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About Grapevine
Why Choose Us?
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Choice
Grapevine gives you more choice. The majority of our wines are not found anywhere else on the island.
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Quality
Grapevine is your assurance of quality. Each wine is tasted before it is added to the list and chosen on its quality alone.
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Local
Grapevine remains locally owned and wholly independent.
Testimonials
The Grapevine solve headaches! I simply give them my dinner party menu and they chose the wines to match. Of course I always take the plaudits from my guests
Olivier, St Peters
The Grapevine have always stocked something a little bit different – and I like supporting local businesses if I can
Jeff, Forest
Whenever I’ve wanted a great bottle for a special occasion The Grapevine was always my first port of call, they never let me down
Joyce, St Peter Port
It’s just great knowing that the wine you are buying has been chosen by the person selling it to you
Hugh, Castel
Grapevine Wine Online In Guernsey
A brief history of Grapevine. A unique Guernsey online wine company selling only wines the directors like and are happy to have on their dining tables at home and chosen on its quality alone.
The Sommelier Wine Co Ltd Guernsey really started more than 30 years ago in a Normandy restaurant. The sommelier there suggested a Sancerre rose to match a sea bass dish. So struck were the diners with this wine that the label was carefully peeled off and an order sent to the grower for half a dozen cases.
The sancerre proved so popular with the Guernsey friends of the six diners that the next order was for 20 cases.
Those six diners went on to become the first directors of the Sommelier Wine Co Ltd, more wines were added to the list, initially stored in the garage of one of the directors.
Such was the success of the first Sommelier Wine Co Ltd public tasting, that the directors realised there was a demand for wines in Guernsey made by small artisanal growers rather than the brands that were then offered by many of the island’s wine merchants. A demand for choice.
A Guernsey shop was needed and the Sommelier Wine Co Ltd merged with The Grapevine which, at the time was in the building now housing The Randy Paddle public house.
It soon became clear that the shop was too small so The Grapevine moved to St George’s Esplanade where it remained for the next 26 years. The policy through all that time stayed the same – to sell only wines the directors liked, wines that they were happy to have on their dining tables at home. In the main these were still made by small artisanal growers.
In July 2017 the company merged with distributors V.W.T. (Guernsey) Ltd and Grapevine became an online wine retail business rather than a bricks and mortar one.
The original policy is still very much the same, to sell wines chosen on their quality alone. However, with the additional buying power of V.W.T., prices are now more competitive than ever.
Wine is a journey not a destination. Come and join us.
Our Team
Richard Allisette
Nearly 35 years ago Richard Allisette wondered why a bottle of St Emilion tasted so much better than his everyday “plonk”. He set about trying to find out why and so began a journey that continues to this day.
Richard was a partner in the Sommelier Wine Company for nearly 30 years before its merger with VWT (Guernsey) Ltd and Grapevine Online where he is a wine consultant.
Richard holds the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma and writes a weekly wine column in the Guernsey Press.
Jason Langmead
Jason’s wine journey began after attending an ‘Introduction to Wine’ course hosted by Graham Edwards.
A member of The Society of Vintners since 2011, Jason enjoys travelling to vineyards around the world for business and pleasure.
Meeting with growers and hearing their stories and passion for the wines they produce is key to Jason’s ethos that a good wine should deliver on quality and value for money. With Grapevine Online he is delighted to be able to share them with you.
