THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR OUR PORTFOLIO

I wanted to give you some background on how I pick the wines in the portfolio. I'm a wine distributor to both businesses (restaurant, bars and night clubs) and direct household customers, and one of the most important parts of my job is choosing wines to include in my collection that work across both audiences.

My goal is to offer only high-quality wines, beers and spirits that are affordable for everyone so that you can all expand your tasting experience. It's hard work finding the perfect wines - and it takes a lot of sipping! Here's how I do it:

I'M NOT BIASSED TOWARD CERTAIN WINES

I don't have a favourite wine and I avoid being biassed towards a specific type. This way I can approach a wine tasting with an open mind and try those that we have gaps for in our portfolio.

I don't have a favourite winery either or a particular preference when it comes to regions or varietals. As crops and conditions can vary year on year, I believe it's important to taste wines from many different wineries and new suppliers in order to get a full picture of how they vary and keep up with their latest releases. 

WHEN CHOOSING WINE FOR OUR PORTFOLIO, WE CHOOSE WHAT 'TASTES' GOOD

I aim to buy the best wines from the best producers and then sell them at fair prices. There are a few of us who sample the wines before they are added to the portfolio and we like to think between us we cover what our customers buy and lean towards.

While some distributors have strict criteria with which they choose their wines (they may only consider wines that have won awards or been reviewed positively by critics), we simply buy what tastes good to us at Paramount. That way, if one of our customers doesn't like a particular grape varietal but another person loves it, our distributor can offer both options without being locked into just one style or flavour profile.

I TRY NOT TO BUY WINES THAT ARE EXCESSIVELY EXPENSIVE

Price is not always an indicator of quality or region. In fact, it can be misleading in both cases. For example: A £15 bottle of wine might taste just as good as an £40 bottle of wine - and sometimes even better! Similarly, some of the best wines come from regions where you wouldn't expect them (e.g. California vs France). And vintage matters too; some years are better than others when it comes to growing grapes and making wines!

I have access to hundreds of thousands of wines around the globe. Some of these are made by small producers who want to sell their wines directly through me. Others are large brands that want me to sell their products on behalf of them. 

I love wine and I'm passionate about it and the selection process before we deliver to you, our customers.

See you soon, Gordon