Past Tastings

Uncovering great wines from consumer, trade and press tastings

  • Tasting for The Essential Guide to Italian Wine

    Tasting for The Essential Guide to Italian Wine

    , ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    In October 2025, in London, wine professionals and enthusiasts gathered for a tasting event to celebrate the The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2026. The event was led by Daniele Cernilli, better known as Doctor Wine, one of Italy’s foremost wine experts. A celebrated journalist, author and educator, Cernilli is also the co-founder of Gambero…

  • Morrisons Autumn Winter Press Tasting

    Morrisons Autumn Winter Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    My final supermarket press tasting of the Autumn/Winter season took place with Morrisons. Held in mid-October 2025, the event was hosted at the usual London venue, where a pianist played gentle background music, lending a touch of elegance as we tasted our way through the selection. Among the highlights were some wines from the upcoming…

  • Co-op Autumn Winter Press Tasting

    Co-op Autumn Winter Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    In mid-October 2025, I went to the Co-op Press Wine Tasting in London. This year’s event was held at a new, upmarket venue for the Co-op tastings. A total of 71 wines were on show, with over 50 new additions having made their debut this year. The Co-op has placed a strong focus on refreshing…

  • Asda Autumn Winter Press Tasting

    Asda Autumn Winter Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    Asda’s Autumn Winter Press Tasting took place in mid-October in London. As ever, the supermarket’s core focus remains firmly on delivering great value across its range. This commitment was clearly underlined in the tasting booklet, which acknowledged how increasingly difficult that goal has become in light of ongoing market challenges and record levels of taxation…

  • Tesco Autumn Winter Press Tasting

    Tesco Autumn Winter Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    The Tesco press tasting took place in the middle of an exceptionally busy three-week tasting period in October 2025. A total of 152 wines were available to taste, including 58 new additions. Over the course of the year, Tesco has launched 108 new wines, highlighting its commitment to continual development rather than standing still. Some…

  • Waitrose Autumn Press Tasting

    Waitrose Autumn Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    I was invited to the Waitrose press tasting held in London in October 2025. While the overall wine market has been in decline, Waitrose has managed to outperform it in both value and volume, resulting in an increase in its market share. A notable highlight was the strong performance of New Zealand fine white wine,…

  • Majestic Autumn Press Tasting

    Majestic Autumn Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    In October 2025, I attended the Majestic tasting held at the iconic Lord’s cricket ground. It’s a lovely venue, full of space and natural light, which really added a sense of occasion to the event. Since the last tasting only five months ago, Majestic has expanded with the opening of three new stores in Thame,…

  • The Wine Society Autumn Press Tasting

    The Wine Society Autumn Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    I was pleased to attend The Wine Society Press tasting this time, having missed the previous one due to bereavement. Prior to this, the tastings were held at the private wine members’ club, 67 Pall Mall, which was proving too small. This time, however, the tasting was held at a new venue with expansive views…

  • Sainsbury’s Autumn Winter Press Tasting 2025

    Sainsbury’s Autumn Winter Press Tasting 2025

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    In early October, I was invited to Sainsbury’s Autumn Winter press tasting in London. This time, the venue was different, previously held in their head office food labs, which had quite a sterile feel. Wine always benefits from being served in surroundings that allow for a bit more atmosphere. This time, it was a warehouse-style…

  • Domaine Bousquet Single Block ‘Wild Roots’

    Domaine Bousquet Single Block ‘Wild Roots’

    , ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    In late September 2025, I attended a dinner event marking the UK launch of Domaine Bousquet’s new single block ‘Wild Roots’ wines, part of the winery’s Ameri range, its flagship tier. While the focus was on these new releases, the evening offered some fascinating insight into how the soil, and only the soil, within the…

  • Lidl Autumn Press Tasting

    Lidl Autumn Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    At the start of October 2025 I attended the Lidl Autumn Press tasting in London, where 65 wines were shown that will form part of the October, November and December Wine Tours, along with a handful of new and existing wines from the core range. Lidl’s Wine Tours typically run for around two months, giving…

  • Fairtrade Talk and Tasting

    Fairtrade Talk and Tasting

    , , ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    I was recently invited to a roundtable and tasting event hosted by the Fairtrade Foundation to mark Fairtrade Fortnight. The event took place at the Argentinian Ambassador’s Residence in London and offered a fascinating opportunity to explore the real-world impact of Fairtrade wine on communities in Argentina, Chile and South Africa. Following the discussion, we…

