So, after years of nothingness, Sale FINALLY has its very own craft beer bottle shop; and my fellow…read morelocal beer geeks rejoice! Our closest ones had been in Urmston, Chorlton or Alty. Tucked right at the back of Traders Outlet (which is a hub of local indie businesses under one roof), they may be small but they still have a pretty decent selection of cans and bottles to take away. The owner is just starting out, so if business does well they'll likely expand the range or (I'm hoping) get their own unit locally with enough room to install a few kegs and open a tap house! You can contact them on Twitter (@Artisan_Ales) and if they don't have a particular beer in stock, they'll do their best to source it and let you know. It's great to be able to have a true, independent place to buy my beers from to enjoy at home - I'll support them for as long as my liver allows me :) Tip: they accept card payments and provide cardboard bottle carriers if you're buying several beers.

I can safely say that Sale has been crying out for a decent wine bar for ages - Altrincham,…read moreChorlton, Didsbury or the city centre were our only local alternatives. Not any longer. The owner of an established wine distributor has turned around a former solicitor's office on Northenden Road into a sleek yet welcoming wine bar & shop and the town's oenophiles have rejoiced. With a large selection of wines (still and sparkling) and spirits from around the world there's something for all tastes. The staff are on hand to help out if you're not sure what you'd like. Alternatively, order a bottle and enjoy it whilst sat in one of the comfy booths with repurposed cinema seats. The corkage is £7 per bottle. Platters of cheese and/or meats are £7-£8. There's also a selection of bottled beers, ciders and soft drinks to drink in or buy and take away. They've immediately become our new local. Welcome to the neighbourhood :)

Awful experience. Jammed between a couple practically having sex at the table & lads shouting &…read morescreaming & shouting that it was going to be a great night!, tables literally 2 inches apart. Was told that my drink would be brought to me, but after about 10; minutes seeing the waitress chatting at the bar, I got up to order my drink (again), was told "oh this is your prosecco" which had been waiting at the bar getting warm for 10 minutes. Paid at the bar using Google pay, but when we left an employee ran after us down Heaton Moor road shouting "excuse me, there's a prosecco that hasn't been paid for!". So embarrassed, never ever felt so humiliated in my life! Will never go here again. Wanted a nice quiet evening, drinking nice wine, ended up being humiliated. Would give zero stars if I could!

There comes a time in every young adult's life when they realise they're simply not a student…read moreanymore, and your standard 3 for £12 plonk or multipack beer from Bargain Booze ain't going to cut it. You need something special. Why, you're a grown-up, you've a good job, you pay bills, you rent your own place, you're in a proper relationship and you're having people over. You want these people to have something a bit different to remember your soiree by. Well thank you Carringtons for shouldering that responsibility. Walking around this shop is like being six again and cooing over the Pick 'n' Mix at Woolworths, only this time you know how much everything costs because you're paying for it yourself. Yep, the rush of guilt from tugging on Mum's hand and whinging at her way back then comes soaring over again. Anyway, during my first introduction to Carringtons, I had a request that was both specific and vague in equal measure. I needed local beers, European beers, some nice Prosecco and a good gin. I had bugger all to worry about in the very capable hands of Rosco. He immediately packed up a couple of bottles of Prosecco into a box for me, took me round the shop pointing out some great beers, and when it came to the gin he said, 'Can you come tomorrow or do you need this for tonight? We've got a Brockmans delivery coming and that's great gin.' I was most certainly free the next day, and any yelper who made it to the Yelp Summer Stunner (http://vimeo.com/28057905) will know how amazing that is. Thanks to the introduction from Carringtons, we brought Brockmans to the Manchester masses! They've a spot in Didsbury Village too, and they're certainly the place to go if you love your Brewdog beers (I know several Mancunians who do). The service is great, the staff are knowledgeable and they love what they do. Can't say fairer than that for a great independent booze specialist!

If you're tired of smart price vodka and wine in cartons just labelled 'Australian Red Wine' then I…read morecan definitely recommend a trip to Carringtons. Stocking a range of boutique beers, handpicked wines and high-end spirits there is something here to suit all tastes. It may be a little bit pricey, as has been noted, but for that special occasion, gift or even a little treat for yourself (Just a couple of well-deserved bottles of Konig Ludwig Weissbier) Carringtons is perfect. The staff are knowledgeable about what they're selling - I know because I once worked at an off licence at home and I had absolutely no clue about what I was selling. I can sense the genuine opinion in their voice. They're not pushing three for twos or trying to make you buy lager by the case, they are happy to make recommendations according to your budget and personal taste. They run wine tastings and even a blog, how many branches of Threshers or Bargain Booze do you know that can say that.

There are a few aspects to Majestic that need to be considered, not least its location: 5 minutes…read morewalk from where I live (for the Sale branch). Other considerations are the selection, the prices, the quality of the wine, the service. The selection is good. Majestic is a fairly big player - of course we're not talking supermarket size - and they cannot really cater for very small winemakers as they wouldn't get the volume. But all the main wine producing countries are represented and the range of quality goes from cheap to quite high level. The prices are also good and most wines are always on some kind of buy 2 get 20% off so that makes for good value on most of the range. The quality of wines I'd say is variable. I've had good and bad wines. They always have a selection on the sampling table for free but these always fail to impress. But I'm a snob bag so don't take my word for it and make your own opinion. The service is good and attentive but ultimately they are sales people and will direct you to what they need to sell. From a practical perspective note that you need to buy at least 6 bottles, whatever they are to make a purchase.