Past Tastings
Uncovering great wines from consumer, trade and press tastings
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Majestic Spring Press Tasting
In mid-April 2026, I was at the Majestic Spring Press Tasting at Vagabond Urban Winery in Canada Water, London, a new venue for Majestic tastings. There were around 100 wines on show with a focus on wines suited to events and entertaining such as weddings, parties, dining and barbecues. As always, Majestic provided the most comprehensive, informative and impressive tasting booklet imaginable, which made navigating the range a pleasure. These are the wines that particularly caught my eye. Prices quoted are for a mixed six, as I honestly cannot see why anyone could walk into Majestic and buy just one…
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The Wine Society Spring Summer
The Wine Society, established in 1874, is the world’s oldest member-owned wine community. Today, it has more than 180,000 members and offers over 1,400 wines from around the world, sourced from more than 700 suppliers. With a strong focus on member interests over profit, it has built a reputation for quality, trust and value. In mid-April 2026, I was invited to The Wine Society’s Spring/Summer press tasting in London, where around 120 wines were showcased. These were the bottles that particularly stood out to me: The Society’s Champagne Brut NV 12.5% £36.50A blend of 52% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir and…
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Lidl Spring Summer Tours
On the first day of April 2026, I attended Lidl’s Spring/Summer press tasting in London, where around 50 wines were showcased from the retailer’s current April, forthcoming May and June releases, along with a small preview of its July Wine Tour. A number of bottles from Lidl’s core range, available year-round, were also available to try. Lidl’s Wine Tours typically last for around two months, giving shoppers a limited opportunity to buy these bottles before they disappear from the shelves. The most popular wines often sell out quickly, which is very much part of Lidl’s approach, keeping the range dynamic,…
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Tesco Spring/Summer Press Tasting
In late March 2026, I attended the Tesco Spring/Summer press tasting in London. Tesco was awarded Outstanding Supermarket Wine Range at the 2026 IWSC Retail Awards, recognising the breadth of its wine selection. For the new Spring/Summer season, Tesco has launched 70 new wines. There were 150 wines showcased at the tasting, including 39 new additions. There was plenty to explore, but these were the bottles that particularly caught my eye: Nyetimber Classic Cuvée NV, 12% ABV, £42English Sparkling made from 35% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir and 28% Pinot Meunier, using only 100% estate-owned fruit. It is aged on the…
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Les Grands Chais de France Tasting
In March 2026, I attended a tasting for the on-trade (hospitality) and independent retail sectors, hosted by Les Grands Chais de France at Vagabond Urban Winery in London. Les Grands Chais de France (GCF) is a major French wine and spirits company and one of Europe’s leading wine merchants. Its business spans branded wines, estate wines, sparkling wines and spirits. In the UK, it is perhaps best known in supermarkets for labels such as J.P. Chenet and Calvet, some of which I have previously reviewed. GCF’s focus is strongly international. Around 80% of its turnover comes from exports, with wines…
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The Best of Rioja 2026
In March 2026, I went to Tim Atkin’s The Best of Rioja, a tasting showcasing more than 300 wines from 39 producers. It was particularly timely, coming just as Rioja had celebrated 100 years as Spain’s oldest DOC. Many of the wines were poured by the producers themselves, which made it possible to talk to them directly, giving real insight into the people and stories behind the wines. The producers present were among those featured in Tim Atkin’s Rioja Report, where he classifies bodegas and cooperatives and awards scores to their wines. While the tasting provided recommended prices for most…
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Nebbiolo Day
In early March 2026 I was at Nebbiolo Day in London, a showcase of 91 Italian producers with hundreds of wines, all made using the Nebbiolo grape. Nebbiolo is a northern Italian story, with the main wine areas being Alto Piemonte, Valtellina, Roero, Barbaresco and Barolo. It’s a grape with real detail and variation, including four different Nebbiolo clones, and it’s said that new Nebbiolo vines need around 10 years to really show their true complexity. I’m not especially interested in ageing wine, or even spending much time trying to predict how a wine will age, so I went looking…
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Welsh Wine Showcase
In early March ’26 I went to a Welsh Wine Showcase in London. It was a small, focused tasting with 7 producers showing 28 wines, with a few Welsh cheeses alongside. Despite the modest line-up, I came away with a higher-than-usual proportion of wines to be highlighted: St Hilary Sparkling White Wine 2023 11.5% £37.50From Cowbridge, this is a traditional method blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It comes from a low intervention, natural winemaker, with a natural ferment and no filtering or fining. It feels very Champagne-like, with a generous autolytic pastry character despite only 12 months…
