Leeds Takes Pole Position on the UK’s Good Wine Map

A Leeds based wine importer, has been awarded the UK Sommelier Association’s “Best newcomer wine merchant of the year” award, putting Leeds firmly on the UK’s good wine map.

The company fought off stiff competition from nationwide importers but was thrilled to bring home this prestigious award for Leeds. “This is a fantastic award”, says Andrea D’Ercole, Italyabroad.com’s resident wine expert.

“What makes it even more special is that wine merchants can’t apply for this award. It’s given by the Association based purely on tasting results.”

The Leeds-based wine merchant imports Italian wines made by small, unknown, passionate wine makers from all over Italy. Andrea, the wine expert, goes out looking for them personally, and his ability to discover hidden gems has paid rich dividends. Italyabroad.com’s wines have already won numerous awards and is now officially one of the best wine merchants in the UK. What’s more, Andrea has made it a personal mission to only import high quality Italian wines.

“Why do we expect to pay more for a good smoothie than a bottle of wine?” asks Andrea. “How can we spend £5 on a kilo of table grapes but expect to pay £3 for a bottle of wine? Good wine costs more than just the cost of the grapes”.

To celebrate the award, Italyabroad.com will be organising a series of wine tastings, many of them free. The tasting will include gourmet evenings, where each of the award-winning wines is paired with a dish from the same region. For more information about the coming tastings and to be part of one, visit www.italyabroad.com.