London Wine Week is back! After an incredible inaugural year in 2014, which saw more than 7000 Londoners celebrating the capital’s flourishing wine scene, London Wine Week is back – popping corks, decanting great vintages and decoding the wine list. Once again, the highlight of the festival will be the self-guided Wine Tours, helping you discover new grapes, varieties and vintages. From dusty wine vaults to classic hotel bars, top-end restaurants to tiny hidden gems – let London’s Sommeliers guide you through their choice of taster wine flights, each just £5. Many venues and independent merchants, cherry-picked for their excellence, are also planning perfectly paired menus, special deals on corkage and drop-in tastings when you flash your London Wine Week wristband. Plus you’ll get a free London bar guide to help you plan your week!
Beyond the Wine Tours, you can look forward to fabulous pop-ups, parties and masterclasses. A pick of the best below, but you can see the full event schedule at www.londonwineweek.com/events.
The Nyetimber Hub at Devonshire Square
The Bengal Warehouse, Devonshire Square, EC2M 4WQ
Mon to Sat Midday-9 pm, Sun Midday-5pm
Your first port of call this London Wine Week – The Nyetimber Hub sits at the heart of the action in Devonshire Square. Collect your wristbands and relax in the luxury pop-up bar whilst enjoying a free sample of Nyetimber English sparkling wine, or brush up on your knowledge at one of the daily masterclasses where guests will be lead through a tasting of current vintages for just £15 per ticket.
Wristband wearer bonus: Free Nyetimber samples and specially created Nyetimber flights for £5.
Wines of Portugal Discovery Bar
Western Courtyard, Devonshire Square, EC2M 4WQ
Mon to Sat 12.30-9.30pm, Sun 12.30-5pm
Popping up all week in the Western Courtyard of Devonshire Square, The Wines of Portugal Discovery Bar promises to bring a little piece of the sunny Med to our LWW home.
Wristband wearer bonus: A choice of four Portuguese wine flights for £5.
Franciacorta Pop-up Bar
1901 Restaurant and Wine Bar, Andaz Liverpool Street, 40 Liverpool Street London, EC2M 7QN
Mon to Sat Midday-9pm
Exclusively for London Wine Week, Franciacorta – Italy’s finest sparkling wine region, and the 1901 Wine Bar will be co-hosting a pop-up bar at the luxury boutique Andaz Hotel, just a stone’s throw from the LWW hub in Devonshire Square.
Wristband wearer bonus: Franciacorta flights for £5.
Rothschild evening in the stars, £125
Aqua Shard, Level 31 The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RY
Mon 18th May, 7pm
Deepen your wine knowledge whilst enjoying a truly indulgent evening at one of London’s most spectacular venues. Waddesdon Wine – Rothschild Collection are hosting a one hour wine masterclass followed by a Champagne aperitif and four course dinner paired with a selection from thewinery collection.
Wristband wearer bonus: 10% discount on the ticket price.
Under The Table, £50
The Table, 83 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0HX
Mon 18th May, 6.30pm
Wine tasting and comedy plus an amazing three-course meal, hosted by award-winning comedian Jarred Christmas (Buzzcocks, Dave’s One Night Stand, Mock the Week) and wine expert Giles Smith-Walker.
Wristband wearer bonus: Free glass of bubbly upon arrival.
Wine Bluff to Wine Buff, £20
Hixter Bankside 16 Great Guildford Street, London SE1 0HS
Mon 18th & Tues 19th May, 7pm
This wine jargon-busting master class from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust will take you from wine bluff to wine buff in little over an hour!
Wristband wearer bonus: Wine taster flights for £5.
The Lawn Club by Celebrity Cruises, £15
The White Space, 5 Great Newport Street, London, WC2H 7HY
Tues 19th & Weds 20th May, various evening sessions
Join renowned wine expert Oz Clarke on Tuesday and Kiki from A Grape Night In on Wednesday who will be hosting wine tasting masterclasses in this chic yet playful picnic-style pop-up.
