Introducing our October Wine Shop of the Month: Theatre of Wine

Photo from the wonderful Kasia Burke photography

Wow, it's October already! We were having so much fun introducing our new Independent Wine Merchant of the Month feature last month (starting with the Tasting Room in Bath) that September simply shot by - but now it's time to introduce the super shop that will be our reigning champion for October.

This month, we're heading to London, and the uniquely spirited shop that is Theatre of Wine. This lively and passionate merchant currently has two stores - in Greenwich and Tufnell Park - and they really embody all the reasons why we love Indie wine merchants:

1. A wide and fearlessly adventurous range of wines, from underrated countries like Croatia, Bulgaria and Greece among others, as well as hundreds of interesting off-the-beaten-track producers from more familiar regions. They also sell brilliant craft beers and artisan spirits, such as whiskies from independent bottler Signatory Vintage, so you can really make the most of your trip.

2. Passionate and helpful staff. Theatre of Wine frequently help our very own Tim to plan wine tastings for his orchestra, and the staff's enthusiasm is matched only by their hands-on knowledge of the wines. The weekly tastings mean the staff have tried pretty much everything on the shelves in the past six months, and they can advise on food and wine matches, wines for cellaring and even wedding lists if you’re after something more exciting than white goods...

3. Unforgettable weekly tastings. As well as covering the old favourites like Champagne, German riesling and Bordeaux blends (which they do really well), Theatre of Wine also host incredibly original and engaging tasting nights on a weekly (yes, weekly) basis that you just won't find anywhere else.

Tonight at their Tufnell Park store, for instance, you can compare the compelling and delicious wines of Hungary and Croatia (they're doing it at the Greenwich shop tomorrow, too). As for 29th and 30th October - well, you'll never want to leave: on alternate nights at each of the two stores, you can sample barrel-aged spirits (YUM!) and spooky, intense Halloween wines (SO up my street!) - and ticket prices are really reasonable.

If you'd like to read about similarly kooky, brilliant Theatre of Wine Tastings, Tim went to their 'Extreme Wine' tasting earlier this year and you can sign up to the mailing list via their website.

It's over to Jason at Theatre of Wine to tell us what he recommends this week...

Vignoble Guillaume Pinot Noir 2013, Franche-Comté, France

Few producers encapsulate our approach to wine as well as Xavier Guillaume, who makes gorgeous wines of real finesse accessible to mortals with ordinary wallets. It’s dead easy to fill a wine shop with good expensive wine (the world is awash with over-priced wine), but real value for money bottles like this are the wines we work hardest to find.

Theatre of Wine has been working directly with Xavier since 2006 and the just-landed 2013 pinot noir is juicily aromatic, perfumed, floral, lithe and supple - the quintessence of French pinot noir. That’s a lot of charm for £12.90.


Theatre of Wine is also on Twitter and Facebook - go and say hi!