A YORK wine merchant will travel to South America in the new year after winning a prize from a body that promotes Chilean wines.

Field & Fawcett, based at Grimston Bar, was one of five independent wine merchants in the UK to win a Wines of Chile 2012 Independent Wine Merchants Award.

The prize includes a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Chile in January for co-owner Peter Fawcett.

The awards, in their third year, have been set up by Wines of Chile, an organisation which promotes the quality and image of Chilean wine throughout the world.

Peter and Cathryn Fawcett, the husband-and-wife team who own and run the wine merchants and gourmet deli, were delighted with the award.

Peter said: “This award is much coveted and was judged through a visit of Wines of Chile representatives to the shop, where our display and tasting options were considered and we benefited from an additional public vote. We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen and will look upon the trip to Chile as an opportunity to source new and exciting wines for our customers.”