These guys are excellent, and I'm not just saying that because they let us taste 21 wines in one…read moreevening last week... (yes 21!!! Ahem). A friend of mine has an exciting new restaurant venture in the pipeline and asked for my help in choosing their wine menu. You don't get too many requests like that in life, so obviously I was more than happy to help! We were guided through the tasting by Tom, who was friendly, knowledgeable and just so down to earth it was like having a drink with someone you'd known for ages. He'd picked us out 8 whites and 8 reds to whittle down to 3 of each, plus 3 rose and 2 fizzy to reduce to 1 of each, that fitted within budget. We could essentially try as much as we wanted of each then spit or pour away (or finish an entire glass) as we liked. Despite an initial urge to finish everything, I only finished the glass of the ones I liked best, as I wanted to stay useful! Tom was great at drawing out our tasting notes and opinions, even if I seemed to be in the minority on a few! I think we were probably the first group to bring in samosas to see how spicy food went with the wines too :) If you've got a big event coming up I'd definitely recommend coming for a Majestic tasting - they'll give you some great pointers and work to a budget (plus we got to take away the rest of any of the bottles he'd opened which was a nice bonus too!).

Excellent service and fantastic deals. I went in one evening…read moreto buy a bottle of vodka (at an unbelievably good price) and the guy in store was so apologetic that he had sold out. But, rather than 'too bad, so sad', he called a nearby store and asked them to hold one of their bottles (at a higher price). I only had to walk a little way, yet he apologised for my inconvenience. It was no problem, the other store itself was just as friendly and I got my bottle of vodka, a friendly wave past both store windows each time I pass, and my new favourite local off-license!

These guys know what they're doing. The selection of beer here comes from across the world, with an…read moreuncanny knack of picking out the very best of beer to be found near and far. There are bottles of excellent local brews Sambrook Wandle and Junction, German alcohol-free beer (the best on the market, in my opinion) Erdinger Alkohol Frei and, (voice aquiver) two bottles from star Danish brewery Mikkeller. Plus a good selection of beer from Belgium, England, Austria, the Czech Republic and more (much of which I didn't recognise), all at reasonable prices. The shop itself is worth a mention too: wood panels everywhere, with the beer bottles presented neatly on shelves. Throw in the friendly service and slow trumpet jazz sountrack playing softly in the background and it's very difficult to leave the shop without buying something. Which considering the quality of the produce on offer here, is no bad thing.

Came across this place as I walked through Putney. Amazing amount of international beers for every…read moretaste. Just grab your beer of choice from the fridge and take it to the till for some good chat with knowledgeable staff as the crack open your bottle. All that's left for you to do is watch the nectar flow then grab a seat, or grab a few to take away!!

Drink Junction is definitely the smallest off-license I have ever seen. There's barely room for…read morefive people to walk around comfortably within. But the owner rules his miniscule roost in a jovial manner and enjoys the odd arbitrary conversation about anything from relationship dynamics to how strange the weather is that time of year. Drink Junction also offers tobacco, lotto tickets and a small selection of sweets. Situated in the heart of a triangle of clubs in the Wimbledon area, I've noticed that Drink Junction is usually the only shop around that's open into the wee hours. It's also a great place to buy drinks at the last minute if you'd like to continue the party elsewhere. Warning: only two party animals at a time!

The previous reviewer must work for a competitor as he seemed to know their prices rather too well…read more Given his focus on price perhaps he should concentrate on the sub £5 bottles available at the major supermarket chains? The PG shop in Battersea has a fantastic vibe- the staff are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about wines. Oftentimes they may not be able to devote much time to any one customer as the shop tends to be very busy with lots of customers coming in. I've noted that many are returning customers. The revamp looks good and they have expanded their range of offerings. Wine buying isn't simply about buying a commodity - it's an information journey and forming an understanding about the customers wishes. I love their extensive range and they have some really excellent wines. The New World is well represented in addition to the established classic regions of Europe. Yes, there are some expensive wines, but that's a fact for everyone who wants to buy top class burgundy for example.

