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Our wine tastings are designed to appeal to people who appreciate fine wine. They are informal in style. The tutor will give some background information and then simply introduce each wine and encourage discussion. A wine tasting sheet and, where appropriate, maps will be provided but not detailed notes. Unless otherwise indicated, 8 wines will be tasted. There will be mineral water and water biscuits to refresh your palate between the wines so please, no snack foods, cheese etc. PROGRAMME FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2010
A stunning selection of dry white, red and dessert wines from top Austrian producers.
Dry white, rosé, red and sweet white Bordeaux wines served with a selection of patés, cheeses and other regional specialities.
Another chance to taste a range of mature wines from this world famous Lebanese property. This time, we will show two vintages of Serge Hochar's distinctive white wine and the '02, '01, '00, '99, 95 and '89 of his warm, spicy, Rhône-like red.
Light, fruity, refreshing and very food friendly, a glass of well chilled rosé is one of our favourite summer drinks. We will taste a ‘pink’ Champagne, two classic wines from the South of France - a Tavel and a Bandol - and a selection of characterful examples from Spain, Portugal, Greece, Australia and New Zealand.
Alsace is one of our favourite regions of France - great scenery, great food, great wine! At this tasting, we will compare the wines of two of the region's most famous producers, Schlumberger and Trimbach. Schlumberger makes wines that are rich and opulent. Trimbach goes for purity of fruit and elegance. The line-up will include wines made from each of the 'noble' varieties of Alsace - Muscat, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.
The Greek wine industry is undergoing a renaissance. As in other Mediterranean countries, the re-planting of vineyards and investment in stainless steel and refrigeration has enabled the production of modern wines with international appeal. We will taste a selection of fine white and red wines made from traditional as well as international grape varieties.
The rejuvenated South African wine industry is making great progress. Indeed, the latest Nielson numbers show that its retail sales in the UK are now ahead of France! Most of these sales are being achieved at the lower end of the market, where it already competes strongly with Australia, Argentina, Chile and the USA, but for us, the real excitement is at the top end of the market. Here we are seeing the emergence of wines of great originality, quality and complexity and it is on these that we will focus in this tasting. Wines from such great producers as Boekenhootskloof, Bouchard-Finlayson, Ken Forrester, Moreson, Rustenberg, the Sadie Family and Vergelegen.
As you may remember, 2003 was the year of the 'canicule' or heatwave. Super ripe wines already drinking superbly. Our selection will include wines from Châteaux Cantemerle, Chasse Spleen, Haut-Bages Liberal, Labegorce Zédé and Peyrabon plus l'Esprit de Chevalier, the second wine of Domaine de Chevalier.
A selection of new wave Spanish wines with cold tapas. The wine and food tastings we organized earlier this year sold out within days so, book early to avoid disappointment!
A chance to taste some of Australia's finest including 'Polish Hill' Riesling from Grosset, ' The Virgilius' Viognier from Yalumba, 'Keyneton Estate Euphonium' from Hensschke, 'Nine Popes' from Charles Melton, 'The Dead Ringer' Cabernet Sauvignon from Wirra Wirra, 'The Dead Arm' Shiraz from d'Arenberg and 'Noble One' Riesling from de Bortoli.
The southern part of the Rhône valley produces some of the most accessible and best value wines of France. A representative selection of wines from top producers in Gigondas, Lirac, Tavel, Vacqueras, Châteauneuf du Pape, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and, of course, Côtes du Rhône.
Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson think that Riesling is the noblest of the white varieties. So, who are we to argue? Examples from Alsace, Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy and New Zealand.
White, rosé, red, still, pétillant, sparkling, dry, off-dry, medium sweet, sweet - a huge diversity of wine styles is produced along the banks of France’s longest river. The focus of the tasting will be on the rising stars and latest developments in this fascinating region.
A chance to compare and contrast the different styles of Champagne - Non Vintage v Vintage, Grande Marque v Grower’s Wines, Blanc de Noirs v Blanc de Blancs, White v Rosé, Brut v Rich.
Having established a reputation for value for money at the lower end of the market, the Chileans are now tempting us to spend a bit more by introducing ‘reserve’ wines and other ‘special’ cuvées. We take a look at a selection of these, including Viña Leyda's 'Garuma Vineyard' Sauvignon Blanc, Cono Sur's '20 Barrels' Pinot Noir, Casa Lapostolle's 'Cuvée Alexandre' Merlot, Aurelio Montes' 'Alpha' Syrah and Errazuriz's ‘Limited Edition Blend’ of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Syrah and Sangiovese.
On a recent visit to Burgundy, we spent two days in the less fashionable southern part of the region. We were impressed by what we found, particularly around the village of Pouilly-Fuissé, which seems to have more than its share of innovative wine makers. The line-up for this tasting will include fine examples from Christophe Cordier, theThibault Family, Jean Thevenet, Château de Fuissé, Château de Beauregard and Dominique Lafon.
It was the ancient Greeks who first realised that Sicily's warm, dry climate, sunny hillsides and rocky soils made it an ideal place to grow grapes and make wine. The wines were rich and sweet, which meant they travelled well and were soon exported to the peninsula of Italy and further afield. Although sweet styles still account for over 80% of the island’s production, there is much more to Sicilian wine than Marsala. Over the last 30 years, family owned estates such as Donnafugata, Planeta, Spadafora, Abazia Santa Anastasia and Fazio have invested heavily in their vineyards and wineries and are now producing fresh fragrant whites from Catarratto, Inzoli, and Grillo and warm, rich and spicy reds from Nero d'Avolo, Pericone, Nerello Mascalese and Frappato. Some have also planted international varieties of which Chardonnay and Syrah seem to give the best results.
This increasingly
fashionable variety produces wines with greater complexity and more
colour and weight than many other whites. We will taste leading examples
from Alsace, Germany, Northern Italy, Argentina, Australia and New
Zealand.
KEY: VENUES
GLASSESYou will need to bring 6 wine glasses to each session. If you really want to sharpen up your taste buds, a set of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) glasses used by the professionals is recommended (the tutor will have boxed sets of 6 crystal ISO tasting glasses for sale at £15). TUTORSThe tastings will normally be introduced by Vivienne Franks, Lena Inger or Sandy Leckie. All have extensive lecturing experience, are members of The Association of Wine Educators and/or Circle of Wine Writers and travel widely to keep up to date.
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