VIN: a French Wine Tasting
2024-02-01 10:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, 30 Portman Square, London, W1H 7BH
Business France invite you to VIN: a French Wine Tasting
Join us for the UK’s flagship French wine tasting event, VIN!
Immerse yourself in the world of French wine as producers guide you through their curated selection from every French wine region. There will be a mix of wines seeking representation & products that are already available on the UK market. VIN will be the opportunity to discover the unique characteristics of each wine and learn about the regional nuances.
40+ producers will be on hand to guide you through a curated selection of reds, whites, and rosés, and you will also be able to explore the latest in wine tech, with a dedicated section showcasing the best that France has to offer in this emerging sector of the trade.
The tasting will also play host to the French Champion Awards, recognising the contribution of key actors from the British trade in promoting French wines in the UK.
This is a trade-only event and all registrations are subject to approval by Business France UK.
To sign up to the event please register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/vin-a-french-wine-tasting-tickets-699600242157?aff=email
Also, do you know someone in the wine world who deserves to be named a 2024 French Champion? Put them forward!
6 prizes are up for grabs:
· Best importer for France
· Best supermarket for France
· Best indie retailer for France
· Best online retailer for France
· Best voice for France
· Best restaurant for France
You can recommend up to 3 companies or people per category, and join us at VIN 2024 on the 1st February for the awards ceremony to see who will take home the trophies.
By organising the French Champion Awards, Business France is celebrating the role played by British companies in promoting and selling French wines in the UK. ‘Berets off’ to the people at the forefront of building, selling and promoting a great French wine offering to the British public!
Your nominations will be put to a panel of judges who will name the ultimate French Champions!
Please suggest your nominations here: les French Champions Awards

Australia Trade Tasting 2024
2024-02-01 12:00 - 17:00 | The Balmoral Hotel, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2EQ
The Australia Trade Tasting returns to London and, for the first time since 2020, Edinburgh. Running for more than 30 years, it’s the biggest, brightest and most diverse showcase of Australian wine in the UK.
Discover new wines, revisit the classics, meet the makers and catch up with importers. There’ll be 56 exhibitor tables in London and 28 tables in Edinburgh, with producers ranging from the international superstars to the small boutique newbies.
Explore more than 700 wines in London and 300 wines in Edinburgh including:

wines from more than 40 regions across Australia
classic and emerging varieties
sparkling, fortified and sweet wines
alternative wines and new launches – low and no alcohol wines, wine in cans, and wines from celebrities
wines from Sustainable Winegrowing Australia members, and
wines from exciting new producers seeking distribution in the UK.

Taste crisp vibrant whites, standout sparklings, elegant reds and thrilling alternative varieties. From the rogue to the refined, you’ll discover Australian wines that are far from ordinary.
Head to our revamped digital platform, Australian Wine Connect, for more information about the event and to sign up at attend. Browse the wineries, search by importer and connect with wineries seeking distribution in advance. The floorplan, tasting booklet and list of visiting winemakers will be added in early January.
Don’t forget to visit Australian Wine Discovered, the hub for Australian wine education materials. Here you can download comprehensive guides, editable powerpoint presentations, maps, tasting lists, tasting mats and videos to use at events and in training sessions.
If you have any queries about the Australia Trade Tasting, please contact us on uk@wineaustralia.com.
For more details and to register to attend, please visit https://connect.australianwine.com/att2024.

CWW Let's talk about... Ice wine: its future in a changing climate, with Michelle Bouffard and Professor Monika Christmann
2024-02-06 17:00 - 18:00
The next of the Circle’s 2024 season of Let’s talk about… online seminars will deal with one wine style which could now be particularly under threat. Our two speakers, Michelle Bouffard and Professor Monika Christmann will discuss the topic from standpoints either side of the globe: Canada and Germany. As usual, the seminar is on a Tuesday at 5pm UK time. If you can’t attend the live session it will be available to watch afterwards, with its 90+ predecessors, on the Circle’s YouTube channel (links in the members’ area of the website).
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm GMT on Tuesday 6th February. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvd-yqrTMvG9TwVA8J4CeHKsFVrFEDqGva
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

