Steve Daniel – the cherry picker's latest

At the end of the last century the most innovative wine selection by far available to British wine drinkers was that on offer at branches of Oddbins, a quirky chain of slightly down at heel wine shops staffed by truly passionate (for once, the p-word is justified) wine lovers. Then, Oddbins was to wine what Waterstones was to books. 

Two men played the greatest part in achieving Oddbins' supremacy and Steve Daniel, pictured here at the recent tasting described below, was one of them. (By complete coincidence, the other one plays a minor part in a couple of articles later...