M WINE STORE, BAR, RESTAURANT IN VICTORIA STREET LONDON
- Phone: 020 3327 7775
- E-mail: winestore@mrestaurants.co.uk
- Open: 10am – 10pm Monday – Saturday
- Adress: Zig Zag Building, 74 Victoria St, London, SW1E 6SQ, U.K.
- History: The debut of the multifaceted venue “M”, created by Martin Williams, (former MD of Gaucho), is one of the most highly anticipated openings of the year. M houses two restaurants in London, a destination cocktail bar, a wine tasting room, a secret den and four private dining and events spaces. Featuring design by Rene Dekker Design and art by Miles Aldridge (among others), M boasts an all-star line-up. Exec Chef Michael Reid (also working with Melbourne’s ‘Rock star Chef’, Shannon Bennett).
- M Wine Store London: Situated on the ground floor of the new M, Victoria Street site, they sell over 300 restaurant quality wines specialising in offerings from the six countries M sources its renowned meat and steaks from USA, Argentina, France, Italy, South Africa and Australia. At M Wine Store, customers will be able to taste and buy some of the world’s best wines, including exclusive Petrus and Screeming Eagle vintages, both by the bottle or by the glass from the very latest electronic wine-tasting machines and Coravin devices.
- Wine Selection: Over 111 bottles are available to enjoy in tasting measures of 25ml, 75ml, or by the glass. The store has quickly become a must-visit venue for wine connoisseurs and novices alike, with a small-plate tapas menu featuring ‘Red, Rose and White’ dishes designed to perfectly complement its wines. The store will also host monthly ‘Meet the wine Maker dinners and a ‘Time for Wine’ Tasting Hour between 5-6pm. M’s aim is to make wines currently perceived as pretentious or intimidating; accessible to everyone.
Customers visiting and buying from mwinestore.co.uk will have the option to have their order hand-delivered to them by a talented sommelier. Equipped with a decanter, tasting notes and degustation glasses, the sommelier can provide everything from informal tastings for friends to an engaging corporate event.
- Express Delivery Service: For those who live or work in central London (zones one and two) and want wine in a hurry can take advantage of the store’s £15 express delivery service that means their wines will be delivered to them within 3 hours from ordering. Zack Charilaou, Director of Wine at M Restaurants, comments: “Selecting the world’s best wines for M Wine Store has been an amazing project 10 years in the making. I am very excited that we will be the first wine store to offer ‘restaurant wines’ for people to enjoy at home. My ambition was to make the very best quality wines accessible to everyone and champion fantastic wines from independent winemakers to the big wine making families.”
- Best UK Sommelier: Zack Charilaou is 26 years of age and recently won ‘Best UK Sommelier/ FOH’ at the 2015 Harpers Awards. Martin Williams, CEO and Founder of M and M Wine Store in London comments: “Zack heads up a new breed of talented sommeliers in London who have outstanding passion and knowledge, but zero pretention! Both he and the wine selection at M Wine Store are bringing the likes of Petrus to the People!”
- M Wine School: M Wine School is all about learning about wine as a consumer not a wine professional. Wine is a massive subject and it would take one a few lifetimes to learn everything there is to learn about wine. However, learning how to enjoy is quick and easy, and this is what we are all about here at M Wine Store. We want to take out the “snobiety” and make the wines easier to understand to everyone.
Join their school and you will learn first hand on the basics of understanding and enjoying wine. They will not talk about different Crus of Burgundy, or rankings of Bordeaux Chateaux. They will not be analyzing different soil types or go into different villages of Champagne. What they will do is understand why a wine tastes the way it does.
What is the difference between oaky wine and oaked wine. How wines taste differently based on where they come from and why and most importantly, how to quickly understand it without breaking a sweat. They will also debunk a few myths, give you a few party tricks and a few zingers for your snobby friends. Most of all, we will take the fuss out of wine and learn to appreciate it for what it is at all price points. Lastly, one of the most important things, we will learn how to shop for wine in your local supermarket, wine shop or online.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
- How long does the course last?: The course will take 2-3 hours, depending on the group.
- Is there a dress-code?: Not at all, this is a very casual and fun wine school, come right after work or after the gym.