CWW Let's talk about... Maconnais with Cameron Jones
2024-02-20 17:00 - 18:00
Let’s talk about… Discovering the wines of Burgundy’s Mâconnais region – from hidden gems to premier crus, with Cameron Jones
The next of the Circle’s 2024 season of Let’s talk about… online seminars will focus on the southern Burgundy region of the Mâconnais. We’ll look at the numerous villages in the region, the varying terroir and what makes some of these wines worth searching for. We’ll also look at the better-known region of Pouilly Fuissé, including the new premier cru classifications introduced in 2020. If you can’t attend the live session it will be available to watch afterwards, with its 90+ predecessors, on the Circle’s YouTube channel (links in the members’ area of the website).
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm GMT on Tuesday 20th February. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsfuCuqDgoGNY15JfpTsU0Ds4XyOmc3Ve4
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Mentzendorff Portfolio Tasting - 2024
2024-02-28 10:00 - 17:00 | One Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AA
Please note The Portfolio Tasting website has all the masterclass information, event schedule and to details of how to register: https://mentzportfoliotasting.online-rsvp.com

London Welsh Wine Showcase Event
2024-03-05 10:30 - 15:30 | The Welsh Centre, 157-163 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8UE

CWW - Let's talk about... Old vines: viticulture and vinification
2024-03-05 17:00 - 18:00
CWW – Let’s talk about… Old vines: viticulture and vinification, with producers from the Veneto, Rioja and California
Join Sarah Abbott MW, co-founder of The Old Vine Conference, as she talks to three prolific old vine wine producers about how the careful farming of their heritage vineyards is expressed in the wines they produce.
Domenico Veronese, owner of Villa Bogdano 1880 in the Veneto, Andreas Kubach MW, company co-founder and director of Bideona in Rioja Alavesa, and Brenae Royale, Monte Rosso vineyard manager at Louis M. Martini in California will discuss and compare the different viticultural techniques employed by each winery and the micro-vinification projects they are each undertaking that express the unique characteristics of their old vine plots.
If you can’t attend the live session it will be available to watch afterwards, with its 90+ predecessors, on the Circle’s YouTube channel (links in the members’ area of the website).
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm GMT on Tuesday 5th March. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsfuCuqDgoGNY15JfpTsU0Ds4XyOmc3Ve4
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Castelnau Wine Agencies portfolio wine tasting
2024-03-19 10:30 - 16:00 | The Stationers’ Hall, Ave Maria Lane, London, EC4M 7DD
The team at Castelnau Wine Agencies, are delighted to invite Circle of Wine Writers subscribers to their portfolio tasting. With over 80 specially selected wines from their full range, this is a great opportunity to get to know their fantastic wines from our producers around the world.
There will also be a rare chance to taste some older vintages of Castelnau Champagne from the cellars in Reims, in magnums and jeroboams.
You are welcome to drop in any time (there will also be a selection of cheese & biscuits available all day). The Stationers’ Hall is a 5 minute walk from St Paul’s or City Thameslink stations.
Castelnau Wine Agencies is the UK distributor of Champagne Castelnau. They also represent around 40 wine producers from across Europe and from around the world, and have been doing so for over 40 years, since 1981.
CWA’s suppliers include Maison Patriarche in Burgundy, Tiki in New Zealand, Cycles Gladiator in California, Logan in Australia and Oak Valley in South Africa.
To view CWA’s full wine list, please visit https://castelnau.co.uk/ and download a copy from the website home page.
Please email, maria@castelnau.co.uk if you would like to attend.

CWW - Let's talk about... Sicily's historical heritage and present-day progress on sustainability, organics and more
2024-03-19 17:00 - 18:00
CWW – Let’s talk about… Sicily’s historical heritage and its present-day progress on sustainability, organics and more, with Alessio Planeta
Tuesday 19th March at 5pm GMT
Join us to learn about the history of wine in Sicily and modern practices of sustainability, with Alessio Planeta, CEO of Planeta.
Alessio will explain how, for almost five centuries and seventeen generations, the Planeta family has committed itself to preserving, protecting, and developing its unique Mediterranean location. The modern story begins in the 1980s when his uncle, Diego, revolutionised the Sicilian wine industry, bringing to the island world-famous agronomists, oenologists and scientists and introducing a far-ranging, strategic vision.
If you can’t attend the live session it will be available to watch afterwards, with its 90+ predecessors, on the Circle’s YouTube channel (links in the members’ area of the website).
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm GMT on Tuesday 19th March. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names
Register in advance for this webinar:
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctce-hqjsoGdDDqyv3OIjldnfE3nT_kB20
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

