Past Tastings
Past consumer, trade and press tastings
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Majestic Showcase
In December 2024, with so few press tastings in the calendar, this gave me the opportunity to visit my local Woking Majestic for their showcase tasting. The event featured nine wines, arranged across three sections: white, red and sweet/fortified. The tasting began on a high note with the Taittinger Brut Réserve, a sparkling classic that…
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Wines of Alentejo Battle of Icons
In early December 2024, London hosted a unique event: Wines of Alentejo, Battle of Icons. This gathering brought together 18 people from the trade and press to explore and celebrate the exceptional wines of Alentejo, one of Portugal’s most renowned southern wine regions. The event focused on identifying and highlighting wines poised to become ‘Icons’,…
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Wines of New York State
In late November 2024, I attended a wine tasting event focused on the wines of New York State, presented by Jamie Goode. Jamie Goode, renowned for his book Wine Science, brought his expertise and insight to an intriguing exploration of a region not typically associated with wine production. While New York State might not be…
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Tim Atkin MW Ribera del Duero Selection
Each September, Tim Atkin MW spends two weeks in Ribera del Duero, meeting winemakers and sampling a large number of wines. This year, he tasted about 551 wines from 173 bodegas. In November 2024, he presented the fifth annual selection of his top 100 wines, with scores, at a tasting event in London. The top…
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Abruzzo’s Signature Wines
In mid-November 2024, I attended an Abruzzo wine tasting event in London. The trade-focused event showcased a range of wines from the Abruzzo region, including whites such as Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Pecorino d’Abruzzo, the vibrant rosé Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, and the region’s iconic red, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Most of the producers were seeking representation in the UK….
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Cru Bourgeois du Médoc
In mid-November 2024, I attended a Cru Bourgeois du Médoc tasting event in London, featuring a selection of 64 wines from the 2022 vintage. Roughly 60% of the wines presented were seeking representation, making it an interesting event for industry professionals and wine merchants on the lookout for new additions. I’ve put together a short…
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Davy’s Autumn Trade Tasting
In late October 2024, I went to Davy’s Autumn Trade Tasting in London. Davy’s, established in 1870, supplies a range of bars, hotels, restaurants and catering services, as well as private and corporate clients, including universities, colleges and companies. Their offerings are available through several wine shops in London, online and via mail order. The…
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Morrisons Autumn/Winter Press Tasting
I went to the Morrisons Autumn/Winter Press Tasting in London in October 2024, an event that showcased a great selection of 127 wines, curated with the festive season in mind. A pianist provided a touch of elegance, enhancing the ambiance as we explored the wines on offer. There has been a refresh of Morrisons’ The…
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Monastrell Masterclass and Tasting
In October 2024, I attended a Monastrell Masterclass led by Patrick Schmitt MW, followed by a walk-around tasting. The event was sponsored by Monastrell Spain, so all the wines were Spanish, though the masterclass also referenced other countries for context. Monastrell is known as Mourvèdre in France and has lots of different names in other…
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Asda Autumn Winter Wine Showcase
I attended Asda’s Autumn/Winter Wine Showcase which took place in October 2024. The event highlighted Asda’s impressive achievements, with 91% of their own label and private label wines having won awards this year, a total of 350 awards. Asda continues to focus on maintaining high quality by blending their wines at the source whenever possible….
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Sainsbury’s Autumn Winter Press Tasting
Sainsbury’s Autumn Winter 2024 Press Tasting, in London, in October offered an impressive range of wines, particularly sparkling ones, that seem perfectly suited for the upcoming holiday season. Here are the highlights and my notes on what stood out for me: Louis Latour Mâcon-Villages 2023 £16 13%I’m typically not drawn to Chardonnay, but this one…
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Waitrose Autumn Tasting
In October 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the Waitrose Autumn Wines, Beers and Spirits Press Tasting. The showcase featured over 125 wines, mostly available in Waitrose stores with a select few only available online at Waitrose Cellar. Waitrose have launched five new offerings in the Loved & Found wine range, including Aranel, Piedirosso,…
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Lidl Winter Wine Tours
In October 2024, I went to a Lidl press wine tasting event in London, which showcased an interesting selection of wines set to be introduced for the upcoming Winter and Christmas Wine Tours as well as many from the core range. Some of the wines were part of Lidl’s Wine Tour series, where wines are…
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Wines of Greece
In October 2024, I went to a Wines of Greece tasting event in London where there were 127 wines from various regions of Greece. This trade and press event provided an rare opportunity to sample wines predominantly made from grape varietals unfamiliar to me, which added a layer of intrigue to the experience. Here are…
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Simply Italian Great Wines Tasting
In early October 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the Simply Italian Great Wines Trade Tasting, an event with many exciting wines yet to be available in the UK. For importers and retailers alike, this event offered numerous opportunities to discover new offerings that could bring something fresh to the British market. The tasting…
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Tesco Autumn Winter Tasting
In September 2024, I had the opportunity to attend a Tesco Autumn Winter Tasting event, where I got to look at the exciting changes in their wine selection. Tesco has just completed its most significant update to their wine range in 15 years, introducing 130 new products. Notably, there’s been an increase in the number…
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Majestic Autumn Winter Tasting
In September 2024, I attended the Majestic Press Tasting event, which showcased 109 wines from their Autumn/Winter collection. The selection included new arrivals, fine wines and special parcels curated for the upcoming Christmas season. It was a comprehensive display, offering a wide range of styles and price points, as well as Majestic’s recently updated off-the-beaten-track…
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The Grape Unveiling
Hallgarten & Novum Wines is one of the UK’s leading specialist wine merchants, boasting over 90 years of experience in the industry. As a renowned wine wholesaler, supplier and importer, they focus on distributing premium wines to the on-trade (hospitality) and off-trade sectors (supermarkets, independents). In September 2024, I attended The Grape Unveiling in London,…
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Hatch Mansfield Autumn Portfolio Tasting
In September 2024, I attended the Hatch Mansfield Autumn Portfolio Tasting, an event in London showcasing an impressive array of wines from Hatch Mansfield’s portfolio. This agency focuses on wines crafted by independent, family-owned winemakers. Their portfolio includes well-known names such as Taittinger, C.V.N.E, Villa Maria and Errazuriz. Their wines can be found at many…
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Aldi Autumn Winter Wine Tasting
In September 2024, I attended the Aldi Autumn Winter Press Wine Tasting, where 98 wines were showcased. It was a great opportunity to experience the variety and quality of Aldi’s wine offerings as they continue to establish themselves as a major player in the UK market. In fact, Aldi recently became the third-largest wine retailer,…
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