London Wine Week starts on Monday – so get your glass ready. To take part in the festival, you need to wear a wristband so see London Wine Week. This gives you access to the self-guided Wine Tours, plus many more deals, discounts and tasting experiences all over town. Wristbands will be available to collect from London Wine Week Hubs once the festival begins.
When you’re not using your wristband to enjoy £5 glasses of wine on the self-guided Wine Tours, book into one of the London Wine Week events.
Here’s the pick of the best. To book, head to events on London Wine Week.
The Wine Workshop
The Riedel Hub at Kingly Court, W1B 5PW
From midday
If you’re after a bit of revelry, indulgence or just plain merriment while you learn, the pop-up LWW Wine Workshop, next door to the Riedel Hub at Kingly Court, is THE place to head.
The clever chaps from Forgotten Hospitality will be hosting drop-in and ticketed sessions all week, covering everything from weird wines to liquid lunches and late-night learnings, so be sure to check out their full schedule. No spittoons allowed!MONDAY JUNE 2
Fast Fizz
The Riedel Hub at Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, W1B 5PW
1pm – 1.30pm
£10
To celebrate the start of London Wine Week, take 30 minutes out of your lunch break to pep up your taste buds with a speed tasting of wines that are bang on trend – English fizz.
Introduced by BBC1 wine expert Jane Parkinson, come and join us to taste (drink) 3 wines that show why England is now a serious wine producing country.
You’ll also be among the first to collect your wristband – that means maximum wine-enjoyment time.
TUESDAY JUNE 3
An Evening With Octavian: How to Start a Fine Wine Collection
Hedonism Wines
3-7 Davies st, W1K 3LD
6.30pm-8pm
£38.00
If you want to build your own fine wine collection but are not sure how to get started, this seminar was designed for you.
Alongside champagne and charcuterie, guests will have the opportunity to compare & contrast a 2005 Château Palmer & 2001 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny, each worth around £200 per bottle, to help you discover your own palate: are you a Bordeaux or Burgundy drinker? The ticket price also includes a Hedonism tasting card with £10 credit for sampling wines from their Enomatic machines.
Tickets are limited to ensure guests have the opportunity to speak with Octavian experts and receive tailored advice. The seminar will be led by Octavian’s strategy consultant, Louis Roederer Emerging Wine Writer, Ella Lister.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 4
Paul A Young Chocolates and Port Pairing
Churchill’s Port House, 26 Greek St, London, W1D 5DE
6.30pm – 7.30pm
£30
Forget what you know about Port and Cheese. Once you’ve paired Vintage Port with the best chocolate in the UK, you won’t look back. Churchill’s Port House are hosting one of our more unique events at London Wine Week in partnership with Paul A Young, one of the UK’s finest chocolatier.
This truly unique flavor experience is not to be missed and will no doubt arm you with the knowledge to play with this pairing at home.
THURSDAY JUNE 5
(We couldn’t pick just one….)
Wine Zero to Wine Hero
WSET School, 39-45 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XF
6.30pm – 8.30pm
£20.00
Scared of the Sommelier? Married to Merlot? Gewürztraminer getting you tongue tied?
Brush up on your bottle confidence with the WSET’s wine bluff to buff crash course and get yourself wine list ready in just two hours.
Whether you’re a novice or an enthusiast keen to learn more, we will get you prepped with the skills to take on the trickiest wine lists this city has to offer – from speakeasy to the Savoy.
Fizz and Frivolity: A Taste of the 1920’s with Champagne Ayala
Roux at Parliament Square RCIS, Parliament Square, London, SW1P 3AD
7pm-9pm
£25.00
It can be said that the 1920s saw the beginnings of modern celebrity culture in Britain. Young, eclectic socialites and public figures became gossip column fodder due to their prolific partying ways. The ‘Bright Young People’ danced their cares away after the First World War, and Champagne Ayala was often in their glass.
Enjoy an evening tasting the range of Ayala Champagnes and paired canapés as we bring to life the music, glamour and effervescence of this gilded age.
FRIDAY JUNE 6
Weird Wines – The Unexpected Hotshots
The Wine Workshop, Kingly Court, W1B 5PW
8pm – 8.45pm
£45
A look at the weird and wonderful in the world of wine. 90 minutes with eight truly unique wines – from unusual grapes to primitive production, these outsiders really have come up trumps.
Some of the most enjoyable drinking around.
£45, ticket price includes eight wines and nibbles.
SATURDAY JUNE 7
London Wine Sessions
The Apiary, 458 Hackney Road, London E2
All day from 12pm
From £20
Inspired by London’s best new wine bars, merchants, fanzines, wine writers and sommeliers Wine Sessions, taking place on the Saturday of London Wine Week, will see speakers sharing their most interesting wines, from top-end burgundy to biodynamic thrillers, and many cult producers in between.
Don’t miss this all-day celebration of London’s new wine scene; with ticketed tastings covering everything from the basics of wine discovery to rad food matching.
SUNDAY JUNE 8
Wine Car Boot
West Handyside Canopy (next to St Martins College, enter via Granary Square), Kings Cross, N1C 4AA
12pm-6pm
£10 in Advance, £12 on the door
As the perfect end to your London Wine Week, get out in the sun and find your favourite wines for the summer from London’s best independent shops. They’ll have their five favourite wines on offer, for everyone to try, buy, taste and drink throughout the afternoon.
Taste your way out of the supermarket.
