Top 8 London Wine Week events
A celebration of the capital’s ever-evolving wine scene taking place between 18-24 May, London Wine Week, organised by the team behind London Cocktail Week, gives curious oenophiles the chance to taste an array of wines by the glass at some of the Big Smoke’s best bars and restaurants.
In addition, an array of events will be taking place in every nook and cranny of the capital throughout the week, from comedy sessions to dinner in the sky.
To get involved you need a wristband, which can be bought here, which gives you access to £5 wine flights and food pairing offers in 120 of the top restaurants and bars in the capital.
Read on for our round-up of the top 8 events taking place during London Wine Week. Grab a glass and get tasting…
The Wine Tours
Charlotte and Michael Sager-Wilde of Sager + Wilde in Hoxton
Billed as “London’s largest self-guided wine tasting”, the Wine Tours offer the chance to glug your way around the capital one sip at a time. Wristband wearers are invited to take advantage of £5 wine flights and food and wine pairings created specifically for LWW at the likes of Sager + Wilde, Balthazar, Polpetto, Bread Street Kitchen, Avenue, Hix, Kettner’s, 10 Cases, Duck Soup and Quo Vadis.
Pop-ups
Among the pop-ups at this year’s event is the Nyetimber Hub in Devonshire Square, where you can enjoy a flute of the English sparkling producer’s cracking brut non-vintage. Also springing to life will be the Wines of Portugal Discovery Bar where you can slurp your way through the country’s full bodied reds and zippy whites, while the Franciacorta pop-up at the Andaz Hotel shines a light on the little known but delicious northern Italian sparkler.
Get acquainted with vermouth
Tipped by db as one of the top drinks trends for 2015, a number of restaurants, including Balthazar, Jago and The Quality Chop House, will be shining a light on the much maligned fortified wine during Rogue Hour, where they will pair dishes to specially created vermouth-based cocktails. Those keen to get intimately acquainted with the apéritif should head to The Gunmakers pub in Clerkenwell, which will be hosting a vermouth-fuelled brunch on 24 May.
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Under The Table – Monday 18 May, The Table (£50)
While the worlds of wine and comedy rarely collide, this corking night at cute neighbourhood restaurant The Table in Southwark promises to dispel the myth that wine should be taken seriously. Over a three-course meal, guests will be treated to comedic take on wine tasting hosted by Jarred Christmas of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Mock the Week fame, and wine expert Giles Smith-Walker.
Rothschild evening in the stars – Monday 18 May, Aqua Shard (£125)
The ideal way to kick of London Wine Week in style, this dinner within the gleaming giant toothpick that pierces London’s skyline is hosted by Philippe Koch, export director of Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Stephen Lane from Waddesdon Wine. Kicking off with a one-hour masterclass followed by a Champagne reception, among the wines on pour over the four-course dinner will be Château d’Armailhac 2000 and Château Coutet 1999.
The Wine Workshop – Saturday 23 May, Hix City
To whet your appetite for the bank holiday, the LWW team has called upon some of the capital’s top wine bods to host a plethora of ticketed tastings, from an exploration into Burgundy’s intricate mosaic of terroirs with the Noble Rot team to a tutored Champagne tasting with Dawn Davies of Selfridges. A relaxed Q&A session will be taking place at Mark’s Bar for those seeking advice on everything from pairing food and wine to demystifying “natural” wine.
Big Byronic Brunch – Saturday 23 May, Ape & Bird (£50)
“Man, being reasonable, must get drunk; the best of life is but intoxication,” so wrote romantic poet Lord Byron, whose preferred morning repast was a brace of grouse and a pint of Port. Organised by Honest Grapes, you’re invited to follow in his footsteps by indulging in a feast that includes rabbit & apricot terrine, gorgonzola & courgette frittatas and salmon tartare paired with Sherries from El Maestro Sierra, Ports Quinta do Tedo and Madeira from Barbeito.
The LWW Closing Party – Sunday 24 May, Mission E2 (£25)
In a bid to prove that “big bottles taste better”, the trendy folk from cult wine mag Noble Rot will team up from the hispters at Sager & Wilde to end London Wine Week in style with an mouth-watering line-up of fine and rare wines that will be served from magnum. Priced at £25, tickets include a barbeque dinner, a glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne and DJ sets from James Righton of The Klaxons and The Clove Club Vs Noble Rot Sound-System.
