In the charming small Cathedral town of Ripon in North Yorkshire, independent wine merchants Great Northern Wine offer a good range of well-chosen wines and a wine bar!
The wine bar is open Thursday to Saturday evenings until 11.30pm and offers wine by the glass or bottle, plus other drinks and nibbles. But a bottle from the shop and pay just a £5 corkage charge!
The proprietors of GNW are Mark & Emma Ryan. Mark took over the business in 2003, and has since concentrated on turning GNW into a retail-focused business, with a clear focus on quality rather than quantity. Mark’s love of wine stems from his time working for Porters, then one of the leading specialist food suppliers in the UK. Having lived in Ripon for 35 years, Mark is beginning to feel like a Riponian! Emma has been involved with GNW since 2008, and together with Mark has been involved in developing the wine bar and lounge, which we feel will enhance the wine experience of new and existing customers alike. Both Mark & Emma are responsible for identifying and sourcing new wines for the enjoyment of our customers.
The online offering is more of a newsletter/blog than a traditional wine site – so no online list or ordering – but plenty of editorial about new wines, and an enticing list of music and comedy evenings and tastings including an Italian Tasting on 4 September 2010.
The site works in that it entices you to visit the shop, wine bar, tastings etc – but could offer more to encourage on-line visitors.
Great Northern Wine, The Warehouse, Blossomgate, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 2AJ t: 01765 606 767
