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If you’re serious about developing a wine collection, don’t overlook the UK’s splendid array of independent wine merchants. These companies aren’t the cheapest places to buy a bottle of basic plonk, but they often specialise in a particular region or country and can provide bespoke advice. Their wine lists, too, are a very good (and usually free) source of information. Most independents sell by the case, rather than the bottle, though the majority allow you to mix and match. Make sure you enquire about delivery charges and, if you’re buying en primeur, about duty, VAT and insurance.
What follows is a personal selection of the best independents:
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Adnams Wine Merchants Head Office
Southwold IP18 6JW
01502 727200
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Albany Vintners
Cambridge CB22 5NE
01223 849040
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Amps Fine Wines
Oundle PE8 4BQ
01832 273502
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Antique Wine Company
London W1G 9JR
020 3219 5588
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Armit
London W11 1QF
020 7908 0600
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Averys of Bristol
Bristol BS1 5LD
0117 921 4146
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Bancroft
London SE1 3UD
020 7232 5440
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Bennetts Fine Wines
Chipping Campden GL55 6AG
01386 840392
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Bentley’s Wine Shop
Ludlow SY8 1AT
01584 875 520
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Berry Bros & Rudd
London SW1A 1EG
0800 280 2440
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Bibendum
London NW1 8UR
020 7449 4120
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Bin 21
Hexham NE46 3PB
01434 601 222
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Bin 21
Morpeth NE61 1AT
01670 504 901
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Blas ar Fwyd
Conwy LL26 0BT
01492 640215
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Bordeaux Index
London EC1N 8AH
020 7269 0703
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Bordeaux Wine Investments
Sevenoaks TN13 3TH
01732 779343
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Bottle Apostle Crouch End
London N8 8SY
020 8347 7577
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Bottle Apostle Victoria Park Village
London E9 7HJ
020 8985 1549
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Bowes Wine
Melksham SN12 6ZG
01380 827291
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Butlers Wine Cellar
Brighton BN2 9XJ
01273 698 724
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Cambridge Wine Merchants Head Office
Cambridge CB23 8BA
01954 214528
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Caves de Pyrène
Guildford GU3 1LP
01483 554750
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Caviste, Odiham
Nr. Odiham RG29 1HA
01256 703130
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Caviste, Overton
Overton RG25 3HR
01256 770397
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Champagne Warehouse
Leeds LS1 2NL
0800 313 4470
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Cheers Wine Merchants
Swansea SA3 5NG
0845 226 3253
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Christopher Piper Wines
Ottery St. Mary EX11 1DB
01404 814139
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Clarion Wine
London W4 4PH
020 8747 2069
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Connolly’s
Birmingham B3 1EU
0121 236 9269
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Corks Out Head Office
Warrington WA4 6LE
01928 531 886
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Corney & Barrow Head Office
London E1W 1YZ
0020 7265 2400
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D Byrne & Co
Clitheroe BB7 2EP
01200 423152
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Dan y Dylanwad Wines
Dolgellau LL40 1BS
01341 422870
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Decorum Vintners
London W10 5AS
020 8969 6581
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Define Fine Wine
Northwich CW8 2NH
01606 882101
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Ditton Wine Traders, Surrey
Surbiton KT6 4QU
020 8339 9112
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Drinkmonger Edinburgh
Edinburgh EH10 4HN
0131 229 2205
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Drinkmonger Pitlochry
Pitlochry PH16 5BL
01796 470 133
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Dunell’s Premier Wines, Jersey
Beaumont JE3 7YD
01534 736418
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Eagle’s Wines
London SW11 1JR
020 7223 7209
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Exel Wines
Perth PH2 8PD
01738 493535
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Fareham Wine Cellar
Fareham PO16 7BG
01329 822733
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Farr Vintners
London SW8 4LP
020 7821 2000
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Field & Fawcett
Grimston Bar YO19 5LA
01904 489073
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Fine & Rare Wines
London SE1 3UD
020 7089 7400
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Flint Wines
London SE17 3UR
0207 582 2500
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Fortnum & Mason
London W1A 1ER
0845 300 1707
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Four Walls
Chilgrove PO18 9HX
01243 535353
