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 October
Ted Sandbach, Owner & Chairman
Vignoble Chirats ‘Or Piste’ Viognier 2023 – £23.75 £21.37 – Well firstly, you have to enjoy Viognier. But if you do, this is a stunning peachy and apricot- led wine with hints of honeysuckle and an intense richness. Mighty good value when compared with the grandiose Condrieu and not far away geographically in the Northern Rhône. A sort of country cousin!
John Shuckburgh, WSET Educator
Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 – £16.50 £14.85 – This collaboration of ripe Chilean fruit and the expertise of Rothschild winemakers is fabulous value for money. Its bold and complex flavours are like a claret on steroids! Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, carefully selected and fermented before ageing in French Oak for 12 months. Bring on the Roast Beef!
Asorei Albarino 2024 – £16.50 £14.85 – A white wine that will bring a taste of summer to your glass all year round. Ripe peaches and lemon fruit in a textured and refreshing package. Mouthwatering and more-ish. Buy it!
Vignoble Guillaume Flûte Enchantée, Franche-Comté NV – £21.75 £19.58 – What a cracker of a fizz for just twenty quid! The region of origin may be humble, but this Champagne-esque blend hits the spot and could pass for something much more aristocratic. Richly flavoured and textured, this is an enchanting glass that’s worth savouring.
Emily Silva, Head of Retail and Marketing
Vouvray ‘Le Haut Lieu’ Sec, Domaine Huet 2023 – £34.75 £31.27 – A masterclass in quality Chenin Blanc from one of the Loire’s best producers. This dry Vouvray displays a kaleidoscope of flavours with baked apple and conference pear, candied nuts, hay and honey. A delicious, life-affirming wine to drink when you’re in the mood for something good.
Mount Beautiful Estate Pinot Noir Rosé 2025 – £17.50 £15.75 – This rosé was the surprise standout for me at a recent tasting with Mount Beautiful in our Turl Street Cellar. The use of Pinot Noir gives it a lovely cherry fruit profile with a fantastically silky texture. A good reminder that rosé is not just for summer!
Domaine Baron Thenard Bois Chevaux Givry 1er Cru 2022 – £37.50 £33.75 – I was in the mood for some old-school Burgundy and a colleague recommended this. Boy did it hit the spot! With a gorgeously pure red berry palate, given interest by an earthy forest-floor note and just the merest hint of wood, this is a real winner.
Lucy Harrison, Retail Operations Manager & Spirits Buyer
Veritas Rum – £44.75 £40.28 – One of the best white rums on the market, which is a collaboration between Foursquare Distillery in Barbados, and Hampden Estate in Jamaica. Notes of ripe tropical fruit, vanilla and green apples. Drink neat, or enhance a mojito!
Harrow and Hope Pinot Noir Rosé, Buckinghamshire 2021 – £37.75 £33.97 – A richer style of rosé fizz from my favourite producer, with ripe red berry and cherry notes, and gentle oak influence. A serious rosé fizz which pairs perfectly with duck (or is perfect on its own!)
Terras de Asorei Espadeiro, Rías Baixas 2024 – £20.75 £18.68 – Espadeiro is a lesser known variety native to Galicia. Juicy and light bodied, this has notes of wild strawberry, tart cherries, raspberry and blackberry with a lovely minerality carrying through on the finish.
Mark Warde-Aldam, Shop Manager
Quinta Do Correio Tinto, Dao 2021– £17.00 £15.30 – Often referred to as the red Burgundy of Portugal. Intersting blend of grapes. Bitter cherries and raspberries. Portugal is the most exciting wine producing country at the moment in my opinion!
Circumstance Sauvignon Blanc, Waterkloof 2024 –£16.50 £14.85- Less flowery than NZ Sauvignon, with great minerality. This minimal intervention Sauvignon is cool climate Europe meets New World.
Chateau Musar Hochar Pers et Fils, Bekaa Valley 2020 –£26.75 £24.08 – With Musar close to £50 per bottle this ‘younger brother’ represents great value. Rich spicy and aromatic. Amazing that they can still produce such stunning wine in very difficult circumstances!