CWW - Let's talk about... Rosé: a simple wine that’s full of mystery, with Liz Gabay MW
2024-04-09 17:00 - 18:00
CWW – Let’s talk about… Rosé: a simple wine that’s full of mystery, with Liz Gabay MW
Tuesday 9th April at 5pm BST
For years rosé has been promoted as the simple pink wine appealing to consumers who do not want to learn vintage charts, terroir or wine making. It just is, like Just Ken – Just rosé.
But what if there is more to rosé than meets the eye?
Liz, who is a highly respected authority on rosé wine and a Circle member, notes that a small but growing number of producers are experimenting with different styles of winemaking using tradition and innovation to create a range of styles. Where does pale rosé end and blanc de noir start, or dark rosé and summer red?
In this session she will be looking at marketing, market trends, impact of climate change and what’s new behind the scenes, answering questions and hopefully creating a good discussion.
If you can’t attend the live session it will be available to watch afterwards, with its 90+ predecessors, on the Circle’s YouTube channel (links in the members’ area of the website).
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 9th April. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpc-ugrj4iE9P-xdr1Ac7XJY0TmR6jjmFs
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

CWW - Let's talk about... The greenest solution: bottle reuse, with Porto Protocol with Diana Snowden Seysses, Marta Mendonça and Muriel Chatel
2024-04-23 17:00 - 18:00
CWW – Let’s talk about… Rosé: a simple wine that’s full of mystery, with Porto Protocol with Diana Snowden Seysses, Marta Mendonça and Muriel Chatel moderated by L.M. Archer.
Tuesday 23rd April at 5pm BST
Join us for a discussion on bottle reuse solutions to date with three members of Porto Protocol, Diana Snowden Seysses, Marta Mendonça and Muriel Chatel, moderated by L.M. Archer (featured in header image). They will share information gathered at the 2023 London Wine Fair where 20,000 bottles were collected and more than 1,000 fully examined for characteristics ranging from shape and weights to rim thickness and label type, to assess potential for reuse. Alongside this work and the questions raised by it they will look at reuse and waste reduction initiatives worldwide and how these can impact on wine’s carbon footprint in the future.
All three speakers are actively involved with Porto Protocol, the largest global wine community committed to knowledge sharing and collaborative solutions for climate action.
About our panel:
Diana Snowden Seysses was born and raised in the Napa Valley. She graduated in viticulture and enology at UC Davis in 2001, then worked in numerous cellars in California and France, today devoting herself to Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, France, Snowden Vineyards and Ashes & Diamonds in Napa, California, and Domaine de Triennes in Provence. As an ardent believer in vins de terroir, she has made sustainability in the larger industry her professional priority, in an effort to safeguard traditions and heritage, and she is a member of the Porto Protocol Global Steering Committee.

Marta Mendonça’s professional journey spans nearly two decades, predominantly within marketing and sales. She has collaborated with a diverse array of brands, countries, industries, and corporations. In 2016, she established her own brand and consultancy firm, taking sustainability and climate advocacy to schools, events and companies, promoting awareness and encouraging change. Since December 2019, she has been running The Porto Protocol Foundation, spearheading its endeavours for climate action.

Muriel Chatel, the founder of Borough Wines and Sustainable Wine Solutions in London, is from a family of winemakers in Bergerac. She led the way for wine refill in the UK with her ‘Straight from the Barrel’ concept at Borough Market in 2002. More than two decades of experience and dedication to the concepts of refill, reuse and reduce has given her unique insight into running a sustainably focused wine business.

L.M. Archer (featured in header image) is an award-winning writer and contributor to publications worldwide, including The Drinks Business, Wine Business Monthly, and Full Pour. She is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers, and holds French Wine, Bourgogne Master Level, and Champagne Master Level designations from WSG. Her stories showcase sustainability, bubbles, and the business of wine. Find her at: www.lmarcher.com and @lmarcherml
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 23rd April. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
Register in advance for this webinar
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdeCsrzIvGt2nfAQCASYMJywR4USEuQBR
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Austria’s Neusiedlersee DAC Masterclass and Tasting
2024-04-25 10:30 - 12:00 | China Exchange, 32A Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JA
In April, winemakers from Austria’s Neusiedlersee DAC will be in London for a masterclass and tasting.
A selection of new vintage wines will be available to taste from 15 producers:

Allacher Vinum Pannonia
Artisan Wines
Hannes Reeh
Markus Iro
Weingut Kummer
Seegut Lentsch
Georg Preisinger
Moser Weine
Münzenrieder
Gebrüder Nittnaus
NESTOR
Preiner Wein
Pöckl
Salzl Seewinkelhof
Keringer Massiv Wines

