London School of Economics & Political Science
Houghton Street
London
WC2A 2AE
The London School of Economics campus is at the bottom of Kingsway, just off Aldwych and about 5 minutes walk from Holborn and Temple underground stations.
It is also well served by buses.
Because Wine Education Service courses and tastings take place in a number of buildings on the campus, joining instructions are sent to all clients before each event.
Upcoming Events in London – Holborn
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Grenache – Classic Grape in London – Holborn
Thursday, 19th September
One of the most widely planted red varieties in the world, Grenache Noir is a major contributor to red and rosé wines made across a swathe of southern Europe that stretches from Rioja and Navarra, through Cataluña, across the South of France and up into the southern part of the Rhône Valley. It’s also found in the USA, South Africa and Australia There are white, grey and ‘hairy’ clones too. We will have a selection of fine examples for you to taste.
Tutor: Pippa Hayward with Sandy Leckie.
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Bordeaux Wine & Cheese in London – Holborn
Monday, 23rd September
A selection of dry white, rosé, red and sweet white Bordeaux wines served with a matching selection of classic French cheeses. Our selection of wines will include a Crémant, a tangy Sauvignon Blanc, A Sauvignon /Semillon blend from Pessac-Léognan, a deliciously fruity rosé, three classic reds with vintages back to 2005 and an exotic sweet white from Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. The cheeses will include Cantal, Chaource, Ossau-Iraty and Roquefort.
Tutor: Pippa Hayward with Sandy Leckie.
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Classic Grape Varieties in London – Holborn
Monday, 30th September – Monday, 28th October
Five-session Intermediate Course on Monday evenings.
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The World of Wine in London – Holborn
Tuesday, 1st October – Tuesday, 19th November
Eight-session introductory course on Tuesday evenings
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Fine Swiss Wines in London – Holborn
Thursday, 3rd October
At number 24 in the world league, Switzerland produces more than twice as much wine as New Zealand, but exports little. However, what it does export is of high quality. At this tasting, we will show wines made from Chasselas (the most widely planted grape variety in Switzerland) and regional specialities Amigne and Petite Arvine as well as international varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot.
Tutor: Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.
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Mature German Riesling in London – Holborn
Monday, 7th October
The tastings we organised in 2016 and 2017 were so popular that whenever the opportunity arises to invest in more old vintages, we jump at it. Rieslings in a variety of styles from the Mosel and the Nahe Valleys and vintages back to 1986.
Tutor: Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.
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Superior Tuscans in London – Holborn
Thursday, 17th October
As this tasting will show, there is so much more to Tuscany than Chianti. We will start with 3 whites – a Vernaccia di San Gimignano, a Vermentino from the coastal Maremma region and a so-called “Super Tuscan” blend. We will then taste 4 reds – a juicy Sangiovese from the Maremma, a Brunello di Montalcino, a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the “Super Tuscan” Carburnio, before finishing with a Vin Santo, the region’s classic, amber-coloured dessert wine. Tutor: Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.
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Pinot Noir – Classic Grape in London – Holborn
Monday, 21st October
Pinot Noir from around the world including two from Burgundy and leading examples from Australia, California, Germany, Chile, New Zealand, and S. Africa.
Tutor: Pippa Hayward with Sandy Leckie.
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Essential Wine Tasting in London – Holborn
Tuesday, 22nd October – Tuesday, 19th November
Five-week Introductory Course on Tuesday evenings
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Wines of Italy in London – Holborn
Thursday, 24th October – Thursday, 21st November
Five-session intermediate course on the wines of Italy on Thursday evenings
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Scotch Whisky Tasting Course in London – Holborn
Wednesday, 30th October – Wednesday, 27th November
This course is designed to appeal to those who appreciate the aromas and flavours of fine Scotch whisky and would like to enjoy a dram or two in the company of like-minded others.
It consists of five two-hour sessions. Tasting samples of five whiskies are provided to illustrate the main points of each session.
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Cataluna – Spain's Mediterranean North-East in London – Holborn
Thursday, 31st October
Not surprisingly, given the Catalan character, this region is one of the most adventurous and individualistic in Spain. We will taste a selection of wines from Costers del Segre, Montsant, Priorat, Terra Alta and Penedès.
Tutor: Pippa Hayward and Sandy Leckie.
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Essential Wine Tasting in London – Holborn
Monday, 4th November – Monday, 2nd December
Five-week Introductory Course on Monday evenings
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Sherry & Tapas in London – Holborn
Monday, 4th November
It’s ‘Sherry Week’ in the UK and to mark this, we are organising a tasting of Sherry in all its styles – Manzanilla, Fino, Amontilado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado – with olives, nuts, cheese and chorizo.
Tutor: Pippa Hayward with Sandy Leckie.
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China in London – Holborn
Thursday, 7th November
As you probably know, the Chinese are developing quite a taste for wine, importing much of what they drink from Europe. What you may not know is that China is now the world’s leading producer of wine grapes and is starting to produce more and more of its own wine. You don’t yet see much of this here yet, but this is about to change. The UK now has its first specialist importer and distributor of Chinese wines. Called Panda Fine Wine, it’s run by a Chinese husband and wife team whose aim is to bring to the UK some of the most interesting and distinctive wines that are emerging from China’s burgeoning industry.
We have selected 8 wines from Panda’s list for this tasting – Rongzi Pinot Noir, Rongzi Cabernet Sauvignon, Martin Tempranillo, Bolongbao Blanc, Tiansai Chardonnay Reserve, Martin Dragon Eye Longyan, Cailonglin Silver Label and Jia Bei Lan.
Tutor: Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks
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Italy – The Veneto in London – Holborn
Monday, 11th November – Thursday, 21st November
The tiny cluster of regions at the southern tip of Lake Garda is home to a delicious array of wines. Some, like Valpollicella, offer a variety of styles from the same grape varieties. Our tasting will include an upmarket Prosecco, still whites from Lugana and Soave, a Bardolino, followed by Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto.
Tutor: Pippa Hayward with Sandy Leckie.
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Mature Red Bordeaux in London – Holborn
Thursday, 21st November
We are on the hunt for the eight wines you will be tasting at our traditional, end-of-year, mature, red Bordeaux event. More details soon.
Tutor: Vivienne Franks and Malcolm Franks.
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Southern Rhône in London – Holborn
Monday, 25th November
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.
Tutor: Sue Eames with Sandy Leckie
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New Zealand's Finest in London – Holborn
Thursday, 5th December
The wines of New Zealand just get better and better. For purity of fruit and varietal expression they are hard to match. We will taste a selection of some of the country’s finest, including Ata Rangi, Cloudy Bay, Felton Road, Kumeu River, Pegasus Bay and Te Mata.
Tutor: Pippa Hayward with Sandy Leckie.
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Fine Red & White Burgundy in London – Holborn
Monday, 9th December
Another traditional end-of-year ‘special’, our Fine Burgundy event will, this time, feature four whites and four reds. The whites will include a top of the range Pouilly-Fuissé, a Grand Cru Chablis, a Meursault and a 1er Cru Puligny or Chassagne-Montrachet. The reds will include a Santenay, a 1er Cru Côte de Beaune, a 1er Cru Gevrey-Chambertin and a 1er Cru Nuits St-Georges. We expect to be able to publish the final line-up in late September.
Tutor: Pippa Hayward with Sandy Leckie.
