Latitude Wine and Liquor Merchant

Having caught wind of their free wine tastings I couldn’t resist coming here last Friday to check them out and indulge in a few free tipples. As fortune would have it the actual wine maker from Hess Wines was in store for the tasting session, all the way from Napa Valley, to talk about his wine before an exclusive tasting session in Anthony’s Piazza. We mentioned that we were there for the tasting session and they immediately popped open a bottle — within minutes we were sipping on one of the most beautiful white wines I’ve ever known. I believe it was a Cabernet Sauvignon, but don’t quote me. I’m an ignoramus when it comes to wine.
We had a lovely chat as he described the wines to us, and talked a little bit about the differences in the world wines, giving insight into the Napa Valley and how the consistent weather makes for excellent grapes. (Comparitively, to say Europe whose weather is not so consistent throughout the year!) The chaps in store joined in for a bit of a taste, their passion for good wine evident as we all discussed which wines match which foods etc, and it felt like some kind of exclusive yet welcoming club that we’d been given access to.
The ambiance was only disturbed at one point when three somewhat too far gone chaps came in and were looking for a lager tasting. They weren’t from Leeds, which is the only reason I assume they thought they’d find lager, but insisted on downing some wine instead before moving on. Awkward. But we all dealt with it rather well! After that I had the chance to peruse the stock briefly before setting off and all manner of wines herein reside. As well as wine you’ll find a number of specialist spirits and cigars, so don’t be fooled into thinking this is a one-​trick-​pony of a shop. It isn’t!
All in all I’m massively impressed, the selection is vast, the tastings are free and the staff know their shiz. If you want a decent bottle, a smile and some excellent advice this is your man. Or, shop, rather. Highly recommended!

Excellant store, with tastings on Frday evening. This has now replaced Harvey Nichols wine department as my favourite place to buy wine in Leeds City Centre.
I would recommend trying out the wines from the Bonny Doon Vineyard, California. Latitude sells a white variety that is no longer sold in Harvey Nichols, so props to Latitude for stocking this!

I used to have a colleague I cared deeply for, and this colleague was a bit of a wine aficionado, and a special occasion was coming up, and it was a case of a bottle of plonk from the local supermarket just wouldn’t cut it, so between a few of us we decided we’d splash out on something special, but the question was where to go and what to buy. Whilst out on a purely selfish shopping trip we a couple of us stumbled upon the quite obscurely placed Latitude, which in restrospect isn’t that obscure, as where else do you place a wine house mecca other than a converted railway arch space? Hmm. Anyway. On through the door we went, and whilst my dear friend tried to play the aloof and in the know type, I spilled my guts on our predicament, stated my near clueless nature of wine knowledge, offered a budget, a requirement, a wish for something that looked pretty, tasted nice, gave further instructions in the taste department due to what we garnered from his small hints over the past few months of probing, and like Olivander in Diagon Alley, this chap managed to produce our grapey equivalent to Harry Potter’s wand, all within the allotted budget of £40.
There were so many wines in here I wouldn’t know where to begin in describing the where and the whens of origin, date crushed, sweetness, dryness and what have you, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You can go in as clueless as you like and if you get the vunderchap that we encountered you really are in safe hands. He also mentioned that we could mention to our wine bod that they hold wine tasting events at Latitude if we thought he’d be interested. We thought he would. Anyway, off we went and when the occasion came for us to give our gift his eyes bulged out of his head, which is clearly man for yay you! Feedback was that we had excellent taste and the wine was a gorgeous blend of what he loved. Yay vunderchap!

Although I love to have the odd tipple out, it’s sometimes to nice to sit back in the comfort of your home with some high quality wines and cocktails at your disposal. Maybe I like it a tad too often but whenever I do I’m always glad of a one stop shop to grab my want list. Lattitude pretty much has that tick list, especially when it comes to wines.
It’s just on the main Calls thoroughfare and is a pretty decent size to say the least. They say size doesn’t matter but it can’t hurt can it?
For me it’s like a kid in a candy store. Shelves and shelves of wines from places I can’t even pronounce, bliss. Also places I can. Take a stroll around the Rhone region, look at some of the finest Spanish wines on offer from Riojas to Priorats. You can sample Australian, South African and start your own debate, new world versus old world.
It doesn’t stop there. There is an extensive collection of hard to find spirits and liqueurs, Leeds Brewery bottled beers, bar and cocktail making equipment and even Havana cigars. If you want to stock up for any event that involves alcohol then you can’t go far wrong here.

Located in one of the railway arches, Latitude is a well stocked wine merchant, which offers invaluable advice. A guy called Chris runs the shop and the customer service he provides is impeccable. Although Latitude sells wine in abundance, they also have plenty of spirits and some Leeds brewery lagers to tempt you with.
I ordered a large number of corporate Christmas presents from Latitude last year. Not only did I receive welcome and unpatronising guidance when selecting the wines, but they delivered the order free of charge, completing eliminating the hassle for me.
Latitude would be a fantastic shop to stock up on a variety of things, should you be organising a boozy soirée at home. They supply bar and cocktail making equipment — the perfect chance to unleash your honed mixology skills! Now where did I put that novelty ice cube tray? People do love floating ice shaped genitalia in their drinks, don’t they?

We’re all guilty of the sin of pretending to know more about wine than we do, picking up bottles to peruse the labels and look thoughtful when in actuality we haven’t got the foggiest what they’re saying. That’s why shops like Latitude are a godsend for those occasions when a bottle of supermarket Merlot simply won’t do. With a huge choice of wines arranged by region, a selection of upmarket spirits and Havana cigars on sale, plus case discounts and regularly changing special offers, Latitude is the place to come if you’re planning a party to impress. The store also hosts frequent themed wine-​tasting events, but the real highlight of the place is the knowledgeable staff. Tell them the occasion, the food and your budget and they will recommend the right wine for you — they’ll even recommend the best mixers to go with your Venezuelan rum.

This shop used to be Hoults who have now simplified their operation so they are just in Huddersfield.
It’s now rebranded and looks much better. Chris, the manager, who used to run Angel’s Share in Chapel Allerton, has given the place a fresh look and really tighetned up on his stock. The shelves are now bursting with wines he feels real passion for and it’s become an excellent wine shop to browse slowly in. In classic independent fashion he doesn’t go for standard bottles you might find in larger retailers, instead choosing wines he likes and which he can tell you about. His enthusiasm is fantastic and although it’s early days for Latitude this will soon become one of the leading wine shops in Yorkshire. It’s hard to get away — not just nbecause the wines are so inviting but also because Chris is so enamoured with the products he’s selling that he can talk all day about them! Highly recommended!