I never realised Nicolas was a chain until recently - and I also didn't realise that in some…read morelocations they even have wine bars, too. It makes sense, really, since they're wine experts. This is the only off licence I know of in the city centre, so it's handy if you're off to a BYO (bring your own) restaurant somewhere near the centre. With supermarkets seeming to take over on sales of wine (and just about every other product!), a lot of off licences seem to have been hit by the recent recession and have disappeared off the high street. Luckily, this one has survived - and still focuses on quality. They stock an excellent range of French wines including well-known regional wines such as Bordeaux and Bergundy, plus sparkling wines and Cremant, and bottles from less well known wine-producing areas of France. If wine's not your drink, they stock plenty of spirits and champagnes, too.

To celebrate 'Us' I wanted to get my lovely a bottle of wine we could both enjoy that wasn't from…read morethe supermarkets. Enter Nicolas, a French wine/champers/liquors etc. If your in anyway a wine etc connoisseur (I am but a mere student at the moment) then whatever your looking for you will probably find here. From just a few pounds to the pricely sum of £500 plus if your in real trouble with the lady. Back to my story, I went in with a vague idea of what McLovely is into and headed for the member of staff there. I explained what she liked and was escorted around the store a little bit, learning about the taste and region the wines were from. It was all very interesting truth be known. Anyway I settled on a beautiful bottle Château Bellegrave 2006, Red. It was exactly as the guy said it was and madam lovely really enjoyed. I got browny points and a decent wine for a reasonable price, I was happy.

This shop is unfriendly, sparse, and even a little depressing. I only popped in for a newspaper,…read moreand the woman behind the counter couldn't even bring herself to make eye contact with me, let alone say "hello" or "thank you". Perhaps I just went in on a bad day. The store has an ugly exterior (who on earth decided that bright yellow and purple would be a good combination for a shop front?), an ugly interior (dark, all spread out), and, in Cotham, which is full of unique, lovely businesses and charity shops, it sticks out, in a bad way. It's just a convenience store, of course, so you shouldn't expect much anyway. If you're desperate, live nearby and can't be bothered to walk the extra few steps to another store, this will do. It sells all the basics, and is open late, but just operates with absolutely no flair or enjoyment. The name is somewhat ironic here: "Premier" this shop certainly is not.

Too big for a news agents, too small for a mini supermarket. Premier, sells the bare minimum of…read morewhat you might need. I would not get over excited about it, it does not have the prices of Tesco Metro (or the range), and it has too much to fell like your local newsagent. That being said it is service with a smile, the business has invariably been open when i needed something last minute, and the lady that works there is sweet.

Not just a great name, but a great wine merchants too…read more The welcoming and knowledgeable staff are an ideal team for someone as useless as me when it comes to picking a bottle of the good stuff. With their friendly and un-patronising tone they'll guide you through the basics up to the best that they offer. (It's a great way to bluff yourself through dinner conversation, and learn an interesting thing or do). But it's not just wine they have on sale but spirits and ales too. So if you're looking for a bottle of something to take to a party, be sure to pop by to Corks of Cotham.

One of Bristol's few independent wine merchants, Corks of Cotham offers a little more character…read morethan the beer and wine aisle of your local supermarket. It's more of a general off licence really, with generous spaces given to spirits and beers in the shop. They do know their stuff about wine though, and will happily talk you through the basics or discuss some obscure vintage. The staff are always friendly too and don't take themselves too seriously. They do tasting sessions, which are a laugh. I can't take this sort of thing too seriously, but I'm sure there's plenty to learn. Doing so whilst having a couple of glasses of wine can't be a bad thing either. It's certainly preferable to guessing at the quality from what the label looks like, which is what I usually end up doing at the supermarket. Corks of Cotham is a niche store where you'll probably end up buying a better bottle than you otherwise would.