Red wine from California — Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at its heart, alongside Pinot Noir from the cooler coast and old-vine Zinfandel. These are wines with the ripeness of the New World and the structure to stand beside their European equivalents on merit, not novelty. Every bottle is chosen on the same basis as everything else we sell: quality, provenance, and the conviction that the wine justifies its place on the shelf.
The Value Of What's In The Bottle
One of the least understood things about wine in the UK is where your money actually goes. On every bottle sold in this country, a significant proportion of the price is absorbed by fixed costs that have nothing to do with the quality of the liquid inside: excise duty, VAT, packaging, logistics, and retail margins. These costs are broadly the same whether the bottle costs £7 or £70.
The practical consequence is striking. In a bottle at the UK average price of around £7, less than 10% of what you pay goes towards the actual wine. The rest is tax, glass, labels, transport, and margin. At £20, roughly a third of the price goes into the liquid itself. At £40 and above, well over half your money is paying for better grapes, better vineyards, better winemaking, and more time in barrel or bottle.
The relationship is not linear — it's exponential. Every pound spent above the baseline puts a disproportionately larger proportion towards what actually matters. This is why the jump in quality between a £7 bottle and a £15 bottle is enormous, and why spending £25–£40 on a bottle delivers an experience genuinely in a different category. It's not about paying more for a label — it's about paying for what's in the glass. Our California collection starts at £[entry price].
Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon is what Napa built its reputation on. Full-bodied, structured wines from established estates including Robert Mondavi, Château Montelena, and Mayacamas. Cabernet here has ripeness and depth, but the best examples carry the tannin and acidity to age for years. Many benefit from decanting.
Sonoma & The Coast
Pinot Noir from the cooler Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley — brighter, more restrained, and closer in spirit to Burgundy than to the Napa valley floor. Wines with lift and freshness rather than weight.
Old-Vine Zinfandel
California's own grape. Ripe, brambly, and generous, with more depth and structure than its reputation suggests — particularly from older vines.
Wine & Food
Napa Cabernet with a Sashi côte de boeuf or a dry-aged steak. Pinot Noir with roast French poultry. Zinfandel with slow-braised Ibérico pork cheeks. We sell wine alongside the food it's meant to be drunk with, because good food and good wine belong together — and the same principles of quality and provenance apply to both.
Delivery
Next-working-day UK courier — or choose your preferred delivery date at checkout. Orders before 2pm dispatch same day. Wine can be ordered alongside food in the same delivery. Free weekday delivery over £225.
