Cheltenham Wine Festival plans expansion

The inaugural Cheltenham Wine Festival is set to boost its size and profile next year as it seeks to become the largest festival in the South West.

Next year’s Cheltenham Wine Festival is set to move to The Pittville Pump Rooms in Cheltenham

The consumer festival, which takes place this Saturday at the Cheltenham Town Football Club, will showcase more than 250 wines from 18 different countries, with around 20 local independent local wine merchants, bars and businesses taking part.

Festival director John Parr told db a wine show had been the “missing festival” in the Cheltenham events calendar, with the majority of major tastings centred in London. The festival has been designed to celebrate the diversity of wine and supported mostly independent merchants who supply private clients and the on-trade.

“We intentionally invited independent wine merchants to exhibit, as they are responsible for the wide choice of genuinely exciting wines on offer to wine lovers in the UK. Their focus is on interesting and characterful wines from many of the top producers in the world’s best wine regions,” he told db.

Strong demand for tickets had seen it sell out weeks in advance, he added, prompting the organisers to seek a bigger venue for next year’s festival.

As a result it is set to move to the Grade I listed, regency Pittville Pump Rooms in the centre of Cheltenham, in order to capitalize on the interest in wine in the town and move the show centre-stage and boost its profile.

“We aim to become the biggest and best consumer tasting in the South West,” he said.

The event is being held in association with the Cheltenham Rotary Club will see all the profits benefit local charities, Macmillan Cancer Support and Kidney Research UK.

Exhibitors include Justerini & Brooks, Vinotopia, talking Wines, Connoisseur estates, Vintage Roots, Forty Five 10, Tivoli Wines and Alpine Wines and Great Western Wines.