About

Kernowine is Cornwall’s only wine bar, shop, school and online store. 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.

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.

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.