Atkin launches new wine list

Chef & Brewer, part of the Spirit Group, launched its latest wine list on Monday 2 July under the guidance of Master of Wine Tim Atkin, wine correspondent of the Observer and editor-at-large for Off Licence News.

Changes this year include the introduction of a dessert wine - a Chilean late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc at £4.95 a glass - and a selection of new red and white wines.

Atkin said that this year's list includes staples such as Pinot Grigio, Australian Chardonnay, Chablis, Sancerre and C"tes-du-Rh"ne - for customers who like to stick with what they know - and a wider choice for the more adventurous.

Of the new whites, there's a Torront‚s from Argentina (at £11.25 a bottle), which he described as "a standout wine with enough fruit to fill a greengrocer's window".

In the past five years the proportion of wine that makes up wet sales at Chef & Brewer pubs has increased from 20% to 33%. For the first time this year, the pub division's managers were briefed by Atkin on the wine list to ensure that they would be able to sell it with confidence.