Wine List Confidential: The 10 Cases

A lovingly put together wine list by owners who have created a restaurant with a wine bar next door; an enclave of good drinking on the edge of Covent Garden.

A lovingly put together wine list in an enclave of good drinking on the edge of Covent Garden. Something of a wine geek destination, 10 Cases is a two-sided affair consisting of a ‘Bistrot à Vin’ and a ‘Cave à Vin’.

The Bistrot à Vin is a small restaurant ( a monthly changing menu of modern European fare) with a short wine list: 10 white, 10 red, one sparkling, one rosé and two sweet wines. As the company name suggests, they only purchase 10 Cases of any one wine. Once a wine has sold through, the list changes – so the same wine will never be listed twice. Everything is available by the glass, carafe and bottle. As well as an eclectic range of fine artisanal drops, there’s an eyebrow-raising selection of magnums and an excellent range of sweet stuff. In short: something for everyone to discover.

The Cave a Vin is a wine bar and shop with a dynamic 150+ selection of great wines from all over the world at all price points, aiming to offer the best value wine list in London available to drink in or take away. The overall aim here is to give guests access to incredible wine at the best price in a relaxed, fun atmosphere. And it’s true that, for such a central location, the feel of the place is like a homely neighbourhood hangout. Retail sales at the wine bar ensure the fun can continue once you leave.

Interesting selections include Nicolas Joly’s Coulee de Serrant Savennières, Burgundy-style Chardonnay from Sandhi in Santa Barbara and a 2001 Château Musar.

CURRENT POSITION ON WINE LIST CONFIDENTIAL: 9

CURRENT WINE LIST CONFIDENTIAL OVERALL SCORE: 93

Expert wine picks

• ‘Grand Cuvee’, NV, Xarello/Macabeu, Extra Brut, Colet, Penedes – Spain – Sparkling – £43

• Jim Barry, 2015, Riesling, Clare Valley – Australia – White – £30

• Birgit Braunstein, 2016, Zweigelt/Blaufrankisch, Burgenland – Austria 2016 – Rosé – £31.80

• Risky Grapes, 2015, Valencia – Spain – Red – £25

• Le Petit Saint Vincent, 2014, Cabernet Franc, Saumur Champigny, Loire – France – Red – £36

Restaurants are graded on a 100-point scale based on five criteria: size, value, service, range and originality. For a full guide to London’s best wine lists visit winelistconfidential.com