  • Hatch Mansfield Autumn Portfolio Tasting

    Hatch Mansfield Autumn Portfolio Tasting

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    Hatch Mansfield is a leading UK wine agency, founded in 1994 by Patrick McGrath MW alongside partners from renowned producers including Louis Jadot, Errazuriz and Villa Maria. The company specialises in representing and distributing wines from independent, family-owned estates across the globe. While many of the wines it brings to market are found in independent…

  • WineGB Trade and Press Tasting

    WineGB Trade and Press Tasting

    , , ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    At a time when France, Spain and Italy are reducing their vineyard areas, Britain, though far smaller, is expanding. Over the past year registered vineyards have risen by 74 to reach 1,104, while 25 new wineries have been added, bringing the total to 238. The planted area has grown from 4,209 hectares to 4,841 hectares,…

  • Aldi Autumn Winter Tasting

    Aldi Autumn Winter Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    Aldi’s wine press tasting was at Tate Modern in London, my first press tasting of the Autumn–Winter ’25 season. The tasting was smaller than usual at around sixty-five wines plus a handful of fortifieds. The wines shown were mainly seasonal and what’s arriving soon, rather than in the core range. We were told Rosé has…

  • Old Vine Conference

    Old Vine Conference

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    In mid-June 2025, I attended the Old Vine Conference trade and media wine tasting in London. The Old Vine Conference works to raise awareness, deepen understanding and build support for the global old vine movement. It champions the development of a recognised global category for wines made from old vines, lending structure and momentum to…

  • London Wine Fair 2025

    London Wine Fair 2025

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    I visited the London Wine Fair 2025 in May 2025. The event featured 433 exhibitors showcasing an impressive 3,213 products. There were prominent, dedicated pavilions representing France, Italy, Romania, Japan, Greece, Macedonia and Georgia. Each of these had clearly made a strong effort to stand out, with Romania, Japan, Greece, Macedonia and Georgia in particular…

  • The Best of South Africa

    The Best of South Africa

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    In mid-May 2025, I attended the Tim Atkin MW The Best of South Africa Tasting, an event Tim described as likely the finest presentation of South African wines in the UK this year. That claim stood up, the range and calibre of wines on show were outstanding. Tim Atkin MW is known for producing an…

  • Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase

    Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    Early May marked the final supermarket tasting of the spring/summer tasting season, with Asda’s showcase in London closing things out. With 128 wines available to try, this event offered a few new additions and some much-loved favourites presented as newer vintages. As expected for the Spring/Summer, there was a strong emphasis on refreshing whites, rosés…

  • Majestic Spring Press Tasting

    Majestic Spring Press Tasting

    ,

    ·

    By

    Simon Judge

    –

    At the start of May, I attended the Majestic Spring Press Tasting 2025, which this time took place at a different venue, the iconic Lord’s cricket ground in London. Spacious and distinct, the surroundings gave a certain charm to the event, helping the wines feel a little more special. The layout benefited from the space…

Follow

Recent

Tags

25% Off Wine Aldi Amarone Argentina Articles Asda Australia Award Awards25 Bizarre Blog Books Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon Carménère Cava Champagne Chile Climate Change Coop Costco Decanter Duty English Wine EPR Events Fairtrade Food France Furmint Germany Glossary Greece Headaches Health Hungary Italy IWSC Jeroboams Laithwaites Legislation Liberty Wines Lidl Low Alcohol M&S Majestic Malbec Marketing Merch Merlot Morrisons Naked Wines Natural News New Zealand Ocado Old Vine Organic Past Tastings Pinotage Pinot Noir Port Portugal Primitivo Prosecco Regulations Reviews Ribera del Duero Riesling Rioja Ripasso Rose Sainsbury's Saperavi Sauvignon Blanc Selfridges Shiraz Sicily South Africa Spain Sparkling Supermarkets Sustainable Tax Terroir Tesco The Wine Society Unrepresented USA Valpolicella Vinho Verde Virgin Wines Waitrose Wanderlust Welsh Wine What to Buy Wine Art WineGB WIne Glasses Zinfandel