Independent wine merchants

For quality and service, these remain the best places to buy wine, although their numbers appear to be shrinking. Many of them are also importers and seek out wines of excellent quality and good value - some specialize in wines of particular countries. The staff tend to be well-trained and are good sources of advice. Most merchants publish regular wine lists, some of which are a mine of information. Prices, however, tend to be slightly higher than in a supermarket, and can vary greatly, so if you are in the market for a costly wine, such as 1961 Château Latour, it pays to shop around. Some fine wine specialists also have websites.