Taste Great Wines & Spirits From Around The World

Due to the restrictions in place to control the spread of the Covid 19 virus, we are only able to run on-line tastings at the present time.  You will find details of the tastings we are running between now and the end of March below.

For each tasting, we suggest wines you might like to buy to enjoy whilst taking part.

In order to stay in busness, we are having to make a modest charge for participation – £10.00  – but this is per household and not per person.

We hope you will enjoy joining in from the comfort and safety of your home with a glass or two of good wine to hand.

To Book Places For Your Household

Against the descripton of each tasting in the programme, you will see a little drop down menu.  To book a place for your household at that tasting, select “1” from the drop down menu.  When you have selected all the tastings you wish to book for, enter your personal details in the form at the foot of the page and press “submit”.


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  • Mar 2021

    £10.00Alpine Italy – Trentino / Alto Adige / Friuli • Tuesday, 9th March, 19:00-20:30 in London

    Although Trentino, Alto Adige and Friuli are Italy’s most northerly wine producing regions, their steep slopes ensures good exposure to the sun’s rays and heat retention.  Light, tangy reds and clean, crisp whites and sparkling wines are made.  The indigenous varieties Schiava and Lagrein are responsible for most of the reds, but plantings of Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are on the increase.  Most of the whites are produced from international varieties of which Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Gewurztraminer are the most widely planted.

    Presenter:  Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.

    Availability:  Good.

    Wine Suggestions:

    From Waitrose Cellar – IGP Vignetti delle Dolomiti, ‘Alta Italia’ Chardonnay, Cavit, 2019 (£7.99) and DOC Alto Adige, Pinot Grigio, St Michael-Eppan , 2019 (£11.99)

    From the Wine Society, a rather more esoteric pair – IGP Friuli Venezia Giulia, Ribolla Gialla, Puiatti, 2019 (£9.95) and DOC Alto Adige, Lagrein, Hofstätter, 2018 (£13.95)

    £10.00The Irish In Bordeaux • Thursday, 18th March, 19:00-20:30 in London

    It’s Saint Patrick’s Day on 17th March, a date celebrated by the Irish with even more enthusiasm than the Scots do the birthday of Robert Burns.  A good justification for a tasting with an Irish connection, we thought.

    For a variety of reasons – rebellion, religious persecution, violated treaties and prohibitive commercial legislation – the flower of Irish youth and nobility emigrated to France in the 17th and 18th centuries.  They became known as the flying geese.  Many of these young military men and merchants gravitated to Bordeaux, which had a long-established trading connection with Ireland.  They were dubbed the wine geese.

    In Bordeaux today, there are a dozen or more Châteaux that have been owned, at some stage in their history, by Irish families, notably, Clarke, de Fieuzal, Dillon, Kirwan, Lascombes, Langoa-Barton, Léoville-Barton, Lynch-Bages, Pape Clément, Phélan-Ségur, Siran and Yquem.  In Bordeaux City, there are ten streets named after Irish people and its most famous secular monument, La Grosse Cloche, commemorates Patrice MacMahon, Marshal of France, President of the Republic (1873-1879).

    Presenter:  Pippa Hayward

    Availability:  Good

    Wine Suggestion:  A bottle of good ‘Irish’ Claret.

    From Waitrose Cellar (www.waitrosecellar.com – no minimum order and delivery to your door for a small fee) – Château Clarke, 2015 (£35.00)

    From Majestic Wine (Mix Six price) – La Réserve de Léoville-Barton, 2017 (£32.99)

    From Jeraboams (www.jeroboams.co.uk) – La Réserve de Léoville-Barton, 2013 (£34.95)

    From Lea & Sandeman (www.leaandsandeman.co.uk) – Château Fieuzal, 2012 (£41.95)

    £10.00Croatia • Tuesday, 23rd March, 19:00-20:30 in London

    When we think of Croatia, we are reminded of the rolling hills of Tuscany, with wineries dotted around historical villages, where olive oil is also locally manufactured.

    White wines made from the Malvazija grape and red wines made from the indigenous Plavac grape dominate here.

    Very few Croatian wines are available in the UK at the moment, so we have sourced a special 3 bottle pack for this tasting. Priced at £50.96 including delivery, this contains Benvenuti’s Malvazija Istarska 2017 and Skaramuca’s Plavac 2019 and Plavac “Premium”, 2018.  To buy the pack, please follow this link .

    Presenter:  Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.

    Availability:  Good.

    £10.00South Africa • Tuesday, 30th March, 19:00-20:15 in London

    The historical heart of South African wine has been the area near the Cape Peninsula and modern-day Cape Town.  This is still prominent  in the industry, being home to the major wine regions of Constantia, Stellenbosch and Paarl.  But today, wine is grown throughout the Western Cape and in parts of the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape regions.  The river regions along the Breede Valley, Olifants and Orange Rivers are among the warmest areas and are often the location of bulk wine production and distillation.  The cooler climate regions east of Cape Town, such as Walker Bay and Elgin, have seen vast expansion and development in recent years as producers experiment with cool climate varietals and wine styles.  In this webinar, Wine Education Service team members, Vivienne and Malcolm Franks, who visit South Africa regularly, will talk about the diversity of the country’s wine terroirs.

    Presenter:  Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.

    Availability:  Good.