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Taste Spain London 2026
In February 2026, I attended a new event organised by the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in London. Taste Spain brought together Spanish food and wine in a lively showcase. The Spanish Deli featured cheeses, cured meats, olive oils, vinegars and other foods, while The Spanish Cellar focused on wine. The event included Spanish wine exporters seeking UK distribution and also gave established UK importers the opportunity to present their Spanish wine portfolios. As I usually cover Red Rioja and Ribera del Duero at their respective tastings later in the year, I mainly focused on other styles on this…
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Wines of Portugal’s Grand Trade & Press Tasting
In February 2026 I was invited to Wines of Portugal’s Grand Trade & Press Tasting in London, a wide-ranging snapshot of what’s happening across Portuguese wine right now. There were 59 producers and more than 570 wines, representing 11 different wine regions. Most wines were poured by the producers themselves, which made it easy to get context and detail alongside the tasting, though there was also a Free Pour Area. That section was organised around three themes: low alcohol wines, single-varietal expressions from some of Portugal’s lesser-known indigenous grapes and Portugal’s Sustainable Wine Growing Certification. I also attended a masterclass…
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Lidl Winter/Spring Wine Tours
At the beginning of February 2026, I was invited to a press tasting in London, where a selection of wines was presented from Lidl’s February Wine Tour, currently available, as well as forthcoming releases for the March and April Wine Tours. Alongside these were a number of bottles from their core range, providing a broader view of what’s on offer. Lidl’s Wine Tours usually run for about two months, offering a limited window to pick up these bottles while stocks last. Many of the more popular choices tend to sell out rapidly, which is all part of the retailer’s strategy…
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Hallgarten & Novum Portfolio Tasting 2026
This trade tasting took place in early February 2026 at the iconic Old Billingsgate in London, with a selection of over 900 wines served, in most cases, by the producers themselves. This year’s event marked the second major tasting since Hallgarten & Novum became part of Coterie Holdings, following its acquisition in January 2024. The group now also includes Lay & Wheeler and Coterie Vaults, a fine wine storage and logistics specialist. Founded in 1933, Hallgarten & Novum has long been known for its focus on premium wines tailored to both the hospitality sector and retail outlets. Over the past…
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ZONIN Annual Portfolio Tasting
In January 2026 I was invited to ZONIN1821’s portfolio tasting, an event that combined structured masterclasses with the opportunity to explore the range more informally via a walkaround tasting. A key part of the event for me was a food and wine matching masterclass, which offered useful insight into how different styles performed alongside carefully chosen dishes. ZONIN1821, is one of Italy’s most established wine businesses, with a history that stretches back to 1821. The company was founded in Gambellara, in the Veneto, and while it remains family owned, it now operates on a genuinely international scale. At the heart…
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Australia and New Zealand Trade Tasting 2026
This was the second ever joint New Zealand and Australia tasting, bringing together more than 1,000 wines from 240 producers. The line-up spanned 57 regions across Australia and New Zealand and covered 30 different grape varieties, offering a broad snapshot of what the two countries are doing right now. New “Sommelier Selections” feature tables added a useful shortcut through the ubiquity, showcasing wines nominated by working sommeliers. There was also a notable contingent of producers actively looking for a route into the UK, with 130 new wines poured by wineries seeking distribution. At the last tasting I went in search…
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Borsa Vini Italiani
In January 2026 I attended Borsa Vini Italiani, run by the Italian Trade Agency. There were 43 producers presenting more than 300 wines. I previously attended this tasting in 2024, when I focused on seeking out more atypical Italian offerings by grape variety. This time I went with a wider remit, but there were still far too many wines to try. I decided to narrow my focus a little and look only at reds. As the majority of exhibitors were looking for representation in the UK, I am showing indicative European retail pricing in euros. Here are my picks: Fattoria…
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WineAlive London Big Christmas Wine Festival
In November 2025, I went to the WineAlive London Big Christmas Wine Festival. This event marked the rebranded and expanded version of the well-known Three Wine Men consumer wine tastings, now operating under the WineAlive name. The new format retains the core elements of large walk-around tastings, themed masterclasses and online interactive sessions where attendees can taste along with the hosts. WineAlive is fronted by familiar names Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Tim Atkin MW, joined by new hosts Susy Atkins, Tom Surgey and Luma Monteiro. Susy is a respected drinks writer with many years of experience as a columnist…
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Les Crus Bourgeois