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Gauntleys of Nottingham
Nottingham NG1 2ET
0115 911 0555
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Goedhuis
London SW8 1RP
020 7793 7900
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Great Western Wine Company Ltd
Bath BA2 3AP
01225 322810
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Gwin Llŷn Wines
Pwllheli LL53 5HA
01758 701 004
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H2Vin
Whissendine LE15 7EU
01737 355765
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Hailsham Cellars
Hailsham BN27 1AL
01323 441212
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Halifax Wine Company
Halifax HX1 2LG
01422 256333
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Handford Wines
London SW7 3LE
0207 589 6113
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Hanging Ditch
Manchester M3 1ST
0161 832 8222
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Harper Wells
Norwich NR16 1ET
0844 335 8324
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Harrods
London SW1X 7XL
020 7730 1234
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Harvey Nicholls
London SW1X 7RJ
020 7235 5000
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Haynes, Hanson & Clark
London SW3 3NT
020 7584 7927
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Hedonism Wines
London W1K 3LD
020 7290 7870
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Hennings Wine Merchants Chichester
Chichester PO19 1NQ
01243 784374
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Hennings Wine Merchants Goring
Goring-by-Sea BN12 4UP
01903 700224
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Hennings Wine Merchants Petworth
Petworth GU28 0AP
01798 343 021
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Hennings Wine Merchants Pulborough
Pulborough RH20 2BW
01798 872671
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Highbury Vintners
London N5 1UA
020 7226 1347
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House of Townend
Melton HU14 3BQ
01482 638899
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Howard Ripley Limited
London SW13 9PD
020 8748 2608
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Huntsworth Wine Company
London W8 4BH
0207 229 1602
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Imbibros
Godalming GU7 2QA
01483 861 164
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Invararity
Glasgow G2 4HU
01412215121
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James Nicholson
Crossgar BT30 9DQ
028 4483 0091
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Jascots
London NW10 6DX
020 8965 2000
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Jeroboams
London SW1 9EL
020 7288 8850
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Joseph Barnes Wines
Saffron Walden CB10 1HB
01799 528019
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Justerini and Brooks
London SW1A 1LZ
020 7484 6400
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L’Assemblage
Chichester PO19 1TB
01243 537775
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Lay & Wheeler, Essex
Holton St Mary CO7 6NN
01473 313 300
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Lea & Sandeman Barnes
London SW13 9LN
020 8878 8643
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Lea & Sandeman Chiswick
London W4 2DR
020 8995 7355
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Lea & Sandeman Fulham
London SW10 9PR
020 7244 0522
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Lea & Sandeman Kensington
London W8 7LX
020 7221 1982
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Loki
Birmingham B2 5HU
0121 212 9440
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Luvians Bottleshop
Cupar KY15 4LG
01334 654820
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Majestic Wine Warehouses Head Office
Watford WD25 8WW
0845 605 6767
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Michael Jobling Wines
Ponteland NE20 0WZ
01913 784 554
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Montrachet Fine Wines
London SW1E 6DX
020 7821 1337
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Moreno
London W9 2DU
020 7286 0678
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Mumbles Fine Wines
Mumbles SA3 4DH
01792 367663
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New Street Wine Shop
London EC2M 4TR
020 3503 0795
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Nickolls & Perks
Stourbridge DY8 1TA
01384 394518
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Noel Young
Cambridge CB2 2LS
01223 844744
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Noble Fine Liquor
London E8 4PH
0207 2549 737
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O W Loeb
London SE1 3JT
020 7234 0385
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Oxford Wine Company Head Office
Witney OX29 7PR
01865 301144
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Philglas and Swiggot Clapham
London SW11 1NG
020 7924 4494
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Philglas and Swiggot Richmond
London TW10 6UB
020 8332 6031 22
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Philglas and Swiggot West End
London W1H 7SB
020 7402 0002
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Planet of the Grapes
London WC1A 1BA
020 7405 4912
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Private Cellar
Newmarket CB8 7QS 01353 721999
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Quaff Brighton
Brighton BN1 6JT
01273 553353
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Quaff Hove
Hove BN3 5QJ
