FT_Weekend_Magazine_-_April_4-5_2020

42 FT.COM/MAGAZINE APRIL 4/ 52020

◀Igenerallyrecommendsmall

winemerchantsthatspecialisein

personallyvaluingandcollecting

winesfromprivatehomes.Several

friendshavebeenhappywiththe

servicesofDavidBoobyerofReid

Wines([email protected])near

Bristol.Hetookoverthebusiness

fromthelateBillBaker,oneof

thecountry’smostenthusiastic

winemerchantsandbonsviveurs,

buthasnoonlinepresence.

IalsorecommendFourWalls

WinenearChichester,whereBarry

Phillipshasbeeninbusinesslong

enoughtoknowwherethegood

bottlesareburied.AsStephen

BrowettofFarrVintnersobserved

tomeaboutlocatingtopquality

stock:“Anymerchantwhoknew

richpeoplebuyingfinewine30to

40 yearsagoisinagoodposition.”

Butforthosewhowouldpreferto

taketheirchancesinthesaleroom,

manylocalauctioneersare

preparedtoselloddbottlesofthe

sortofwinenotgrandenoughfor

thebigauctionhouses(whichprefer

tosellunopenedoriginalwooden

cases,“owc”insalescatalogues).

Christie’susedtoholdlivelysales

oftheselesserwinesbutnow

sendssuchbottlestoTateWard,

whichholdsauctionsintheOld

TrumanBreweryineastLondon.

Thesesalesmayalsobeof

interesttocasualwinebuyers.

StrakerChadwickofAbergavenny

isactiveinthisarenaandsome

ofitslotsgoforaslittleas£20.

RetiredwinecollectorAndrew

Matthews,whoisbasedin

Norwich,choseitafewyears

agotosell60casesofwinethat

he,orratherhiswife,decided

weresurplustorequirements.

“Isentthemthelistwithdetails

ofprovenanceplusphotosof

mycellarandexplainedabout

temperaturevariation,”said

Matthewsbyemail.“Theywere

efficient.Ihadtopayforthe

transport,whichfromrecollection

wasabout£40.TheytookallIhad

andlisteditassimply‘aprivate

cellarinEastAnglia’.Theystripped

offalllabelswithmynameonand

sentmealistwithestimatesfor

approval.Theauctionhasnotonly

biddersintheroombutphoneline

biddingaswell.Igotpaidpromptly.

MrsMatthewswasdelighted.She

gotanewcarandthechildrengot

carpetsfortheirroomsplusalovely

familyholidayinDenmark.”

Elsewhere,BidforWine.co.uk

willsellyourwineforyou,at

varyingcommissionlevelsbelow

10 percent.And,ofcourse,

thereiseBay,whichfeatures

asurprisingarrayofwines.

WhenIaskedmembersof

JancisRobinson.comfortheir

experiencesofsellingwine,David

BanfordfromStellenboschhad

onefinalsuggestion:“Trading

wineswithrestaurantsanxiousto

addmaturewinestotheirlistin

exchangeforrestaurantcredits

[vouchers]tobetakenatsome

futuredateoncewineshavebeen

soldtocustomersatkeenpricing.”

Letusalllookforwardtoa

timewhenthatwilloncemore

bepossible.

Morecolumnsatft.com/

jancis-robinson

£12million of FineWine in stock and immediately available

Cru Classé Bordeaux -Vintage Port

Finest Burgundies and other fine wines

Everything listed is our own stock

For expert advice, please contact: Paul Bowker or PatrickWilkinson

(website updated in real time)

Established1 992

ThisSundayJancis will be onft.com at

12pm and 5pm UK time with her list of

wineretailers around theworld

prepared to deliver to the housebound.

Please postyour wine queriesat

ft.com/jancislive