Reflecting popular demand, we return to the Donnington Valley Hotel and Spa, where we have enjoyed such great dinners in past years. The hotel is a country retreat situated in the Berkshire countryside near Newbury. Enjoy the facilities of this four star hotel on both the Saturday and Sunday, including the top rated spa, an 18m swimming pool, sauna, steam and aromatherapy rooms, and gym.
This month we are pleased to welcome back Richard Girling, Fine Wine Director for Fells. The company can trace its roots back to the mid 19th century, so is one of the longest established wine importers in the UK. Over the last 20 years, they have made a strategic move to focus on the premium and fine wine sector. Richard is a popular speaker at our Society and this time he is going to focus on two classic grape varieties - chardonnay and pinot noir. So we'll be able to experience classic style wines from Burgundy and the old world alongside examples of how these grapes are used to make stunning wines in the new world. Comparing single grape varietals is not something we do too often at our Society, so this should make for a really interesting tasting.
It's always a privilege for our Society to welcome a Master of Wine, the highest qualification in the wine world. This month we are delighted to welcome Master of Wine Jo Locke, a buyer at The Wine Society, who will be presenting to us for the first time. One of Jo's specialist regions is South Africa and she will present a range of this country's wines from The Wine Society's portfolio. Jo says that South Africa is recognised for great value for money and, increasingly, for quality. She finds it exciting because it's a re-emerging wine industry. There are a lot of bright young people working there and it's the most dynamic of the world's wine regions which she is lucky enough to visit.
In July we welcome Leah Seresin, from Seresin Estate in New Zealand's Marlborough region. Leah is daughter of founder and owner Michael Seresin and she travels the world promoting Seresin Estate and its excellent portfolio of fine wines. We are very fortunate that Leah has managed to fit us in to her busy schedule, so this is an evening not to be missed!
For our summer event this year, we have organised an exclusive, private visit to the award winning Cottonworth vineyard, set in Hampshire's beautiful Test Valley near Andover. Cottonworth is home to the Liddell family who have been farming there for four generations. Over the last 10 years they have selected 30 acres of prime vineyard for the production of sparkling wine. The Liddell family also produce excellent wines at their vineyards in Burgundy. Booking is now open to members and guests.
As we know many of our members will be away on holiday, for one month only, we're going to do something a little different! We'll be meeting at The Falcon pub in Rotherwick, just a couple of miles up the road from Hook. We will enjoy a three course meal (fixed menu, with a veggie option) and we will be serving a selection of excellent wines to accompany your meal. This will be a casual and relaxed evening - no need to dress up, just come as you are. The emphasis is on a fun evening of food, wine and friends. If you usually come on your own, please consider bringing a friend or partner.
The wines will all come from Keith's cellar. Many of the wines have been languishing in temperature controlled conditions for years, maturing nicely and waiting for just an occasion like this! So expect a bubbly on arrival, some decent whites and some excellent mature reds.
In October, we'll welcome back Gilbert Winfield and his tasting will focus exclusively on the wines of the Southern Rhone. This region is very popular with many of our members and we'll be looking forward to tasting the fantastic blends for which this region is so well known. Of course, the reds will feature prominently, but we'll also be able to enjoy some of the modern style whites which this region is now producing. Gilbert is exceptionally qualified to present this tasting - he's a member of the Association of Wine Educators, a WSET approved educator and a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. He's also recently completed and passed the examination for the 'Master Rhone' programme with Inter-Rhone, the representative body for the wines of the Rhone Valley (who are part sponsoring our evening), so he's now an Accredited Rhone Tutor.
In November, we look forward to welcoming Janina Doyle, who is UK Brand Ambassador for Vina Ventisquero. Created in 1998, they are one of the top Chilean premium wineries, with vineyards in most of Chile's famous wine regions. They have the most northerly vineyards in the Atacama desert where they are the only people making wine in the desert. They also have John Duval, ex Penfolds Grange Chief winemaker as one of their winemakers. Janina is WSET trained to Diploma level and represents Vina Ventisquero here in the UK. Tonight she will be presenting a selection of premium wines from their portfolio.
Are you ready to put the trials and tribulations of the last few months behind you? Then come along to your Society's Christmas Tasting!
This year Nesta has organised an evening of group wine tasting focusing on wine made from classic grapes which we all know and love. The wines will be produced from all over the world and together you can taste, chat and work out which wine you are drinking and where it was produced. We have eight intrepid members of your Society who have selected some great Classics for us all to enjoy, the wine will be tasted blind and our presenters will give you feedback on the group decisions and give more background to the wines. Hopefully the evening will provide Christmas cheer, add to your wine knowledge and provide inspiration when choosing wines for the festive season.
We start our year by welcoming back Tim Syrad. Tim is well known to many of our members as both an excellent presenter and also an organiser of great wine tours. This time, Tim will present a selection of wines from the Ribera region of Spain. Situated in the north west of the country, the Ribera is one of Spain's most prestigious wine regions. Whilst there is some white wine made, the focus is predominantly on the reds and the tempranillo grape dominates. Through his many tours to the Ribera, Tim has access to some great wines and we look forward to tasting some of the best tonight.