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 March
Neil Gladding, Sales Director
Domaine du Petit Clocher Anjou Blanc 2022 – £17.50 £15.75 – I had this wine with some Hake at one of our restaurants we supply and it was sublime!
Bodegas Arrocal Blanco de Guarda, Ribera Del Duero 2022 – £27.50 £24.75- Tried this with the staff at a Tapas restaurant we supply, and this wine is massive.
Viña Real Gran Reserva, Rioja 2017 – £35.00 £31.50- A classic Rioja which is drinking pure now.
John Shuckburgh, WSET Educator
Thomas Stopfer, Ried Steinberg Grüner Veltliner, Wagram 2023 – £18.50 £16.65- Austria’s best white grape. Lemon, grapefruit and peach fruit, with a hint of honey and that signature white pepper. Groovy!
Signature de Colmar Pinot Gris, Alsace Grand Cru Hengst 2022 – £21.50 £19.35 – Forget Pinot Grigio, this is the real deal. Voluptuous pear, peach, cantaloupe melon and candied peel in a rich, off-dry body. So drinkable – watch out for the 14% abv!
Clos Beauregard, Pomerol 2016 – £47.00 £42.30 – Classic, sophisticated Pomerol. Plums, prunes, chocolate and vanilla swirl in an elegant waltz that finishes in a flourish of tobacco, game and forest floor. Enchanting.
Manda Joyce, Wine Advisor
Château De Fesles ‘La Chapelle’ Chenin Sec 2021 – £17.75 £15.98 – Unlike most Chenin Blanc, this is one is dry with a grapefruit citrus vibe, but it also has the underlying ripe pear and honey characteristics typical of the variety. A happy partnership!
Domaine Chatzivaritis, Migma Pét-Nat Rosé, Goumenissa 2022 – £29.75 £26.78- A recent addition to our range, gently bubbly, super fresh with pure red berry fruit. A delight.
Tom Brady, Shop Manager & Spirits Buyer
Ardnamurchan AD Core – £52.00 £46.80 – From one of my favourite discoveries of 2024, this whisky is 50% peated, 50% unpeated and matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and Oloroso casks for a wonderfully balanced dram.
Anthony Paret Les Larmes du Père Saint-Joseph 2022 – £31.00 £27.90 – This was my first taste of the Northern Rhone nearly five years ago and it’s still one of my favourites. Dark fruits and bacon fat, what’s not to love?
WALT Pinot Noir, Pfalz 2022 – £13.50 £12.15- Roasted pineapple, marmite and bacon fat. There’s a reason I keep going back to drink more Craigellachie. It’s just so good!
Aljoscha Wright, Buyer
Domaine Jean-Max Roger Menetou Blanc Le Clocher d’Amélie 2021 – £21.00 £18.90 – A lighter more aromatic and cheaper alternative to Sancerre. OWC cellared and tasting brilliant!
Delheim Pinotage Rosé, Stellenbosch 2023 – £13.50 £12.15 – As the days start getting bright earlier, I’m optimistically drinking for summer.
Lervig No Worries Alcohol-Free IPA – £2.00 £1.80- A fantastic non-alcoholic option!
Katy Barker, Retail Marketing Manager
Dominio de Tares ‘La Sonrisa de Tares’ Godello 2023 – £18.50 £16.65 – ‘La Sonrisa’ translates to smile, which this wine certainly makes you do. Beautifully concentrated orchard fruits joined by a rich, textured palate makes this wine easy to enjoy on its own or with an array of different dishes.
La Despensa Cinsault Blend, Colchagua Valley 2021 – £20.75 £18.68 – The season for chilled reds is nearly upon us! Made up of a funky blend of red and white grapes, this wine a delicious curiosity. It’s fresh but with lots of concentration of wild red berries, with some apricot and peach.
Peri Peri Magara Frappato – IGT Terre Siciliane 2021 – £18.50 £16.65 – This wine is the perfect introduction to top quality Sicilian wine. Juicy pomegranate, raspberry, and cherry make it a super lively and vibrant sip.
Mark Warde-Aldam, Shop Manager
Marc Brédif Vouvray Classic 2023 – £22.50 £20.25 – Splash out on an upmarket Vouvray. This is chenin Blanc at its best. Honey on the nose, but a crisp, dry finish.
Octerra Chardonnay Viognier, Pays d’Oc 2023 – £10.25 £9.23 – For under a tenner, this is where my money goes. Fresh crisp and tropical, it’s almost new-worldy!
Min Yee Tseu, Corporate and University Account Manager
Quinta Dos Roques Encruzado, Dão 2023 – £25.50 £22.95 – This is my favourite Portuguese white wine region and this amazing Encruzado has delicious Chardonnay vibes that makes it extremely versatile!
Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV – £63.00 £56.70 – Brighten up March with some beautiful bubbles!
Biscardo Neropasso Rosso, Veneto 2021 – £14.75 £13.28 – Feels like a cosy, warm hug for those slightly chilly spring evenings.
