Top 10 Best Wine Tasting classes, courses, learnings kits and gifts in the UK

Bored of patronisingly pretentious sommeliers but keen to know more about wine ?! Sarah will host a friendly, interactive wine tasting where you will learn how to taste and navigate the nuances of organic & biodynamic wines. Sarah will be joyfully guiding our palettes and telling us about a special selection of delicious European wines, building our confidence and knowledge as we sip. Because soil health is sexy and environmentally friendly, biodynamic wine drinking is the only way forward! Apéro is a well-known ritual in the Mediterranean, and Sarah's favourite time of day - the perfect way to come together, unwind and socialise before a meal. Please bring a favourite cheese to share with the group and accompany the wine!! Meet your host! Sarah Jones' appreciation of flavours, taste and provenance led her to follow her nose and become one of London’s young female wine specialists focusing on exceptional wines with a sustainable focus. Today Sarah is at the forefront of the best wines that the capital has to offer. Her ability to inform and engage in a friendly and relaxed way makes her the perfect person to teach you about wine in the comfort of your own back yard. Think of a prettier version of Jamie Oliver - the Bish Bash Bosh of wine!

Wine can sometimes seem a bit mysterious, even pretentious and descriptions aren't always easy to understand. We can help with: How is wine made? How can I tell if a wine is sweet or dry? Does this wine have high or low acidity? What does a 'full bodied' wine mean? What are tannins? We show you "How to Taste Wine Like a Pro" at all our events, but at an introductory evening we explain every detail right from the start, so you can impress friends, family and sommeliers! Overview of the day: · Kicking off with a Champagne Introduction then an introduction to some of the World's major grape varieties · Major Red Grape Varieties – Shiraz, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Malbec & others · Major White Grape Varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay & others · How wine is made - grapes, fermentation, ageing · How to taste wines like a pro– aroma, taste, describing wines · Recognising elements of wine - tannin, acidity, oak, when a wine if faulty · Tutored Tasting of 12 wines · The effect of climate on the taste of wine - do you prefer warm cliamte wines or cool? · Which wines to buy / where to get the best value for money / storing & serving wine / understanding wine labels · Food & Wine Matching – tips & advice

Experience Valentine's in a new way through exploring the stage of lovemaking from beginning to end to beginning again. We’ll travel in the company of 5 unique mouth-watering wines, paired perfectly with 5 dangerously delicious chocolate creations. Each flavour experience compliments luscious lessons on love under the covers. Whether you are travelling solo, with friends or with a lover or partner, the experience offers a safe, gentle introduction to new ways of tasting...and of lovemaking. This is NOT for you if you are looking for a hands-on experience. The only hands-on experience that will be had is hands on delectable food and gorgeous drink. You'll be travelling with: Andrea Balboni, Love Relationships and Intimacy Coach, will share how to fuel desire, deepen connection (with yourself and / or with a partner) and experience more nourishing pleasure – body and soul – in each stage of the journey under the covers. Or wherever it is that you are making it happen. Benedict Butterworth, wine expert like no other, has interpreted each of the stages of the amorous experience via vino and brings to your palate a surprising selection of unique, quality wines from small producers around the world. No experience of pleasure this sweet would be complete without some dangerously delicious chocolate. And meditation teacher & chocolatier Meredith Whitely makes just that. Perfectly paired with each exquisite wine are hand-crafted chocolates with unexpected flavour combinations oozing with goodness and created specially for the experience. V-Day never tasted so...mmmm….well, pleasurably sweet if we do say so ourselves.

Whilst attending a wine tasting event at Manchester Wine School, hosted by Simon Woods, and enjoying his light hearted, informative style, my head was busy working out ways that we could make our own wine tasting experience - and so the seed for this session was planted. Simon has been co-coordinator of the annual International Wine Challenge, a columnist for The Financial Times ‘The Business’ magazine, editor of the award-winning annual Which? Wine Guide and a contributor to numerous magazines. He's judged at wine competitions on four continents and has written several books. A few meetings later and we have planned a unique event combining cooking with wine tasting to help you plan your Christmas celebrations. We'll kick the evening off by making a selection of impressive Christmas dinner starters. You'll then relax at our table to enjoy them with wines paired by Simon. He will talk you through each wine and guide you in selecting the perfect wine to complement your food and your pallet. You will then make a main course plus side dishes, before returning to the table to sample more carefully selected wines. These will be paired with your main course and a selection of festive meats. Finally we'll prepare a dessert and together with our home-made, matured Christmas pudding, you'll have another opportunity to sample more carefully chosen wines. And, particularly for those who 'don't do Christmas pudding', we'll have a selection of cheese to accompany the wines. The evening will follow a relaxed pace in delightful surroundings allowing plenty of time for questions and to pick up culinary tips. This promises to be the pre-Christmas warm up you'll not want to miss!