Katy Barker Hill, Retail Marketing Manager
Antonio Vallana Spanna, Colline Novaresi DOC 2019– £25.50 £22.95 – Spanna is elegant and perfumed with red cherry, violet, gentle spice and a lovely savoury edge. A brilliant bottle for anyone who loves Piedmont reds and wants to venture beyond Barolo and Barbaresco.
Hambledon Premiere Cuvée, Hampshire NV– £70.00 £63.00 – This is the peak of English Sparkling! Elegant, bright and beautifully refined, with crisp citrus, orchard fruit and delicate brioche notes, all wrapped up in a lovely creamy mousse.
Min Yee Tseu, Corporate and University Account Manager
Banyuls ‘Baillaury’ 5 Year Old– £21.50 £19.35 – This is a great alternative to Port that’s slightly less sweet and alcoholic but still packs in all the fun and flavour!
Champagne Gosset Grande Rosé Brut NV– £74.00 £66.60 – It’s my birthday this month and I can guarantee there will be several bottles of this in my fridge at home 😉
Tenuta di Sesta Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2017 150cl – £99.75 £89.78 – The perfect excuse to celebrate something =)
Emma Bristow, Wine Advisor
Gaia Notios White, Peloponnese 2025 – £16.75 £15.08 – From the Peloponnese region of Greece.. three indigenous varieties: Moschofilero, Assyrtiko and Roditis contribute to this refreshing light bodied wine. Notes of blossom, citrus and green apple with delightful rose petal notes that balance the zestiness perfectly. Following through with lemon and peach on the palate with a lovely crisp minerality.
Duncan Laing, Shop Manager
Hofbräuhaus Traunstein Helles Lager – £3.25 £2.93 – Known for its finesse, balance, and drinkability, this Helles Lager exemplifies the craftsmanship of traditional German brewing. Pairs wonderfully with grilled meats, sausages, roast chicken, and classic Bavarian fare like pretzels and cheeses.
Mas Olivier Faugères Rouge 2022 – £16.50 £14.85 – A classic Faugères red blend of Syrah, Carignan and Grenache showing rich dark fruit and a well refined character. Very minimal oak contact is used, to preserve the purity of fruit. Pair with lamb cassoulet or ratatouille.
Quintas do Homem Vinho Verde 2025– £12.50 £11.25 – An absolute stunner with seafood, the local cuisine of the region. Father and son Antonio and Nuno work together in the vineyard integrating both organic and biodynamic practices.
Chris Campbell, Wine Advisor
In Situ Signature Riverside Blend, Aconcagua Valley 2024 – £15.50 £13.95 – A tasty blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Viognier combine to produce a strangely Burgundyesque style. An absolute steal at this price.
Tap Social Duration, Happy Coincidence, Belgian Pale Ale– £4.00 £3.60 – A new line from Tap Social. The taste profile of traditional Belgian beer in a English style ale. Makes for a more flavoursome brew than most Pale Ale.
Saint Lucia Distillers Admiral Rodney Royal Oak – £72.50 £65.25 – I recently visited this producer and fell in love with the Admiral Rodney HMS series. Made from imported molasses and distilled in West St. Lucia this is a high class sipping rum.
Tanya Little, Shop Manager
Domaine Clavel Cordelia Chusclan Côtes du Rhône Villages 2022 – £15.25 £13.73 – Recently revisited this wine and was reminded just what good value for money it is. Close to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in terms of location as well as winemaking techniques, but much more approachable and packs a punch with lashings of dark fruit and liquorice on the palate.
Leconfield ‘Syn’ Sparkling Shiraz NV – £16.00 £14.40 – Not ready to say goodbye to fizz season just yet? Me neither, so I’m turning to this sinfully delicious sparkling Shiraz that gives all the richness and intensity of a Coonawarra red, combined with an elegant effervescence that reminds me of summer evenings spent poolside.
Alma Gemela White Field Blend, Uco Valley 2023 – £20.75 £18.68 – Came for the label, stayed for the wine! So many layers of flavour and texture, I had to keep going back for another sip. A characterful co-fermentation of Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay, each of which plays an important role in this harmonious blend, ‘Alma Gemela’ (meaning ‘soulmate’) is an apt name for this gorgeous drop!