R&H Fine Wines has traded from 12 Queen Avenue since 2011, occupying a secluded shopfront inside the historic Victorian arcade linking Castle Street and Dale Street. Founded by wine merchant Devin Stewart, the shop provides an antidote to commercial supermarket wine aisles, championing organic, biodynamic and low-intervention bottles sourced from independent, family-run vineyards across Europe and beyond.
What R&H Fine Wines does
The shop functions as a specialist wine cellar and tasting library. Inside the timber-panelled boutique, bottles rest in rustic wooden crates and floor-to-ceiling racks categorised by country, region and farming ethos. Rather than promoting industrial brands that rely on chemical fining and commercial yeasts, Stewart and his team focus on winemakers who farm their soils sustainably and bottle with minimal sulphur.
Customer service is personal and approachable. The staff believe good wine should never be intimidating, guiding everyone from curious newcomers seeking an affordable Friday night dinner red to seasoned collectors searching for rare natural cuvées or grower Champagnes.
The wine collection: Organic, biodynamic and natural
The merchant’s inventory rotates continuously with the agricultural seasons:
- Natural and Skin-Contact Wines: A dedicated section for orange wines (white grapes macerated on skins for texture and tannin), cloudy sparkling pét-nats (pétillant naturel), and wild-fermentation bottles from Georgia, Austria, Slovenia, and the Jura.
- Classical Terroirs: Authentic expressions of classical European regions, including biodynamic Sancerre and Chenin Blanc from the Loire, single-vineyard red Burgundies, mineral-driven Chablis, Barolos from Piedmont, and elegant Mencía from Bierzo.
- Grower Champagnes: Distinctive sparkling wines produced by the grape growers themselves rather than mass-market Champagne corporate houses.
- Artisan Spirits and Fortifieds: Craft vermouths, botanic amari, unpeated single malts, small-batch Oaxacan mezcals, and dry en rama sherries from Jerez.
The story behind 12 Queen Avenue
Queen Avenue was constructed in the mid-19th century as a private pedestrian thoroughfare connecting the city's banking headquarters on Castle Street with the commercial offices of Dale Street. With its stone cobblestones, wrought-iron gas lamps and Georgian-style shopfronts, the arcade escaped the modern redevelopment that altered much of the surrounding business district.
When Devin Stewart opened R&H Fine Wines in 2011, Queen Avenue was quiet and overlooked. The shop’s success helped revive the arcade as an independent artisan quarter. In 2019, Stewart expanded by opening Queens Wine Bar & Bistro just doors away, creating an acclaimed neighbourhood dining room where guests can enjoy bottles from the shop alongside seasonal British bistro cooking.
Prices and services
Bottles are available across a spectrum of price points (checked September 2026):
- Approachable everyday organic table wines: £12.00 to £18.00
- Regional biodynamic and natural cuvées: £19.00 to £35.00
- Specialist orange wines and grower champagnes: £28.00 to £65.00
- Fine cellar releases and aged vintages: £60.00 to £150.00+
- Artisan vermouths, gins and mezcals: £25.00 to £48.00
The shop offers case discounts, bespoke corporate gifting, and local home delivery across Merseyside. Walk-in browsing is welcomed, with payments taken by card or cash.
Around Queen Avenue and the Commercial Quarter
Queen Avenue is entered via archways on either Dale Street (opposite Moorfields station) or Castle Street. The shop sits alongside Queens Bistro and independent tailors, moments away from Permit Room Liverpool and The Dead Crafty Beer Company.
To explore more of the area, read our City Centre guide and our guide to where to eat in Liverpool by area.
