There’s a wine shop in Crystal Palace where you can find fun and casual wine tasting sessions – and it was started by one man in lockdown.
Crystal Palace Wine Club was started by owner Tom Grater, who began the business in 2022 after the Covid-19 lockdown, where he mastered his knowledge about wine over Zoom.
After he received his qualification, Tom decided to share his passion with other locals, first opening pop-up wine tasting sessions before opening his first wine bar and shop in Anerley Hill.
The shop stocks over 100 wines from all over the world, ranging from countries like Spain and Slovenia, with a diverse mix of flavours and price points.
Tom said: “Wine Club was born out of lockdown. I spent the period getting my wine qualifications via Zoom and afterwards decided to share that passion with others in the Crystal Palace area.”
If you visit in the evening, the shop turns into a cosy bar setting where you can order a range of wines by the glass, along with a curated menu “centred around cheese” and vegan-friendly options.
Tom also runs regular wine tasting sessions every Wednesday, as well as during holidays and special occasions like Christmas, where guests can choose from over 100 stocked wines.
Tom explained: “At a wine tasting, you can expect to try a varied lineup of 6 wines.
“We don’t expect you to love everything and always encourage some debate, but the goal is you will discover a couple of your new favourite wines on every visit.”
But the business also offers a more contemporary take on wine, with a ‘Junk Food Pairing’ wine tasting session were locals get to enjoy a “fun and silly” event alongside six fast foods that get biked to the shop.
Over the last three years the shop has been a success with locals, with Tom launching his second venture – Vining Street Wine Club in Brixton – alongside the South London Wine Fair which takes place every August.
Speaking on the response, Tom said: “We are Crystal Palace locals and the support of the local community from day one has simply been phenomenal.
“We’re grateful to be located in such a warm, welcoming area and we’d like to think we have added something attractive too.“
Wine tasting classes run every Wednesday and more information can be found by visiting @crystalpalacewineclub on Instagram.
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