In addition, Dirceu Vianna Junior MW will be hosting a masterclass showcasing the diversity offered by the region and tasting through a further 15 wines.
A light, buffet-style lunch will be offered to guests who can stay on after the masterclass.
Hosted at 67 Pall Mall, spaces are extremely limited so to reserve your place, please email gemma@spritzmarketing.co.uk

CWW - Let's talk about... Wine Tourism Douro and beyond with Adrian Bridge
2024-05-07 17:00 - 18:00
CWW – Let’s talk about… Porto and Douro, a revolution in Wine Tourism and its impact on the region and its products, with Adrian Bridge
Tuesday 7th May at 5pm BST
Portugal is a highly fashionable tourism destination and has seen an explosion of development in Lisbon and Porto over recent years, with much international investment. This transformation is reflected in the demand for Portuguese products, including wine and port.
Our speaker, Adrian Bridge, who leads the Fladgate Partnership, has pioneered new styles of port as well as the wine hotel The Yeatman, which arguably lit the fuse for Porto’s rocketing tourism success. More recent investment and the launching of World of Wine is aimed at taking the destination to another level.
Adrian argues that the influx of visitors is having an impact not only in Portugal but also on demand for Portuguese products around the world, not least table wines. The Fladgate Partnership has recently moved into this area and now has 250ha of table wine vineyards spread across four regions, Minho, Dao, Bairrada and Douro. This is a major step for the company, whose origins stretch back to the foundation of Taylor’s Port in 1692.
Adrian’s talk will cover some of these trends, the reasons for the strategic changes that he has led and, importantly, what he sees happening for the future. Will this development in Portugal be a template for other regions?
See fladgatepartnership.com/en and and wow.pt/en
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 7th May. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vdOyspzgvH9wS2Jq1TDMCgs9SxkXcm_pF
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
We look forward to seeing you then.
Michèle Shah & Liz Sagues, CWW online events organisers

CWW AGM 2024
2024-05-09 17:00 - 18:00
2024 AGM papers – due to be held on Thursday 9 May at 5 pm BST online. Link will be added here shortly to join the meeting.
We look forward to welcoming you.
The following papers can be downloaded by clicking on the. Please note they were also emailed to you on Wednesday 17 April 2024.

2024 Agenda
Voting form *
2023 Accounts
Honorary Treasurer’s Report 2023
Budget 2024

* note – HLM’s are not eligible to vote. Please email your completed form to Andrea on administrator@circleofwinewriters.org and note that Andrea cannot be your proxy.

CWW - Let's talk about... Threats and opportunities for Abruzzo, Europe’s most biodiverse region, with Rodrigo Redmont
2024-05-21 17:00 - 18:00
This is a very special Let’s talk about… online seminar – number 100 in the series!
Welcome to the mountainous and geologically fascinating region of Abruzzo, set between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Despite its importance – it is Italy’s fifth most productive wine region, ahead of Toscana and Piemonte – it is woefully little known or understood.
Our speaker, Rodrigo Redmont, will aim to correct that. Following a general introduction to the region, he will highlight changes in Abruzzo classifications and the rising importance of private wineries alongside the large co-operatives that revived the region’s fortunes in the 20th century. Climate change and such economic challenges as the decrease in wine consumption will also feature in Rodrigo’s presentation, as he explains how Abruzzo is particularly well able to respond to the pressures of both.
He will also cover the activity of the Custodes Laureti Association, where six wineries, including Talamonti, have come together to protect and enhance the landscape, agriculture and heritage of the area around the historic village of Loreto Aprutino.
Rodrigo, who is of American origin but was raised in Italy, established Talamonti in 2001 with his fiancé as the latest step in a wine career which has included managing export sales in a number of leading Italian wine estates, inclding Castello Banfii.
Today, Talamonti is considered one of the country’s fastest growing sustainable boutique wineries, exporting its annual production of 200,000 cases to 65 countries.
For further information see: www.tenutatalamonti.it and Facebook @TenutaTalamonti, Instagram tenutatalamonti, Youtube Tenuta Talamonti, X (Twitter) 7 @TenutaTalamonti
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 21st May. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
Register in advance for this webinar
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElfuqopj8rGdZTfEHT2lpboJX2-TDngTvU
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

