Don't just drink with the herd, be independent

HERE are more than 1,000 specialist wine merchants in the UK, up by about a third over the past decade despite all the high street's well-publicised problems. The truth is, no matter how much we love supermarket wine (great value, and these days aisles boast decent selections), nothing beats a friendly indie seller. Especially when you get over your shyness, and realise just because they know about wine, it doesn't make them snobby or unfriendly.

- by Matt Nixson

It's a curious misconception that you need to know anything about wine before setting foot in an independent shop. That's their job. No one's judging you if you can't tell your cava from your champagne, your syrah from your shiraz (joke!). As Graham Holter of The Wine Merchant Magazine says: “Staff love talking about wine, whether you're