An Enomatic wine dispenser at the Wine shop at the Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon. Photograph courtesy of Ivan Quetglas

Searching for your ideal wine can be confusing, but Master of Wine and hotelier John Hoskins has some innovative ways to help. Nick Markwell met him at The Old Bridge Hotel to find out how

The Old Bridge Hotel pulls you in from the moment you approach, with its grand, ivy-clad frontage, but the real temptation lies inside. The Terrace Restaurant serves modern British food, the bar is warm and snug and there’s a new patio garden, but the piece de resistance is the Wine Shop. If you are wondering why there is a wine shop in a hotel, it is down to the owner of the Old Bridge, John Hoskins. John opened the Old Bridge Wine Shop in 2007, and it has proved popular ever since.

‘As a privately owned business we can take some long-term decisions that might seem non-commercial in the short run,’ says John. ‘Even in a recession we do keep spending lots of money to keep the Old Bridge feeling well-looked-after.’

John’s passion for wine started at university, and in 1994 he qualified as one of only 299 Masters of Wine (MW) in the world. The MW qualification requires students to undertake four theory exams, nearly seven hours of blind tastings, and a ten thousand word dissertation on a topic related to the wine industry. In short, John knows his stuff!

It is clear to see that John loves his job and is more than happy to pass on his experience to anyone with an interest. He leads regular tasting sessions held in the shop that can be tailored to meet the needs of a particular group.

If you don’t fancy a formal tasting, there is the Enomatic wine dispenser. This clever piece of kit allows wine tasting to take place whenever the shop is open. It keeps bottles fresh for up to 3 weeks, once opened, delivering tasting shots from the 24 that are open on any given day. This means that the breadth of choice is staggering, and the punter can taste before they buy, which is not usually the case.

John will never be able to compete with the supermarkets on pricing, but for choice and attention to detail, he is unbeatable. Every one of the hundreds of bottles on the list has been tasted, and has a tasting note alongside it, with an easy to understand description.

The entire shop list is available to drink in the restaurant and bar, with the maximum mark up on any bottle being £15. This makes splashing out on something special, far more affordable, and follows John’s vision to make good wine accessible to all. So, if you fancy a change from the supermarket wine aisle, pay a visit to the Old Bridge. But beware, you’ll be back again!

The Old Bridge Hotel and Wine Shop, High Street, Huntingdon PE29 3TQ, Wine Shop 01480 458410, huntsbridge.com