Events
The Club's diary of forthcoming events is here.
Forthcoming events are listed below. For earlier events, please see the historic events page.
Saturday 19th October 2024 - Wines of Argentina with Mark Bradbury of Ruta40
We welcome the return of Mark for another excellent selection of Argentine Wines, but this time it is going to be an Argentinian wine ‘taste off’ where we pit wines against each other for you to rate and judge.
"There will be at least four rounds of two wines each, one will be the Battle Of Torrontes; and in another you will have two mighty Malbecs going head-to-head; plus two more rounds where you'll need to decide the winner. It will be a challenge but it will be fun."
Mark
Saturday 16th November 2024 - Will Hargrove of Corney and Barrow – Riesling – the great chameleon?
Will Hargrove is Head of Fine Wine at Corney & Barrow having been with the company for 25 years, he has a particular passion for the wines of Italy and the whites of Germany. He owns more Riesling himself than any other white grape variety. This tasting will be a chance to explore the diversity of styles and personalities of this very noble variety.
Corney & Barrow - In 1780, Edward Bland Corney opened his shop on London’s Old Broad Street, offering a small selection of port, sherry and Bordeaux. The business flourished, and in 1838, his son, Thomas introduced his cousin Robert Barrow to the trade. The Corney & Barrow name was born. Today, our offices have grown to the north of England, Scotland, Hong Kong, Singapore & Shanghai, and have expanded into every sector of the market. We became the first traditional wine merchant to establish a wine broking operation and our merchant business is growing every day. Still privately owned, 75% of our portfolio is exclusive to us – a testament to the dedication of our relationships. Our range has grown to include the highest quality wines, from everyday drinking to the heights of Petrus and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
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Saturday 14th December 2024 - French Wines from "Bordeaux and Beyond" with Tony Hill of Bordeaux and Beyond
We welcome the return of Tony Hill, owner of Bordeaux and Beyond, for our end of year celebration. Tony will take us to "Bordeaux and Beyond" with half of the wines from Bordeaux and the half from the rest of France including champagne ( plus another of their famous champagne quizzes), covering many different Appellations, some famous and some not so famous. Tony will give the story behind the wines from small independent vignerons in France, not usually available elsewhere.
Bordeaux and Beyond is a web based business and is now in its 17th year of trading, but continues to sell only wines that Bordeaux and Beyond imports, and more importantly, wines that they are happy to drink themselves .
This could also be the occasion to launch the next VWTC wine tour - Bordeaux 2025 - start date of Saturday 14th June 2025 tbc.
Saturday 18th January 2025 - Don Porter Battered Trophy - Blind Tasting Competition
To start our programme of events for 2025, it is with great pleasure and thanks that we welcome Peter and Sue Chasney to run our annual Blind Tasting Competition. As usual we will be tasked with identifying the grape variety and country of 4 white wines and 4 red wines tasted blind. A prize will be awarded to the winner of the whites and to the winner of the red wines and to the overall winner. In addition, the overall winner will be awarded the Battered Trophy which, in memory of the person who first conceived this very popular annual event back in circa 1992, is called "The Don Porter Battered Trophy". Don and Jan Porter are sadly missed by many of the longstanding members of the Club who, I'm sure, will remember their enthusiasm and help in making the Club the success it is today.
Saturday 15th February - Wild Washington with Jennifer Williams-Bulkeley of Ally Wines
Come explore wines from America's most exciting wine region, Washington state. Extreme terrain, wild weather, own rootstock, exceptional vine material, diverse varietals and massive diurnal shifts all contribute to the making of interesting and delicious wines. From Columbia Gorge to Walla Walla with a stop in Red Mountain, we will drink our way from from the Cascades to the Blue Mountains, West to East from Seattle to the border of Idaho, a unique directional journey and making the wines distinctively from Washington.
Jennifer
Saturday 15th March - Wines of Emilia Romagna with Charles Dall'Omo of San Martino Wines
Over the years we have had tastings from various parts of Italy from Piedmont in the North to Sardinia in the South. Now we have the opportunity to taste the wines of Emilia Romagna.
Saturday 12th April - Wines of Domaine La Tasque - Juliet Bruce Jones
We welcome the return of Juliet and Simon, as they share their experiences as winegrowers in the Languedoc, and share with us the fruits of their labour.
Saturday 17th May - Tyrrell's Wines, Hunter Valley, Australia - presented by Marcus Parry of Fells Fine Wines
Having arrived in Australia four years previously, in 1858 Edward Tyrrell took up a concessional allotment of 320 acres of land in the Hunter Valley. Planting Semillon and Shiraz vines, Edward harvested his first vintage in 1864. Five generations later and Tyrrell’s Family Winemakers are now the icon producer of this historic region, producing Australia’s most-awarded white wine – the famous Vat 1 Semillon.
Marcus from Fells will return to VWTC to present a selection from across the Tyrrell’s portfolio, exploring the unique and iconic styles of wine produced in the Hunter Valley today.
Saturday 21st June - tbc
Saturday 20th September - tbc
Saturday 18th October - tbc
Saturday 15th November - Wines of the Rhone with James Bercovici of The Big Red Wine Company
We welcome the return of James Bercovici for a fine selection of Wines of the Rhone
Saturday 13th December - tbc