Corks Out is proud to announce that the well know wine columnist, Matthew Jukes will be presenting an Australian wine tasting event at Corks Out on the 1st March. Matthew is a highly respected journalist, author, wine buyer, lecturer and wine judge. He is one of the worlds leading experts on Australian wine and each year compiles his "100 Best Australian Wines" list. He has been the wine correspondent for the Daily Mail for over a decade, and composes the wine lists at several top London restaurants.

Further details of the event can be found on our website - Matthew Jukes Wine Tasting.

Corks Out, the leading independent wine merchant, has launched  a new mobile-optimised website which allows customers to buy champagne and wine using an iPhone or smartphone.

The new mobile website will automatically be shown to customers going to www.corksout.com and allows customers to browse and search for wines, read product tasting notes and reviews, and buy wine – in short all the key features of the main website.   The move makes Corks Out one of the first wine merchants in the UK to launch a mobile site, continuing a trend of market leading innovation at this family run, award winning independent wine merchant.

Phil Smith, e-Commerce Director at Corks Out, explained “This is about our customers and their expectations. A significant proportion of our customers visit our website on the move, seeking a specific product, say an iconic wine or a champagne.  I want to make it easy for someone to order a wine on the commute home and have it waiting for them the next day.  We are absolutely focused on offering the best customer service for our customers and this is just one of the many innovations we are moving forward with.”

It would appear that the most popular use of the mobile site so far has been to order champagne, maybe because Corks Out has some of, if not the, cheapest champagne offers in the UK.  Currently, Corks Out is selling a bottle of Bollinger Champagne for £30.99 and a bottle of Pol Roger Champagne for £26.95. There are also a range of other champagne offers on their website including such famous names as Laurent Perrier, Billecart-Salmon and Thienot. When asked, Mr Smith said “They are certainly the lowest prices we have sold champagne at, and last time I looked were the lowest online prices in the UK.” 

About Corks Out

Founded in 2003 by Ruth Yates, Corks Out is a leading Independent Wine Merchant in the North West of England, with five wine stores in Stockton Heath, Alderley Edge, Chester, Heswall and Timperley. The company has won a string of awards for innovation and customer service, including three major national awards this year - International Wine Challenge - Large Independent Retailer of the Year 2011, Top Merchant Best Retailer Award 2011, and National Drinks Retailing Awards Independent Wine Retailer of 2011. Corks Out is widely seen as "the voice" of the independent wine retail industry and has consistently been at the leading edge of innovation within the industry, being the second retailer in the UK to introduce wine tasting “jukeboxes” into its stores.  It stocks a wide range of high quality, value for money wines, seeking out unusual and interesting product for its customers. The company redesigned and re-launched its website just before Christmas 2010 and has now offers one of the most extensive range of wines with comprehensive tasting notes online.  It is one of the first independent wine merchants in the UK to launch a web-optimised website.

Corks Out are proud to announce its winter wine tastings this November, giving customers a chance to taste around 200 wines, champagnes, and spirits in a fun and informal environment.  The tastings are being held:

• Chester Racecourse – Wednesday 23^rd November 2011 , 5pm until 9pm
• Park Royal Hotel (M56 J10) – Thursday 24^th November 2011, 5pm until 9pm

This is always one of the most popular events of the year with a wide range of wines on taste. Each year we bring new and exciting wines and spirits to the event for people to try. There are a number of fun events for people to participate in:

• Guess the wine competition
• Record a video tasting of your favourite wine (the best will be published on www.corksout.com)

Any orders placed on the night will receive a 15% discount against our normal store prices, or the price of their ticket refunded (No other discounts apply). Tickets for the tasting cost £15 each and can be purchased from the website at Chester Racecourse Winter Tasting and The Park Royal Winter Tasting

Cheapest price for two leading Champagnes in the UK this weekend? Corks Out is promoting Billecart-Salmon Rose Champagne (£46.99) and Canard Duchene Leonie Brut Champagne (£19.95) until 8pm on Monday 31st October within their online store

Corks Out, the online wine retailer, is running a one-off Champagne sale promotion on its website this weekend with two big brand Champagnes being sold at what may be the lowest price in the UK.

The Billecart-Salmon Rose offer is on sale at £46.99 (RRP £56.99 ) for a minimum order of 4 bottles. Billecart-Salmon is one of the few Champagne houses owned by the original family and is a highly prominent brand. The Rose Champagne is pale pink, refined with a bouquet of strawberries, raspberries and fresh bread leading to a long finish.

The Canard Duchene Cuvee Leonie Brut offer is on sale at £19.95 (RRP £26.99) for a minimum order of 6 bottles. Canard Duchene is famous for its historical links to the Russian Imperial Family and the association with "Sabrage", the opening of a Champagne bottle using a sabre sword. The Leonie Brut Champagne has a delicate mousse, with aromas of apple and a touch of minerality. It is stylish and velvety on the palate, with a long fresh finish.

As well as these weekend-only Champagne Offers, Corks Out also provides customers with consistently cheap champagne prices, often the cheapest online prices in the UK. These include:

Pol Roger Brut Reserve Champagne is on sale at £27.99 with no minimum purchase quantity. One of the most popular Champagnes in Britain, Pol Roger is famous for its fine mousse with a nose of white flowers, green apples and brioche.

