The London Wine, Dining and Travel Meetup

The 'Real Wine' Fair is a wine event celebrating artisan growers who work with minimal intervention in the vineyard and the winery. ‘Real wine’ is a term which is sometimes used to describe 'natural wines' but it also includes wines that are made organically and biodynamically. It's not a precise term but it definitely means not using chemicals, pesticides and herbicides in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the winery. In any case this will be an excellent opportunity to find out how these wines compare to 'conventional' wines.

On Sunday 28th April over 170 growers and winemakers will be pouring and presenting 500+ wines at Tobacco Dock and you can see the full list here https://therealwinefair.com/winemaker/

In addition to the extensive range of wines The Fair will also feature an array of artisan food producers serving delicious morsels to taste and buy. The wines on show at the fair will be available to purchase from an on-site shop created specifically for the event. There will also be a series of workshops, seminars and master-classes on themes surrounding natural wine.

I will be there from 11am and at 12pm and 2pm I will do a guided wine walk which will be limited to 5 people. Further details to follow...

Tickets are just £25 and I have reserved 10 places for the group.

Please note that Meetup now charge an additional fee to attendees on top of the price which the Organiser sets. This fee is paid direct to Meetup and is beyond our control.

WAITLIST: If the event is fully booked and you would like to join the ‘waitlist’, post a comment to let me know

REFUNDS: As I have to pre-pay for the tickets refunds are not offered for this event.

Cheers,
Christos

A very special and unrepeatable tasting - parallel mini verticals of two of the top wines from Kanonkop Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa! Kanonkop is a family-owned wine estate now run by the 4th generation. They have only bottled wine under their own label since 1973, but today are often considered to be the South African equivalent of a 'First Growth'!

Kanonkop are well-known for Pinotage but this tasting will feature a mini-vertical tasting of their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Paul Sauer (Bordeaux blend) - the same 4 vintages of each wine, 2016/2017/2018/2019. The retail price of all of these wines is £35-50 per bottle. Before we start on the reds there will be 2 bottles of a VERY high quality Chenin Blanc as a welcome wine.

Numbers will be limited to 12 people seated round one table, so almost a bottle of fine wine per person. During the tasting a selection of fine cheeses, pates,and other food will be served.

WAITLIST: If the event is fully booked and you would like to join the ‘waitlist’, post a comment to let me know

REFUNDS: The 'ticket price' for this event is £49 including £3 for paypal/meetup fees. If you cancel by Tuesday 30th April latest AND there is someone on the waitlist who pays for your place you will get a refund of £46.

Please note that Meetup now charge an additional fee to attendees on top of the price which the Organiser sets. This fee is paid direct to Meetup and is beyond our control.

Cheers,
Christos

A wine tour to Veneto based in Medieval Verona, one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in Italy! Known as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, it’s home to a Roman amphitheatre with its annual Opera festival and many other historic sites. The surrounding region has stunning scenery with verdant vineyards, Palladian villas, shimmering lakes, castles, and historic villages. For wine lovers names like Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone, Soave and Lugana trip off the tongue. And the local gastronomy is a delight for the senses. Our tour in Veneto is perfect for food and wine lovers looking for La Dolce Vita!

ITINERARY: During the 5 days of the tour we will visit wineries in Valpolicella where we'll taste lots of red wines including Ripasso and Amarone. We'll also visit the regions of Soave and Lugana who specialise in white wines. And we'll have a day in the beautiful Verona when we'll have a private guided tour of the highlights of the city and free time to explore. You can see more details here https://criterionwinetours.com/product/veneto-wine-tour/

ACCOMMODATION: We'll be based at the 4 star Hotel Giberti for this tour https://www.hotelgiberti.it/en/home

TRAVEL: The meeting point is at 10.45 am on 9th May at Verona airport in time to meet the British Airways flight from London Gatwick. Flights are not included in the tour price and you need to book your own flights
The recommended group flights are with British Airways:

• Thursday 9th May BA 2590 departs London Gatwick 07.40 arrives Verona 10.45
• Monday 13th May BA 2591 departs Verona 19.45 arrives London Gatwick 20.50

Transfers by coach from/to Verona airport are included and will tie in with the above flights. If you make alternative travel arrangements you will need to be at Verona airport in time to meet the BA flight on 9th May. The tour will end at Verona airport

COST AND INCLUSIONS

• £1,450 per person sharing a double or twin room.
• Ground transport throughout in an air-conditioned coach
• Four nights’ accommodation with breakfast sharing a double or twin room with ensuite facilities.
• 4 lunches and 1 dinner with wine
• Tours and tastings at 7 wineries
• City tour of Verona with a private guide
• Services of tour/wine guide from Criterion Wine Tour

SUPPLEMENTS:

• Single occupancy of a double/twin room (limited number of single rooms available): £250
• Room Upgrade to Junior Suite (2 rooms available and only for 2 people sharing a double room) £75 per person

Tour Leader: Christos is a member of the Association of Wine Educators and of the Circle of Wine Writers. He holds the WSET Diploma and has been a Judge at the International Wine Challenge since 2003. Through his company, Criterion Wine Tours, he has been organising group wine tours all over the world for the last 15 years.

BOOKING: To book the tour see https://criterionwinetours.com/product/chile-wine-tour/
A non-refundable deposit of £350 per person is payable when booking. The remaining balance is due eight weeks before the start of the tour. Your money will be held in a secure Client Deposit Account and is fully protected.

QUERIES: for any queries about this tour send an e-mail to tours@criterionwinetours.com

WAITLIST: THIS TOUR IS NOW FULLY BOOKED BUT YOU CAN JOIN THE WAITLIST.

Join us for an exquisite four-course dinner curated by award-winning Chef Theo Randall, all complemented by hand-crafted, artisan wines from Vajra winery in Piedmont. Each dish will be paired with carefully selected wines, taking us on a wonderful journey through the breathtaking mountains of Piedmont. there will be delicious canapes to start then the 4 course dinner. In total 6 wines, including 2 Barolos, and plenty of delicious food. The wines will be presented by a brand ambassador from the winery.

Here are the full details of the menu and wines:
Canapés on arrival with a glass of Luigi Baudana Dragon 2023

Antipasto paired with Dolcetto d’Alba 2022
Carne salata – cured beef carpaccio with wild rocket, shaved courgettes, pine nuts, parmesan and aged balsamic vinegar

Primo paired with Langhe Nebbiolo 2022
Agnolotti del Plin – fresh pasta filled with slow-cooked duck, butter and sage

Secondo paired with Barolo Albe 2020
& Barolo Ravera 2018
Arrosto di vitello – roasted veal loin with new season girolle mushrooms, potato purée, spinach and jus

Dolce paired with Moscato d’Asti 2023
Panna cotta – vanilla panna cotta with hot chocolate sauce and hazelnut croquant

DIETARY ISSUES: The menu has been designed to match the wines and is fixed. So this is an event for 'flexible eaters'!

PRICE: The ticket price for this event is £106 including 'Design My Nights' booking fee and meetup/paypal fees. I have reserved 6 tickets for our group.

Please note that Meetup now charge an additional fee to attendees on top of the price which the Organiser sets. This fee is paid direct to Meetup and is beyond our control.

WAITLIST: If the event is fully booked and you would like to join the ‘waitlist’, post a comment to let me know

REFUNDS: As I have to pre-pay for the tickets refunds are not offered for this event.

Cheers,
Christos