Previous Meetings, 2022/23

Here you can find a recap of our tastings for this season. Maybe you might like to join us next time.

5th May 2023 – Lee Isaacs, presented Consumer Understanding and Expectations in Wines

For those of us with a keen interest, choosing wine can be a fun experience of learning and discovery. However, it can sometimes be a minefield of unknown terminology and mysterious labelling. There is so much choice on restaurant wine lists, our supermarket or local wine shop shelves, and most of all, online! How do we, the modern consumer, make our wine choices, and what are we hoping for when we do? Do we stick to firm favourites or do we let deals and offers lead us? In this tasting Lee took us through the information available to us while we explored the ideas – and debunked some myths – behind how we make our buying decisions.

14th April 2023 – Gilbert Winfield, with Rioja – Old and New

For our April meeting, we welcomed back Gilbert Winfield of Winfield Wines, who refreshed memories on Rioja wines. We started by waking our palates with a refreshing Cava (no, Gilbert wasn’t muddled, Cava is also made in Rioja)! We then travelled through white and rosé, before exploring Rioja’s old and new classifications in a selection of fine reds from the three regions: Alta, Alavesa, and Oriental. An old classic with a new twist!

3rd March 2023 – Christos Ioannou with Recent Trends in South African Wines

South African wine has a history dating back to 1659 with the first bottle being produced in Cape Town by its founder and governer Jan van Riebeeck. So it really is the Old ‘New World’. However the wine industry is in effect 30 years old and has changed out of all recognition since the formal end of apartheid. South Africa is now the 8th largest wine producer.

Christos Ioannou of Criterion Wine has personally witnessed the changes in the last 10 years, having run several wine tours to South Africa, and came to visit us having just returned from the country, after completed another tour there, so he had all the latest news as well as plenty of photos!

3rd February 2023 – Domaine Roger Perrin, introduced by Douglas Harrison

For our February meeting, we welcomed back Douglas Harrison, who introduced us to seven wines from the range by Rhone producer Domaine Roger Perrin.

The Domaine has been a family-run business for five generations, offering a wide choice of wines whose character and finesse should please everyone. The vineyard extends over more than 40 hectares, and is divided into four appellations: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Côtes du Rhône and Vin de Pays de la Principality d’Orange.

The originality of its terroirs and the quality of the work carried out in the vineyard and in the cellar are guarantees of the reputation of the Domaine, which are recognised and appreciated by wine lovers and connoisseurs.

6th January 2023 – Call My Bluff, with Ian Mclaren

For our first tasting of 2023, we welcomed back Ian Mclaren, Chairman of the Central London Wine Society, who gave us a friendly blind tasting.

Once each bottle was poured, three possible wines were described, one of which was true, the other two bluffs. There were no prizes for high (or low) scores, but instead it was just a fun and informative evening!

2nd December 2022 – Cheeses (and Saucisson) from Cheddar Deli, with wines paired by Charlie Charter

For our special Christmas meeting, Charlie Carter led us through a tasting focused on the key elements of food and wine pairing. He matched a variety of wines to a bespoke platter of cheesesfrom local retailer Cheddar Deli, on Northfields Avenue, and taking us through a range of tastes, textures, and terroir.

4th November – The Jura region of France, with Lee Isaacs

For our November meeting, we ended up with a last minut change of speaker, but Lee Isaacs rose to the challenge, and took us through a nubmer of wines from the lesser celebrated, but increasingly popular, Jura wine region in France. It’s no secret that Jura has a long tradition of making wines that aren’t always the most consumer friendly. There are many factors contributing to the recent changing of the guard, however. These includes an influx of young international winemakers that have descended on the region, breathing new life into these traditional styles, and experimenting with the indigenous grape varieties.

7th October 2022 – An English (and maybe Welsh!) selection with Will Parker

We were delighted to welcome back Will Parker, with an update on English wines to kick off our 2022-23 season. While South East England featured prominently there are vineyards much further afield including in Scotland! Will showcased some of the various styles from England (home to over 95% of the production) and also one from Wales.