01273 820320
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Raeburn
Edinburgh EH4 1DS
0131 343 1159
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Reserve Wines
Manchester M20 1LH
0161 438 0101
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Richard Granger
Newcastle NE2 3HH
0191 2815000
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Roberson
London W14 8NS
020 7381 7870
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S H Jones
Banbury OX16 5TU
01295 672296
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Salusbury Wine Shop
London NW6 6NN
020 7372 6664
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Saxtys Wines
Hereford HR4 9EA
01432 357872
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Seckford Wines
Ipswich IP12 1PE
01394 446622
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Secret Cellar
Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JT
01892 537981
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Selfridges
London W1A 1AB
0800 123 400
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Shill’s
Cockermouth CA13 9QW
01900 826427
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Slurp Fine Wine
Surbiton KT6 7EL
0208 993 7722
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Stevens Garnier
Oxford OX2 0JF
01865 263300
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Stone Vine and Sun
Winchester SO21 1QA
01962 712351
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Swig
London W14 3HR5
020 8995 7060
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Tanners Head Office
Shrewsbury SY1 1XD
01743 234500
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Taurus Wines
Guildford GU 5 0LL
01483 548484
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The General Wine Company Head Office
Liphook GU30 7EU
01428 722201
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The General Wine Company
Liphook GU30 7DW
01428 727744
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The General Wine Company
Petersfield GU32 3EL
01730 235923
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The Halifax Wine Company
Halifax HX1 2LG
01422 256333
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The Sampler
London N1 2UQ
0207 226 9500
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The Sampler
London SW7 2HP
0207 225 5091
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The Vine King
Reigate RH2 7JT
01293 771305
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The Wine Pantry
London SE1 9AA
020 7407 1002
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The Wine Society
Stevenage SG1 2BT
01438 741177
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The Wine Treasury
London SW8 1SQ
020 7793 9999
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The Winery
London W9 1SS
020 7286 6475
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Theatre of Wine Greenwich
London SE10 9TS
020 8858 6363
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Theatre of Wine Tufnell Park
London N19 5LB
020 3490 2147
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Uncorked
London EC2M 3WA
020 7638 5998
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Vagabond
London SW6 1AX
020 7381 1717
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Villeneuve Wines
Edinburgh EH1 3RJ
0131 558 8441
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Vine Trail
Bristol BS8 4NG
0117 921 1770
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Vino Broughton
Edinburgh EH1 3SB
0131 556 2855
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Vino Grange
Edinburgh EH9 2NP
0131 667 0397
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Vino Morningside
Edinburgh EH10 5QE
0131 452 8235
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Vino Stockbridge
Edinburgh EH3 6TP
0131 225 6998
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Vinoteca
London EC1M 4AA
020 7253 8786
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Vinoteca
London W1H 5BD
020 7724 7288
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Vintage House
London W1D 4LR
020 7437 2592
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Vintage Roots
Heckfield RG27 0JZ
0800 980 4992
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Waterloo Wines
London SE1 1QL
020 7403 7967
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Weavers
Nottingham NG1 7AQ
0115 958 0922
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Wholefoods Market
London W8 5SE
020 7368 4500
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Wilkinson Vintners
London NW1 6EB
0207 616 0404
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Wimbledon Wine Cellars Chelsea
London SW6 2UB
0207 736 2191
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Wimbledon Wine Cellars Chiswick
London W4 1SY
0208 994 7989
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Wimbledon Wine Cellars Wimbledon
London SW19 1QU
0208 540 9979
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Wine Barn
Dummer RG25 2AF
01256-391211
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Winetraders
Hanborough OX29 8LJ
01993 882 440
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WoodWinters
Bridge of Allan FK9 4HP
01786 834934
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WoodWinters
Edinburgh EH9 1QW
0131 667 2760
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Worth Brothers
Lichfield WS13 7AA
01543 262051
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Worth Brothers
Kirk Langley DE6 4NF
01332 825704
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Yapp Brothers
Mere BA12 6DY
01747 860423