Decanter Magazine runs a number of tastings each year: the biggest is the Fine Wine Encounter. This year it took place, as in previous years, at the Landmark Hotel next to Marylebone Station in London.
There is always a vast number of producers and individual wines to taste: this year three grand rooms in the hotel held 101 producers' stands, each with up to ten wines available for tasting (most had 6 to 8 wines). Most producers bring their top wines, many unavailable in the UK or unavailable anywhere as they're sold out (only 500 bottles were made of one wine I tasted!). Obviously, it's not possible to taste all the wines on offer. I tend to base my selection of what to taste based on two main factors: wines I'm particularly interested in and stands that do not have huge crowds around them.
Alongside this huge walk-round tasting are a series of masterclasses, offering in-depth looks at particular growers/producers or themes. I attended the following masterclasses:
© Andrew Stevenson
05/01/2005
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Last updated: 15 December 2005 13:33