The aim of Joseph Barnes Wines is to introduce interesting and unusual handcrafted wines from…read moresmall, independent producers and constantly seek out new and exciting wines that are rarely available elsewhere but still represent great value for money. Strike a good relationship with them and the road to better drinking begins.

I'm no wine connoisseur, in fact I'd be more likely to choose a £5 bottle of California white from…read moreTesco but I can't recommend this shop highly enough! Located on one of the tiny side streets of Saffron Walden its a bit of a hidden gem. They've made the most of the space they've got with floor to ceiling wine racks, but it feels well organised and cosy rather than crowded. The wines come in at a variety of price points, starting at around £6 and going up to £50+, so there's something for everyone, but what really makes this a great place to shop is the owner, Charles. If you visit on a week day you're likely to get him to yourself, which may sound a little daunting to those who don't know their Chardonnay from their Savignon Blanc, but there's nothing to worry about. He's helpful, informative and not at all pushy, whether you're spending £10 or £100. He will advise not only on the wine itself, but also which meals it compliments, so you can get the most out of your purchase. If you frequent the shop on a Saturday you can look forward to a free wine taster while you browse and when I visited just before Christmas there was even a butler (in full outfit) serving the wine. Even if the shop is busy you wont be ignored and you never feel rushed. But my absolute favourite thing about Joseph Barnes Wines is the story behind each bottle, which Charles will tell you while he wraps it up. Maybe he's making it up as he goes along, but I get the impression that he really does know what he's talking about and it makes the whole thing feel more like an experience than popping into the supermarket for a bottle of plonk. The only think that could make this better would be if he had some cards to include with wine bought as a gift, so that the recipient could learn the story behind their wine too.

I'm not a particular big wine drinker (bear with me) but when I go into this shop, I head for the…read moreright-hand corner, where there's Cambridge's finest selection of interesting beers. It doesn't look like a particularly big area of a particularly big shop but nevertheless it's absolutely loaded with interesting stuff. There are local Cambridge ales (not that I'd rave about Cambridge's beer particularly but local beer is always good) and a great range of imported beers, especially Belgian. If you've got a sweet tooth then the lambics and other fruit beers are really very interesting. You could probably find some of it cheaper by the crate online but for individual bottles to taste it's decently priced. The staff are all very friendly- they clearly know a lot about wine and enough about beer and are happy to talk about it.

This is a great local wine shop. There are a few branches now including Mill Rd and Chery Hinton…read moreRd. Someof the branches allow free tasting with tapas in the evnings which i lovely and also run wine tasting courses. The range of wines is fantastic and the quality very good. The service is friendly and the prices reasonable. Great to have something like this maintain such a local authentic feelling.

Suprerb independant wine merchants. The staff are very knowledgable, and are happy to advise if…read moreneeded. They occasionaly have 'cellar suppers' where for a fee you get a few courses of food and also sample loads of different wines. Also they have wine tasting evenings too, bit don't get too hammered, As this is frowned upon ;]

I love going in to this shop, there is a wonderful selection of wine in stock and very knowledgable…read morestaff on hand to advise. Oh! And the gin, oh the gin. This is a dangerous stop en route home but highly recommended.

Fantastic small independent wine merchants that seeks out interesting and unusual wines, as well as…read morethe classics, always has a bottle open to taste and knowledgeable staff to chat to. Throw in a brilliant specialty beer selection and some impressive ports, spirits and Bob's your uncle. But if you're looking to spend less than a fiver a bottle, stick to the beer, or pop up the road to Tesco.

great selection of wines, often have a '3 for 2' offer on wine…read morethe beer's a little over priced however great selection of spirits i think they're a little short staffed - i have on a number of occasions gone to use this store in the afternoon only to discover that they're not opening until 5 or 6 pm

Majestic Wines Berkhamsted is essentially a large room full of cases of wine, beer and spirits…read moreavailable at discount prices. You are encouraged to purchase in bulk with most drinks coming in large quantities, suitable for storage, or a heavy night! The store is situated a little out of town next to the traffic lights at the bottom of the hill towards Bridgewater Road and half way to Northchurch. I'm surprised the store is surviving as there are numerous places from which to purchase alcohol in the area, however for variety and good deals Majestic Wines cannot be beaten. The site was formally a horrible pub, so Majestic Wines is a welcome addition!

This is a nice shop, with friendly, chatty staff. They sell a reasonably wide range of beers, wines…read more& spirits, and they rent Videos/DVD's as well. You can pick up some good bargains on beer here. My Dad regularly buys his beers here because they are good value for money & he knows the guy who works there very well. He seems to be the type of guy who builds up a relationship with his regular customers. Like most Wine Merchants, this shop is open til quite late. It is situated in Bedford Road, approximately a 15 minute walk from the main town centre and local to many of Hitchin's Residents.

Fabulously friendly service with a great selection of wines both good value wines and reasonably…read morepriced finer wines too.

There's only so much you can say about a high street off license, but here goes: It's always well…read morestocked, with a good selection of wines, and they've always got good offers on cases of beer and bottles of wine. They always put the sweets and chocolates right near the til though, so I end up coming away with them too Staff are helpful if I can't find what I'm after, they could do with a bigger fridge for storing white wines.