Wine tasting events
The shop hosts weekly tasting events on the premises, which aim to entertain and educate. Details of upcoming events are listed below
Upcoming Wine Tasting Events
All events with no specific food theme will include basic fare such as bread, cheese, cold meats etc.
Buy tickets instore or by ringing 020 8985 1549.
- 25th
- February
- Thursday
- 8pm
- £40
- Champagne Tasting
- An Introduction to Champagne
- We will taste a range of different styles and price levels, highlighting the different grapes used, differing sweetness levels, winemaking methods, and age. Small house and growers will be featured, rather than big names so expect excellent examples from Tarlant, Henri Giraud, and Gosset.By the end of the Champagne tasting session you should have an improved idea of what style of Champagne you like and able to make more informed purchases. We will be serving bread, cheese, and cold meats for you to nibble on during the wine tasting.
- 3rd
- March
- Wednesday
- 8pm
- £15
- Larry McKenna
- Escarpment Winemaker Tasting
- New Event Larry McKenna is a Kiwi wine legend. It’s official. He is pretty much the godfather of Kiwi Pinot and he makes amazing whites too. And he’s visiting our little shop! We’ll taste across the range offered by Escarpment; a Pinot Gris, two levels of Chardonnay and 5 different Pinot Noirs. Pinotphiles, Kiwis, Kiwiphiles and anoraks must clear diaries and grab a ticket.
- 10th
- March
- Wednesday
- 8pm
- £35
- Chateauneuf and Beyond
- We will taste a range of reds and whites from both the North (Condrieu, Hermitage, Cote Rotie etc) and South Rhone regions (Gigondas, Chateauneuf du Pape etc), and examine the hierarchy from Cotes du Rhone upwards.
- 16th
- March
- Tuesday
- 8pm*
- £15
- Peter Franus
- Winemaker Tasting
- New Event We have just started stocking 3 mighty reds (Zinfandel, Mourvedre and Bordeaux blend) from this boutique Napa operation. We are delighted to welcome the man himself who will present his full portfolio. If you are a fan of Californian wine you should make sure you get a ticket. *time may change slightly
- 24th
- March
- Wednesday
- 8pm
- £40
- Fine red wines of Tuscany
- Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Supertuscans...
- We feature some of Tuscany’s greatest estates, and will be showing stunning wines from the native Sangiovese grape in various versions, as well as examples of just how well the region can cope with international varieties.
- 1st
- April
- Thursday
- 8pm
- £25
- Blind Tasting
- An April Fool’s guide to Blind Tasting
- New Event A gentle introduction to the art/skill/lottery that is blind tasting. You’ll be given some useful general hints, plus some clues to guide you for each wine. There will be a prize for the best nose but we won’t be taking things too seriously. And don’t worry. Despite the date we won’t be going out of our way to trick you. Much. And we won’t actually blind you. Well not permanently.
- 8th
- April
- Thursday
- 8pm
- £25
- A Proper Cheese and Wine Evening
- 8 cheeses / 8 wines
- Sold Out These evenings featuring cheeses from Neal’s Yard presented by Theo from the Deli Downstairs are so popular that we have to run them very regularly. This also means you can’t hang about and need to book promptly. Pairing wines to cheese is hard - a cheese that goes well with Cheddar might be horrible with Stilton. And it’s hard to find anything to cope with Brie. We’ll try around 8 cheeses (hard, soft, blue etc) with a wine chosen to match. Then we’ll mix things up and see which wine is the best allrounder.
- 14th
- April
- Wednesday
- 8pm
- £25
- How to Taste Wine
- An introduction to wine tasting
- The tasting is based on the first session of the numerous multi-week college courses that I have taught. We will focus on the main aspects that form the character of a wine, such as aroma, flavour, texture, alcohol, acidity, tannin, oak and age, and how these elements can be detected in the mouth and on the nose. By the end of the session you should have improved your wine vocabulary and be better equipped to convey your likes and dislikes to a wine waiter or wine shop worker. An array of wines will be tasted covering different styles, quality levels and ages, from the modest to the spectacular.
