Wine

• Court hears how Sports Direct CEO cleaned Benares out of its most expensive wine

  His many employees might be concentrated at the lower end of the pay scale but it looks like Sport Direct's Mike Ashley knows how to splash his cash on wine

• Test Driving The Mountgrove Road Bothy - a neighbourhood wine bar in Highbury

  Featuring a wine list from the GM of the Laughing Heart, this is a wine bar worth seeking out.

• Gezellig pop-up with Carousel offers a preview of what's to come

  Comfort food, loads of wine pairings (with plenty by the glass), and something known as the Holy Trinity of Pig Snacks, Gezellig formula is the winning antidote to grey skies, and moods. Expect szechuan duck and a cheese and lamb fat toastie and old school wines from classic regions.

• Sibarita is Covent Garden’s new Catalan wine and cheese bar from Encant’s Victor Garvey

  After wowing Londoners with his Catalan food at Encant and Bravas Tapas, Victor Garvey has teamed up with his dad to open another restaurant on Maiden Lane. This time, it’ll be a laid back wine and cheese bar, with tapas and plenty more to enjoy.

• Humble Grape Islington will be a wine shop and bar on Theberton Street

  N1 gets a new wine shop and wine bar

• Clarette wine bar is coming to Marylebone

  

  What: Clarette

  In a nutshell: Chateau Margaux and more in Marylebone

  Summing it all up: This is a new multi-level wine bar opening up in Marylebone. Expect a wide range of mainly French wines, and some sharing plates to go with them. 

• Bluebird Bar at The Laughing Heart opens with chef Sebastian Myers at the helm

  

  Not content with running one of East London’s hottest new restaurants of 2017, the team at The Laughing Heart have just announced the opening of Bluebird, a subterranean drop in wine bar and private event space.

  Brainchild of Charlie Mellor, Bluebird quietly opened its doors earlier this month, kicking off their opening week with a run of 5 chefs over 5 nights. One of those

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• Comptoir Cafe and Wine comes to Mayfair from Xavier Rousset

  

  What: Comptoir Cafe and Wine

  In a nutshell: Xavier Rousset follows up Blandford Comptoir with this Mayfair wine bar.

  Summing it all up: Coming from the same person behind Blandford Comptoir, this pairs and all day cafe with a huge downstairs wine shop (all of which you can drink on the premises). 

• The Richmond teams up with Noble Fine Liquor for Wine Shop Wednesdays

  

  We do love a good collaboration - particularly when we see neighbourhood spots working with each other to promote themselves. So the idea of The Richmond's Wine Shop Wednesdays are right up our street. Or rather yours, if you happen to live in Hackney.

  This East London bar has teamed up with their neighbours Noble Fine Liquor to run a weekly special list of natural wines available to drink in-house at proper-steal retail prices. Alongside that they'll be

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• Historical El Vino opens modern new wine bar in London Wall

  

  What: El Vino Mason’s Avenue

  In a nutshell: Historical wine bar and shop with a Spanish, Portuguese and South American slant, serving tapas and larger plates

  Summing it all up: It's been around since the dawn of time, but now historic London wine bar company is changing gears to open a much more modern bar in the City at London Wall

• Allegra McEvedy is taking over Albertine wine bar on Wood Lane

  

  What: Albertine

  In a nutshell: Wine bar revamp

  Summing it all up: Chef, author and TV presenter Alllegra McEvedy is returning to her roots and revitalising West London wine bar Albertine

• The Winemakers Club are opening Winemakers Deptford wine bar and restaurant

  

  What: The Winemakers Club goes east

  In a nutshell: Wine, simple yet sophisticated European fare and charcuterie cured in-house

  Summing it all up: After over two years in Farringdon, the Winemakers Club is opening their second branch south of the river, in up-and-coming Deptford. Expect lots of wine by the glass, local beer, and homemade charcuterie.

• Oak N4 wine shop and tasting room opens in Finsbury Park

  

  Newly open in Finsbury park is Oak N4 - an independent wine store & tasting room, tucked in just behind the station in Wells Terrace.

  "Providing an informal and relaxed environment is everything," the founder and director Cameron McKeown told Hot Dinners. "Selecting wines at a bar, restaurant or even in a store can be a difficult experience. We are looking to provide the customer with just enough knowledge to make it a joy

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• Craft wine bar Pomaio opens on Brick Lane with orange wine, prosciutto and polenta

  

  For the past few years, the craft alcohol market has been all but monopolised by beer, so it’s refreshing news that east London has just seen the opening of a new craft wine bar from two Tuscan brothers. Pomaio will feature wines from small, independent vineyards producing biodynamic, organic wine in the heart of Italy’s wine country.

  Not only will there be plenty of classic whites and reds on

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• Hackney’s got a new smallest wine bar, thanks to the Pidgin duo

  

  Barbershop by day, and Hackney’s tiniest wine bar by night - newly opened Enfant Terrible couldn’t be more suited to its East London location.

  Headed up by the owners of the nearby set-menu-only Michelin-starred restaurant Pidgin, Enfant Terrible is “a gonzo take on the tiny wine bars of Paris” where you can “eat a tin of smoked oysters and some epoisses while drinking a bunch of wine” they say, which sounds damn

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