How's bizniz in SW1

Tramping through the snow from one tasting to another yesterday I happened upon a peculiarly British scene. On a corner of St James's Street, exactly halfway between its venerable rival wine shops Berry Bros and Justerini & Brooks, I almost bumped into the head honchos of each, beautifully tailored of course, and locked in delicate discussion of how their respective holiday business had been.

First of all they were most anxious I shouldn't get the impression either was taking the other over. That out of the way they each admitted that it had been relatively slow, although Christopher Berry Green...