Berrys' One Day Introductory Wine School, Saturday 8th September 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:

Berrys’ United Kingdom Cuvée Champagne, Grand Cru, Mailly
2011 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
2011 Pouilly-Fumé, Coteaux Les Cornets, Alain Cailbourdin, Loire, France
2010 Pouilly-Fuissé, Solutré, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine des Gerbeaux
2009 Chardonnay, Russian River, David Ramey, California, USA
2006 Clos de Vougeot, Grand Cru, Sylvain Loichet, Burgundy, France
2011 Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand
2006 Côte-Rôtie ‘Les Essartailles’, Northern Rhône, France
2008 Elderton Command Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia
2005 Finca Allende, Rioja, Spain
1998 Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Alta, Rioja, Spain
2002 Ch. Grand-Puy Lacoste, 5ème Cru Classé, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
2001 Ch. L’Evangile, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
2007 Ch. d’Yquem, 1er Cru Classé Supérieur, Sauternes, Bordeaux, France