Live chat

The history of Averys

One of the UK's oldest and most pioneering wine merchants

  • 1793
    Averys is established on Park Street in Bristol
    Averys shop in Pak Street
  • 1850s The current cellars under Park Street were rebuilt The Current Cellars
  • 1865 The Barque Avery sails around the world. This is the ship that would eventually become the Averys logo. The Barque Avery
  • 1890s Averys focused on Ports & Sherries, many of which were bottled in the cellars in Bristol Barrels
  • 1923 Ronald Avery begins to ship and bottle his own selections of Bordeaux, Burgundy & German wines. Ronald Avery
  • 1930s Ronald Avery refurbishes the Averys shop on Park Street using material from The Mauretania The Mauretania
  • 1948 Ronald Avery joins the first visiting party to Chateau Palmer following World War II
  • 1949 Averys is the first to import Château Pétrus to the UK & Ronald Avery becomes known as a pioneer of Pomerol Buying Petrus
  • 1959 Legendary Australian winemaker Wolf Blass is trained in wine blending at our cellars Wolf Blass with John Avery
  • 1960 Burgundian winemaker Roland Remoissenet undertakes a cellars stage with Averys Avery Family
  • 1961 John Avery partakes in a winemaking stage at Château d’Issan in Margaux
  • 1963 The first release of Averys Special Cuvée Champagne – still made by the Boizel family today Bottling Averys Champagne
  • 1964 John Avery tours California. Not long after, Averys becomes the first UK agent for Beaulieu Vineyards
  • 1965 John Avery joins the family business as export manager and tours Australia Telegraph Article
  • 1966 Averys becomes the first UK wine merchant to import Australian wines, including McWilliams and Penfolds John Avery
  • 1970 John Avery the first to import New Zealand wines into the UK Tasting
  • 1973 Averys becomes the first UK wine merchant to import an Australian Chardonnay – Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Tyrrell’s
  • 1975 John Avery becomes only the 88th Master of Wine in the world Master of Wine
  • 1977 John Avery visits South Africa & becomes importer for Rustenberg and Hamilton Russell John in South Africa
  • 1995
    John Avery becomes Master of the Vintners
    John Avery
  • 1996 The Averys shop relocates to the cellars on Culver Street where it is today Mimi Avery
  • 1999 Mimi Avery becomes the fifth generation Avery to join the family business Toast to success
  • 2006
    Averys win Regional Wine Merchant of the Year
    Barrels
  • 2015 Mimi Avery visits Australia following in the footsteps of her father’s pioneering visit in 1965 Mimi with her Mum in Australia
  • 2016 Runners-Up in the IWC South West Regional Wine Merchant of the Year and Decanter Bordeaux Specialist Wine Merchant of the Year Awards
  • 2018 Averys celebrates its 225th anniversary and winner of the IWC South West Regional Wine Merchant of the Year Awards
  • 2021 Winner of the IWC South West Regional Wine Merchant of the Year Awards