Laurent Perrier Rose Champagne is on sale at £37.90 (RRP £51.01) with no minimum purchase quantity. Laurent Perrier Rose is a beautiful pink salmon colour, with crisp aromas of strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and black cherry. It is beautifully presented in a matching gift box.

These cheap champagne offers are exclusive to the Corks Out website, and are available until 10pm on Monday 31st October. The offers are subject to Corks Out normal terms and conditions and postage and packaging charges.

About Corks Out
Founded in 2003 by Ruth Yates, Corks Out is a well-established, family run Independent Wine Merchant in the North West of England, with five wine stores in Stockton Heath, Alderley Edge, Chester, Heswall and Timperley. The company has won a string of awards, including three major national awards this year - International Wine Challenge - Large Independent Retailer of the Year 2011, Top Merchant Best Retailer Award 2011, and National Drinks Retailing Awards Independent Wine Retailer of 2011. Corks Out is widely seen as "the voice" of the independent wine retail industry. It stocks a wide range of high quality value for money wines, seeking out unusual and interesting product for its customers. The company launched its web site in 2009 and provides next day delivery of wines, whiskies and Champagnes throughout the UK and Europe.

Corks Out has been announced as the overall winner of the New Zealand Independent Wine Retailer Competition 2011; beating over 50 other retailers.  Between June and July, the focus has been on New Zealand Wine across the UK, with in-store displays, tastings, wine dinners and promotions.   

David Cox, Director of New Zealand Winegrowers commented, “each year when the judges come to assess the results of NZ promotion they are hugely impressed with the ingenuity and inventiveness that many of the UK’s independent retailers put behind promoting New Zealand wines.  We feel that they really are able to make a genuine connection with our wines and the personalities behind them and thus sell them on to their discerning and loyal customers.” 

Cox continued to say that “although the standard was again very high, nonetheless, the work of Ruth Yates and the Corks Out team tipped the scales for the judges and they were deemed worthy winners”

All the finalists were all invited to an awards lunch at The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell, London on Tuesday 27^th September 2011, where the menu was matched to a range of wines from the cellars of the New Zealand High Commission.

This year saw a good spread of entries from around the UK, leading to New Zealand wine promotions being run in Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales and Jersey. This year’s campaign was called ‘TRY New Zealand’ and the POS was rugby themed in order to build awareness of New Zealand wines in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup. The Rugby World Cup started on 9^th September and the final will be held on 23^rd October 2011.

Corks Out has always been proud of its role within the local community, creating local stores with character and individual personality.  We are therefore pleased to have won three awards at the Warrington Business Awards:

• ·         Small Business of the Year
• ·         Retailer of the Year
• ·         Business Person of the Year (Ruth Yates)

It was a wonderful evening held at the Park Royal Hotel, and it was a great night for all the team at the Stockton Heath store who attended.  It was particularly pleasing to see Ruth win the Business Person of the Year award, clearly reflecting the development of Corks Out from a single store to a nationally significant Wine Merchants.

Corks Out are up for 4 Awards at the Warrington Business Awards ceremony on Wednesday 14th September at Park Royal Hotel.

Keep tuned in and wish us luck!!

Corks Out was awarded the International Wine Challenge (IWC) award for Large Independent Retailer of the Year 2011, at a glittering awards ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane last night. The award reflected Corks Out’s commitment to innovation, and yet again confirmed it as a leading wine retailer in the UK.

Ruth Yates said “I am extremely proud to win this award and would like to thank the whole team and our customers for their continued support. This award reflects our commitment to provide an excellent range of wines and a great experience for our customers ”.

2011 represents yet another year where Corks Out has delivered new innovations for its customers. The introduction of Enomatic tasting machines and on-premise licences has enabled Corks Out to deliver a “wine-bar” experience to its customers, whether delivered in a continental style pavement café format as at the Alderley Edge and Timperley store, a wine garden at the Stockton Heath store, or a wine bar in a 12^th century vaulted chamber in Chester. Each store has been designed with a unique personality, supported by a committed team of wine experts to deliver a truly unique and unforgettable customer experience.

Meet Corks Out at the Wirral Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th August at Claremont Farm, Old Clatterbridge Road, Bebington, Wirral CH63 4JB – Just off the M53 at Junction 4.

Taste before you buy some super deals on a range of wines on our stand in the Lower Meadow or have a refreshing glass of wine or Prosecco at the Corks Out Wine Bar!

Phil Smith brings extensive eCommerce and logistics skills to Corks Out and in his new role will be responsible for driving the company’s online presence and fulfilment services forward.  Ruth Yates, Managing Director, said “We are delighted that Phil has joined Corks Out.  His skills and experience will be crucial in developing the brand’s online presence and growing our online revenues.  His appointment is a major step in the company’s evolution”

Phil Smith said “Corks Out is a well established and innovative brand that is greatly loved by many customers who frequent the stores.  I am greatly looking forward to bringing this same spirit and innovation to the web and building up the platform that Ruth and her team have built up”.