Philglas & Swiggot feels to me a lot like a wine shop from a bygone era. The staff do not engage…read morewith customers who are left to wander round the shop trying to choose which bottle of wine they might want to purchase. Given that the vast majority of the bottles are in the £20 plus bracket this is more than a bit frustrating as, if you are going to spend this amount of money on wine, you want to be very confident that your selection is going to be to your liking. Other wine shops solve this problem by either making the wine available to taste (step forward The Sampler and Vagabond) or with engaging customer service (Highbury Vintners, I salute you). To top it off, the wine is sold at top whack prices. For example, Philglas sells Chateau Musar's current vintage at £23.15. This is more expensive than Berry Bros (whose prices are not cheap by any means) and far more expensive than Majestic who currently sell it for £17.99. While I appreciate independent wine merchant's need to make a bigger profit margin than Majestic it is almost 30% more expensive to buy your wine at Philglas without any recompense of the kind mentioned above.

This wine bar is so lively and fun! I went on a Friday night and it was bustling with people in…read moretheir late 20s, all trying new wines and socializing. The ambiance was amazing, candlelit vibes but not too dark. Their wine list was impressive, diverse, and is ever changing, which is awesome. I landed on a lovely pinot noir and my friend got the pet nat. The servers were busy, but super cool and were really on top of the crowd. Lines moved quickly and tabs were taken care of efficiently. We had to wait maybe a minute or two for our drinks and the server gave us a discount for waiting- which was unnecessary but totally cool. They do have a bathroom, but it's a little hard to lock so be wary when you go in.

From the owner: Served in a relaxed free most of our wines are organic or biodynamic - we believe this gives the…read moretrue expression of the place in which they originate and the personality of the grower.

Wine World is a convenient (for me) little off-licence perched on the corner of Spencer Road and St…read moreJohn's Hill. The focus is very much on wine although there is a small selection of beer (mainly mainstream labels) and spirits (a bit more interesting). The wine selection features a few interesting bottles (especially from New Zealand) but is generally fairly humdrum with lots of large scale producers to the fore. Consequently, Wine World would not be where I would head for a special bottle and I mainly find myself popping in here to grab something when all other options have been exhausted!

Very friendly service and they're happy to make suggestions or recommendations. I mostly pop in…read morehere to stock up on a few beers and they have a decent selection and often have mix and match offers on individual bottles which allows you to try out a few different varieties. They also have a good stock in the fridges so you can buy your beer cold and ready to drink.

There are two little wine shops on this stretch but this is my favourite by far. It's in the corner…read moresite in a really nice Victorian building and it just gives the whole place a better feel - wine and where you keep it is important right? I'm no expert on wine - at all - so what I do when I come in here is ask the very nice French man behind the desk what he thinks. I tell him about what I'm going to eat with it or who it's for or what it's for and he makes a suggestion and tells me about the wine. I then tell repeat what he says to whoever I drink the wine with. The selection is really good though and ranges from mid range £6 or so to much, much more serious vintages. There is also a fridge with chilled wines ready to drink and a pretty good mix of champagnes. Pop the corks.

A long established business, relatively recently acquired by new ( French) owners. Excellent -…read moreknowledgeable staff ( just make sure you're speaking to one of the French guys). Specialising in Old World wines, although by no means exclusively. House champagne is very palatable and good value. Will deliver and loan glasses. Interestingly, they also have an interest in premium bourbon, but that's another story.

Liquor City boasts its existence with a bright red colour scheme and a pleasant shopping…read moreexperience. Look out for their great selection of French and South African wines, all priced reasonably and complemented by an equally large availability of non-alcoholic beverages. It's like a one stop party shop too: you could go and pick up a range of drinks, snacks, dips and mixers for the perfect house party. You could even get creative with their ice cream selection and some vodka... This business is clearly family-run, and the proprietors are very friendly and will assist you with a smile. They also have a ready supply something that can be quite difficult to get hold of in summer: ice. So if you need some, just ask: Liquor City has a big city store name with the convenience of a small one. It doesn't matter whether it's a few drinks on the porch or wine for the month, Liquor City has it all. The only service they don't include is the appeasement of overindulgence.

This is the place that I visit twice a year to buy a couple of cases of greater, higher-priced wine…read moreto have once and a while. The selection is vast and has wines that none of the other big chain wine stores have. I particularly like their knowledge. I usually put all my trust in the manager and tell them your budget and get them to make a case or two. I have discovered so many amazing wines this way, wines that I continue to return to as well as lay down for a year or three for enjoying later. If you go buy a couple of cases, make sure you do a bit of bartering.

excellent wine merchant with knowledgeable staff. Nice selection of wines at reasonable pricesread more