Hampshire’s Hidden Award-Winning Wine Merchant celebrates shop reopening on September 24th

1st September 2016

Press Release

Tucked away on a farm estate in Twyford is one of the country’s top independent wine merchants. 2016 has been a year to celebrate for Stone, Vine & Sun, recently winning two national awards at the 2016 International Wine Challenge: Specialist Wine Merchant for both South Africa and Languedoc-Roussillon; and also being shortlisted this August by Decanter magazine as one their Top Intermediate-sized Wine Merchants of 2016. The success of the business is based on prospecting – travelling the world to find brilliant small growers, whether in France, Italy, South Africa, or South America, and introducing their wines to British drinkers.

Shrugging off any concerns about Brexit or competition, and buoyed by an increase in sales to restaurants and the growth of their acclaimed Doorstep Dozen Wine Club, the owner of Stone Vine & Sun, Simon Taylor, is investing in his warehouse wine shop in Twyford by expanding and improving the retail space and increasing the capacity for tastings.

Stone, Vine & Sun is planning a celebratory reopening on Saturday 24th September, 9.30am-6.00pm. As well as the chance to see the new look shop and taste a large selection of bottles, all wines will be discounted by up to 20%. Delicious wood-fired pizzas will be available with a free glass of Chianti to accompany them; there will be a cheese and wine matching opportunity, with the chance to try a range of cheeses with varied wine styles; and a light-hearted blind-tasting competition to win a magnum of Champagne. Hampshire cricketer, Twyford resident and wine enthusiast Jimmy Adams will cut a symbolic ribbon on the new shop at 12 noon.

Simon Taylor reports: “There’s a huge advantage in operating from a converted chicken shed – low-cost warehousing means we can offer better value, and there’s plenty of parking space. However we are hard to find. We sell our wines so successfully all over the country – to Michelin starred restaurants, Oxford Colleges and private customers from Cornwall to Aberdeen – but after 13 years here we are still being ‘discovered’ by wine drinkers who live a mile away. So we thought we would push the boat out, have a jolly open day and welcome more Hampshire wine lovers”.    

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