One of the most exciting things about the world of food and drink is the way that trends constantly change. A particular ingredient or cuisine may be talk of the town one year, only to be usurped by something new the next. This is exactly the same in wine, where certain regions, countries and styles go in and out of fashion depending on factors like price, harvest and availability. Nevertheless, there’s still a tendency for many wine drinkers to find a style or region which they like and stick to it, rather than trying new things. Retailers like Majestic, however, are all about showcasing the vast range of different wines available from all corners of the world, and their Wine Club allows people to go on a voyage of wine discovery, guided by experts.
‘I think wine is similar to most things in life, in the way that we tend to gravitate towards the things we’re most familiar with,’ explains Majestic’s Master of Wine, Elizabeth Kelly, who helps curate the cases for the Wine Club, ‘wine can also be quite a daunting subject, but I think exploration is really important. In the past few years in particular, there have been a lot of changes in pricing due to bad harvests in some big regions, so, to find value for money, customers are needing to look further afield and discover some of the more up-and-coming areas. That’s why we put Wine Club together – so that we can offer people wines that they feel safe with, whilst also showing them what else is out there.’
Wine Club by Majestic releases a different themed case four times a year, which have been carefully put together by Elizabeth and her team. Themes might vary from a certain wine region to a particular style of winemaking or growing environment, with each case aimed at introducing customers to wines they might have tried before. Depending on the level of wine that you’re looking for, there are three tiers of case for each theme (Discovery, Tour and Grand Tour), whilst there’s also the choice to opt for only red or only whites. For each case, Majestic even curate a brochure full of bespoke recipes, designed by professional chefs and (industry-renowned) food writers, all designed to pair with the selection of wines.