Events Archives - Circle of Wine Writers

Launching Laurent-Perrier’s new iteration

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Robin Goldsmith

Robin Goldsmith attends a special gala dinner in the splendour of Kensington Palace Orangery to celebrate the release of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Iteration N°27, and shares his experience of a rather envy-inducing soirée. The royal setting within the Kensington Palace Estate, official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, was particularly pertinent. In May 2024, Laurent-Perrie...

September’s contrasting Let’s talk about… sessions

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Liz Sagues

Liz Sagues recaps the Let's talk about... sessions of September which looked at the ageability of wines with Kelli White, and a deep dive on the 2025 harvest with select producers from France. The Circle’s two September Let’s talk about… webinars could hardly have been more different: one explored the science of how wine ages, the other examined current challenges — including the 2025 ...

Let’s talk pink and qvevri!

Posted on May 22, 2025May 22, 2025 by Liz Sagues

Liz Sagues reflects on May’s two Let’s Talk About... sessions which explored the ancient and the modern. On 6th May, CWW member and Georgia expert Carla Capalbo explained the 3,000-year-old tradition of Georgian qvevri wines. A fortnight later, another member, Liz Gabay MW, joined by her son Ben Bernheim and producers from Austria, Greece, and Italy, led a lively discussion on all things rosé —...

New Wine Writing Awards: Bumper crop of CWW winners

Posted on October 29, 2024October 30, 2024 by Wink Lorch

Wink Lorch reports back from the inaugural 67 Pall Mall Global Wine Communicators Awards, in which members took home a clutch of awards and nominations. Friday September 6th at midday saw a glittering collection of wine communicators and trade gather at St John’s, Smith Square also known as the Sinfonia Smith Square, in Westminster, London. We were there for the inaugural gala awards ceremony fo...

Tasting history

Posted on August 28, 2024August 30, 2024 by Dominic Buckwell

Dominic Buckwell raids his own cellar and pours his collection of Château-Grillet wines to a prestigious and appreciative panel, to mark the launch of Liberation Tardive, a new not-for-profit organization that seeks to ensure the market delivers available stocks of older wines. How does it feel to taste something from history? A tiny appellation in Northern Rhône, with Roman origins acclaimed by ...

A summer pause and reflection on Let’s talk about…

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Liz Sagues

Summer has brought a brief break in the Circle's Let's talk about... online seminars, but they will be back again very soon, says Liz Sagues. On 3rd September, Alder Yarrow launches the autumn-winter programme with session number 106 as he takes us behind the scenes at the Old Vine Registry, the world’s first and most authoritative database of old vine vineyards around the globe. Alder, pionee...

The soaring story of Etna and Contrade dell’Etna

Posted on June 27, 2024 by Michèle Shah

Michèle Shah attends the 15th edition of the Contrade dell'Etna, which has developed exponentially since it started as a convivial gathering of local winemakers. In tandem, she describes the remarkable re-emergence of Etna’s elegantly energetic wines. In 2008, Andrea Franchetti, a visionary and eclectic wine pioneer — owner of the Passopisciaro estate on Etna and Tenuta di Trinoro in Tuscany — ig...

Awe-inspiring Amarone

Posted on April 29, 2023April 29, 2023 by Filippo Magnani

Filippo Magnani finds himself revelling in the new releases of Valpolicella’s finest and shares his top tips both on what to taste and where to stay. The Amarone Opera Prima took place this year on 4th and 5th February, majestically organized by the Valpolicella Wine Consortium, at the Gran Guardia Palace in the heart of Verona. The president of the consortium, Christian Marchesini, opened the ev...

Rounding up the latest Wine Society offerings

Posted on October 20, 2021October 22, 2021 by Richard Lane

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A Circle Party to remember

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Amanda Barnes

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