In November 2025 I was invited to Les Crus Bourgeois 2023 tasting in London, an event that brought together wines from the Médoc. Les Crus Bourgeois is a long-standing quality classification for estates not included in the famous Bordeaux 1855 ranking. First established in 1932, it highlights producers whose wines meet demanding standards, with blind tastings and estate inspections ensuring both quality and consistency. I have written a separate article that explores the system in greater depth, including the tiers and the châteaux involved. This tasting was the first UK trade showing of the 2025 Classification, unveiled the previous February.…
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Australian Wine Tasting
In early November 2025, I attended an Australian wine tasting event in London, organised by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). The tasting brought together a mix of producers and importers, showcasing a wide range of wines from across Australia. It was a busy and, at times, crowded event, with over 25 wineries represented and close to 300 wines available to taste. As expected, there was no shortage of Shiraz, but I focused on seeking out wines that offered something a bit different. Below are the highlights of what I discovered. Prices weren’t provided at the event, so I’ve…
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Tasting for The Essential Guide to Italian Wine
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 Rosso and was editor of its renowned annual wine guide for many years. In 2011, he launched the Doctor Wine online magazine, through which he continues to share his deep and comprehensive knowledge of Italian wine. The tasting coincided with the launch of the 2026…
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Morrisons Autumn Winter Press Tasting
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 wave of Morrisons’ Wine Block Series, two of which I’ve singled out below. This limited-edition, numbered collection sits within the retailer’s The Best range and focuses on wines made from distinctive single vineyard ‘blocks’ or particularly expressive sites across the globe. The aim is to…
Pick Lists
Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20
Did You Know?
Australian wine exports to China have collapsed from around $1.2 billion to less than $10 million. More
Wine’s aroma is not determined solely by which flavour compounds it contains. More
Low-to-moderate wine consumption is associated with lower mortality. More
Moderate water stress can be part of what creates flavour and terroir expression. More
Wine appears less frequently online than other alcoholic drinks. More
Independent retailers had 9% fewer customers in March 2026 than two years earlier. More
Average spend per bottle in independents has risen by 23% since 2019, compared with 21% in supermarkets. More.
Nearly a third (32%) of UK consumers say they have already used AI for alcoholic drinks advice. More
Among socially active wine buyers, 37% have bought a wine recommended online. More
In 2026, 72% of consumers now think wine knowledge is essential to appreciation, up 20 percentage points on 2025. More
Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More
Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More
People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More
In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More
UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More
For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More
Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More
Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More
A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More
Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More
In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More
In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More
In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More
In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More
Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More
Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More
In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More
Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More
8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More
Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More
Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More
Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More
Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More
During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More
In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More
In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More
In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More
In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More
In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More
In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More
Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More
In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More
In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More
In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More
The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More
Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More
Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More
In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More
The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More
90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More
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