London to host ‘a festival of great wines’

French wine critics Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve return to the UK capital this month to host their second Wine Experience London.

Taking place at the Saatchi Gallery from 25-26 October 2013, the Bettane+Desseauve Wine Experience is aimed at both professionals and consumers. A series of masterclasses will feature alongside the opportunity to taste wines from over 60 international producers, including Taittinger, Ruinart, Château Giscours, Cheval des Andes, Bruno Giacosa and Dominio de Pingus.

Describing the event as “a festival of great wines,” Desseauve emphasised: “all of the producers exhibiting are selected on the quality of their production. With our team of tasters, we taste tens of thousands of different wines every year from all over the world with the aim of presenting them to the public”.

Meanwhile Bettane, his business partner and co-author of wine publication Guide Bettane + Desseauve des Vins de France, noted the suitability of the venue. “Great wines deserve to be presented in an exceptional place,” he remarked. “The Saatchi Gallery is a magical place, just like the Louvre where we have been organising our French wine event for the past eight years.”

Among the special features of the event is Wine Premiere, which will allow visitors to pick out the most convincing results from a presentation of 12 wines created through “innovative projects” around the world.

There will also be a chance to taste the winners from the drinks business Global Chardonnay Masters 2013, a competition judged by Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine which is dedicated to finding the world’s top examples of this famous grape variety.

In addition, the event will play host to the inauguration of The Grape Foundation, the largest charity in the wine world, which is aimed at helping underprivileged children. With a number of high profile individuals and producers from the wine world having already pledged their support, Bettane+Desseauve will feature an auction on 25 October at 5.30pm.

Organised in partnership with Ubi France, a mission designed to support French export businesses, Wine Experience London is the fourth venue in a series which also incorporates Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai. For more information or to register for the event, click here.