Wine seller wins accolades

  Shrewsbury-based Tanners Wines has scooped two national awards - beating off stiff competition from wine merchants across the UK.

  The International Wine Challenge played host to one of the largest gatherings of the global wine trade in many years where the champions of the 2008 competition, generally accepted as the ‘Oscars’ of the wine trade were announced.

  People came from around the world to collect their awards at Grosvenor House in London.

  James Tanner, managing director of the family-owned firm, was presented with national awards for the ‘Large Independent Wine Merchant of the Year’, ‘Direct Wine Merchant of the Year’ and the regional ‘Merchant of the year for West Central England’ which Tanners has won on 10 previous occasions.

  Mr Tanner said: “These awards are a huge achievement and our recognition by such an experienced and well respected panel of judges is acknowledgement of all our hard work in keeping Tanners at the forefront of the UK wine industry.

  “I was particularly pleased that in the Direct Wines category we were up against the best mail order and online retailers in the UK.”