Who we are
Kernowine is a wine bar in Cornwall which is also a shop, school, wholesaler and online retailer. Set up by Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma graduate Derek Crookes, the bar, shop and school are based at Killigrew Street, Falmouth, in southwest Cornwall.
We have summer opening hours between Sunday and Wednesday of 12pm-10pm, with last orders at 9.30pm and Thursday to Saturday we're open 12pm-11pm, with last orders at 10.30pm.
Derek grew up on a campsite in Challaborough, south Devon, which had three bars, so he’s been around the hospitality industry for most of his life. He worked as a wine waiter in London at university in the 1990s, then spent 20 years as a radio and online journalist for LBC and Radio 1’s Newsbeat. After moving back to the Southwest in 2017, he took the equivalent of a degree in wine and spirits – WSET’s Diploma - passing (with merit) in 2020 and winning the 2019 Moët and Chandon sparkling wine prize for the highest scoring marks worldwide in the theory and tasting exams.
Awards
His time working in the hospitality industry in Cornwall sparked a desire to educate people about the joys of wine, beer and spirits as well as curating a range of his own favourites for people to try.
So that’s what he decided to do – open a wine shop, bar and school, where you can learn about the different styles of wine, its history, what suits your palate and learn how to pick a decent bottle from a restaurant wine list or from the shelves of the wine shop if you’re only down in Cornwall on holiday.
In June 2023, we were voted Cornwall's best bar in the Muddy Stilettos annual awards.
Wine ethos
At Kernowine, we guarantee you’ll be able to buy delicious wine, discover new flavours and broaden your “vinous” experience. Education is vitally important in the world of wine, and we want people to be confident about buying wine wherever they are. You’ll always get friendly, instructive advice – while also being able to try some wines before you buy – and we won’t stock wines just because they have a flashy label, if the juice inside isn’t up to scratch.
How the wines are made is also important to us. With the world facing a climate emergency, it’s important that our wines are ethically sourced from sustainable (and organic and biodynamic) vineyards and producers, which try to cut their carbon footprint, preserve precious resources such as energy and water, are socially responsible, ecologically responsible (especially in the use of chemicals and their effect on plants & wildlife) and help their local communities thrive.
You’ll always be able to find wine to suit your budget, with a range under £15, to medium and high priced bottles plus some fine wines from time to time which have been aged for a few years and will be pretty special. We do also stock orange wines (more chunky white wines which have been left on the grape skins while fermenting giving the orange colour), “natural” wines (which have been made with minimal intervention), vegan wines, biodynamic wines, dessert wines, half bottles and magnums for picnics, days out and special occasions.
We also offer a wine refill service, where you can fill up your own bottle with wine (purchased from us for future reuse) and canned wines – which both cut down on plastic, glass and cardboard waste while cutting air miles and extra emissions.
Then there’s our Kernowine Club, which you can join to get a quarterly classic, premium or luxury case.
In the shop, we employ local people with a passion for wine, and as an employer we believe in diversity in the workplace as well as offering equal opportunities for all.