Wine Tasting

Always buying the same wines? Want to step outside of your wine comfort zone? Then take a look at our 6 week Grape School! Classes will be held on Tuesday nights between 7pm – 9pm in our fabulous Wine Library at 56 Andover Road, Cheltenham. In each session, you’ll get to know at least 6 grape varieties whilst tasting 8 – 10 wines.

OK, don’t shout at us…! But it’s time you explored the other great wine growing regions of Spain. We’ll show a few of our favourites from Spain’s most popular region before setting off for Priorat on the east coast near Barcelona, heading south for the remarkably under-priced fortified Sherry wines of Jerez then back up to the verdant westerly region of Galicia.

A follow-on Grape School Masterclass. Burgundy might be its usual (and expensive!) habitat, but in our first Grape School Masterclass you’ll get to taste the tricky to grow Pinot Noir in all it’s glory from other areas such as Oregon and California in the USA, New Zealand and more, as well as its homeland in the Cote D'Or. 

A follow-on Grape School Masterclass. In week eight, we play Cupid in our mission to make you fall in love with this wonderful variety. We’ll pick Chardonnays from around the world, including its homeland Burgundy, Washington State and California in the USA and beyond, to show its versatility and elegance in all climates. 

A follow-on Grape School Masterclass. Hermitage to Barossa; a distance apart not only in miles but also in style. After comparing the sophisticated grit of France against the no nonsense fruit of Australia, we’ll showcase the grape in a variety of other regions, such as Chile and South Africa. Which will be your favourite? 

Be transported to Italy in our tasting of the wines of these two regions of central Italy, home to the beloved Sangiovese grape which makes the iconic wines of Brunello di Montalcino & Chianti Classico. This area is capable of much more than just that though, from delicious and versatile whites to complex and intense reds with some of the world’s best sweet wines for good measure. 

A follow-on Grape School Masterclass. From the remarkably underrated and varying styles of Germany and Alsace in France to the bone dry and citrusy examples of New World regions like Clare Valley in Australia, you’ll be tasting the sommelier’s favourite grape variety in all its glory.

A follow-on Grape School Masterclass. From its home in Bordeaux (though mainly used in traditional blends), this grape is responsible for producing wines such as Chateaux Margaux, Chateau Mouton & Lafite Rothschild, to name just three. Arguably it shines more where grown as single variety in regions such as the Napa Valley in California, across Australia or Mendoza in Argentina.

We’ve a commonwealth battle for the ages in-store here. Two heavy-weight wine growing countries go head to head, each contributing wines with their own unforgettable brand of intense, fruit driven character. We’ll compare Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and more, before looking at the new wave of producers experimenting with grapes and maybe even finding the next big thing…

A follow-on Grape School Masterclass. Widely recognised as the signature grape of New Zealand and the most popular wine in the UK. In this session we will highlight all of the great regions where this variety is grown, including the Loire Valley around the famous village of Sancerre and its newer home of Marlborough.

A follow-on Grape School Masterclass. Once a stalwart of the dinner table, this grape has fallen out of favour somewhat recently.  This variety is widely planted around the world but its home is Bordeaux, France, where, on the ‘Right Bank’ of the Gironde it is recognised as the signature grape of areas such as Pomerol and Saint Emilion. We’ll look at its journey across the Atlantic, where it has been welcomed in California in the USA and across Chile.

A follow-on Grape School Masterclass. Like many grape varieties grown throughout the world, Chenin Blanc started life in France, this time in the Loire Valley with Vouvray being the most recognisable name in the region for the grape. Since 2000, the South Africans have taken the Chenin Blanc grape to their hearts and it is now their signature white grape. Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile of all grapes in terms of the styles it can produce, capable of making delicious dry, sweet & sparkling wines. 

Trends come and go but some wines stick around and rightly so. During this tasting we will highlight the trends with think will continue a few years from now. We’ll show you what’s excited us this year, like ‘Natural’ wines with their low intervention methods or the growing focus on wines from volcanic soil to name but a few. 

About time we hear you say! Not only does South Africa produce great value wine, they produce great wine, period. From the warm fruit of Stellenbosch Shiraz and Pinotage to the cool, Burgundian elegance of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Walker Bay’s Hemel-en-Arde valley, we have this great wine country covered for you.