In which we unapologetically hammer home the case for shopping with your local wine merchant this Christmas.... This Christmas we’ve been encouraged by what seems a growing movement to support small businesses and shop local, bypassing the larger stores with their massive marketing budgets in favour of farmers markets, craft fairs and specialist retailers. Have the supermarkets and the out of town retail complexes had their day? We suspect not, and indeed they have their place in the busy lives we all lead. But Christmas is a special time, one where we splash out for something beyond the ordinary, and the best way to do that is to shop with small local retailers! When it comes to wine, a good and varied selection from your local merchant, coupled with some honest advice if you need it, can be the difference between a fairytale Christmas and an utter disaster ending in gastronomic disappointment and huge family arguments. A slight exaggeration perhaps, but there are some convincing arguments.... You will inevitably find a more exciting and varied selection on the modest shelves of your local merchant than in aisles and aisles of generic supermarket bottles. Add to this the fact that your local merchant has tasted everything (it explains a lot....) and ruminated on the perfect occasion and food match for each bottle, and you have at your disposal an appealing selection and a vast resource of useful information just waiting to be tapped. So please come in and talk to us. Tell us what you like and what you don’t like, and you’re bound to leave with some truly wonderful finds to complement your food offering and make your Christmas really memorable.