- Can I bring a friend?: They want to keep this intimate and focused, that’s why we have a limit on only 10 students per course. If you wanted to bring a friend, we strongly recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
- Will there be a test at the end?: They do try to keep this as casual as possible, so we will not be testing you at the end. They will however provide you with documentation, so you can always return to it and see how much you remembered.
- I only drink white wine, while I have to drink red?: One of their main goals is to give you the confidence to try things you’ve never tried before. While they won’t force you into anything, they will serve a selection of all wines.
- Something came up at the last minute, is there a cancellation fee?: They all live in a busy world, so of course they understand unexpected things happen. They do kindly ask you to give them a heads up if you will not be able to make it, as they always have people on a waiting list, that can take your spot at the last minute. They will not charge you any cancellation fees.
- I already know a lot about wine, is this something for me?: Of course. If nothing else, they will be tasting some nice wines, which is always fun.
- Enomatic machine wine tasting: They offer 122 wines by the glass in our M Wine Bar. 40 of these are available through our revolutionary Enomatic tasting machines situated in their comfortable Tasting room in the Mezzanine level of our shop. Their Tasting room is open 10am-10pm from Monday to Saturday and bookings are not required. However, as we often do private tastings as well and the room might be occupied, we recommend enquiring about availability beforehand, to avoid disappointment.
If you want to use the Enomatic machines all you have to do, is purchase an Enomatic card and top it up with credit. As much as you would like! They offer tasting measures at 25ml, 75ml and 175ml with prices ranging from £1.00 upwards per measure, meaning you can tailor your tasting to your budget. The machines display the grape variety and the region where it comes from, giving you a chance to taste the same grape varieties from different regions and compare. If you are ever in need of more information on any of the wines, our knowledgeable staff will be on hand to provide more information.
- Enquire about a private tasting session: They can design a special tasting event for you. Our Tasting Mezzanine can hold from 2 to 20 eager tasters. We can work with a range of budgets, from classic introductory examples all the way to ultra-premium wines. We can arrange a selection of snacks, as well as a full dinner, depending on your requests. They can organise a tasting with our Sommelier or provide you with the space to host it on your own.
- Product launch and exclusive room hire: As their Wine Store also has a bar and 2 restaurants underneath us, we are perfectly suited to those seeking space for product launches or even private events. If you need the space for a Hen party or a business meeting, pre-dinner drinks, trainings or anything else you can think of, we can help.
- Winemaker dinner’s and Tasting events: At times we organise fantastic wine evenings in our Restaurants. A carefully crafted 4 course menu , to match wines of the region and the hosting winemaker is always a great experience for all wine lovers. It gives you an opportunity to see the passion that goes into winemaking and get to know first hand the magical hands behind the wine in your glass. All guests are also given special, on the night prices for these wines. They also organise masterclasses, exclusive En Primeur tastings (for our Den Members only) and other tasting events.
VICTORIA STREET LONDON
Victoria is a small district in the City of Westminster in central London, named after Victoria Street and Victoria Station and indirectly, after Queen Victoria. The name is used to describe streets adjoining or nearly adjoining, including Victoria Street, Buckingham Palace Road, Wilton Road, Grosvenor Gardens, and Vauxhall Bridge Road. Victoria consists predominantly of commercial property and private and social housing, with retail uses along the main streets. The area contains one of the busiest transport interchanges in London and the United Kingdom, including the listed railway station and the underground station, as well as Terminus Place, which is a major hub for bus and taxi services. Victoria Coach Station, 900 yards (800 metres) southwest of the railway station, provides road-coach services to long-distance UK and continental destinations.
Victoria Street runs on an east–west axis from Victoria station to Broad Sanctuary at Westminster Abbey. Cardinal Place, across the street from Westminster Cathedral, opened in 2006 and contains a selection of restaurants, banks and shops, including a Marks and Spencer store. Further along the street, there is a large House of Fraser department store (formerly the Army & Navy) opposite Westminster City Hall. At the Broad Sanctuary end is the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy building, the headquarters of Transport for London at Windsor House, and the former New Scotland Yard building (headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service from 1967 to 2016).