We are excited to announce that the first-ever JancisRobinson.com tastings (no more than a dozen participants) are now available for all to book.
We have designed these partly in response to our recent survey and partly to champion those types of wine which we think are under-served. For the moment we intend that each tasting will feature:
- totally independent wine selection, with no commercial connection to any retailer, importer or producer
- personal tutelage by a member of the JancisRobinson.com team
- special dining offers for all ticket holders at our venue, The Quality Chop House.
Each tasting will comprise no more than 12 participants, allowing for an intimate and interactive tasting. They will all take place in the basement of the The Quality Chop House Butchers and Food Shop in Clerkenwell, London EC1, next to the restaurant of the same name, which regular visitors may know is co-owned by Jancis's son Will (whose second restaurant Portland has just been given a perfect score by The Times – JR, proud mamma). The very high quality food shop and butcher's closes at 7 pm. We recommend arriving around 6.30 and having a nose around upstairs before descending to the large butcher's/tasting table shown above. The Chop, which won The World of Fine Wine's Best Short Wine List in Europe award last year, has both a dining room and a wine bar (as well as a private dining room upstairs for up to 10 people). If you want to eat in the ground floor dining room, it would probably be wise to book. We apologise to all those who called for tastings outside London, but we are – for the moment at least – bound by practicalities.
Each tasting will have a similar structure, as follows:
- Tuesday evenings, 18:45 to 20:30
- eight wines per session
- either a 10% discount on your bill or free corkage for meals at The Quality Chop House (before or after the tasting).
The four initial tastings planned to gauge demand are:
Tuesday 17 March: Alternative varieties
Julia Harding MW will select eight wines from the furthest fringes of the wine world. Expect anything from Alvarelhão to Zéta and all stops in between as she brings the expertise she amassed from co-writing Wine Grapes to this most unusual tasting.
Tuesday 31 March: Riesling
A sure-fire draw for JancisRobinson.com members, this will bring together classic examples of the world's most bewitching white grape. Richard Hemming will be choosing five of the most famed and venerable German examples, plus three Rieslings from other countries to showcase the full breadth and complexity of the variety.
Tuesday 14 April: Portugal
One of Julia Harding's favourite wine-producing countries, Portugal remains largely undiscovered by most wine drinkers. Focusing on indigenous varieties, Julia will select four reds and four whites, partly informed by her exhaustive Portuguese marathon in 2011/12.
Tuesday 28 April: Odd and obscure SOLD OUT
The final tasting in our first run, this assortment will represent the most curious and glorious combinations of wine that Richard Hemming can get his hands on. Expect the unlikeliest combinations of grape and climate, bonkers but beautiful natural wine, as well as highly surprising examples of ageability.
Tickets cost £79 (inc VAT) per tasting, and are available to purchase now by clicking the button below. If you have any questions, please address them to Richard.
