THE WINE MERCHANT. An independent magazine for independent retailers
Issue 157, May 2026
Dog of the month: Porter Juniper Wine Café, Fife
Winedrops under fire for suspicious discount claims Online retailer claims savings of up to 80% on some wines – but the comparisons tend to be with websites it also owns
I
ndependent merchants are increasingly concerned about claims made by Winedrops – an online wine retailer
which says it achieves savings of up to 80% for customers by “cutting out the middlemen”. There are doubts about how real these savings really are, as many of the price comparisons are with websites under the same ownership as Winedrops. Critics in the trade say that these discounts are based on artificially high prices. The owner of one leading independent merchant says: “They mislead customers into thinking they are getting a deal. They use online stores like Banquist and Cellarsteals, all owned by the same person, to inflate prices, then offer large discounts on Winedrops.” A Super Tuscan, Ondaia, is listed for £75.31 on Cellarsteals, but offered for just £8.99 on Winedrops. Cambridge Wines owner Hal Wilson is unhappy about the way Winedrops is operating, which he says poses a reputational risk to indies. He adds: “I’ve got no problem with people offering discounts, but by saying that discounts of this extent are available, it suggests that everyone else is either buying in the wrong way or making huge profit margins by choosing not to, which is simply not the case. “The reality is that it’s a very
Alsace for indies
Carole Bryon, aka The Lady of the Grapes, has the keys to new premises in a former Independent merchants arestory being offered £300 cash to chocolate factory near London Bridge. Read the full about her expansion from boost their Alsace offer. See page 21 for details her original Covent Garden site on page 4.