...And to drink?

When Julia Stafford tried to raise money for an all-English wine shop, she was laughed at by potential investors. Undeterred, she scraped together some money and leased the smallest space in Borough Market in London. The Wine Pantry is the size of a large cupboard. She’s the one laughing now as she was named Decanter magazine’s Specialist Wine Merchant of the Year 2012, and is about to move to bigger premises up the road where there’ll be a new shop, a bar and an English wine garden. She kindly took a couple of hours off from renovating the new shop, running the old one and looking after her eight-month-old son to talk me through her wines. Some of the sparklers are world-class but the surprise was the quality of the still ones. There was no teeth-stripping acidity, awkward oak or unnecessary sugar. On a hot London afternoon, they were just the ticket.

Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2009, £29.99
One sniff of this and you know you’re going to get something classy. It tastes good, too – very fi ne bubbles, cooked apples and toastiness.

Camel Valley Sparkling Pinot Noir Brut Rosé 2012, £33
Nicer than most pink champagne – there’s lots of ripe summer fruit. Just the thing with strawberries.

New Hall Signature 2012, £10.99
A blend including Pinot Gris and German varieties, it smells of honey and tastes o f green apples with almond on the finish.

Bolney Foxhole Vineyard Pinot Gris 2013, £16.99
I’d describe this as an English vinho verde: fresh, lots of lemons and a touch of spritz.

All wines are available from the Wine Pantry: www.winepantry.co.uk