Where an item is not in stock we will give you recommendations as to other suitable wines or let you know how long it will take to receive the items into stock. Please chat with us if you want to ask any questions!

Delivery Charges

Delivery costs £12.50 on orders under £60, and £9.95 on orders between £60-£100.

Orders over £100 are delivered FREE of charge!

How We Deliver

We aim to deliver all orders within 2-3 business days, for items in stock. If you are in London and order before 11am you will normally get next day delivery. Outside of London, order before 11am to get 2 day delivery.

Within London we use specialist wine delivery vans. The drivers have all been trained specially in the safe delivery of wine.

Outside of London we use couriers. In order to ensure safe delivery of your wine all of the deliveries are packed in inflatable wine pouches, ensuring their safety.

If you have any problems with your delivery - such as a broken bottle - please take a picture and send it to us the same day so we can deal with this. This is a rare occurrence, but if it were to happen we would replace the bottle as soon as possible.

If you want us to leave your wine somewhere safe please leave a note in the shipping instructions section of your order.

Where We Deliver To

We deliver to all areas of England and Wales.

We deliver to Scotland at our normal rate, except for the Highlands where we may contact you regarding an extra delivery fee before processing the order - this is likely to be around £35.

We can deliver to the Isle of Man, Channel Islands or to Northern or Southern Ireland or Scottish Islands, however this will be charged at a higher rate. Please contact us at hookandford@gmail.com to find out more.

Storing wine is something that is both very important for the quality of your wine and confusing to do properly!

Wine is a vulnerable thing. After spending time and money choosing it, you probably want it to be delicious when you open the bottle. And, if you do store it correctly, then you give it the best chance to be as delicious as it can be.

So, what are the criteria for storing wine?

1. Keep it cool. 
2. Keep it humid.
3. Keep it dark.
4. Keep it on its side (if it has a cork).
5. Keep it still.

These are the main variables to consider when storing wine. Let's deal with them one by one.

• Wine likes to be cool. Ideally this would be between 10-15 degrees Celsius, but you might find it hard to do that without a wine cabinet or cellar. So, what to do? Well, in reality we would advise you keep the wines under 22 degrees celsius as much as you can. But, here is the important step - it is the fluctuation in temperature that will eventually cause the wine to spoil. If it has to be in warmer temperatures, make sure it doesn't fluctuate by more than 3 degrees over the seasons. We advise you buy a digital thermometer and keep it where you intend to store the wine to make sure the fluctuations are not too dramatic - a good place may be an under stair cupboard, an unheated larder or an insulated garage.

• So now the wine is cool, but how about the all important humidity? Cork is a natural product and thus breathes, unlike a synthetic enclosure. If the cork dries out it will shrink and allow air in (and wine out!). You can buy all sorts of expensive cellar conditioners and humidifiers - and if you have a significant collection this may be worth it for you. However, if you are storing a few dozen bottles under you stairs then butting a bowl of water in the room will allow for some humidity. Ideally it should be between 50-70% humidity in the room - another thing that can be tested using digital kit.

• Strong light is certainly damaging to wine, changing the taste over time. This can be particularly so for sparkling wine, which is often in clear bottles. Keep your storage space dark and that is one less way for your wine to go off.

• By keeping wine on its side the liquid will remain in contact with the cork - another great way to keep it humid and stopping it from shrinking.

• Your wine doesn't like to dance... or vibrate. So, don't keep it next to a washing machine or drier or anything else that can shake it!

We'd all like a gleaming mansion with a beautiful cellar. But here at Hook & Ford Mansions we are well aware that that is not always a reality. If, however, you follow the above advice then your wine should live a long and delicious life. 

This may not seem like a contentious issue. 

Whites, roses and sparkling served cold and reds served warm... right?

Well, generally that rule won't let you down but serving temperatures can really change the way a wine is enjoyed. So here is a little table that we hope you find useful.