CWW - Let's taste... Maremma rosé with Elisabetta Ceccariglia and Liz Gabay MW
2024-05-29 15:00 - 16:00
CWW – Let’s taste… Maremma rosé with Elisabetta Ceccariglia and Liz Gabay MW
Wednesday 29th May, 3pm BST
We’re delighted to announce the first CWW Let’s taste… online session of 2024, when Liz Gabay MW and producers from six wineries will discuss the highly individual rosé wines of Maremma, on the southern shores of Tuscany.
Maremma rosés cover a range of styles, originating from a complex combination of soils and varieties, with their defining character a combination of ripe fruit and saline minerality. The tasting will be led by Circle member and rosé expert Liz Gabay MW. Samples of new vintage wines from six wineries, Ampeleia, Azienda Bruni, Cantina I Vini di Maremma, Fattoria di Magliano, Moris Farms, Tenuta Monteti will be available to members based on the East Coast of the US (3 sample packs) as well as the UK and Europe (20 packs).
We ask members – particularly those in the US because of longer delivery times – to express interest asap (as there is limited availability). Full details will be circulated shortly, but please note that as with our previous ‘Let’s taste….’ seminars there will be a minimal charge to take part in the tasting and to receive samples to cover our administrative costs. Members who do not receive the samples are of course welcome to join the seminar, in which case there is no charge.
Please reply to Andrea/Helen on administrator@circleofwinewriters.orgpm

CWW - Let's talk about... Sustainability in drought conditions with Domaine Lafage and Cheval des Andes
2024-06-04 17:00 - 18:00
Across the globe climate change is challenging wine growers. One issue of increasing concern is drought, in areas where rainfall has long been limited but now also hitting vineyard regions once considered wet. Cheval des Andes, high in Mendoza and in the Uco Valley, and Domaine Lafage, whose vineyards stretch from the Mediterranean shore into the Pyrenean foothills, are showing how to counter this threat with practices which increase soil water retention.
Our presenters are Gérald Gabillet, technical director at Cheval des Andes, and Jean-Marc Lafage, founder of Domaine Lafage and leading wine producer in Roussillon. Their approaches have similarities in their emphasis on sustainability and biodiversity but there are differences too. In Argentina, a major emphasis on agroecology, with planting of native trees plus a return to the polyculture of the past. The Lafage soils in Roussillon are particularly benefitting from the water and nutrient retention properties of Biochar, and there is experimentation with drought resistant grape varieties. Our speakers will explain how their efforts will provide examples to winemakers worldwide.
Gérald Gabillet studied winemaking and oenology in Bordeaux and has held senior posts at major Bordeaux estates, including Château Angelus. He works closely with Cheval des Andes’ parent estate, Cheval Blanc, in creating its ‘grand cru’ of the Andes. Sustainability is at the core of the initiative. Before establishing his own domaine in 1995 Jean-Marc Lafage worked in Australia and Chile, and was chief winemaker for the French group Foncalieu. He now owns 350ha and also works on winemaking projects in France, Spain and Chile. Most recently he has been much involved in climate change and drought R&D projects with the University of Montpellier. He is considered a pioneer in how to ‘cultivate’ water.
For further information see: www.chevaldesandes.com and www.domaine-lafage.com
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 4th June. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwod-qsrj0tHdaCOkJeOvXR7kMJmeu_YvRF
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The Ultimate CEE Wine Fair Premieres in London
2024-06-18 10:00 - 17:00 | St John’s Church, Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8TY
The Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) Wine Fair will debut in London on Tuesday 18th June 2024 to showcase the diverse wine scene at the heart of Europe.
This is the first tasting of its kind, being organised by Wine Communication, and will bring together producers from a wide range of countries throughout the Central and Eastern Europe region, from the Danube to the Black Sea.
A cross regional tasting event of this kind has never been organized before and there are plans for it to evolve in years to come. Featuring producers from 14 countries, will be a great opportunity for trade and press to discover the incredible diversity of unique grapes from Alibernet and Areni to Zghihară and Žilavka and taste wines from countries from the region’s western to eastern borders.
Exhibitors will include wineries that are seeking representation in the UK market as well as distributors and importers who already have CEE wines in their portfolio.
The event is being organised by Zsuzsa Toronyi and Caroline Gilby MW of Wine Communication, specialists in the wines of CEE, who have carefully curated a list of quality producers to celebrate some of the best wines from this untapped part of Europe.
Caroline Gilby MW says, “I’ve been working in and writing about this region since the beginning of the modern era, and I’ve seen a complete revolution in winemaking. I have long wanted to share these wines with their authentic but personal stories and tales of challenges overcome. This wine fair is a great opportunity to do just that along with my like-minded event partner Zsuzsa Toronyi.”
Zsuzsa Toronyi adds, “The idea is to move beyond individual country borders to gain more attention than any one country can achieve on its own. Stronger together. Not just working collaboratively to raise awareness of these wines and winemakers, but also the strong links between the different wine growing regions from the grapes grown and the history, through to vine cultivation.
“For the UK trade, wines from Central and Eastern Europe offer a great opportunity to add interest and excitement, along with new stories, to their wine ranges. After all this is the last undiscovered part of the wine world with deep authentic roots, unique grapes, and modern winemaking combining to bring high quality in the bottle.”
As part of the event, Caroline will lead 2 masterclasses introducing the audience to the countries and their wines. Wineries seeking distribution will be represented by owners or wine makers, while producers with UK agents will be looking to raise awareness with press, retailers, independents and sommeliers.
Mark your calendars for this must-do tasting and sign up here: https://bit.ly/TheUltimateCEEWineFair
If you would like more details about the tasting, or would like to interview Caroline or Zsuzsa for more details: eleanor@randr.co.uk

