The history of Averys

With a history stretching back over 225 years, we are proud to be one of the UK's oldest and most pioneering wine merchants

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

1793
Averys is established on Park Street in Bristol
1850s
The current cellars under Park Street were rebuilt
1865 The Barque Avery sails around the world. This is the ship that would eventually become the Averys logo.
1890s Averys focused on Ports & Sherries, many of which were bottled in the cellars in Bristol
1923 Ronald Avery begins to ship and bottle his own selections of Bordeaux, Burgundy & German wines.
1930s Ronald Avery refurbishes the Averys shop on Park Street using material from 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
1959 Legendary Australian winemaker Wolf Blass is trained in wine blending by Ronald Avery at our cellars
1960 Burgundian winemaker Roland Remoissenet undertakes a cellars stage with Averys
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
1964 John Avery tours California whilst still at University. 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
1966 Averys becomes the first UK wine merchant to import Australian wines, including McWilliams and Penfolds Grange
1970 John Avery the first to import New Zealand wines into the UK (before Sauvignon Blanc was even planted!)
1973 Averys becomes the first UK wine merchant to import an Australian Chardonnay – Tyrrell’s Vat 47
1975 John Avery becomes only the 88th Master of Wine in the world
1977 John Avery visits South Africa & becomes importer for Rustenberg and Hamilton Russell
1995
John Avery becomes Master of the Vintners
1996 The Averys shop relocates to the cellars on Culver Street where it is today
1999 Mimi Avery becomes the fifth generation Avery to join the family business
2006
Averys win Regional Wine Merchant of the Year
2015 Mimi Avery visits Australia following in the footsteps of her father’s pioneering visit in 1965 and celebrates 50 years of Averys 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
2018 Averys celebrates its 225th anniversary and winner of the IWC South West Regional Wine Merchant of the Year
2021 Winner of the IWC South West Regional Wine Merchant of the Year