Spring is here. The trees are thickening with blossom and the evenings are ever lighter, calling for a wine with an energy to match. Our Own Selection Chablis is delicious for spring evenings, and quite a treat when paired with a variety of dishes.   As the evenings lighten, I find myself craving lighter wines too. There is a palpable lift as we leave winter behind us. The gasp of magnolias, unspooling blooms of wisteria, the evening light on the Thames. There is so much brightness in the air, and yet, it is still crisp and cool. Perhaps illogically, I find myself gravitating to win ..read more

George Turner, our Spirits Shop Manager We’re delighted to open the doors to our new dedicated Spirits Shop this spring. Our store is staffed by passionate experts who live and breathe fine spirits, always on the hunt for the rare, the exceptional or the funky. Let us introduce you to our team.   George Turner   Spirits Shop Manager   What comes to mind when I think spirits? It would be easy to romanticise about a warming smoky dram from Islay, the creamy roundness of Tequila, the rich diversity of rum, or the refreshing fervour of gin. But rather than any one sty ..read more

Vineyards in the Northern Rhône. Despite climatic challenges, the Rhône’s talented winemakers continue to produce excellent fine wines here. But where should one start? Here, Alexandra Gray de Walden finds out.     In terms of collecting wine, the Rhône has previously languished in the shadows of regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy. As the Rhône’s wines are (honestly) able to give “the two Bs” a run for their money, it’s high time we all made some room for Rhône in our cellars. I put this to our Wine Director, Mark Pardoe MW, ahead of our Rhône 2022 En Primeur offer. Why should e ..read more

We recently opened our cellars for an En Primeur tasting of the latest vintage from the Rhône Valley. Across the range, the wines showed great promise for the long term. Below, we delve into just a few highlights from a fantastic vintage.  In early March, we welcomed almost 30 producers to our cellars for a tasting of the 2022 vintage from the Rhône Valley. Across our cellars, the wines – of which there were over 100 – were split into Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône.  In the north, the Syrah grape reigns supreme, reaching its (very steep) zenith in the villages of Côte-Rôtie, Herm ..read more

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we wanted to share the stories of three significant women in our history. Each one has played a huge part in forming the Berry Bros. & Rudd we see today. Here, Alexandra Gray de Walden introduces them.   With the word “Bros.” in our company name, people are often surprised to discover that our history starts, in fact, with a woman. While very little is known about the Widow Bourne, she was clearly important enough for her reputation to outlive that of her husband (unusual for the period) and the inevitable passing of time. What we do know, howe ..read more

Tenuta San Guido’s Guidalberto is an exceptional wine and a wonderful expression of its legendary Bolgheri terroir. Now, justifiably, it’s being celebrated in its own right, rather than compared to others that came before it. We spoke to Priscilla Incisa della Rochetta, the third-generation face of Tenuta San Guido, about how – and why – this change has come about   Bolgheri has no shortage of iconic producers. This small Italian appellation, located on the coast of Tuscany’s Maremma region, is home to some of the country’s most famed wines.  Bolgheri’s history is inextricably ..read more

We recently visited Hambledon Vineyard to witness the craft process behind our upcoming Own Selection sparkling wines. Discover how the latest vintages of our Own Selection English Sparkling Wine and Own Selection English Sparkling Rosé have been made.   It’s a drab winter day at Hambledon Vineyard in Hampshire. The vines are stripped bare, skeletal against the thick winter sky. Felix Gabillet and Sam Picton, Head and Assistant Winemaker respectively, are sitting upstairs in the winery alongside two members of the Berry Bros. & Rudd Buying team, Mark Pardoe MW and Charlie Leech. Aroun ..read more

Caroline Lestimé and her son Philippe hard at work. Photography: Jason Lowe Can it be that it was all so simple then?  Caroline Lestimé has spent the past three decades making life complicated for herself – and the wines from her family domaine in Chassagne-Montrachet have never been better  Caroline Lestimé wasn’t expecting visitors until this afternoon. It’s just gone 9am and she’s got a lot on her mind, not least the 2023 harvest; picking finished last month and she’s been working flat-out in the cellar since. It’s a homely cellar, labyrinthine in layout if not size. Space is at a ..read more

The turning of the lunar year is one of the most important celebrations in the Asian calendar, calling for special gifts that embody good fortune and luck. With the Year of the Dragon upon us, Jacky Cheng from our Hong Kong office suggests five bottles that are guaranteed to delight your loved ones.   Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is celebrated not only in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong but also in many other countries across East and Southeast Asia. It is the most important holiday in the majority of Asian cultures. The new year symbolises ..read more

Erwan Faiveley has “a pretty sweet job”, really. Photography: Jason Lowe Erwan Faiveley leads one of Burgundy’s largest domaines – and one of its smallest major négociant houses. Domaine Faiveley doesn’t fit neatly into any one box, so how well do we really know it?  Quiet little side streets are ten a penny in Burgundy. Lots of Burgundian domaines sit along streets like Rue du Tribourg in Nuits-St Georges, though none of them is quite like Domaine Faiveley. Nothing in Burgundy is quite like Domaine Faiveley. The vat room is big and bright. Daylight pours in through a massive arched windo ..read more