On the grapevine

Bravo to Booths: For the third consecutive year, Booths has won

Wine Supermarket of the Year in the People’s Choice Wine Awards. This competition includes the opinions of knowledgeable consumers as well as professional tasters who decide which wines and which retailers win the various categories. Booths is a gem of a supermarket in the North, with three stores in Yorkshire, at Ilkley, Ripon and Settle. Wine buyer Victoria Anderson, inset, has consistently built a diverse, individual range of wines. “This is an extra special award for Booths as it’s a vote from our biggest critics, our customers,” she said.

Viking wields pen: It takes a lot for a man from Denmark to become an iconic figure in the world of wine.

But Peter Vinding Diers came into wine from the pleasure of drinking it as he grew up. His father usually bought a hogshead (225 litres) of Ch. Lynch Bages each year and had it bottled in Copenhagen. It was a trip through Burgundy as a student that really got him interested though, and then he gradually became involved in vineyards in Bordeaux, Brazil, Chile and Hungary. In his new book, Viking in the Vineyard, he shares his adventures, the people he met along the way and the bottles they enjoyed. It is a gentle read through the pleasures of being involved in wine. Viking in the Vineyard is published by Académie du Vin and priced at £30. www. academieduvinlibrary.com

En Primeur Bordeaux:

Two Yorkshire merchants have spent last week chasing around Bordeaux tasting the 2021 vintage wines at some of the grand châteaux. 2021 was not an easy year but early indications are that some decent wine was made. Prices are difficult to predict, but within a few weeks the tasting notes and prices will be published. Contact Bon Coeur (www.bcfw.co.uk) or House of Townend (www.houseoftownend.com) to get their reports when ready.