Past Tastings
Uncovering great wines from consumer, trade and press tastings
-
Provence Rosé Tasting
In April 2025, I joined a virtual masterclass hosted by Ray O’Connor MW, ambassador for Vins de Provence. Aimed at trade and press, the session tackled the question: “Provence rosé: are they all the same?” and explored the breadth and diversity the region has to offer. Ray took us through the regions and sub-regions of…
-
Morrisons Spring Summer Press Tasting 2025
In April 2025, I was invited to the Morrisons Spring Summer Press Tasting in London, where around 100 wines were on show. A pianist added a touch of class to the event, playing gentle background music as we tasted our way through the selection. Morrisons is showing a focus on sourcing quality wines from less…
-
Lidl Spring Wine Tours
In early April 2025, I was invited to Lidl’s press wine tasting event in London, where they showcased a selection of wines set to be released as part of their upcoming Wine Tour series for May, June and a few from July. In addition to these limited-time wines, several offerings from Lidl’s core range were…
-
The Definitive Champagne Tasting
On the first day of April 2025, I attended The Definitive Champagne Tasting, a two-floor event held at the Tate Modern in London. Organised by the UK’s Champagne Shippers’ Association, it marked the first generic Champagne trade tasting in London since 2018. With 51 producers represented, including Champagne houses, cooperatives, and growers, the event featured…
-
Tesco Spring Summer Tasting 2025
In March 2023, I went to the Tesco Spring Summer Press Tasting in London, where a large line-up of 152 wines was showcased, including 19 new wines. One of the most notable developments was Tesco’s move towards greater sustainability in its wine packaging. Working in collaboration with the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) and various suppliers,…
-
Bulgarian Tasting
In March 2025, I attended the Bulgarian Tasting and Masterclass in London, which specifically focused on the Thracian Lowlands, one of Bulgaria’s two PGI regions. The Masterclass, led by Dr Jamie Goode, centred on Bulgaria’s indigenous grape varieties. The walkaround tasting featuring over 60 wines. Representatives from The Jolly Merchants, Danube Wines, and Swig importers…
-
Aldi Spring Summer Tasting 2025
I went to the Aldi Spring Summer Press Tasting in early March 2025 in London. Aldi is now the third-largest wine retailer in the UK by volume, across red, white and rosé wines. This year, they expanded their Unearthed and Specially Selected wine ranges and also had some interesting new additions from Washington State. There…
-
SITT Spring Tasting 2025
In late February 2025, I attended the Specialist Importers’ Trade Tasting (SITT) in London. With 47 specialist importers showcasing over 700 wines from diverse regions including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Lebanon, Moldova, Spain, Ukraine, the USA, Italy, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, there was an impressive array to explore. The wines are exclusively…
-
Wanderlust Trade Portfolio Tasting 2025
In February 2025, I was invited to the Wanderlust Annual Trade Portfolio Tasting in London. The event showcased around 130 wines, with a particular spotlight on 20 of their passionate and independent producers who were present. Wanderlust imports sustainable wines into the UK, working exclusively with family-owned or independent producers. They focus on organic and…
-
The Best of Rioja 2025
In February 2025, I attended Tim Atkin MW’s Best of Rioja tasting in London. Like the inaugural event last year, this was a truly rare occasion, bringing together an incredible collection of wines in one room. In this year when Rioja celebrates the 100th anniversary of the creation of its Denominación de Origen, the event…
-
Gonzalez Byass 21st Birthday Tasting
2025 marks 21 years since Gonzalez Byass established its UK office and to celebrate, the company hosted an extensive tasting in London, showcasing its diverse and expanding portfolio. The company now represents wines from ten different countries, including renowned producers such as Vilarnau Cava, Champagne Deutz, Domäne Wachau, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Jackson Estate, Wirra Wirra, Ashton…
-
Lidl Winter Wine Tours 2025
In early February 2025, I attended Lidl’s press wine tasting event in London, where they showcased wines set to be available from either the end of February and the end of March as part of their Wine Tour series. Alongside these limited-time selections, there were also a few wines from their core range. Lidl’s Wine…
-
Australia and New Zealand Trade Tasting 2025
For the first time, Australia and New Zealand combined their annual trade tastings in London, an event that historically has been held separately, New Zealand’s since 1982 and Wine Australia’s since 1986. The decision to merge the two was likely influenced by lower attendance in 2023, though it’s worth noting that train strikes in 2023…
-
Hallgarten & Novum Annual Portfolio Tasting 2025
The Hallgarten & Novum Annual Portfolio Tasting was held in January 2025 at the iconic Old Billingsgate in London. The choice of a new, expansive venue symbolised the company’s fresh direction, described by Hallgarten as “Our Next Chapter”. This event marked a pivotal moment for one of the UK’s leading wine distributors, reflecting its growth…
-
Doctor Wine’s 2025 Essential Guide to Italian Wine
In January 2025, I attended an insightful Italian wine masterclass and an exceptional wine tasting experience. Daniele Cernilli, known as Doctor Wine, is a leading Italian wine expert, award-winning journalist, author and educator. He co-founded Gambero Rosso and edited its annual wine guide for 24 years. In 2011, he launched the Doctor Wine web magazine,…
-
VIN 2025: a French Wine Tasting
VIN in London marked my first tasting for 2025, an event organised by Business France, the trade section of the French Embassy in the UK, in collaboration with various French partners. This event brought together four UK importers and 34 producers, showing an impressive selection of over 500 wines from multiple French regions. The wines…
-
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…
-
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’,…
-
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…
-
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…
Recent
Tags
25% Off Wine Aldi Amarone Argentina Articles Asda Australia Bibendum Biodynamic Bizarre Blog Books Bordeaux Bulgaria Cabernet Sauvignon Carménère Cava Champagne Chile Climate Change Coop Decanter Duty English Wine Europe Events Food France Furmint Glossary Greece Headaches Health Hungary Iceland IGT Italy IWSC Jeroboams Laithwaites Legislation Liberty Wines Lidl Low Alcohol M&S Majestic Malbec Marketing Merch Merlot Morrisons Naked Wines News New Zealand Ocado Offers Organic Past Tastings Pinotage Pinot Noir Port Portugal Prices Primitivo Prosecco Regulations Reviews Ribera del Duero Rioja Ripasso Rose Sainsbury's Saperavi Sauvignon Blanc Scotland Selfridges Shiraz Sicily South Africa Spain Sparkling Supermarkets Sustainable Tax Terroir Tesco The Wine Society Unrepresented USA Valpolicella Vegan Virgin Wines Waitrose Wanderlust Welsh Wine What to Buy Wine Art WineGB WIne Glasses Zinfandel