CWW - Let's talk about... Through the Lens: Getting the Shot, Getting the Story with Kevin Day
2024-06-18 17:00 - 18:00
Join us for……
Through the Lens: Getting the Shot, Getting the Story. Wine writer and photographer Kevin Day will share practical advice for capturing the essence of wine and place through both written and photographic storytelling.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkcO6vrTssEtD7T638wfGHUDDeXGskf6Od
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Watch this space for full details in due course or contact Andrea/Helen on administrator@circleofwinewriters.org

Fine Rosé Day
2024-06-19 10:00 - 16:00 | Trivet, 36 Snowfields, London, SE1 3SU, United Kingdom
Circle member Elizabeth Gabay MW and Ben Bernheim are organising their first Fine Rosé Day in London on 19th June 2024, exploring over 50 of the world’s most exciting rose wines; new and old vintages, innovative wine making, old vines, unusual varieties, small producers, from all over the world. Please do contact Liz or Ben if you would like to attend.

Bredon Wine Fayre
2024-06-29 12:00 - 18:00 | Deer Park Vineyard, Worcestershire, WR10 3DN
Deer Park Vineyard is excited to announce the launch of the Bredon Wine Fayre, June 29th 2024. Worcestershire, WR10 3DN.
The Bredon Wine Fayre is a celebration of the best of British wine, from the Cotswolds and surrounding areas.
The Fayre is perfectly timed to extend English Wine Week, and show off how far this exciting new sector has progressed in the past 10 years.
With multiple award-winning vineyards and champagne style cider producers, guests will be able to sample over 30 premium British wines, both still and sparkling. Surprising them with premium quality wine that is grown on their doorstep.
Featuring expert talks on viticulture and the wine making process, as well as knowledgeable sommeliers talking you through the day’s wines.
With vineyards tours, Masterclass tutored tastings, live music, and quality local foods and craftspeople, the Bredon Wine Fayre is set to be a fantastic day out, and an absolute must in any wine lover’s calendar!

CWW - Let's talk about... How sustainable is Burgundy? with Richard Bampfield MW
2024-07-02 17:00 - 18:00
Sustainability has many aspects, as Richard will make clear in this important topical discussion. He will cover environmental sustainability: the current situation with regards to frost, hail, mildew, drought, organics/biodynamic/conventional and, generally, the impact of the ever more extreme climate.
Also on the agenda are social sustainability: workers’ welfare and employment; and economic sustainability: the impact of variable yields, interest rates, pricing and land values.
Richard, Master of Wine, CWW member and past chairman of the Association of Wine Educations, regularly visits Burgundy as part of his work with Maison Albert Bichot. A graduate in French from Cambridge University, he decided the wine trade was the best place to practise his French and pursue his nascent interest in wine. Following ten-year spells in retail and with Australian producer Brown Brothers he is now freelance and is best known for his work with Lidl.
He urges everyone joining this webinar to pour a glass of Burgundy – red, white or sparkling – to enter into the essence of the discussion.
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 2nd July. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below.
Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvcu2qpz4qG9U5Td2Iq6kLWslj2_-vrPT3

CWW - Let's talk about... The influence of water on making wine in New York with Roman Roth and Colleen & Seb Hardy
2024-07-16 17:00 - 18:00
Join us for…..
The influence of water on making wine in New York with Roman Roth, winemaker, Wolffer Estate, Long Island, and Colleen & Seb Hardy, owners, Living Roots, Finger Lakes.
Watch this space for full details in due course or contact Andrea/Helen on administrator@circleofwinewriters.org

