The Real Wine Company

The Real Wine Company: wines from small producers with home delivery in the UK

The Real Wine Company is an online shop based in the UK dedicated to selling wines from small independent producers in various countries. The company presents itself as a family business with twenty years of experience and a small team, focused on what it calls the "real" wine market and the slow drinking movement. Its approach is built around selecting wines from small-scale production, prioritising flavour over the label or fashion, buying directly from the producer to cut out middlemen, and encouraging more moderate consumption.

Catalogue and selection criteria

The catalogue is organised by wine type (red, white, rosé, sparkling and sweet), by flavour style (big & bold, fresh & zingy, complex & clever, mineral & savoury, soft & creamy, and light & lower) and by country of origin. Available origins include France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa and Austria. The shop also groups a selection of featured wines under the heading "Top Picks", which includes categories such as made by female winemakers, award winners, sustainably produced and organic or biodynamic.

Among the references visible on the site are Brunelli Corte Cariano Corvina 2022 (Italy), Château Lamothe-Vincent Bordeaux Supérieur Heritage 2020 (France), Domaine Laffitte Cuvée Prestige Chardonnay 2023 (France) and Laura Lardy Gourde à Gamay Beaujolais Villages 2023 (France). At that time the site also highlighted the introduction of Vrede en Lust, described as one of South Africa's most modern wine producers.

Purchase formats and subscription

The company allows customers to build their own cases by combining bottles in 4, 6 or 12 bottle formats, or to choose from cases already prepared by the shop. It also offers a subscription called Real Wine Club, through which the customer receives a regular wine order in the size and frequency of their choice. The website includes a recommendation tool ("Find My Wine") to find wines according to preferences, as well as a wine quiz.

Shipping and packaging

Orders are prepared and packed directly by the company and shipped to the customer's home. The site advertises free next working day delivery for orders over £150 and the use of 100% recycled packaging materials. The shop operates with age verification for access to its content.

Gifts, corporate and events

The catalogue includes a gifts section with ready-made cases and gift cards, as well as options for corporate clients and for weddings and events. The company also maintains a blog and a team introduction page.