Find the best prices on the drinks you want, enjoy exclusive voucher codes and make amazing savings

Wines Direct Blog

Our blog is set up to give you latest news about wine offers, the wine world and industry developments as well as Wines Direct.

Latest From Our Wine Blog
Champagne Tour: Lanson & Vranken-Pommery - Part 2
I thought that the Lanson tour was genuinely excellent. It really covered every base and allowed you to see far more than other tours we went on. You of course visit the cellars, but they go beyond this with a little bit of everything. Kicking off with a little bit of history dating back to 1760, through to Napolean, Queen Victoria’s granting of the Royal Warrant (now sadly gone) and Wimbledon, you get a good overview of the history of Lanson and the vineyards it owns all over the region. This…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Wine52 Case Review: Italian South
This month’s Wine52 case covers the Italian South, from Puglia to Sicily and more. The wines here are characterised by a warm climate and signature native grapes that give the wines a unique point of difference compared to the rest of Italy. This is the land of Primitivo, Sangiovese, Negroamaro, Aglianico and more. A selection of bold red grape varieties that reflect the intense sunlight right back into the glass. The rugged terrain of Sicily is even more dramatic, with plantings of local…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Champagne Tour: Taittinger and Mumm - Part 1
Usually, most people who go to Champagne spend a leisurely long weekend. They may have forgotten to book their cellar tours in advance, but you can still probably get on a few, even if it isn’t your choice Champagne house. Others from across Europe tend to drive around the Cru villages and visit grower houses to stock up on cheaper stuff without a brand name. But, if you’re anything like me, you’ll book a week off and cram 10 tours along with countless other stops in Champagne houses to try as…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
La Maison Pommery
You'll know Pommery by it's royal blue label, but you may not know the huge mark the house has left on the region thanks to the legendary Madame Pommery. She created the first brut Champagne to meet with commercial success in 1874 which shifted the way we now drink Champagne today. Champagne was once pretty much only sweet, and whilst demi-sec and doux styles do still exist, brut and drier are the drinks of today, all thanks to one lady. Madame Pommery took over what was mainly a wool trading…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Waitrose Cellar Summer 2025 Wine Guide
For the first year in a while, it seems like it's going to be a good, sunny Summer, and so that's the perfect excuse for making sure you have wines to suit the occasion. Whether it is the opportunity to get the rust off the BBQ and find your excuse for some hearty red wine to match your grilled meats, a cool, crisp white for a warm evening or a nice midday weekend fizz, Waitrose Cellar have a fantastic selection to help you host and sip in style. Have a look below at my top picks from Waitrose…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Paul Jaboulet Wines
Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné was founded in The Rhone Valley in 1834 in the town of Tain L'Hermitage by Antoine Jaboulet and his sons, Paul and Henry. In 1919 they acquired the very famous Saint-Christophe chapel at the top of the renowned Hermitage vineyard. You'll have likely seen this crop up in pictures of Rhone vineyards without realising it! With the death of Gerard Jaboulet in 1997, the house saw its fortunes fall as the family business fell into disarray and the wine went downhill. It was…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Wine52 Case Review: Robertson
Our latest case with Wine52 takes you on a sunny trip to South Africa’s Roberston. Located in the Breede River Valley wine region, conditions are warm and dry with irrigation access provided by the river, allowing for relatively easy grape growing conditions. Robertson is what is known as a district under South African wine law, which is basically a smaller area within a region. Unusually for South Africa, Robertson has limestone soils which is particularly renowned for making quality white…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Waitrose Easter Pairing 2025
Now with the bank holiday stretch on the horizon, Easter should be firmly in your sights. Not only is it the next holiday, but it’s also your excuse to crack open good wine and share it with the family. Oh, and a rather good chance to gorge on some chocolate. I’ll of course be focused on the vino at Waitrose that I recommend for your Easter feasts, but don’t overlook their exciting Easter eggs either! Have a look below at my picks for your wine pairings from Waitrose. They have an excellent…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
A Rhone Valley Wine Tour
This has been a remarkably long time coming but the time to reminisce about two of the excellent Rhone Valley producers I visited in May 2024 has come. It was partly spurred by finding the Ferraton La Matinière Crozes-Hermitage on a restaurant menu recently, which was unfortunately out of stock! Still, at least you can get hold of it for a good price from retailers. But, the real thing you are here for, presumably, is the tour exploring Ferraton and Domaine Farge, the famous hills of Hermitage…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Chapoutier Wines
Chapoutier is a long-established Rhone Valley wine producer with roots going back to 1808, where it was first established as 'Calvet et Compagnie'. In 1883 it was bought by Rodolphe Delepine, and Marius Chapoutier joined the venture in 1897, where it became known as 'Delepine et Chapoutier'. Delepine retired in 1922 and Chapoutier took the reigns, creating a new winery at the foot of the famous Hermitage hill. Since then it has remained in family hands, with Michel Chapoutier at the helm who has…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Wine52 Review: Classic France
Our latest case with Wine52 explores Classic France, a country with two millennia worth of tradition and expertise in winemaking which still regularly tops the chart for sales in the UK despite all the new world competition these days. That’s testament to their wine industry. It is true that the French had to undergo a bit of a revolution a few decades ago as they were slower to adopt more modern techniques, particularly in traditional areas like Bordeaux. Whilst there are still some producers…
Latest From Our Wine Blog
Laithwaites Vineyard Partners Tasting
Recently, I had the good fortune to taste a case of wines made by the Laithwaites Vineyard Partners thanks to their generosity and, frankly, well-warranted desire to show off how good their partners are. Their direct relationship with these winemakers makes all the difference and has allowed Laithwaites to create phenomenal, exclusive wines that you can help support too. The Laithwaites Wine Club is your opportunity to try popular parcels from their Vineyard partners. Simply sign up through our…
Showing 1 to 12 of 303 guides