INDEPENDENT WINE AND SPIRITS | MORPETH NORTHUMBERLAND
about us and our ethos
We know that walking into a wine shop can be a little intimidating – especially if you are faced with a wall full of wines and so many different types. We are here to help and guide you. No question is a silly one.
There are no rules when it comes to wine.
about grape and grain
Discover our
world of wines
We are a specialist wine, beer and spirits merchants located in the heart of the beautiful town of Morpeth. Situated 15 miles north of Newcastle, it is truly the gateway to the stunning countryside and beaches of Northumberland.
A wine shop has been here since 2008 – under previous ownership as Bin 21 and since 2017 as Grape and Grain. We offer a unique and bespoke service with a range of top-quality products. Every item that comes into this shop is researched thoroughly, and has to get our seal of approval before it goes on sale. We work closely with our suppliers to get the best for our customers.
Most of all, we are welcoming, down to earth people. We know that walking into a wine shop can be a little intimidating – especially if you are faced with a wall full of wines and so many different types. We are here to help and guide you. No question is a silly one. There are no rules when it comes to wine.
We will not pressurise you into buying anything. Come in have a look and, if you want, have a chat as we just love talking about our products. After all, we have done the “hard work” by tasting most of them!
We do not sell online, but what we do sell is an in-store experience and our passion and knowledge for what we sell.
So, pop in soon. We look forward to welcoming you in our canny little shop!
about grape and grain
Meet the owner
My name is Mark and I joined Grape and Grain in 2019, and I was delighted to become Director of the business in December 2020. My first experience of wine started by being fascinated by the bottles of full-bodied Aussie reds that my Dad used to bring home in the mid-90s.
The quirky names and labels were one thing, but I couldn’t get my head around how this stuff had travelled across the globe! Little did I know that 20 years later I would be lucky enough to visit some of those vineyards.
When I was old enough to drink what was inside the bottle, I approached one of my best friends who was the wine advisor where I worked (a good friend to have and he is still to this day). I said I wanted to learn more about wine, and he kindly drew up a list of wines to try. One of them was South African Red, the grape variety escapes me, but it was the first wine that really captivated me. It is also one I didn’t actually like!
However, it showed me that not all wine tastes the same, and that each one has unique characteristics.
Since then, I spent several years working on the railways, but that wasn’t my thing. Facing another dreaded shift my wife said to me ‘why don’t you look at doing some wine classes?’. I signed up to my first one straight away and I had started the journey that would take me to where I am today. People thought I was mad when I left the railway. I halved my wage overnight to join Majestic in 2018. No regrets. It is the best thing I have done. A few years and WSET qualifications later, I am now running my local wine shop- my absolute dream!
My work now is my hobby, and I am one of the few who can say that I certainly don’t mind taking it home with me! I’ll raise a glass to that!
Hope to see you soon,
Cheers,
Mark