Would you like to start at the very beginning? Wine can sometimes seem a bit mysterious, even pretentious and descriptions aren't always easy to understand. We can help with: How is wine made? How can I tell if a wine is sweet or dry? Does this wine have high or low acidity? What does a 'full bodied' wine mean? What are tannins? We show you "How to Taste Wine Like a Pro" at all our events, but at an introductory evening we explain every detail right from the start, so you can impress friends, family and sommeliers!

This evening we will be concentrating on big, ripe, rich, soft and spicy reds which are packed full of juicy fruit flavours. Come along to taste beatuifully chocolatey Argentinian Malbec, robust Chinati Classico and peppery Australian Shiraz amongst others. We will be tasting 6 wines. We will also be looking at how to bring the best out of your red wines with a short, practical guide on what foods will compliment these full bodied wines. A great course for anyone who wants a simple, enjoyable introductory look at these lovely winter warmers.

Join us for a two hour introduction to the world's most important white wine styles. Do you prefer crisp, whites like the vibrant Sauvignon Blancs of New Zealand? Or are you more of a fan of aromatic varieties such as Riesling? On this evening we shall explore different styles and flavours you find in white wines by having a whistle-stop tour of the globe. Not only will we taste the classics from the "Old World", but also some "New World" styles too. An example of the sort of wines we shall explore at the event are: Vinho Verde from Portugal New Zealand Suavignon Blanc Italian Pinot Grigio Chablis - a great French wine Argentinian Torrontes Riesling from Clare Valley in Australia So if you're a white wine lover, know what you like but want to learn a bit more about it then this is the course for you! We'll broaden your horizons and perhaps change the way you think about white wines forever! Also on this course we'll learn about use of oak, why it's there and the impact it has on flavours, find out which is better - cork or screwcap, plus bust a few common wine myths along the way.

Join us in The City of London for a 2 hour introduction to some of the best red wine styles in the world. We will taste our way through some of the best examples of the huge variety of red wines available. With red wines there really is something for everyone - from light and fruity Beaujolais, to a smooth Valpolicella Ripasso, all the way to the ever popular Argentinian Malbec! On this red wine only tasting we'll explore some of the classic wines of the "Old World" as well as some great value "New World" wines. Examples of wines you can expect to taste at the event are: Beaujolais Village (France) Chilian Pinot Noir Tempranillo (Spain) Hungarian Merlot Valpolicella Ripasso (Italy) Argentinian Malbec We'll also talk more generally about how to get the most out of your bottle of wine, the art of decanting, learn about tannin and the affect it has on food, the best temperature to serve wine at and why some wine gets better with age.

Would you like to start at the very beginning? Wine can sometimes seem a bit mysterious, even pretentious and descriptions aren't always easy to understand. The teacher in this class can help you understand all of the following questions: How is wine made? How can I tell if a wine is sweet or dry? Does this wine have high or low acidity? What does a 'full bodied' wine mean? What are tannins? We show you "How to Taste Wine Like a Pro" at all our events, but at an introductory evening we explain every detail right from the start, so you can impress friends, family and sommeliers!

Do you love wine? Then come and enjoy a wine tasting journey in The City of London, incorporating at least 6 wines from around the world. If you know what you like but want to understand why - then this evening is for you. We will guide you through how to make better wine choices and will start you on your journey of wine discovery. No previous experience necessary! This course is for people who are new to wine tasting and just want to have a bit of fun learning a little more about it in a friendly and relaxed way. Course Outline Introduction to the World’s major wine regions Why wines taste different How to taste wines – aroma, taste, describing wines Recognising elements of wine - tannin, acidity, oak Tasting of at least six wines from around the world.

...yes we kinda stole the title but we won't be baking! Ever wanted to be a wine judge, we all know UK wines are winning award after award so, this evening you are the judges! Not only will you decide which wine you love the most, but we're asking you to write a back label for it, just for fun.....although there will be a prize! "this wine has a the zing of white wine vinegar on the palate and the appealing colour of........" We're pitting the English wines against what Europe has to offer in the same style. We'll be tasting 6 different wines in pairs so you can decide which you prefer and we can help explain why. Just to get your taste buds going, part of the line up will be English Sparkling against a Cremant or a Champagne maybe!

