I need to buy my boss a really nice bottle of wine and I was wandering where is the best place to go? Ideally I'd like to go somehwere where they have a good knowledge and can recmmend a nice one. My budget is about £25. Any help is much appreciated.

Try Tesco on Abbeydale Road they have a complete isle dedicated to wines and their staff have to be trained on it. Or Local on Richmond (after 5pm, ask for Karen)

Waitrose has a very good selection of fine wines although I don't think they've got anybody to advise on choice.

Do you know what sort of wine he likes btw?

go to a thresher wine shop and ask for a bottle of ..
chateau neuf de pape its a really good french red and you will have options to purchase between say £17--£25

I think you'll find the best advice and selection at Oddbins. There's one on Ecclesall Road opposite Collegiate Crescent and another on Abbeydale Road just up from the junction with Broadfield Road.

hi amc2008. Red or white, or would you consider champagne or even port?

Oddbins, Waitrose, Majestic are all good. Majestic insist on you buying a case though (can be a mixed case) so unless you want to buy 12 you'd be better off at Oddbins or Waitrose.

Personally I don't rate Thresher's at all. That's not to say they don't have some decent wines, but they rack up the price by at least a third on many bottles, then they offer you 3 for 2 and you think you're getting a bargain.

Waitrose has a very good on-line selection as well - it's worth checking out.

I also think some of the top-end stuff at Tesco's is very good. You could do worse than spend £14 on a bottle of Geoff Merrill Australian Shiraz. Quite exceptional. Also, at similar price, the Lebanese Chateu Musar, is rather special. (Assuming you are looking for red).

I think it sounds like you want some expert advice though so you could try John Mitchell at Meadowhead, he has a good, if somewhat pricey selection, but you will get advice (if he is in, if he isn't you may not).

There's a gem of a place in the pub yard of the George & Dragon at Wentworth, near Rotherham. You'd hardly know there's a shop there at all but Mr Lightfoot has an amazing selection of unusual wines, many are discounted bin-ends, and he really knows his wine. May be a bit far out depending on where you live I suppose, but you could always slot in a visit to the George & Dragon and get some good ale and hearty food at the same time.

I think it's a shame that Michael Menzel's closed down on Ecclesall Road. He had a wonderful selection of good wines and he knew his stuff. Be interested to hear of any other good independents?

hi amc2008. Red or white, or would you consider champagne or even port?

On this, if Port is an option then get a white port, which is more unusual, but very good, so will stand out a bit more.

There's a gem of a place in the pub yard of the George & Dragon at Wentworth, near Rotherham. You'd hardly know there's a shop there at all but Mr Lightfoot has an amazing selection of unusual wines, many are discounted bin-ends, and he really knows his wine. May be a bit far out depending on where you live I suppose, but you could always slot in a visit to the George & Dragon and get some good ale and hearty food at the same time.



That sounds very interesting - must pay a visit there - thank you for the tip :thumbsup:

if you are willing to travel try penistone wine cellars, rare & fine wines its right next to the train station you can get stuff you will never see in a supermarket

Try here-:

http://www.mitchellswine.co.uk/

if you are willing to travel try penistone wine cellars, rare & fine wines its right next to the train station you can get stuff you will never see in a supermarket

at prices you'll never see in a supermarket too I bet!

That sounds very interesting - must pay a visit there - thank you for the tip :thumbsup:

The George and Dragon is an absolute gem of a pub, and the Rockingham Arms down the road is pretty good too! The George at one bit always had at least one high gravity beer on pump as well, but it has been ages since I went there.

For wine advice more locally, I'd definitely second Oddbins or Mitchells at Meadowhead.

I'd avoid Threshers for wine advice, you might be able to get the odd good bottle there, but the staff don't tend to be knowledgeable. Mine has very young staff (i'd guess 18-21 max) who struggle to get to grips with the offers and don't know anything about the wines themselves.

I heard one say, 'Blossom Hill: I've heard that's a really good wine'.

EDIT: Not that I'm a wine snob, Blossom Hill is fine for its purpose - but you get my drift. He wasn't even recommending a particualr variety of BH wine.

For wine advice more locally, I'd definitely second Oddbins or Mitchells at Meadowhead.

Mitchells is a bit of a treck. Gave up on Oddbins yonks ago when they pushed so many Oz chardonnays that tasted like grape juice with added acorns.

I think it's a shame that Michael Menzel's closed down on Ecclesall Road. He had a wonderful selection of good wines and he knew his stuff. Be interested to hear of any other good independents?

It was the kind of shop you just don't get anymore sadly. He could be incredibly grumpy and the place stank of the cigars he smoked, but great stock.

Personallyy I would go to FFW on Eccy road south (between hunters bar and somerfield)
real friendly staff - good selection and honest advice