Laithwaites – doing what they do best

Laithwaites is the world's leading direct retailer of wine, running not just most of the wine clubs in the UK such as those of the Sunday Times and British Airways but also those of the likes of the Wall Street Journal, the South China Morning Post and Die Welt. They also own Averys of Bristol and Virgin Wines.

Their latest tasting for the UK wine media was a game of two halves. At one end are the own-label wines upon which much of its fortunes are founded. Usually made by large co-ops and producers from around the world, these...