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#WeekInPictures: Pairings, ports and plenty of pours

26 September 2025 By db staff writer

From Coworth Park’s wine club to San Francisco’s Laver Cup and Abergavenny’s Tequila takeover, this week was filled with flavour, fine bottles and a few record-breaking pours.

Coworth Park wine club sets the table

The latest chapter of Coworth Park’s wine club unfolded at Woven, where chef Adam Smith set raw scallop with Chassagne-Montrachet and grouse with Gevrey-Chambertin. Tim Wheeldon of Corney & Barrow spoke, while head sommelier, Nikos Emner, and F&B Director, Jonathan Ellson brought the room to life. Next up: California Dreaming, a Thanksgiving dinner on 27th November.

Quinta do Vesúvio shows still and fortified

Gramham’s 80-year-old tawny port and Vesuvio wine tasting at The Stafford, London

At The Mandrake, Anthony Symington showed Quinta do Vesúvio still wines before Graham’s tawnies. The family bought Vesúvio in 1989, restored it, and built a still-wine winery, their largest investment. Quinta do Vesúvio ’22 held freshness despite fierce heat. The tawny flight ran from marzipan 10 to spiced 20 and chocolate 40, finishing with the 80, a 1940s blend first bottled for Peter Symington’s 80th, layered with walnut, quince, vanilla and incense.

DAOU wines at the Laver Cup

From Coworth Park’s wine club to San Francisco’s Laver Cup and Abergavenny’s tequila takeover, this week was filled with flavour, fine bottles and a few record-breaking pours.

DAOU Vineyards served as the Official Wine Partner of the 2025 Laver Cup at San Francisco’s Chase Centre. Across three days, guests enjoyed pours of DAOU Reserve, PATRIMONY Cabernet and Soul of a Lion, with hospitality lounges, a photo moment with a giant wine bottle and a raffle for an exclusive prize rounding out the activation.

Millie Milliken puts Tequila in focus

At the Abergavenny Food Festival, author and spirits communicator Millie Milliken (pictured) hosted her largest Tequila tasting to date. A Paloma made with Tequila Ocho and Three Cents Pink Grapefruit Soda opened the session, before guests explored agave’s flavours, heritage and production. The lively, sold-out crowd ended the day with a Q&A, leaving with a deeper appreciation of Mexico’s most iconic spirit.

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Exton Park joins Mentzendorff portfolio

Exton Park marked its onboarding to the Mentzendorff portfolio with a harvest celebration at its Hampshire estate. Guests explored the winery’s sparkling wines, now poised to reach a broader market via the distributor’s network.

Distillers One of One exhibition opens

Sotheby’s London unveiled the Distillers One of One exhibition, with more than 30 of the 39 whisky lots on display for the first time. The exhibition runs until 30 September before the collection travels north for the live auction in Scotland.

ProWein looks ahead to 2026

In Düsseldorf, db’s Jessica Mason joined the ProWein team for three days of tastings and discussions. At Schumacher Brewery, she sampled the city’s famed altbier before hearing from COO Marius Berfemann on how ProWein will reset its focus on business for the 2026 edition.

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