Latitude Wine in Leeds is one of those rare treasures that you worry might be disappearing from the British high street, so when we visited in April is was wonderful to see a thriving business with a very engaged public. Founded as an independent wine and spirits specialist, Latitude has built a strong reputation for expertise, service, and a carefully curated range of wines. It’s also a place where you can sit and try wines by the glass so you can try a wide range without committing to a full bottle.
Our trip includes visits to several other outstanding independent wine merchants during a recent trip to the North of England, including Ake & Humphris in Harrogate, Jorvine in York, Hoults in Huddersfield, and Gills & Co in Sheffield.
What all of these businesses have in common is, first and foremost, great staff with impeccable wine knowledge, very accessible customer service and a genuine passion for wine. They’re the kind of places you can go and have a conversation about wine, ask for recommendations and where you can build a relationship with staff who will, occasionally, take you outside of your comfort zone to explore something new. All are supplied by Boutinot, and this trip confirmed that choosing to work with Boutinot was the right decision. The quality of the merchants they work with reflects the values we want our wines to be associated with.
Visits like these remind us of the vital role that independent wine merchants continue to play in championing distinctive wines, supporting producers, and providing customers with a level of expertise and personal service that is increasingly difficult to find elsewhere. And it also took us back to our Oddbins days – where our wine journey first began over 30 years ago.
All of these wine shops are stand out but the reason we’ve highlighted Latitude first is because Chris Nolan blew us away with this extremely detailed article about us and our wines. Wow!
Many thanks to Paul from Boutinot for organising the week and driving us around, and to all the people we visited and who made it such an enjoyable week.