Amps News
A trip to Lawson’s in New Zealand
by Philip Amps Recently I visited Lawson's Dry Hills winery in Blenheim, bang in the middle of New Zealand's famous Marlborough wine region. Belinda Jackson, sales manager, and winemaker Marcus Wright, welcomed me to the tasting room to taste through their wines....
Your Local Wine Merchant Needs YOU!
A letter from Philip Amps re: Spring Budget 2024 Please help support us as your local independent wine merchant: email your MP ahead of the Spring Budget 2024 ……………………………………………………………… Are you a wine and spirits fan? Do you love visiting us at Amps? Are you tired of...
What’s on the wine jukebox?
There's always wine open to taste when our Oundle Wharf store is open! We've got an enomatic tasting machine in our Oundle Wharf store, which works almost like a coffee machine but for wine. You select which wine you'd like to taste and a pre-measured sample...
We’ve got some great news to share…
We're one of the UK's Best Independent Wine Merchants again! We’re over the moon to be recognised one of the best amongst the UK’s 1,000+ quality independent wine merchants, for the eighth year running. The judges said “We head towards Oundle where this merchant,...
Lesley celebrates 40 years at Amps!
Written by Philip Amps On 20th September 1983, Lesley Freer joined the Amps family grocery business and very quickly moved into the accounts department working with Gladys Bosworth. When Gladys retired, Lesley took over the accounts and has been in charge of them...
The race is on…
Beaujolais Nouveau 2023 Join in the race to enjoy Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday of November… a tradition that is upheld every year, cannot be drunk before and is celebrated worldwide on the day! What is Beaujolais Nouveau? Beaujolais Nouveau is the new...
What’s on the tasting machine?
There's always wine open to taste when our Oundle Wharf store is open! We've got an enomatic tasting machine in our Oundle Wharf store, which works almost like a coffee machine but for wine. You select which wine you'd like to taste and a pre-measured sample...
Easter Food & Wine Pairing
Welcome to our handy guide to Easter food & wine pairing. Lamb The traditional Easter Sunday lunch features roast lamb. As it's quite a delicate meat you don't want to overwhelm it with something too big or oaky. Palacio del Camino Real Rioja Reserva 2016,...
Reach for Ribera del Duero!
We're shining the spotlight on the Spanish region of Ribera del Duero this month. Located in northwest Spain, around 2 hours north of Madrid, it might not be an old wine appellation by Spanish standards but it's got a thriving wine scene, known best for its rich...
Want to join the Amps team?
Are you looking for a new role or are you a student leaving full time education and have an interest in wine? Then we may have the job for you! It is a very varied position, with great training and opportunities of progression through the business. The Market...
Our wine tasting machine is back in action!
Come and try out our wine jukebox! You can find our tasting machine in our Oundle Wharf store: 8 wines to taste at any time, free of charge. The machine keeps wine fresh for up to 3 weeks and dispenses tasting measures at the correct temperature. What's on...
We’re one of the UK’s Best Indie Wine Merchants 2021
We're delighted to be awarded this for the SIXTH year running! There’s almost 1,000 independent wine merchants in the UK so we’re over the moon with this recognition, especially in what has been another challenging year for everyone. We're pretty sure we have the...
Babich from New Zealand is back!
The stunning wines from Babich in the Marlborough region of New Zealand are much loved by the Amps team and customers alike, so we're very pleased to have them back on our shelves. And back with a bang... cue introductory offers and a BIG prize draw! Buy any bottle...
Just trust us on this wine!
It's Chenin Blanc Day so we're introducing you to an example of this white grape that wowed us... Chateau du Plaisance Anjou Blanc 2019, France Meet Vanessa Cherruau. Vanessa makes wine in a particularly special place in the Loire Valley. She has a vision, she’s...
LoveOundle
We've been proud to trade as a family business for 120 years in Oundle this year. This new video shows why we love our beautiful market town so much! We hope that watching the video will encourage you to come and discover Oundle for yourself....
Host Your Own Online Wine Tasting
We can't host our much loved tastings in person at the moment, so we're hosting them on screen! What could be better than a night in, tasting wine on the sofa in your pyjamas? You won't have to worry about booking a taxi either! We've got several tastings lined up...
Introducing Champagne Bollinger’s New Release Champagne
We're excited to introduce the keenly anticipated new Bollinger Champagne PN VZ15 - the first new wine they have created since 2008. PN VZ15 is the first edition in a new collection of Champagnes made solely from the red Pinot Noir grape. Every year Bollinger will...
Food & Wine Matching – Amps Mini Guide
What wine shall I drink with this dish? This is the question that we are asked most, so we've put together a few guidelines and classic combinations. Of course not all dishes are the same, as how foods are cooked and the sauces/spices they are cooked in will affect...
One of the UK’s 50 Best Independent Wine Merchants – Again
We’re absolutely chuffed to share something exciting with you... We’ve been voted one of the UK’s 50 Best Independent Wine Merchants again! There are now almost 1,000 independent wine merchants in the UK... so that puts us in the top 5% of the country. In what has...
How to Taste Wine – Amps Mini Guide
You are probably happy to drink a wine without thinking about it too much. But, taking a few moments to think about the wine in your glass can actually help increase your enjoyment, whilst learning a little more. Just follow these few simple steps below: Fill your...
A Vineyard on Our Doorstep at Lowick
Lowick Vineyard is a small family run business in the village of Lowick, a mere seven miles outside of Oundle. The five acre vineyard previously an underused and overgrown meadow, is located on the grounds of an 18th century house. It was in 2011 when a wine loving...