Results from the Decanter Retailer Awards provide Decanter readers with an invaluable guide to the best places to buy and enjoy wine across the UK, but that’s not all.
The competition also provides support to UK-based charities, with all proceeds from entries donated for a third year in succession.
From 2020 to 2022, including annual donations made by Decanter, Decanter Retailer Awards has raised a total of £81,000 for drinks industry charities The Drinks Trust and The Ben, as well as a new charity for 2022: The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation.
A non-profit organisation made up of wine producers, scientists, educators, agricultural advisors and environmental organisations, The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation was established in 2021.
UK based with a global vision, the organisation’s mission is ‘to support a transition away from a chemical based monocultural agriculture that is degenerative to soil and local ecosystems, towards a regenerative agriculture as it relates to the management of vineyards, and for greater biodiversity in viticulture to become the new conventional’.
Charity recipients
This year’s Decanter Retailer Awards raised £20,000 for charity with £10k contributed to The Drinks Trust, £5k to The Ben and £5k to The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation.
CEO of The Drinks Trust, Ross Carter said, ‘Decanter remains one of The Drinks Trust’s leading donors, having supported the charity in 2022 through the Retailer Awards, with our Energy Poverty Campaign and at the inaugural Golden Pineapple Awards.
‘The donations Decanter has made to The Drinks Trust will have allowed the charity to help over 120 individuals with financial and wellbeing support, and the impact this has had for these people is immeasurable. Thank you to the Decanter team for its continued support.’
Chris Gardener, CEO of Scottish drinks industry charity The Ben, added: ‘Can I, on behalf of our president Warren Paul, our board of directors and ambassadors, thank everyone at Decanter for its continued support. It is heart warming to know that the BEN is still in your thoughts.
‘Coming through Covid and now with the challenge of the cost of living crisis, your generosity is greatly appreciated. These funds will assist us in helping the needy in the drinks and hospitality industry in Scotland. Congratulations to everyone who won an award. Well done.’
The 2022 results
‘It’s an extremely challenging time for retailers right now’, said Decanter Retailer Awards chairman Peter Richards MW, ‘So it was heartening to witness and reward the exceptional work being done by wine retailers all round the country as part of this year’s Retailer Awards.’
To highlight the best wine retailers in any given area across the nation, 2022 was the awards’ first year to introduce regional sub-categories for the Wine Shop and Multi-Store categories.
From South West East England to Scotland, readers can find the best retailers nearest them, and as Richards stated, the additions ‘allow more local wine talent to shine – and boy it did. There are some well known names in there but also ones that won’t be so familiar. All are well worth checking out’.
Mr & Mrs Fine Wine | The Wine Bank, awarded Best Regional Wine Shop of Central England at the 2022 Decanter Retailer Awards
‘The same goes for the specialist categories’ he added. ‘The sheer brilliance of those wine shops exploring one particular field in great depth is a joy to behold. Whether you’re partial to Australian, Austrian, fizz, fortified, organic or biodynamic – there are excellent options for you here.’
From the best wine shops, online retail, wine specialists and wine support services across the UK, both the Retailer Awards shortlist and final results are well worth a look.
A sincere thank you to all the retailers who entered the 2022 Decanter Retailer Awards, helping to raise these commendable funds for charity. We celebrate you, and urge our readers to check out the results and support our nations wine retailers.
