RIP Oddbins (again)

Drinks Chat
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According to Sky News administrators have been called in. The Seagram era version was central to my development of an interest in wine.

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Sad news, worked for them just after the millenium, great fun and some fantastic wines. Started my love of wine off working there.

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Oh, that is sad. They did try hard this time - but I just never connected with the new approach

Tough time for all businesses at the moment I should think :frowning:

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Sad, I’ve bought little wine from them but they were certainly instrumental in getting my love of single malts going. However like wine I buy most of my whisky online now. And I think thats the problem most of these shops face now. If they can’t successfully make that transition they are likely doomed.

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Seagram of course had the common sense to leave the successful business model alone, whereas Nicolas the French outfit wrecked it in a couple of years, shame.

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And the Nicholas era was of course followed by the Baillie era which in many ways was even less successful.

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You are right but the damage had already been done.

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Wine Direct / Justincases have also appointed administrators this month…

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Indeed. And rumours circulating of an even more significant demise.

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What (who) have you heard?

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Bought a bottle of Grange for £25 from the Seven Dials store in the early 90s.
But it’s been a bit crap for ages now.

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I also recall buying Grange (for the princely sum of £30) from Oddbins. 1981 vintage I recall. I think it was the most I had paid for a bottle of wine up to that point. I also have very fond memories of the Holborn Viaduct store (by which point my maximum spend had moved on…)

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It seems many of us have fond memories of the Holborn Viaduct ‘crypt’ store, it did phenomenal business and it’s position so near the city and Fleet Street was a huge bonus, it was where I purchased cases of the one off hit Taurino Dr Cosimo Salice Salentino 1982, as did many others after Capn Bob, not all bad, suggested filling your boots/trunk with it.

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mine may have been £30 pretty sure it was 82 vintage. And yes most expensive bottle I’d ever bought then. Mind you £15-25 got you a 1er Cru white burgundy back then too. I used to visit Laytons in Kings Cross.