CWW - Let's talk about... Behind the Scenes at the Old Vine Registry with Alder Yarrow
2024-09-03 17:00 - 18:00
In the next of the Circle’s Let’s talk about… webinars Alder, pioneer wine blogger, author and columnist for jancisrobinson.com, will provide a timely update on the Old Vine Registry, the world’s first and most authoritative database of old vine vineyards around the globe, which was set up just over a year ago. As usual, the webinar is on a Tuesday at 5pm UK time, with advance registration.
Alder will explain the story behind the database, describe how it was built and how it is evolving, indicate how helpful it is to wine communicators and reveal some highlights among the information it contains. There will also be guidance on how users can contribute to the database and become more involved with it, plus time for questions and answers.
Described by San Francisco Magazine as ‘the wine world’s brightest cyberstar.’, Alder, a Circle member, has been publishing vinography.com daily since 2004. His book The Essence of Wine has been highly praised. In his spare time, he helps to run the non-profit Glancy Wine Education Foundation and is volunteer project manager for the Old Vine Registry.
See more at oldvineregistry.org, vinography.com, jancisrobinson.com
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 3rd September. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMldOmorD4oEtzLTSCfA77YC0H7bOlogBYv
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
We look forward to seeing you then.
If you can’t attend the live session, there will be a recording available to watch afterwards on the Circle’s YouTube channel (links to this and earlier sessions are in the members’ area of the website).
Michèle Shah & Liz Sagues, CWW online events organisers
More dates for your diary:
September 17th Let’s talk about Trebbiano in Tuscany with Asa Johansson
October 21st Taste the Virginia Governor’s Cup Case with Frank Morgan, live in London

Wines of Tejo Tasting & Masterclasses in Manchester - "Portugal's undiscovered wine region defined by its great river"
2024-09-16 11:00 - 17:00 | The Memorial Hall, The Fountain House, 14 Albert Square, Manchester, M2 5PE
11 of Tejo’s leading producers are bringing a selection of their diverse, relevant and exceptional value wines to Manchester!
Portugal’s oldest, fifth largest and least discovered wine region, Tejo is a close winemaking community located 30 minutes inland from Lisbon, dominated by the River Tejo which runs through the heart of the wine growing area imparting a distinctive freshness to all of its wines with its cool breezes and morning mists which cover the valley. The region’s multitude of microclimates, abundance of indigenous and international varieties and distinctive terroirs create a rich breadth of styles from everyday drinking to complex, estate grown wines.
The tasting will include two in-depth masterclasses led by Tejo expert Dirceu Vianna Junior MW – one taking a deep dive into the region’s two flagship varieties and the other focussing on Tejo’s diverse terroirs and microclimates.
There will also be a chance to taste wines from Campo do Tejo. Fresh, vibrant, zesty, lower alcohol whites made from the Tejo’s flagship grape Fernão Pires by a collaboration of wineries from the Campo terroir on the banks of the Tejo.
Come and be surprised by Tejo Wines!
4 producers are already in the market and 7 are looking for UK distribution. View the list of exhibitors here
Masterclasses led by Tejo Expert Dirceu Vianna Junior MW
11.30am-12.30pm – “EXCITING INDIGENOUS VARIETIES OF TEJO” – exploring different styles of wine made from two of the region’s most emblematic grape varieties: Fernão Pires and Castelão. Their versality will be demonstrated by tasting sparkling, still white and red wines as well as age-worthy fortified wine.
2.00pm-3.00pm – “WORLD CLASS WINES FROM AN UNFAMILIAR TERROIR” – discussing the various terroirs of the Tejo region and focussing on wines from different microclimates including some of the region’s best wines.
Registration via email: emma@eviva.co.uk
Strictly trade and press only

