A bottle of red, a bottle of white, it all depends upon your appetite... (Laithwaites)

Member Name: silverstreak2

Product:	Laithwaites
Date:	12/07/05 (751 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quality wines; extensive choice; tasting notes provided

Disadvantages: None

I've been a customer of Laithwaites( formerly Bordeaux Direct) for some years now, and in recent months I've been ordering from their website, partly because it's so convenient, and partly because after years of telephone ordering I'm sure they recognise my voice and must think I'm some kind of an alcoholic.

The Company was started by Tony Laithwaite over 30 years ago, after having worked in French vineyards during his gap year and deciding (quite rightly) that the British needed to know more about good, reasonably priced wine and how to enjoy it. He began by bringing back cases of wine in the back of an old van, and these days, Laithwaites own many of the vineyards themselves, and have exclusive buying rights with others.

Despite the name, Bordeaux Direct soon began introducing us to wines from many different regions, and was one of the first importers of Bulgarian wines to this country back in the 70's. I remember my mum complaining about 'that stuff that gives you headaches' and yes, it was a bit rough, but as a young and ignorant wine drinker I gradually began to experiment with wines far beyond Liebfraumilch and Blue Nun, all thanks to Tony Laithwaite.

With Laithwaites, as they became during the 1990's, I learned an awful lot about wines, grape varieties etc, simply through reading the very helpful tasting notes which they send with each case, notes which are written in a very unpretentious style, and which at the same time, are full of useful information, such as what foods will go well with the wine, and how long to store it, etc. If you're not sure where to start, it's probably best to buy a mixed case, which Laithwaites will have put together thoughtfully, and in this way, you can decide whether you like a particular wine without committing yourself to buy a whole case. If you don't like any of the wines, Laithwaites will refund your money, without quibble. I have, on the odd occasion, had a bottle which is corked (how do you know, I always used to ask - believe me, you know when you get one, by the musty smell that nearly knocks you out) and I've only to e-mail or 'phone them, and they will give me a refund voucher, with a bit extra for the inconvenience, again without quibble. I should emphasise, however, that during nearly 30 years of dealing with Laithwaites, I wouldn't have to take my shoes and socks off to count the number of dodgy wines I've had.

Laithwaites have a number of quarterly and half yearly 'clubs' where you're automatically sent a case (unless you've cancelled it in the meantime) which you're perfectly entitled to do, and there's absolutely no pressure on you to buy the next case. I now belong to the 4 seasons club, the Rioja club, A Taste of Spain, as well as being a Premier Club member. For a small annual fee of, I think about £14.95, you get two free bottles of wine (worth about £12) every time you order 12 bottles or more, so if you place at least two orders a year, you're already quids in, and from time to time, Premier Club members receive a third free bottle for spending over a certain amount of money, usually £100.

Back to the website then - I'm a relative newcomer and what I find useful is that if you've ordered a wine from a previous mailing but have taken a while to get round to drinking it, you can usually find it in the extensive listings on the website, whereas you might otherwise have thrown away the mail order leaflets, and can't for the life of you remember what the wine was called. Often, there'll be special offers exclusive to online customers, and if you sign up for e-mails, you can get some very good bargains on bin-end cases too.

The site is very easy to use - you need to register, naturally, and you'll be given a seven digit customer number, and you can either use this or your e-mail address to log in on future visits. The wines are listed by grape variety, country of origin, colour, or you can select a price range to choose from - alternatively, click on to mixed cases, where you'll get a huge selection to mull over. My only criticism here, is that I find I'm invariably spoilt for choice, and I end up spending too much. The ordering process is very easy indeed, and you can have the wine sent either to your own address, or to an alternative address, and they ask you to give brief instructions as to where the carrier can safely leave the wine if you're out when they call. Delivery time is quoted as being up to 14 days, but in practice, it's usually two or three days, and in fact, I've just taken delivery of a case I ordered online less than 48 hours ago.

Laithwaites charge £4.99 per delivery, regardless of the amount ordered, which I consider is very little, considering I'm very rarely disappointed with a wine, unlike the experiences I've had with some of the mass-produced rubbish to be found in supermarkets, masquerading under such romantic names as Sweaty Creek or Dead Man's Gulch or some equally corny title. £6 spent at Laithwaites is the equivalent of £9-£10 spent at your local supermarket, and you don't have to lug it home.

What I like about Laithwaites is that you feel you can trust their judgement. Previously, I'd never made particularly good choices from supermarkets, especially with white wines, where it was always a bit hit and miss, but I do feel confident with Laithwaites' descriptions, and I don't think I've ever felt misled by them. I always feel that I'm getting value for money too, and despite the fact that it's obviously a very much bigger concern than the one man, one van band it was in the early 70's, they still manage to convey the personal touch, with Tony Laithwaite writing many of the messages and descriptions himself. His beaming (if slightly pink!)face can always be seen on the website and on the mailing leaflets, and you know this is a man who believes in the stuff he sells!
Thoroughly recommended.

Happy quaffing!

Summary: An easy, convenient way to stock up your wine cellar