Do you want to learn which foods to match with which wines to get the best flavour combination? Then join us in The City of London for our Introduction to Wine - Food and Wine matching evening. The night will be a relaxed, informal occasion, with the opportunity to explore classic flavour combinations and more, as well as discussing the guiding principles behind successfully matching food with wine. We'll also talk about the grape varieties and about the building blocks of wine; acidity, alcohol, tannin and sweetness and the affect these have on food. We will explain some of the factors that combine to make the wines taste the way they do, and you'll pick up plenty of tips that you can put to good use at your next dinner party! The night will include a delicious selection of food and wine, for example: Champagne and smoked salmon Australian Chardonnay and pâté Rioja with roast ham Californian Zinfandel and fruit dessert South African Cabernet Sauvignon and cheddar Royal Tokaji Last Harvest and blue cheese Please note this night is not suitable for vegetarians and sadly we cannot offer alternatives.

We're sharing with you lucky people, probably the best Prosecco we've ever tasted...and we've tasted quite a few. Made in the traditional style - so the same way as Champagne - and Col Fondo, there's some of that all important yeast in there to taste. An amazing wine. If you want to impress your friends with your knowledge of this fashionable fizz - this is the tasting to come to. We'll then head to the South of France to Provence to sample some rose/pink wines and probably taste it alongside some New World wines - just to see if the French really know a thing or two about wine making ;-) We have to include white wines - we've found a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a Sicilian Grillo that will knock your socks off. The Marlborough Sauv Blanc is the most drunk white wine in the UK but there are so many options out there - we'll consider "vintage variation" - you need to know about this! In total we will be tasting at least 6 different wines to celebrate and welcome the English summer :-)

As regions such as Rioja and Cava steal the limelight all other the wonderful areas are often over-shadowed and over-looked by UK consumers. These regions in the North include Rias Baixas for the fruit-driven Albarino variety, Rueda for aromatic Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc, Toro and Navarra for fleshy and alcoholic reds (and rosés) and the most promising Ribera del Duero for wonderful Tempranillo. Elsewhere we will discover the famous Priorat district for structured and wines for maturation (this one the Spanish try to keep for themselves!) We will also focus on the wonderful wines from Portugal such as Port, Vinho Verde and Dao, to name a few.

This luscious fortified wine has a long history and is closely associated with the British. Many of the most famous Port houses are still owned and run by British families. Port is named after the City of Porto, where the wines are matured. We will taste our way through 6 delicious Ports, with six different cheeses, specifically chosen to match each one. This is a perfect course to get you in the spirit for Christmas, plus get ready for those festive get togethers! Among the ports you will try are: White Port – amazing, delicious on its own or with tonic. Tawny Port - like Christmas in a glass! Late Bottle Vintage - taking its time to mature in the bottle, enjoy the richness from this style. Ruby Port – a chance to compare probably the most common of ports, with the other styles- which is your favourite? Vintage Port – the best of the best, not released every year, only in the outstanding years, will be an excellent tasting, so excited! The price for our Port & Cheese Workshop includes a minimum of six ports and at least six cheeses, presented as a tutored tasting with professional ISO tasting glasses.

There was a bumper crop in 2018 and the word is...you heard it here first, that the quality is extraordinary so here's your chance to see for yourself just what England winemakers have to offer! England shares a similar climate and the same chalky soils as the Champagne region. Again and again English wines have beaten famous Champagne houses in expert blind tastings, particularly the likes of Ridgeview, Nyetimber, Langham and Chapel Down – to name just a few of the 500 (and growing) number of vineyards we have! We’ll be tasting a selection of styles from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to the more unusual English varieties Bacchus and Dornfelder…and of course some fabulous fizz which is what has really put England on the wine map! We will also conduct a blind tasting between a top English sparkling wine and a Champagne. Can you tell the difference? Which one will you prefer?

We're taking you to 2 amazing French wine regions through the tasting of wine! . The Loire Valley is a cool climate region, so lots of delicious white wines, but we'll find you a red wine to try too. Famous names such as Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, Vouvray and Chinon - these are all place names, but do you know the grape varieties? Heading South to the Languedoc, a warmer climate, so more ripeness on the grapes and more black grapes (= red wine), plus we believe a more innovative wine making region - we've tasted some amazing wines from here and great value to be had. You may have heard of names such as Fitou, Corbiere, Roussillon, Limoux, plus loads more. So if you're looking for something new, something different, this is the tasting for you.