Oxford wine café resurrected

The Oxford Wine Company is due to open its first wine bar after taking over the site of the former Summertown Wine Café in north Oxford.

Due to launch this Easter, the venue on South Parade will be renamed The Oxford Wine Café and promises to offer a similar model to the original wine café, which closed in September 2012.

As before, the list will feature two wine ranges, a “House Selection” and a “Special Selection”, all available by the glass. This will be augmented by a more extensive collection of wines available by the bottle, with around 100 wines for customers to take home.

Alongside a regular calendar of tasting events by visiting winemakers, journalists and Masters of Wine, the café will offer informal tasting sessions of new wines, encouraging customer feedback on potential fresh additions to the “Special Selection” range.

Open between 8.30am and 10.00pm, the venue will serve coffee, tea and “tapas style” dishes, with free Wifi also available.

Overseen by The Oxford Wine Company’s current on-trade sales manager, Louise Ferreira, the café team will also feature former sommelier Callum Peaston, who joined the firm at Christmas from nearby upmarket pub The Feathered Nest.

Commenting on the launch, Ted Sandbach, managing director of The Oxford Wine Company said: “The Oxford Wine Café gives us the perfect opportunity to tap into the discerning north Oxford market and to give all our customers an opportunity to taste quality wines in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere.”

In addition to its head office and shop in Witney, The Oxford Wine Company also has retail outlets in Oxford, Cirencester and Tetbury.