A case of lovely bubbly for the Champagne champs

It was a visit to the Champagne region of France which changed IT consultant Tony Stones’s life.

“I’d always loved Champagne, but then I went on a tourist trip to the Champagne region and I fell in love with the Champagne produced by some of the smaller producers,” explains Tony, from Boston Spa.

“When I got home, I tried to find some of the Champagnes I had enjoyed so much on holiday, but couldn’t find them. It was then that I got the idea for the business.”

In 2000, Tony started the Champagne Warehouse, which he ran alongside his IT work.

The Champagne Warehouse became so successful that Tony was able to give up the day job and concentrate full time on his business.

Tony and his partner, Helen Hall, supply supermarkets, including Sainsburys and Marks & Spencer, as well as restaurants and have a thriving on-line business.

They have just beaten off competition from the big boys to be named Best Online Champagne Retailer at the Harpers Wine & Spirit Champagne Summit.

Their family-run business won the votes of industry leaders and experts and beat competition from the likes of Laithwaites and the Wine Society.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been given this prestigious award,” said Tony.

“Over the past 11 years, we have worked closely with the wine-growing community to source the best quality champagnes and sparkling wines, and have steadily built a reputation for the personal service we offer our clients.

“We are also proud that our website tries to educate consumers about the world of sparkling wine and Champagne.

“I have built up this great relationship with the smaller producers, and they have been very loyal to me,” he says.

Tony explained that despite the recession, the Champagne business is booming.

“The smaller artisan producers are slightly cheaper than the big-name brands and we are finding that once people taste our Champagnes, they come back time and time again.”

Tony has also branched out into supplying Cavas and Prosecos but keeping the same ethos as with the Champagne.

“We have been looking for the smaller producers in both Italy and Spain, which has proved quite difficult, but we are getting there.”

The Champagne Warehouse team specialises in selecting distinctive and exclusive Champagnes and sparkling wines from small, artisan producers and growers who are passionate about their products and often produce them by hand in small quantities.

Although at the moment the business is totally on line, Tony hopes to open a venue in Leeds or York where people can go to taste.