The myth
a restaurant which says it spends much time choosing its wine list.
The truth
one merchant will supply all of their wine and will often write their list for them.
To justify a mark up (or, rather, because we love it) we try to make wine an area where we are radically better and our teams are more engaged. We’re happy for our guests to discover new wines and wine areas, but never list a wine for the sake of novelty or gimmick.
So…
- We taste with a handful of merchants, each regionally specialised, the only way to achieve variety and quality.
- We’ve 4 or 5 people who take part in these regular tastings: it is not seen as the droit de proprietaire. Sadly.
- Most of us have taken wine exams. This doesn’t mean we know more than our guests, but we can help and should know the wines we list.
- We offer up to about 12 wines by 125ml and 175ml glass sizes and, even better, by the carafe. Meaning you don’t have to compromise on which wines you choose.
- We’ve always limited the profit we make on better wines so that the punishment for trading up is limited.
You know that every wine on their list has been rigorously selected for its inherent quality and value-for-money
Nick Brooks, Vine Trail
Pouring wines
Across EATDRINKSLEEP, we pour English sparkling by the glass from Wiston Estate, W. Sussex. And the baseload of our pouring wines are packaged as bag-in-box, a properly sustainable approach for the 21st Century and a far cry from the boxed wine of our student days.
And as well as the whites and reds we quaff by the glass (see below for reasonably current examples), you’ll also find 2 or 3 pouring pinks.
Fortifieds
We continue to bang the drum for sherries, madeiras and ports. No Tio Pepe or Harveys here. These are proper wines, with or without food.
So please, please do give them a chance. In their various forms they are beautiful wines and deserve recognition. We have at least a dozen, all by the glass.
Bottle Shop
The wines you see on our list are very rarely seen in shops. In fact, if we see one of our wines in a supermarket, we usually delist it.
So if you’ve liked what you’ve drunk, we’re happy to sell at cost price plus a bit of normal retail margin. Brilliant if you’re staying nearby.
Wine Suppers
If you’d like to be kept on top of our upcoming wine events, from Wine Suppers to less formal EDS Supper Clubs, Become a Friend here.
All showcase the taste and judgement of our outstanding stable of importers. Tickets £85 a head for wine suppers, a little less for Supper Clubs.
Our suppliers
We rely substantially on our very long-term relationships with our wine merchants. So we choose them carefully. They bring us wines which make us go ooh! and they introduce us to winemakers with stories.
Click below to visit some of our favourite suppliers’ websites.