- 15th
- April
- Thursday
- 8pm
- £25
- How to Taste Wine
- An introduction to wine tasting
- Extra Date The tasting is based on the first session of the numerous multi-week college courses that I have taught. We will focus on the main aspects that form the character of a wine, such as aroma, flavour, texture, alcohol, acidity, tannin, oak and age, and how these elements can be detected in the mouth and on the nose. By the end of the session you should have improved your wine vocabulary and be better equipped to convey your likes and dislikes to a wine waiter or wine shop worker. An array of wines will be tasted covering different styles, quality levels and ages, from the modest to the spectacular.
- 21th
- April
- Wednesday
- 8pm
- £75
- The Spring Big One
- Once per season we hold a Big One, a tasting showcasing some of the jewels of our range, some new arrivals, and perhaps the odd bottle from our personal cellars thrown in. We can’t say exactly what will turn up at this stage but you can expect a range of classics and new wave, Old world and New world, including rare items and things with a bit of bottle age. For the full line up watch this space.
- 27th
- April
- Tuesday
- 7.30pm—11pm
- £120 for two people
- Something Fishy
- with Jonathan Norris Fishmongers
- This is a great night for keen cooks and fish fans. Johnathan Norris have recently opened a branch in the Village and we have been drawing up plans for collaboration for some time. You will be taught how to prepare (descale/gut /fillet etc) two types of fish, plus a shellfish and squid. Then we will cook and eat half of it, matching each dish with a suitable wine, including Champagne. You will then take a doggie (fishie?) bag home of the remainder of the fish for you to practice what you learned. NB we advise that this event is most suitable for couples or pairs of friends so you can cook and eat what you take home together. Please specify when booking whether you are bringing your own fish knife – a professional knife can be supplied for £8.
- 5th
- May
- Wednesday
- 8pm
- £25
- How to Taste Wine
- An introduction to wine tasting
- The tasting is based on the first session of the numerous multi-week college courses that I have taught. We will focus on the main aspects that form the character of a wine, such as aroma, flavour, texture, alcohol, acidity, tannin, oak and age, and how these elements can be detected in the mouth and on the nose. By the end of the session you should have improved your wine vocabulary and be better equipped to convey your likes and dislikes to a wine waiter or wine shop worker. An array of wines will be tasted covering different styles, quality levels and ages, from the modest to the spectacular.
- 13th
- May
- Thursday
- 8pm
- £40
- Canape Evening
- Matching food and wine with Escense Catering
- Kiwi Rhonda makes a sinfully gorgeous range of canapés for prestigious clients – not just us, but also the New Zealand ambassador amongst others. We’ll try 8 different ones, each served with a particular wine to demonstrate key concepts in food and wine pairing.
- 19th
- May
- Wednesday
- 8pm
- £35
- A Proper Cheese and Wine Evening
- 8 cheeses / 8 wines
- These evenings featuring cheeses from Neal’s Yard presented by Theo from the Deli Downstairs are so popular that we have to run them very regularly. This also means you can’t hang about and need to book promptly. Pairing wines to cheese is hard - a cheese that goes well with Cheddar might be horrible with Stilton. And it’s hard to find anything to cope with Brie. We’ll try around 8 cheeses (hard, soft, blue etc) with a wine chosen to match. Then we’ll mix things up and see which wine is the best all-rounder.
- 27th
- May
- Thursday
- 8pm
- £25
- Spain Beyond Rioja
- Spanish wine has undergone a major transformation in the last decade or so with new regions developing and old ones modernising and reinventing themselves. We’ll save Rioja for its own tasting and instead select wines from less familar locations including Rias Baixas, Rueda, Toro, Priorat, Mallorca and Malaga. Tapas will of course be served!
