It seems a long time away, but we have confirmed the dates and locations for our wonderful Christmas Wine Fairs for later in 2012. Tickets will go on sale over coming weeks, with earlybird discounts, for:

1. LONDON – November 3rd, Vinopolis
2. EDINBURGH – November 10th, The Assembly Rooms
3. BATH – November 24th, The Guildhall

Please sign-up using the form on the right to be the first to hear about Early Bird ticket going on sale, the programmes of fabulous masterclasses and information on the wines to be featured.

Our  2011 Wine Fairs in London on October 29th and in Edinburgh on 12th November were absolutely fantastic – thank you to all who exhibited and all who bought a ticket. Over 800 people enjoyed tasting over 900 wines and sat enthralled by eight amazing masterclasses and our programme of free Wine Walks.

Please put November 3rd and November 10th in your diaries as the provisional dates for the London and Edinburgh Christmas fairs 2012, though we hope to be announcing a lot more Wine Gang Live events for 2012 at the start of the year.

Our third Wine Fair in London on October 29th was an outstanding event – completely sold out in advance, and a day full of fascinating wines and masterclasses being enjoyed by a wonderful mix of wine lovers. And now we are doing it all again in Edinburgh!

Auld Reekie Steps Up

See ticketSOUP.com for info and tickets for Edinburgh, Nov 12th.

The Merchants’ Hall is our venue, just off Princes Street on Hanover Street, where we’re open from noon to 6pm with a terrific array of wines to taste, free wine walks and a programme of exceptional masterclasses. Here are just some of the wines freely available for you to taste, included in your £15 Earlybird ticket (£14 for members):

• 2000 Vega-Sicilia Unico (£220.00 a bottle)
• 2008 William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros (£69.00)
• 2008 Neige Canadian Ice Wine (£25.00)
• 2009 Mt Difficulty Central Otago Pinot Noir (£24.99)
• 2005 Yalumba The Signature (£26.99)
• Cattier Brut Antique Champagne NV (£29.00)
• and many, many more…

Sign up on the day for a Wine Walk, and one of the Gang will take you on a tour of the room, stopping at half a dozen tables to taste and discuss some of our favourite wines.

One of the absolute highlights for many people is the programme of tutored masterclasses. These sit-down, tutored tastings of 8 wines are optional (tickets £10) and take place in the calm of an adjoining room. You will get to taste some seriously fine and rare wines with expert speakers, and can choose from:

Portugal: Europe’s Best Kept Secret with Tom Cannavan
The Portuguese Wine Writer of the Year 2010 will present a selection from his ’50 Great Poruguese Wines’ that will unlock some of Portugal’s vinous secrets. Wines include Prats & Symington Chryseia 2008, Quinta do Portal  Touriga Nacional 2009 and Dão Sul Cabriz Reserva 2008.

Magnificent Malbec with Anthony Rose
Ant has recently returned from an extensive visit to Argentina and will conduct a tasting of some of the country’s top Malbecs, including premium cuvees from outstanding producers including the Achaval Ferrer Bella Vista Malbec, Mendel Finca Remota Malbec and Catena Adrianna Malbec.

Chile’s Key Valleys with Jane Parkinson
Featuring a selection of the Premium Wines of Concha y Toro’s portfolio, Jane will take us on a tour of Chile’s Valleys, both the traditional heartlands of Chilean production and newer Valleys like Limari and Bio Bio. Wines to be tasted include some of Chile’s rarest and most scintillating Pinot Noir and Syrah.

Think You Know Chablis? with Martin Straus
Martin is an official Chablis wine ambassador and his fascinating tasting will present a ravishing tour of Chablis terroir. In his masterclass Martin will compare the wines of the Chablis appellation including some of the top estates and vineyards of  Chablis 1er cru and Chablis Grand Cru.

See ticketSOUP.com for info and tickets for Edinburgh, Nov 12th.

We’ll see you there!

Do you have your tickets for our Fairs?

ticketSOUP.com for info and tickets for London (Oct 29)

ticketSOUP.com for info and tickets for Edinburgh (Nov 12)

These absolutely outstanding events offer extraordinary value: full price tickets are £20, but you can still buy at an Earlybird £15 and members at just £14. As well as literally hundreds of wines in the £6 to £12 range to taste there’s an amazing array of high-end wines: the fine and rare wines below plus dozens and dozens more are there for the tasting. There’s no catch!

