Bath wine merchant Novel Wines has landed a major national drinks industry accolade for the second consecutive year.
The firm, founded in 2016 by former wine journalist Ben Franks and wine importer Gyorgy Zsiga, topped the Best Specialist Retailer – Central & Eastern Europe category at the Decanter Retailer Awards 2020, which celebrate the UK’s best wine retailers.
Novel Wines was shortlisted by a team of expert industry judges alongside The Wine Society, Best of Hungary and Taste of Georgia.
Last year the firm triumphed over runners-up Croatian Fine Wines.
More than half Novel Wines’ 200-plus wines are sourced from central and eastern Europe. The remaining list features a selection of English, South American, Mediterranean and Asian wines.
Ben Franks said: “We’re absolutely over the moon to have won this award for a second year.
“Our team has worked really hard and it's good news like this, especially this year, that gives us something to be really proud of!
“At Novel Wines we focus on doing something different by sourcing wines from lesser known regions that taste great. We only buy the best and our team gives a personal service to help customers explore something new.”
After three years as an online retailer and events business, the firm opened a ‘bricks-and-mortar’ outlet on Bath’s Upper Bristol Road last November, where customers can drink in with free corkage or take a bottle away.
Pictured toasting their success, from left: Gyorgy Zsiga and Ben Franks with ops manager Elena Whitehead
