At The Oxford Wine Company we spend our days surrounded by thousands of delicious wines, spirits and beers. But which of them do we decide to drink at home? Take a look below for our team’s top picks for this month.
What We’re Drinking in August
Ted Sandbach, Owner & Chairman
Le Havre de Paix Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne 2024 – £9.50 £8.55 – Excellent value for money at this price – good fruit , fresh and crisp. The perfect and affordable wine when sitting in the garden with friends or family.
Morgon, Hospices de Beaujeu, Beaujolais 2023 – £17.50 £15.75 – Really popular at the wine bars, this is a juicy and complex wine. The Gamay grape from Beaujolais is hugely underrated but is being discovered by a new generation of drinker. Soft and fruit driven with a hint of spice this is just lovely to drink on it’s own – it doesn’t need food to enhance the pleasure!
Aljoscha Wright, Buyer
Domaine Apostolidi ‘Agia Triada’ Assyrtiko PGI Kavala 2022 – £21.50 £19.35 – This is a brilliantly fresh and textural example of just how versatile this variety can be.
Limoncello Efusato, Tosolini – £31.50 £28.35 – Tangy and refreshing to combat the current heat. On its own straight out of the freezer or as a base of a spritz – hard to beat!
Château Pas du Cerf Blanc, Côtes de Provence 2023 – £21..00 £18.90 – A masterful blend of Vermentino and Clairette gives this wine layer upon layer of enjoyment.
Manda Joyce, Wine Advisor
Falanghina DOP Janare Selezione, La Guardiense 2024 – £13.75 £12.37 – A longtime favourite I never tire of. The perfect summer sipper made from local grape variety Falanghina by a co-operative winery in the middle of Italy.
White Heron British Cassis – £25.00 £22.50 – Liqueur made in Herefordshire from home-grown blackcurrants. Rich, fruity and sharp. Drink neat or mix with bubbly.
Fortaleza Blanco Tequila – £75.00 £67.50 – I was asked to contribute Margaritas to a recent family gathering. I used this beauty. OK, I was showing off! But wow!!
Katy Barker, Retail Marketing Manager
Terra de Asorei Selección Privada Albariño, Rías Baixas 2022 – £20.50 £18.45 – This is richer and more complex than your average Albariño! Concentrated citrus fruits, juicy peaches and a saline edge, with a lovely textured body.
Migration Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2021 – £45.75 £41.18 – Black cherries, juicy raspberries, delicious damsons, cedar wood spice all wrapped in a wonderfully velvety body – a stunner of a Pinot Noir!
Birbet Vino da Tavola, Marco Porello NV– £15.00 £13.50 – The PERFECT wine for a picnic in the park. This curious Italian, semi-sparkling red is bright and juicy, with a touch of sweetness to make it even more charming.
Mark Warde-Aldam, Shop Manager
Isle of Raasay The Draam Single Malt £58.00 £52.20 – I recently spent a week on this small island just north of Skye. What a fabulous bunch of people. Lightly peated west coast malt.
Reichsrat Von Buhl Spatburgunder, Pfalz 2021– £21.00 £18.90 – Germany are rapidly catching up with their neighbours in Burgundy. This Pinot Noir gives good red Burgundy a run for its money!
Boschendal Brut Rosé Méthode Cap Classique NV– £16.00 £14.40 – My ‘go to’ summer fizz. Fresh summer fruits at an affordable price.
Min Yee Tseu, Corporate and University Account Manager
Szepsy Estate Tokaji Szamorodni 2017 – £55.50 £49.95 – This was one of the highlights from my trip to Tokaj this summer – excellent balance of sweetness from the aszú berries with the naturally high acidity of Furmint!
Monferrato Avamposti Slarina, Azienda Agricola Il Cascinone 2021– £16.75 £15.08 – A light and easy-drinking Slarina from the Monferrato region, this gives off Beaujolais vibes and is absolutely fantastic to drink chilled on a warm summer evening.
Anton Bauer Wagram Pinot Noir, Austria 2021– £29.50 £26.55 – An extremely drinkable Austrian Pinot Noir that has just the right mix of fruitiness and earthiness! Have it chilled with some charcuterie and cheese!
Emily Silva, Head of Retail and Marketing
Emilia Lambrusco IGT ‘Fontana dei Boschi’, Graziano 2022 – £29.75 £26.78 – Joy in a glass. Bright cherry, a gentle fizz, and that irresistible sweet-savoury balance that only proper Lambrusco delivers. I drink it lightly chilled, with a slice of salami or something cheesy from the fridge. It’s also brilliant when everyone’s arrived and you haven’t quite finished cooking.
Valdespino Inocente Fino ‘Pago de Macharnudo’ 37.5cl NV – £14.55 £13.05 – This is not your average fino. It’s complex, savoury, and beautifully tense. Grown on the white albariza soils of Macharnudo, it’s full of sea spray, toasted almonds, and green olive brine. I love it with salted almonds, anchovy toast, or a quiet half-hour to myself.
M&J Becker Ablington Vineyard Chardonnay, Hunter Valley 2022 – £29.50 £26.55 – Fresh, savoury and finely textured, this is Chardonnay with real restraint. Think citrus, white peach and a subtle saline edge with a toasty oak complexity. We’re down to our last few bottles of this, so get it while you can!
