WINES

Bernard Phillips is quick to admit his wine list is in a bit of a mess at the moment. Business at the Moorings, in the north Norfolk town of Wells-next-the-Sea, has been good in the summer season and he hasn't had time to redraft all the pages yet. As a result it's full of crossings out, changed prices and vintages, plus the odd "out of stock" annotation.

"I've had some new headings drawn up by a friend studying calligraphy, but I've only managed to redo some of the sections so far. We simply don't have any new technology here, I have to bash it all out myself on an old manual typewriter," Phillips says.

Phillips and his wife Carla, who is the chef, set up their 35-seat restaurant some 20 yards from the once-thriving and still active harbour in Wells, in the early 1980s. Fresh fish and seafood naturally feature large on the menu, and "more dry white wine is sold than anything else".

The clientele mainly comprises affluent locals and the many people who have holiday homes in this attractive area. The fare contrasts sharply with the fish and chips consumed by day-trippers. It includes local cockles - Stiffkey blues - served with shallot vinaigrette, potted hermit crab, or perhaps home-smoked trout fillet, lightly cooked and served with mixed salad leaves, wild mushroom vinaigrette and toasted almond flakes.

For the main course there are locally landed lobsters, pan-fried dabs with herb and anchovy butter or Louisiana-style crab cakes with tomato tartar sauce and salsa.

But it's not all produce from the sea and seashore: there are pigeon breasts with port, wine and cream, and calves' liver with blackberry vinegar and venison pie, as well as a good selection of unusual dishes for vegetarians.

Phillips' passionate interest in wine is reflected by the wine list, which runs to 10 pages and more than 120 wines. "It's very easy to buy wine, but not so easy to sell it. When it's been in the cellar for a few weeks you're losing money. We don't buy wine to lay down, but because of the size of the list we've probably got something like 1,000 bottles in stock."

While he has picked up small parcels of wine all over the place as a result of tastings and vineyard visits, Phillips now deals mostly with a small number of local merchants. The main two, which between them provide perhaps three-quarters of the list, are Hall Batson of Norwich and Thos Peatling, which has a branch in nearby Fakenham.

"I leave the order with Hall Batson on the answerphone after we've finished on Thursday night and it arrives by midday on Friday. It doesn't restrict us to a minimum drop - often it's just a case.

"We changed banks a while back, and in the ensuing muddle some chequeswere sent back for re-presenting. One merchant we'd been dealing with for some time threatened court action. Hall Batson merely invited us to a tasting and dinner at Hintlesham Hall. You don't have to think hard to guess who kept the business."

Despite the long list, Phillips estimates that the page of 13 house wines priced at less than £10 accounts for 80% of sales. In line with best restaurant practice they sell most of these - five whites, five reds, two rosés and a sparkling wine - by the half-bottle and all by the glass. Most sales are by the bottle, though.

Prices start at £7.95 a bottle (£1.80 a glass) for Domaine le Puts - a Vin de Pays des Côtes du Gascoigne made by Hugh Ryman - and the Côtes du Rousillon Villages shipped by Thos Peatling.

However, the two current best-sellers, both priced at £9.90, are the house Sauvignon - a 1993 Côtes du Duras - and James Herrick's Chardonnay, a Vin de Pays d'Oc. The house fizz, priced at £7.95, is made near Saumur in the upper Loire valley by Roger Gouin. It comes in a screw-top bottle and is supplied by Adnams.

"Along with Adnams' fizz - described by Simon Loftus [of Adnams] as ‘Southwold's answer to soar-away Champagne prices, made in the south of France from Chardonnay grapes grown in Corsica - which goes for £12.50, it easily outsells our Champagne," says Phillips.

He doesn't analyse expenditure on wine, but as the average spend on food and drink is only £25 a head, and that three courses cost £17.95 it's reasonable to suppose it's around the £7 mark.

This means that not too many customers trade up to the list of white Burgundies. This is a shame, as they carry a smaller mark-up - indeed the pricier they are the better value for money they become: for example, Olivier Leflaive 1990 Mercurey is reasonably priced at £19.95. "It's nice to have them for people who want something a bit fancier," says Phillips. "But those that do try them tend not to go further than the 1991 Macon Fuissé or the Henri Clerc Bourgogne Chardonnay - both priced at £13.45 and supplied by Neville Cox Wines."

Phillips has trimmed the list of red Burgundies to half a dozen, although the list still boasts three priced at over £30, including Rousseau's '88 Charmes Chambertin at £38.95. "I doubt if we sell more than a single bottle of wine a month for more than £30. We don't get customers entertaining business clients here."

A highlight of the list is the five Beaujolais supplied by specialist Roger Harris based nearby in Weston Longville. Phillips would like to list examples of all the Beaujolais crus, but because he has to buy cases doesn't feel he can afford to tie up that much money in stock.

Nine wines from Alsace owe their presence to a trip by the Phillips to Franáois Runner's cellars in Pffaffenheim. They returned with several cases and later on held a tasting at the restaurant. As a result of the tasting, Hall Batson started shipping the wine.

Whatever he wants to list, Phillips has to remember that ultimately the wine is there to complement the vibrant flavours of Carla's food. The country wines of France, with their honest, rustic flavours, do this particularly well. n