Are you single and interested in wine? If so, you just might be interested in a new and – yes, you guessed it – ‘exclusive’ dating events company. WineDater was set up by Nicolla Greaves, who has worked at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust for seven years and her partner Nigel Littlewood, ‘who has had years of experience working with top end bars.’
I offer absolutely no assurance whatsoever that you will meet the man or woman of your dreams, or even that you will have a nice time. I merely pass on the fact that the company’s first event will take place on Monday 7 Apr at The Hide Bar in what they call ‘trendy Bermondsey Street, London SE1’ (conveniently close to the WSET offices then). The couple (if that is not a rude word in this context) are looking for ‘Singles Who Love Wine’ to attend.
The assure us that ‘WineDater is a unique new dating concept which aims to help single Londoners find love whilst increasing their wine knowledge and tasting wines that are a far cry from the average post-work tipple.’ They promise ‘premium wines’ and together claim 15 years’ experience of working with wine. ‘WineDater has a unique combination of wine expertise and relationships with London’s top bars and pubs to ensure WineDaters will all have an exceptional experience,’ they claim.
Nicolla says: ‘Having tried every type of dating event there is, I realised that they are not set up primarily for the benefit of the daters or the venues but instead to generate as much money for the organisers as possible! Quality over quantity is our motto, so we will only be working with the best venues and wines which means WineDaters can expect a very “tasteful” experience!’
Nigel adds, ‘Having been working with London’s top bars and venues for several years in my previous role, such as The Dorchester, London Hilton and the Conran Group, I will be continuing to build strong partnerships with top end establishments for WineDater events. We’re delighted to already have events lined up at some of London’s trendiest bars and pubs such as The Hide, The Arbiter in Fulham, The Lord Palmerston in Tufnell Park and The Fentiman Arms in Oval.”
The intention is that WineDater evenings will have equal numbers of men and women. Greaves and Littlewood say they intend to start with a brief tutored wine tasting so that daters are confident when assessing their wines. (Is there any chance that anyone will take any notice of this instead of sizing up their fellow singles?) ‘The main event comprises short, relaxed dates with different wines to discuss. A prize is awarded to the person correctly identifying the most wines, but the real focus is on fun and meeting like-minded singles. ‘
Places at both the launch and subsequent events may be booked after registering at www.WineDater.co.uk, at £30 a pop.
I must confess I am not sure at all whether to ask for feedback.
