When selecting the wines for your business; we advise looking at the foundations first. The key building blocks that make up a selection of wines; Wine Styles & Grape Varieties. The tables below includes the UK’s most popular grape varieties in pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels.
Secondly, what impact does your outlet style have on your final wine list? For a food-led site; why not find the best foods to pair these wines with; please visit our Food Matching Tool. It may help pick out the more interesting grapes and styles that suit your cuisine. For wet-led venues; lead with fruit driven styles, avoiding complex wines that are designed to go with food.
Thirdly, the pricing ladder; we always suggest offering a tiered wine list, with increasing profit margins. These can be worked out with our handy Gross Profit Calculator Tool.
| Grape Variety | Description | Classic growing countries & regions | Wine Style |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Merlot Mer-low |
Mid bodied, elegant with aromas of plum and black fruits |
Bordeaux and Languedoc, France, Chile, California, Italy |
Light and delicate, ripe and juicy |
|
Shiraz Si-rah / Shi-razz |
Rich, full flavoured, soft and juicy, mid to full bodied |
Rhone, France, Australia, South Africa, Chile |
Ripe and juicy, spicy and warming, oaked and intense |
|
Cabernet Sauvignon Ca-bur-ney Sew-vin-yon |
Deep coloured, full bodied with intense blackcurrant flavours |
Bordeaux and Languedoc, France, Chile, Australia, California |
Ripe and juicy, oaked and intense |
|
Malbec Mal-beck |
Succulent, juicy, mid to full bodied, ripe red fruit flavours |
Bordeaux and Cahors, France and Argentina |
Ripe and juicy, oaked and intense |
|
Pinot Noir Pee-no N-waa |
Smooth, aromatic with perfumed red fruit, mid to light-bodied |
Burgundy abd Champagne, France, California, New Zealand, Australia |
Ripe and juicy Oaked and intense, light and delicate |
|
Tempranillo Temp-ra-nivo |
Smooth, mellow and mid-bodied, strawberry fruit flavour and a touch of spice |
Spain, Portugal, Argentina |
Spicy and warming. Ripe and juicy. Oaked and intense |
| Grape Variety | Description | Classic growing countries & regions | Wine Style |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sauvignon Blanc Sew-vin-yon Blonk |
Aromatic, dry and crisp with intense aromas of tropical fruits, elderflower, cut grass and nettles |
Loire and Bordeaux, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile |
Dry and aromatic |
|
Pinot Grigio Pee-no Gree-gio |
Light, crisp and dry with very delicate pear and apple flavours |
Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Hungry, Californa |
Light and delicate |
|
Chardonnay Shard-on-ay |
Soft, fruit and fuller-bodied, ripe melon fruit and notes of vanilla |
Burgundy, and Champagne, France, Australia, New Zealand, California, South Africa |
Ripe and juicy, fuller flavoured |
|
Chenin Blanc Shen-in Blonk |
Fresh, fruity with crisp acidity. Light to medium bodied, dry to medium |
Loire, France, South Africa, Argentina |
Light and delicate, ripe and juicy |
|
Viognier Vi-yon-yay |
Exotic, fresh and ripe. Notes of peaches and hint of spice. Medium to full bodied |
Languedoc and Rhone, France, Chile, Argentina |
Ripe and juicy |
|
Riesling Rees-ling |
Pronounced citrus and floral aromas, fresh and fairly full-bodied, dry to sweet |
Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Alsace, France, Austria |
Dry and aromatic, ripe and juicy |
To support your staff in navigating our range, we’ve produced an easy to use food and wine matching wheel. This enables easy navigation of our range by grape variety or wine style, so regardless of the size of your wine offering or style of food, this tool will enable any member of staff to confidently make recommendations to your customers. Request an appointment with your local wine expert and he can provide these for your team members.
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