CWW - Let's talk about... Trebbiano in Tuscany with Åsa Johansson
2024-09-17 17:00 - 18:00
In the next of the Circle’s Let’s talk about… webinars Asa Johansson, freelance writer for Swedish and international publications and a specialist in Italian wines, will be joined by three prominent producers to explain how the often-overlooked Trebbiano Toscano is experiencing a resurgence in its homeland. As usual, the webinar is on a Tuesday at 5pm UK time, with advance registration.
Traditionally, Trebbiano Toscano was relegated to simple white table wines or blended into Chianti and Vin Santo. However, many producers in Chianti Classico are now investing in the variety with the aim of crafting age-worthy quality wines. Identical to France’s Ugni Blanc, it remains one of Italy’s most widely planted grapes, ranking fifth with more than 20,000 hectares under vine. Among white-wine grapes, only Catarratto has a larger footprint there.
Three prominent figures in this renaissance will join Asa: Stefano Capurso, CEO of Dievole; Sofia Ruhne, owner of Terreno; and young winemakers and owners Maddalena Fucile and Matteo Vaccari from Cigliano di Sopra. They will share their insights on Tuscany’s rising star and its journey back into the spotlight.
Topics to be explored will be the historical significance of Trebbiano in Tuscan viticulture and winemaking, the challenges and opportunities from vineyard to bottle, and the wine styles that producers are focusing on today.
Asa, a Circle member, moved to Italy from Sweden in 2001. She writes on wine, food and travel for Decanter, Quench Magazine, Corriere Vinicolo, Svenksa Dagbladet and more. She started Sweden’s first podcast on Italian wines, Italienpodden.se and produces her own Tuscan extra virgin olive oil, La Collina Blu.
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 17th September. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsc-6qrD8tEtY7dLZ6vzKPlxBsr8ArFxS1
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Moet Hennessy brands tasting
2024-09-19 | 18 Grosvenor Gardens, SW1W 0DH
Spritz Marketing invite you to save the date.
Further information to be shared in the coming weeks.

IWSC Margaret River Award-Winning Wine Tasting
2024-09-23 10:00 - 16:00 | 67, Pall Mall, St James’s Room, London, SW1Y 5ES
Following the recent judging of wines from Australia’s Margaret River, Spritz Marketing invite you to attend a tasting of the IWSC’s 2024 award-winning wines.
Save your space if you haven’t already through Eventbrite. Book here.

CWW - Coravin - celebrating a decade of innovation in wine technology, with Greg Lambrecht
2024-10-01 17:00 - 18:00
For the next of the Circle’s Let’s talk about… webinars we are delighted to welcome back Greg, inventor and founder of Coravin. As usual, the webinar is on a Tuesday at 5pm UK time, with advance registration.
The Coravin preservation system uses a non-coring needle to pass through the cork of a sealed bottle, allowing small amounts of wine to be poured without damage to what remains – an invaluable aid particularly for those needing to taste multiple wines. Greg will share the story of Coravin’s evolution, featuring the first-ever prototypes – still functional today – and highlighting key milestones.
He’ll explore how global markets have adopted Coravin, from fine-dining establishments to increasingly popular at-home wine-by-the-glass cellars. He will also discuss his perspective on industry trends, such as sustainability and the rising demand for premium wines, and how these shifts are shaping the future of wine technology.
Greg is uniquely placed to explain everything about Coravin, the result of a convergence of his passion for wine with engineering degrees and a successful career in medical technologies.
For more, see coravin.co.uk or coravin.com (US).
NB Remember that there is generous discount on Coravin products for Circle members.
To join this seminar, please register now or at any time before 5pm BST on Tuesday 1st October. The session, including Q&As, will last for approximately one hour. To register, follow the link below. Guests will be very welcome, but please let Andrea know their names.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUuf-qgpz0vGtyfVIVn8k2R6uegxUO3JQqR
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
We look forward to seeing you then.
If you can’t attend the live session, there will be a recording available to watch afterwards on the Circle’s YouTube channel (links to this and earlier sessions are in the members’ area of the website).
Michèle Shah & Liz Sagues, CWW online events organisers
More dates for your diary:
October 15th: Let’s talk about… Sherry – sustainability and more, with Victoria González-Gordon López de Carrizosa
October 21st Taste the Virginia Governor’s Cup Case with Frank Morgan, live in London

DRINK JAPAN
2024-10-04 12:00 - 16:00 | St Mary’s Church, York Street, Marylebone, London, W1H 1PQ
DRINK JAPAN is bringing the best of Japanese sake, shochu, whisky, beer, wine and spirits to London Friday 4th – Saturday 5th October! Don’t miss out on the chance to meet the producers flying over especially to bring new wave and exclusive artisan drinks straight to you. For more information on who’s exhibiting, please visit the Drink Japan website.
This event will be open exclusively to the trade 12:00 – 16:00 on Friday 4th October to bring you closer to the drinks, brands and producers redefining the Japanese drinks industry. Further sessions are open to both consumers and trade: 4th October (Fri) 17:00 – 21:00 and 5th October (Sat) 12:00 – 16:00 and 17:00 – 21:00.
Food sampling, including sushi bento boxes and top grade Hida Wagyu beef, will be available to trade attendees from the food court on Friday afternoon, for a full Japanese food and drink experience.
The way to sign up is to register, using this QR to complete the Eventbrite form to register for trade entry on either day. A business card or other proof of trade accreditation will be necessary to confirm free access on the day.