Emily Silva, Head of Retail and Marketing
Thomas Stopfer, Gemischter Satz, Wagram 2024 – £14.75 £13.28 – This fun field blend from Austria hits all the right notes for Spring. Aromatic, refreshing and deliciously herbal, it would make a lovely match for dishes prepared with all the fresh vegetables that are just coming into season.
M. Chapoutier ‘Rouge Clair’ Grenache/Syrah 2023 – £14.75 £13.28 – As soon as the sun comes out, I’m ready for some chillable red. This funky red blend from iconic Rhone producer Chapoutier is juicy, crunchy and filled with fruit. Stick it in the fridge and enjoy!
La Cayetana Malbec, Uco Valley 2022 – £22.50 £20.25 – New wave Argentinian Malbec at its finest! This fantastic wine shows all the aromatic complexity of high-altitude vineyards, with low-intervention winemaking that really lets the fruit shine. Elegant, poised and full of flavour, this is one for the wine rack.
Nick Gorton, Shop Manager
Oliver Zeter’s Goldschatz Trockenbeerenauslese, Pfalz – £27.50 £24.75 – An intriguing multi-vintage blend of Sauvignon Blanc and some unusual local varieties make for a truly outstanding sweet wine. Crazy concentration of fruit and complexity mean this is a must try for the sweet wine enthusiast.
Casas del Bosque Reserva Carmenère, Casablanca Valley 2022 – £13.75 £12.38 – Tried blind recently, and really impressed with its ripe black fruit aromas, rich texture and silky tannins. A great match for roasted red meats.
Eisenstone Ebenezer SR802 Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2021 – £45.00 £40.50 – The wine that showed me what Barossa Shiraz is really capable of in the right hands. Smoky and meaty, with gorgeous blackberry fruit. One to savour now or tuck away for a few years.
Thom Allinson, Buying & Logistics
Bodega Lavaque Inca Malbec, Calchaqui Valley, Salta 2023 – £13.25 £11.93 – Like Mendoza Malbecs? Try one from Salta! With vineyards being at high altitudes, these wines are super fresh and very concentrated.
Primocolle Villa Cerna, Chianti Classico DOCG 2020 – £16.75 £15.08 – The current vintage is fresh and vibrant boasting notes of cooked strawberry, violets and hints of sweet spices. Great acidity and balance with a lingering finish. Superb value
Super Single Vineyards ‘Mount Sutherland’ Tempranillo, Sutherland-Karoo 2015 – £26.75 £24.08 – New to our shelves, this is a unique expression of Tempranillo from high altitude vineyards.
Emma Bristow, Wine Advisor
Dominio de Tares El Paisano de Tares 2023 – £14.50 £13.05 – Primarily Mencia grape variety, this wine has violet and raspberry notes on the nose followed with a juicy fullness of red fruits, rhubarb and a touch of pastry. It works well slightly chilled and I am extremely glad to see this back in stock – it’s delicious!!
Cazcabel Coffee Tequila Liqueur – £31.00 £27.90 – This blanco tequila blended with coffee, is rich and sweet with notes of coffee, chocolate and vanilla. There are lovely earthy notes of agave coming through. It’s very smooth and great for an after dinner alternative or perfect for cocktails.
Keltern Chardonnay, Villa Maria 2022 – £35.50 £31.95 – A wonderful Chardonnay from Hawkes Bay NZ, with aromas of white peach and nectarine on the nose. There’s a thread of citrus notes lift the rich ripe fruits and complex toast and butterscotch flavours on the palate, leaving you with a long, lingering finish.
Romain Alaphilippe, Shop Manager
Txomin Etxaniz Txakolí, Pays Basque 2023 – £18.50 £16.65 – A crisp, lightly effervescent white made from Hondarrabi Zuri, offering bright citrus and mineral notes. Bienvenidos en San Sebastian!!!
Ataraxia Chardonnay, Hemel en Aarde 2023 – £34.50 £31.05 – I thought that it was from de Cote de Beaune! A refined South African Chardonnay with vibrant citrus, stone fruit and subtle oak, pure and mineral.
Camazotz Mexican Rum – £43.00 £38.70 – Hola Guey! Camazotz is made by Leoncio Gaspar in Oaxaca, using locally-grown sugar cane that is hand-pressed to produce a juice that is fermented and distilled. Grassy, woody and salty!
Lucy Harrison, Shop Manager
Exton Park RB28 Blanc de Noirs NV, Hampshire NV – £43.00 £38.70 – A repeat staff pick for me, but this Blanc de Noirs from Exton Park is my favourite English fizz on the shelf!
Oldenburg Vineyards CL White Blend, Stellenbosch 2023 – £17.50 £15.75- A delightful blend of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay that drinks well above its price point. Packed with citrus, blossom and vanilla.
Rosso di Montalcino DOC, La Gerla 2020 – £29.75 £26.78 – A baby Brunello at half the price! Crunchy cherries, raspberries and dried herbs, and perfect with a ragu!