I can think of no better way to start our 40th anniversary year than with a presentation by Master of Wine Richard Bampfield. There are only a small number of Masters of Wine in the world, so it is always a privilege to be able to welcome one of their ranks to present to us at the Whitewater Valley Wine Society. For many years, Richard has been a consultant to Lidl’s wine buying team and shares his vast experience with them.  He has a huge influence on the wines which appear on their shelves. He will give us a behind-the-scenes insight into the wine buying philosophy at Lidl.  We’ll find out how they source their wines, what influence they have over the winemakers and how they know which wines their customers will like.