• 2006 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon (£105.00 a bottle)
• 2007 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cab Sauvignon (£48.00)
• 2007 Marquis D’Angerville Volnay Champans 1er Cru  (£43.00)
• 2006 Chateau de Blagny Meursault Premier Cru (£42.99)
• 2007 Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo Tuscany (£39.99)
• 2007 Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne (£52.00)
• 2007 Errazuriz Don Maximiano Founder’s Reserve (£44.00)
• Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blancs (£34.99)
• Taittinger Prélude Grands Cru Champagne (£45.00)
• 1985 Fonseca Port (£85.00)
• and many, many more…

£15 Earlybird tickets still available for our fabulous wine fairs!

London (October 29th 2011 – click for info and tickets)
Edinburgh (November 12th 2011 – click for info and tickets).

We’re putting the visitor catalogue together for London: 600 wines on tasting! Quantity’s not everything, so how about the 2006 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon (£105 a bottle), the 2007 Volnay Champans 1er Cru from Domaine Marquis D’Angerville (£43) or the Fonseca 1985 Port (£85)? Then there’s Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne 2007 (£52), Chateau de Blagny Meursault 1er Cru 2006 (£42.99) and on and on. We reckon 200 wines @ over £20 so far and an average bottle price close to £15. With free wine walks and a free prize draw for someone in the room to win £250 of beautiful Zalto crystal glassware from aroundwine.co.uk too…

Did we mention amazing value?

£15 Earlybird tickets still available for our fabulous wine fairs!

London (October 29th 2011 – click for info and tickets)
Edinburgh (November 12th 2011 – click for info and tickets).

Each includes a programme of sit-down, tutored masterclasses featuring some of the world’s top winemakers and wines. A highlight of the Fairs for many people, here’s the menu:

LONDON- all masterclasses £15

1:00pm – The icon wines of Yalumba, with Jane Ferrari
Winemaker Jane Ferrari will lead a tasting focused on Viognier and Cabernet/Shiraz, with museum wines going back for over a decade.

2:00pm – Champagne Bollinger – SOLD OUT

3:00pm – O. Fournier, with Jose Manuel Ortega
The irrepressible owner of one of Argentina’s star estates considers terroir, comparing with top wines from Chile and Ribera del Duero.

4:00pm – Michel Chapoutier – VERY FEW TICKETS LEFT
Michel puts the great 2008 Hermitage vintage in the spotlight including his Hermitages Le Meal, Le Pavillon, De l’Orée and L’Ermite.

EDINBURGH – all masterclasses £10

1:00pm – Portugal: Europe’s Best Kept Secret with Tom Cannavan
The Portuguese Wine Writer of the Year 2010 will present the most exciting and high quality wines from Portugal’s native grapes.

2:00pm – Magnificent Malbec with Anthony Rose
Anthony will conduct a tasting of the country’s top Malbec wines, looking at the diversity of styles from Argentina’s regions.

3:00pm – Chile’s Key Valleys with Jane Parkinson
With the Premium Wines of Concha y Toro, Jane explores both traditional and new valleys like Limari, Elqui and Bio Bio.

4:00pm – Think You Know Chablis? with Martin Straus
Martin will present a ravishing tour of Chablis terroir, comparing Chablis, Chablis 1er cru and Chablis Grand Cru from top estates.

To see more details and to buy £15 earlybird tickets, go to ticketSOUP.com (London) or ticketSOUP.com (Edinburgh)

The exhibitors

The Gang has announced its Wines of the Year for 2010 – the best wines we tasted and rated, in a number of different categories. Each wine producer honoured will receive a signed certificate:

Red Wine of the Year Château Léoville-Poyferré 2005 96/100 – £56.76 Bordeaux Index White Wine of the Year Domaine Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru Fôrets 2007 95/100 – £18.95 Lea & Sandeman Rosé Wine of the Year Marks & Spencer Sancerre Rosé Le Mont 2009 90/100 – £11.99 Marks & Spencer Sparkling Wine of the Year Champagne Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1998 95/100 – £100 Majestic Sweet or Fortified Wine of the Year D’Oliveira Reserva Terrantez 1977 95/100 – £55 Waitrose Great Value Red Wine of the Year Château des Tours Côtes du Rhône 2006 95/100 – £13.95 Lea & Sandeman and (joint winners) Viña Leyda Cahuil Pinot Noir 2008 93/10 – £14.99 Waitrose Great Value White Wine of the Year Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia 2009 93/100 – £12.49 Laithwaites/Novum Great Value Sparkling Wine of the Year Marks & Spencer Okhre Natur Organic cava 89/100 – £9.99 Marks & Spencer Great Value Sweet Wine of the Year Tesco Finest 10YO Grand Tawny 2000 94/100 – £8.99 Tesco The People’s Award Château de Chénas Moulin à Vent 2009 £10.99 Waitrose