Taylor Wines set for Brentwood

Licensing permitting, Taylor Wines will open on Crown Street in Brentwood by the end of March.

Owner Ed Taylor previously worked at Luckins Wine Store in Great Dunmow. He already imports and wholesales wines through his online business, and he is hoping to grow that side of his trade alongside the new bricks-and-mortar element.

“I import from a wide range of places including Georgia and Slovenia … everywhere, really,” he says. “It’s very varied and once it’s sold out, it’s on to something new. It’s nice doing it that way because it allows customers to try new stuff.”

Taylor plans to run ticketed tastings on Fridays and Saturdays. “For £35 you’ll get a glass of fizz, a couple of white and a couple of red wines, a rosé, a port and a cheese board. And then I’ll do some events in the evening for private parties.”

While Taylor says he enjoys finding the best deals he can on his buying missions, he is realistic about catering for the needs of his customers.

“I like to have a bit of variation,” he says, “but a certain extent of it will lean into more what people want, like top-end New Zealand Sauvignons that sell well, and some of the heavier Australian styles. Then I’ll have some odd bits that I’ll use in the tastings for people to try – and see what they think of the stuff they wouldn’t have tried before.”

• There are plans for The Wine Cabinet to open in Bromham, Wiltshire, towards the end of this year. Greg Wilkinson will be operating his business online until he can take possession of his premises in November. He is already in talks with suppliers including Liberty Wines.