In its efforts to communicate the pleasures of wine, this column tends to focus on supermarkets because they sell eight in 10 bottles. Some of the best wines though are often only available in a few branches or online. Worse, some still promote the half-price (or less) offer as if the wine is a bargain. Twitter at #wineripoff focused on this cynical ploy recently with Tweeters sending pictures of ‘shelf barkers’ showing both Tesco and Sainsbury’s claiming big price slashes for wines worth nowhere near their stated price.

It’s heartening then to see so many new wine merchants thriving in the face of the supermarket onslaught. This year’s stint judging the Decanter retailer awards brought home the sheer numbers of quality wine merchants both new and established. In London for instance, we shortlisted Lea & Sandeman, Philglas & Swiggot and Roberson, adding a new name, Bottle Apostle, and two pioneering ‘try-before-you-buy’ operations, The Sampler in Islington and South Kensington, and Vagabond Wines in Fulham.

They are model wine retailers well worth following if you’re looking for interesting, high quality wines often made only in small quantities. I can’t see a supermarket for instance stocking wines like these from The Sampler: a richly concentrated apple and honey-flecked 2010 Chinon Blanc from Domaine de la Noblaie, £16.40, the immensely complex and intensely nutty 2008 Go de Godello, Bierzo, £20.50, or the youthfully modern blackberry-infused Cahors malbec, the 2009 Le Clos d’Un Jour, £17.90.

It was also good to see in the national merchant category smaller companies like Goedhuis & Co. and Swig going head to head with the big boys, Majestic and Berry Bros & Rudd. One of the hardest fought sections was the regional category. Locals should be delighted to have the services of companies with the ranges and enthusiasm of wine merchants such as Cambridge Wine Merchants, Butler’s Wine Cellar in Brighton and the Secret Cellar in Tunbridge Wells, along with Hangingditch in Manchester, Exel Wines in Perth and Direct Wine Shipments in Belfast.

Who else has made an impression recently? Caviste (http://www.caviste.co.uk/shops; 01256 770397) has three shops in Hampshire and Berkshire stocking wines like the superbly well-crafted, richly pear-flavoured white Burgundy, 2010 Domaine Bachey Legros, £15.95, and the intense, Vouvray-like 2010 Ludovic Chanson Chenin Blanc, £17.

Jascots (http://www.jascots.co.uk; 02089652000) has an impressively broad range with wines like the intense, pepper-scented 2010 Pinot Sivi Libertin, £10.95, from the Bolfan Winery in Croatia and the wonderfully fragrant and luscious All Saints Rutherglen Muscat, £15.80, half-bottle. There’s a new online kid on the block too, Wine Hound (http://www.winehound.co.uk), which stocks the opulent likes of Paulett’s liquorice and pepper-spicy and savoury 2007 Polish Hill River Shiraz and its superbly limey Riesling, both £12.95. Long may these antedotes to the supermarkets flourish.

Something For the Weekend

Something For The Weekend

Night In

2011 Ramos Reserva, Alentejo

This is a bright, no-frills southern Portuguese blend full of bright berry and plum fruitiness with a twist of damsony acidity that’s just the ticket for the char-grill of the barbecue. Fresh stocks due in this coming week. £8.49, buy 2 = £6.99, Majestic

Dinner party

2011 Secano Paico Vineyard Block 3 Sauvignon Blanc

Behind the fragrantly herbal notes of elderflower and gooseberry, there’s an intensity of flavour that’s richly concentrated and gooseberryish in Sancerre mould with a sea-breezy, almost briney freshness and zesty aftertaste. £11.99, Marks & Spencer.

Splash out

2010 Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Bourgogne Pinot Noir

A perfect village red Burgundy with an enticing berry fruit fragrance and real succulence of mulberry and cherry fruit with little or no oak in the way. £14.95 at Lea & Sandeman. (020 72440522; www.leaandsandeman.co.uk).