Nick Gorton, Retail Operations Manager
Villa Wolf Rosé, Pfalz 2024– £14.50 £13.05 – Recently tasted as our Wine of The Weekend, this really impressed me with it’s delicious red berry fruit and refreshing acidity. Perfect picnic rosé!
Barbadillo Manzanilla Pasada En Rama De La Pastora 37.5cl NV – £11.75 £10.58 – A new listing for us, and a first Manzanilla Pasada. Extra ageing and minimal filtration adds richness and texture, without compromising on the refreshing salinity that Manzanilla is famous for.
Asorei Albariño, Rías Baixas 2024 – £16.50 £14.85 – Another cracking summer wine. Lots of lime and grapefruit, combined with zippy acidity and a salinity that means it works beautifully with fish and seafood.
Thom Allinson, Buying & Logistics
Marof Goričko Blanc, Slovenia 2021 – £27.25 £24.53 – Goričko Blanc is a brilliant blend from the country’s northeastern hills, showcasing Slovenia’s rising star status in the wine world.
Joseph Cattin Gentil ‘Cuvée Spéciale’, Alsace 2023 – £15.75 £14.18 – A delightful blend of Alsace’s finest white grape varieties, including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and more, resulting in a balance of fruit and freshness.
Campari Bitter– £21.00 £18.90 – A Campari spritz has become my new tipple for Friday aperitivo time! A must if you haven’t had one before.
Emma Bristow, Wine Advisor
Domaine Paul Prieur et Fils Grains de Pinot Sancerre Rouge 2022 – £35.50 £31.95 – This is a wonderful expression of a cool climate Pinot Noir. Grown on the limestone and flint soils of the Sancerre in the Loire valley. Delicious raspberry and cherry notes with a subtle spice. Delicate tannins and a refreshing acidity giving way to a silky textured finish.
Château Unang Blanc, Ventoux 2024 – £19.50 £17.55 – A light fruity blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette from the Rhone. Notes of white flowers, peach and pear accompanied with a lemony zestiness and a delicious fresh finish. Pair with spicy grilled chicken or fish dishes.
Romain Alaphilippe, Shop Manager
Château Carbonneau Les Deux Frères, Sainte Foy 2024 – £14.75 £13.28 – A bright, fruit-forward Bordeaux with silky tannins and vibrant red berry notes — elegant and easy to love.
Peri Peri Vicere Inzolia – IGT Terre Siciliane 2023 – £16.50 £14.85 – A crisp, sun-kissed Sicilian white with hints of citrus blossom, stone fruit and a gentle nutty finish. Refreshing and lively.
Glenfarclas 10 Year Old, Distillery Bottled – £50.00 £45.00 – A classic Speyside single malt offering gentle sherry sweetness, Christmas cake notes, malty richness, and a smooth, warming finish.
Lucy Harrison, Shop Manager
Gonzalez Byass, Matusalem 30 Year Old VORS Dolce Oloroso 37.5cl NV – £28.50 £25.65 – A fridge door staple in my house! A rich and complex Oloroso sherry sweetened by the addition of PX. Notes of raisins, figs and candied orange peel.
Thomas Stopfer, Ried Mordthal Roter Veltliner, Wagram 2023 – £19.75 £17.78 – A little-known Austrian grape bursting with flavour. Ripe juicy pears, stone fruits, nuts with a spicy, mineral finish.
Vignoble Guillaume Flûte Enchantée: Classic Label NV, Franche-Comté NV – £21.75 £19.58 – From the lesser known region of Franche-Comté, this delightful traditional method fizz has notes of green apples and citrus with distinct almond and brioche flavours. A budget friendly alternative to Champagne.
Duncan Laing, Wine Advisor
Discovery Beach Zinfandel Rosé 2023 – £9.75 £8.78 – An off-dry rosé with aromas of rhubarb and watermelon, and flavours of juicy ripe strawberries. Incredibly moreish, perfect as an aperitif or alongside Indian, Thai and other Asian cuisines.
Los Vascos Cromas Cabernet Sauvignon Grande Reserve, Domaines Barons de Rothschild 2019 – £21.50 £19.35 – A fruit-forward cabernet, with a palate of red cherry and plum, framed by its well-structured tannins and 12 months of oak aging. Best allowed to breath for an hour before.
Monte del Frà Soave Classico 2024 – £18.75 £16.88 – A delicious Soave with delicate notes of pear, red apple and elderflower. Good on its own or enjoyed with Risotto, baked and grilled fish, or white meats. Salute!
John Shuckburgh, WSET Educator
Tenuta Del Pajaru Auru Nero Di Troia, IGT Puglia 2023 – £18.50 £16.65 – Sun-drenched Southern Italy in a glass! Deep, intense flavours of ripe, plummy black fruits, figs and prunes with a full body and a long finish.
Maison Auvigue Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru La Frérie à Solutré 2021 – £43.50 £39.15 – Elegant white burgundy. With baked apple, spice and creamy flavours, this wine is structured, textured and complex.
Hundred Hills Preamble No.2, Oxfordshire 2021 – £39.75 £35.78 – Serious, complex sparkling wine that Oxford can be very proud of! Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend from a high quality vintage made lovingly in the Chiltern Hills.