Berrys' Introductory One Day Wine School, Saturday 25th February 2012

This One Day Wine School is designed to equip you with a huge amount of confidence in your own tasting ability, as well as help you understand the key characteristics of the classic grape varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. We also discuss key components in wine such as acidity, alcohol, flavour, oak ageing and maturity; all along you will compare and contrast the wines in pairs to help you to understand why you prefer the wines that you do. Very soon you will be signalling the difference between Pouilly-Fumé and Pouilly-Fuissé and waxing lyrical about the qualities of Left Bank versus Right Bank Clarets. All this will be superbly illustrated by your lively and communicative tutor, Wine Education Manager Rebecca Lamont, through an astonishing selection of premium wines.

You will be welcomed to our historic cellars with tea, coffee and biscuits before embarking upon a rigorous twelve wine workout for your taste buds, in a fun and informative tasting. You will then toast your morning’s efforts with a celebratory glass of Berrys’ Grand Cru Champagne, before embarking upon a bespoke four-course luncheon, designed by our Head Chef Stewart Turner and accompanied by wines that you tasted earlier in the morning in order to make some great food and wine matching discoveries.

Wines to be tasted:

2010 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
2010 Pouilly-Fumé, Coteaux Les Cornets, Alain Cailbourdin, Loire, France
2009 Pouilly-Fuissé, ‘Terroir de Fuissé’, Olivier Merlin, Burgundy, France
2009 Errazuriz Max Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley, Chile
2006 Côte-Rôtie ‘Les Essartailles’, Northern Rhône, France
2008 Elderton Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia
2007 Clos de Vougeot, Grand Cru, Sylvain Loichet, Burgundy, France
2010 Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand
2005 Calvario, Finca Allende, Rioja, Spain
1995 Gran Reserva 890, La Rioja Alta, Rioja, Spain
1996 Ch. Lynch-Bages, 5ème Cru Classé, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
2002 Ch. Figeac, 1er Grand Cru Classé ‘B’, St Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Berrys’ United Kingdom Cuvée Champagne, Grand Cru, Mailly
1996 Ch. d’Yquem, 1er Cru Classé Supérieur, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France