The Martinez Team
Martinez Wines are recognised as an Ilkley ‘institution’ having been in business on The Grove, Ilkley for over 28 years.
John Martinez and his wife Christine, established Martinez Wines in 1982, next door to that other Ilkley institution, ‘Betty’s Tea Rooms’. (We moved to the current premises at 35, The Grove in 2000).
John’s son, Julian, became involved in the business in 1984 and continued to build upon his father’s reputation for sourcing wines of unstinting quality and value for money at all price levels right up until his un-timely death in 2008.
Today, the Martinez team, under the new leadership of Jonathan Cocker, is building on the ethos established by Julian and his father for sourcing unique and individual wines of honesty, character and integrity at all different price levels. No wine makes it onto the shelf unless the team have tasted and approved it. We are ‘famously independent’ wine merchants - there is no faceless central buying department making financial decisions at the expense of quality.
This enables us to sell everything we stock with confidence as we have the product knowledge and tasting experience. So you, our customers, can be assured that whichever wine you select has been carefully chosen with only quality and value in mind.
Martinez Wines also has a strong environmental ethos – working with producers and suppliers to reduce the impact on our environment – from reducing packaging to transport miles and energy usage throughout the business.
Over the years the business has grown to embrace all aspects of the wine trade;
- The retail shop is open 7 days a week.
- A fully informative web-site is online.
- A mail order sales and bespoke gift service is in place sending wines to customers and corporations nation-wide.
- Corporate events and tutored wine tastings are hosted.
- Consultations regarding private wine cellars are provided.
- The wholesale sales have gone from strength to strength, providing the individual and unique Martinez level of service to a wide range of customers from local pubs to Michelin-starred restaurants.
- An annual Wine Extravaganza is held in March/April in the Winter Gardens, Ilkley usually showcasing over 150 wines.
- A ‘Sipping Society’ wine appreciation evening is held on the 2nd Monday of each month.
- The Wine Bar in the cellar opened in May 2010 - open Tues-Sat evenings.
- A Buskers Night is held on last Wed of each month.
- Our Bingley shop was opened on the April 1, 2015