    Wine Suggestions:

    From Waitrose Supermarkets – Bush Vine Chenin Blanc, Kaapzicht, 2018 (£13.99) and Barrel-aged Pinotage, Fairview, 2019 (£9.99)

    From Majestic (‘Mix Six’ prices) – ‘Definition’ Chenin Blanc, 2020 (£8.99) and ‘Kadette’ Pinotage, Kanonkopf, 2018 (£11.99)

     














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Mar 2021

  • Alpine Italy – Trentino / Alto Adige / Friuli in London

    Tuesday, 9th March

    £10.00

    Although Trentino, Alto Adige and Friuli are Italy’s most northerly wine producing regions, their steep slopes ensures good exposure to the sun’s rays and heat retention.  Light, tangy reds and clean, crisp whites and sparkling wines are made.  The indigenous varieties Schiava and Lagrein are responsible for most of the reds, but plantings of Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are on the increase.  Most of the whites are produced from international varieties of which Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Gewurztraminer are the most widely planted.

    Presenter:  Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.

    Availability:  Good.

    Wine Suggestions:

    From Waitrose Cellar – IGP Vignetti delle Dolomiti, ‘Alta Italia’ Chardonnay, Cavit, 2019 (£7.99) and DOC Alto Adige, Pinot Grigio, St Michael-Eppan , 2019 (£11.99)

    From the Wine Society, a rather more esoteric pair – IGP Friuli Venezia Giulia, Ribolla Gialla, Puiatti, 2019 (£9.95) and DOC Alto Adige, Lagrein, Hofstätter, 2018 (£13.95)

    Full details and booking >

  • The Irish In Bordeaux in London

    Thursday, 18th March

    £10.00

    It’s Saint Patrick’s Day on 17th March, a date celebrated by the Irish with even more enthusiasm than the Scots do the birthday of Robert Burns.  A good justification for a tasting with an Irish connection, we thought.

    For a variety of reasons – rebellion, religious persecution, violated treaties and prohibitive commercial legislation – the flower of Irish youth and nobility emigrated to France in the 17th and 18th centuries.  They became known as the flying geese.  Many of these young military men and merchants gravitated to Bordeaux, which had a long-established trading connection with Ireland.  They were dubbed the wine geese.

    In Bordeaux today, there are a dozen or more Châteaux that have been owned, at some stage in their history, by Irish families, notably, Clarke, de Fieuzal, Dillon, Kirwan, Lascombes, Langoa-Barton, Léoville-Barton, Lynch-Bages, Pape Clément, Phélan-Ségur, Siran and Yquem.  In Bordeaux City, there are ten streets named after Irish people and its most famous secular monument, La Grosse Cloche, commemorates Patrice MacMahon, Marshal of France, President of the Republic (1873-1879).

    Presenter:  Pippa Hayward

    Availability:  Good

    Wine Suggestion:  A bottle of good ‘Irish’ Claret.

    From Waitrose Cellar (www.waitrosecellar.com – no minimum order and delivery to your door for a small fee) – Château Clarke, 2015 (£35.00)

    From Majestic Wine (Mix Six price) – La Réserve de Léoville-Barton, 2017 (£32.99)

    From Jeraboams (www.jeroboams.co.uk) – La Réserve de Léoville-Barton, 2013 (£34.95)

    From Lea & Sandeman (www.leaandsandeman.co.uk) – Château Fieuzal, 2012 (£41.95)

    Full details and booking >

  • Croatia in London

    Tuesday, 23rd March

    £10.00

    When we think of Croatia, we are reminded of the rolling hills of Tuscany, with wineries dotted around historical villages, where olive oil is also locally manufactured.

    White wines made from the Malvazija grape and red wines made from the indigenous Plavac grape dominate here.

    Very few Croatian wines are available in the UK at the moment, so we have sourced a special 3 bottle pack for this tasting. Priced at £50.96 including delivery, this contains Benvenuti’s Malvazija Istarska 2017 and Skaramuca’s Plavac 2019 and Plavac “Premium”, 2018.  To buy the pack, please follow this link .

    Presenter:  Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.

    Availability:  Good.

    Full details and booking >

  • South Africa in London

    Tuesday, 30th March

    £10.00

    The historical heart of South African wine has been the area near the Cape Peninsula and modern-day Cape Town.  This is still prominent  in the industry, being home to the major wine regions of Constantia, Stellenbosch and Paarl.  But today, wine is grown throughout the Western Cape and in parts of the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape regions.  The river regions along the Breede Valley, Olifants and Orange Rivers are among the warmest areas and are often the location of bulk wine production and distillation.  The cooler climate regions east of Cape Town, such as Walker Bay and Elgin, have seen vast expansion and development in recent years as producers experiment with cool climate varietals and wine styles.  In this webinar, Wine Education Service team members, Vivienne and Malcolm Franks, who visit South Africa regularly, will talk about the diversity of the country’s wine terroirs.

    Presenter:  Vivienne Franks with Malcolm Franks.

    Availability:  Good.

    Wine Suggestions:

    From Waitrose Supermarkets – Bush Vine Chenin Blanc, Kaapzicht, 2018 (£13.99) and Barrel-aged Pinotage, Fairview, 2019 (£9.99)

    From Majestic (‘Mix Six’ prices) – ‘Definition’ Chenin Blanc, 2020 (£8.99) and ‘Kadette’ Pinotage, Kanonkopf, 2018 (£11.99)

     

    Full details and booking >