Long live wine merchants

Just a quick one today after the essay that was my last blog.

I just had a really good experience at Oddbins in Nottingham and I wanted to have a little gush about it. In the wake of Wine Rack and Threshers' demise, you'd think it was the end for small wine specialists. I really do hope not.

I'm as guilty as the next person of resorting to the supermarket for produce I'd be best off buying at 'specialist' shops. Up to now, I've enjoyed shopping around the various postal wine companies: indeed, I blogged about one (Naked Wines) not so long ago. Laithwaites have also been a firm favourite over the years; but right now, I'm not in the market for 12-bottle cases.

So hands-up - I've been testing out the supermarkets recently, trying to harness my limited wine knowledge to pick out some decent Sauvignons...but to no great avail. Nothing is exciting me any more! Even spending £8 or £10 on a bottle doesn't give me the experience I'm after – it's just unfulfilling from start to finish.

So today, I walked across town to visit Oddbins. The Nottingham branch tends to be the place we go when we want something really special - and a bit of guidance to go with it. The staff there are without exception friendly and welcoming without being pushy, and they know what they're talking about. Either that or they're very convincing actors, deserving equal commendation. Even I, the most hard-hearted resister of sales patter, was easily persuaded to sign up to their wine tasting mailing-list; and I plan to go back tomorrow for the gorgeous Sauvignon recommended by the clerk.

I love the way their store layout teases and entices you to move around the shop. I love the dark wood and high-stacked shelves. I think their signage is clever too - it's kept deliberately rough around the edges - handwritten on branded labels to avoid that mass-marketed, mass-produced feel. I also noticed that when the clerk was doing his 'recommendations' bit, he said "I've got a lovely Sauvignon on offer right now", rather than "we've".

I wouldn't be surprised if this is pretty high up in the Oddbins staff training manual. Very subtle, but very effective. It's like this guy owns the place - and I think he feels that way too. He certainly takes pride in and enjoys his job: he must do, as he's been there as long as I can remember. Longstanding staff members are great brand ambassadors without even trying - their experience and enjoyment rubs off on everyone - especially customers.

Whenever I visit, it's as though this place only has a couple of cases of each wine, and tomorrow it'll be something else. Maybe that's true - I don't know. Either way, I certainly feel more special walking away with my paper-wrapped wine bottle with a smile and a "cheerio" than I do after a flustered dash around Tesco.

If the placebo effect can exist with wine, that'll certainly get me off to a good start. Wine is something special to be savoured, making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside – the process of buying it should be no different.

I'll drink to that!