Wristband wearer bonus: Special ticket price of £12.
A “Hedonistic” Lunch Break, Free
Hedonism Wines, 3-7 Davies Street W1K 3LD, London
Weds 20th May, Midday-2pm
A free event to brighten up your lunch break, showcasing a range of wines from the Rothschild families, including Rothschild Blanc de Blancs Champagne and Chateau Clarke 2009.
A Wine for Every Occasion with Le Cordon Bleu, £25
Le Cordon Bleu London, 15 Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1A 2LS
Thurs 21st May, 7pm, Sat 23rd May, 11:30am
Come and discover harmonious combinations of wine for every occasion, whether it’s for an aperitif, a business meal, family reunion or party and the leading culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu London will teach you what to drink with each course and how to source it.
The A to E of Wine, with Jane Parkinson, £10
Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, 42 Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HU
Thurs 21st May, 6.30pm
Let BBC1 Saturday Kitchen’s wine expert Jane Parkinson take you through five wines that not only represent the start of the alphabet but something new, cool or interesting – and definitely delicious – in the world of wine.
Wristband wearer bonus: Wine flights in the bar for £5.
Honest Grapes Taste Lab, £25
Secret Central London Location
Thurs 21st & Sat 23rd May, various sessions
Bring out your inner scientist and step into the Lab for a new, experimental way to test your taste buds and build your own wine profile.
Wristband wearer bonus: A free £5 voucher for use on the Honest Grapes website.
An Evening of Petanque and Regal Rogue Aperitifs, Free
L’Entrepot, London Borough Wines, 230 Dalston Lane, Hackney, E8 1LA
Fri 22nd May, 7pm-10pm
Join Regal Rogue and kick off your shoes, put sand between your toes and roll some boules around, whilst quaffing the signature Regal Rogue aperitifs. Bookings can be taken for specific times or just pop in to toast like Royalty and live like a Rogue!
Wine Tasting Games with Berry Bros. & Rudd Wine School, £49
Berry Bros. & Rudd, Pickering Cellar, 3 St James’s Street, London, SW1A 1EG
Fri 22nd May, 6.30pm
This interactive Wine School will use games to help you learn how wines taste and differ. Hosted by Head of the Wine School, Rebecca Lamont, guests will get to taste three flights of three wines including Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rioja.
Wristband wearer bonus: A free Berry Bros. & Rudd corkscrew and Champagne stopper.
Wine Stories at Waterstones, Free
The Plaza, 120 Oxford Street, London, W1D 1LT
Fri 22nd May, 7pm
Hosted by wine writer and presenter The Winebird, Cape London presents an evening of wine stories, discoveries, tastings and fun – hear about what wine to match with different foods, and why different grape varieties are like rugby players, ballerinas, goddesses and ladyboys.
Kent and Sussex Wine Tours, £99 (special LWW price!)
Mid or West Sussex
Fri 22nd & Sat 23rd May, 9.55am
On Friday be escorted to the beautiful wineries of Mid Sussex, or on Saturday head to the stunning West Sussex. On the tours you’ll visit three vineyards and wineries, taste the wines they make there and enjoy lunch overlooking a gorgeous vineyard vista.
The LWW Wine Workshop, Various ticket prices
Hix City, 9a Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4AE
Sat 23rd May, 12-7pm
As jam-packed afternoon of masterclasses hosted by some of London’s most renowned wine experts including Michael Sager-Wilde, Noble Rot, Ruth Spivey and Chris Orr.
Wristband wearer bonus: Wine flights in the bar for £5.
The LWW Closing Party: BIG BOTTLES TASTE BETTER, £25
Mission, Paradise Row, E2 9LE
Sun 24th May, 4pm
Join Noble Rot and Sager & Wilde to celebrate the end of London Wine Week with a mind-blowing list of unique and rare wines, all served exclusively from magnums. There’ll also be a BBQ and a stellar line-up of DJs to help you make the most of your bank holiday Sunday. Because Big Bottles Taste Better!
