[caption id="attachment_661" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Cellar at Haute Cabriere[/caption] The Past The first thing that becomes apparent when arriving at Haute Cabriere in Franschhoek, South Africa, is the immense weight of history that the wine estate bears, going as far back as 1694. To put that date in perspective, in the UK that year, both the Bank of England and Greenwich Hospital were established and according to legend, the year before in France, Champagne was created for the first time by Dom Pierre Pérignon who it is said infamously declared "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars". Continue reading →

How to connect with Hard To Find Wines You may be wondering how to connect with Hard To Find Wines. Here are a few ways you can meet us online and in person! Continue reading →

Selecting the perfect wines for your summer wedding With summer wedding season in full swing, there is so much to be done! Planning a wedding is a complex operation with so many variables, such as dresses and suits, flowers and cars, speeches and food. One of the more enjoyable aspects of all this hard work is selecting the wines for your big day. So how do you go about planning and selecting the right wines for your reception? Continue reading →

Separating fact from fiction Rosé has grown in popularity over the past decade with a real resurgence being noticed over the past two or three years. Hard To Find Wines has definitely seen a marked increase in sales of rosé this past year. Rosé however, often remains a bit of a mystery to those observing this phenomenon from the sidelines, whilst enjoying the more established red or white wines. Here are ten rosé myth busters to help you explain the truth around rosé to your friends who may look at you oddly when you bring a bottle to their dinner party. Continue reading →

During May, Hard To Find Wines presented a private tasting for Chelsea Wine Society. At first glance, that may not seem like too difficult a task for a wine importer and retailer. However, instead of a standard tasting, Hard To Find Wines was challenged to create a re-enactment of the Judgment of Paris! The Judgment of Paris - France v California The Judgment of Paris, also known as the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, pitted Californian wines against French wines in a blind tasting. On the Californian side were Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignon. On the French side were white Burgundys and Bordeaux. The wine tasting was organised by Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant who himself only sold French wines. It is said Spurrier believed the French wines would easily overcome the Californian competition. Continue reading →

For many wine drinkers, Pinotage is very much a marmite grape variety, or so many think. The Pinotage varietal was developed in the early part of the 19th century in South Africa by Abraham Perold, the first viticulturalist specialist at Stellenbosch university. The idea was to produce a form of Pinot Noir, notoriously difficult to grow, that would thrive in...

Mont Rochelle in the French Quarter of Franschhoek is the newest addition to Virgin Limited Edition and was purchased by the Richard Branson company back in 2014. Since then the old farm has been transformed into a luxurious hotel, as well as investing heavily into the infrastructure of the wine farm. The vineyard is located in a perfect position within...

Way back over a decade ago when Hard to Find Wines was started, South African Wines were the first we imported from vineyards including Haute Cabriere, Glenwood and Du Toitskloof. Now our range of SA wines online stands at over 200 wines, one of the most comprehensive ranges available of SA wines online in the UK. The old favourites from our...

When approached a few months back by Vierkoppen to see if we were interested in stocking their wines, there was a hint of trepidation. This is in no small part to the fact that the location of this vineyard in Robertson, South Africa, holds mixed feelings for me. If we were to rewind 10 years, Robertson was hardly considered as...

Hard to Find Wines now lists over 100 wines under £10 a bottle. All offering excellent quality in a diverse range of styles to tempt every palate. Over the past 10 years we have built up a substantial portfolio of wines we believe to offer fantastic value for money. With over a third of the price of a bottle of...