Week in pictures

Dinner at Harrods, fire at the IWSC gala dinner and a walk in a Winter Wonderland have kept the db team more than occupied this week. Look back on the past seven days with us here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

db‘s Gabby Savage was fully equipped for her venture into Shoreditch for the opening of speakeasy Nightjar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our chief sub-editor Tania Sansom – never one to turn down a party invitation – joined Gabby for the opening party.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nightjar jazz band keeps it lively at the launch night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

db was invited along to the opening night of the newly-extended Wine Rooms at Harrods department store in London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Harrods Wine Rooms now boast 7,000 square feet of premium retail space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new facility houses a temperature-controlled fine wine room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fine wine room contains a range of superb collections, such as this vertical selection of Ermitage vintages dating from 1993 onwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The newly-extended department also features an Enomatic machine, allowing shoppers to sample an ever-rotating series of wines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The department stocks wines from all around the world, organised by both style and country of origin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On top of the sprawling wine collection, the Harrods wine rooms also houses a galaxy of spirits, such as these in the whisky and Cognac room. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Champagne area contains 230 different varieties of fizz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cognac area houses this collection of Joy armagnac, with the oldest dating back to 1900 and costing £3,500.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harrods head wine buyer Alistair Viner welcomes guests to dinner on the opening night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon arrival, guests were treated to a glass or two of Pommery Louise 1981.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The unusual spitoons proved to be an eye-catching centrepiece at the dining table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final cheese course was accompanied by three excellent wines: il San Lorenzo Verdicchio 1991, Torres Mas la Plana 1970 and Harrods Gewürztraminer Eiswein.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday night saw the drinks trade descend en-masse upon the Guildhall in the City of London for the International Wine and Spirit Competition gala dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(l-r) db‘s Rupert Millar, Alan Lodge and Gabby Savage enjoy the festivities during the pre-dinner tasting of wine and spirit award entries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

db‘s Alan Lodge was particularly pleased to sample the Bunnahabhain Toiteach, one of the world’s peatiest whiskies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

db‘s Bert Cason (l) and Lee Harrison (r) get into the swing of things with the tasting in full-flow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drama! Just as diners started filing into the main hall, the fire alarm sounded to force an evacuation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ladies might have been happy to see some firemen, but the sight of the fire engine outside the Guildhall confirmed that dinner was indeed going to be delayed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the rain pelting down outside, guests took refuge in a church beside the Guildhall until fire chiefs gave the all-clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankfully the event was able to recommence roughly 45 minutes after the alarm sounded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lacdoudal returns in triumph to the winner’s enclosure at Cheltenham after winning the first race in the season’s Glenfarclas Cross Country series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

db attended the opening night of the Pommery E-Cude at the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guests were kept entertained by the flowing Champagne and live music from Organic Jam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The igloo-esque E-Cube is the creation of event management company Evensus and is open daily from 10am – 10pm until 4 January 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Winter Wonderland is a bit of a treat for people of all ages, with rollercoasters and other fairground rides standing alongside Christmas-themed stalls, bars and food outlets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening night guests enjoy a drink at one of the Winter Wonderland’s many bars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s even a ghost train for those who fancy something a little more spooky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(l-r) Ballantine’s global brand director Peter Moore; international brand ambassador, Ken Lindsay and master blender Sandy Hyslop, cut the Ballantine’s Finest birthday cake together to commemorate the brand’s centenary year in Edinburgh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twenty years of Opus One from 1987-2007 were enjoyed at The Capital in London in the company of chief winemaker Michael Silacci.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

db‘s Gabby Savage doesn’t look too impressed at being "papped" at her desk at db HQ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally… the night at Harrods was excellently organised. It’s just a shame they forgot to take the price tags of the chocolate dipped Orangettes in the goody bag!

db, 19.11.2010