wine delivery, visit their website
Sharpham cheese and wine
Sharpham Wine
Best for: Wine and cheese
The Sharpham Estate has been producing award-winning wine and cheese to the masses for the past 35 years. The estate is situated in South Devon near the River Dart, and prides itself in making beautiful bottles of red, white, rose and sparkling wines. Wine lovers have the option of choosing from a selection of individual bottles or even mixed cases which offer a mixture of best sellers.Â
Their Sparkling Pink 2016, is particularly noteworthy as it’s refreshing summer flavours come from Pinot Noir grapes which are grown at Sharpham’s sister vineyard, Sandridge Barton, on the other side of the river. The bottle was voted the best UK Traditional Method Sparkling Wine at the Bollicini del Mondo competition in Italy earlier in the year. If you enjoy crisp wines paired with cheese, then Sharpham is a go to source as they deliver both, whether it’s individually or as part of a larger hamper.Â
They offer free delivery for purchases over £100. For more information on how to order, visit their website
The Justerini & Brooks logo
Justerini & Brooks
Best for: International wines at your doorstepÂ
With a portfolio spanning over the four thousand mark, Justerini & Brooks are one of the UK’s largest importers of fine wines from various wine regions and the world’s finest providers. Their collection will satisfy any wine lover as it ranges from some of the rarest bottles to the most celebrated wine releases from recent years.
Customers can browse from grape variety, wine region and price in order to find suitable wines for purchase, and their website also allows you to build your own wine cellar to make it easier to reorder or revisit favorites from their collection. Whether you have a specific wine in mind or just want to browse their latest offers, Justerini & Brooks acts as the essential wine catalogue for both connoisseurs and the curious.Â
For more information on delivery, please visit their website
Berkmann Wine Cellars
Berkmann Wine Cellars
Best for: Restaurant quality wine that gives back to the industry
With recent events of Coronavirus halting the hospitality industry, Berkmann Wine Cellars have introduced an initiative called Help 4 Hospitality that donates 12.5% of its customer sales back to the hospitality industry.Â
This campaign means that customers can now order a selection of restaurant quality wines to enjoy at home with the knowledge that they are also supporting the businesses they love and miss. The mixed case offers featured on the website feature collection chosen individually by chefs along with ‘best of’ collections which feature favourites from different wine categories. This is a great option if you find yourself regularly purchasing wine as this puts value and quality in mind when ordering.
Orders will be delivered within five working days, or the next working day within London. For more information on how to order, please visit their website.Â
 
Hedonism Wine Cellars
Hedonism Wines
Best for: Restocking your wine rack
With the majority of us staying at home, it’s no surprise that wine sales have skyrocketed. If your wine rack is looking a little bare, Hedonism Wines can change that with their delivery service which offers an extensive selection of over 6,500 premium and affordable wines.
With everything from fine vintages to £10 bottles, you can mix and match until you have a wine for every occasion. If you’re looking for a luxurious summer wine, we recommend the Clarendelle Blanc 2018 from the French company Domaine Clarence Dillon as it offers a well balanced white, ideal for a summer drink or even paired with food.
Hedonism Wines are currently offering free delivery on orders over six bottles in London and the UK. For more information on how to order, visit their website
Chapel Down headquarters
Chapel Down
Best for: Traditional method sparkling wines
Chapel Down is one of UKs most exciting drinks makers as they offer a core selection of still and sparkling wines which are made using grapes sourced from the South East of England. Their range of sparkling wines are particularly notable as they are made using traditional methods, much like Champagne. Chapel Down is arguably one of the UKs strongest competitors in sparkling wine as their Brut NV is both a best seller and award winner, allowing guests to enjoy something on the same level as Champagne. In addition to wine, they also make gin, vodka and brandy using innovative methods involving using distilled grape skins.Â
Chapel Down offers free delivery on everything ordered via their website
by Katrina Mirpuri