Informal tastings: wine, champagne, whisky, beer and coffee

Drinks Evening Classes

Come along to our informal tasting courses to learn the essentials of the appreciation of wine and other drinks. Classes run from 7pm to 9pm.

Champagne Evening
8 Dec 2008		£95places available
Speciality Beer and Food Matching Evening
16 Feb 2009		£50places available
Matching Wine with Food: general principles
25 Feb 2009		£80places available
Champagne - which is your favourite?
9 Mar 2009		£95places available
Matching Wine with Food: general principles
13 May 2009		£80places available
Champagne - which is your favourite?
29 Jun 2009		£95places available
Matching Wine with Food: general principles
14 Oct 2009		£80places available
Champagne - which is your favourite?
14 Dec 2009		£95places available

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Champagne - which is your favourite?

Many of us tend to have a favourite Champagne, be it Bollinger, Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon or one of the other well known names. >>

Many of us tend to have a favourite Champagne, be it Bollinger, Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon or one of the other well known names. In this lecture, we will taste 6 of the most famous Champagnes and seek to understand both each house’s individual style and the factors that influence that style. Will you have your expectations confirmed or will you be surprised? There’s only one way to find out! <<

Champagne Evening

"In defeat, you need it; in victory, you deserve it". Sir Winston Churchill neatly summed up Champagne's unique ability to refresh, revive and add sparkle to any celebration. >>

"In defeat, you need it; in victory, you deserve it". Sir Winston Churchill neatly summed up Champagne's unique ability to refresh, revive and add sparkle to any celebration.

These Champagne Evenings will be a perfect opportunity to hear a Master of Wine explain the different styles of Champagne, to ask those questions you always had in the back of your mind and, of course, to drink a glass or three of the world's greatest sparkling wine. Six Champagnes will be served, including Laurent Perrier and Dom Perignon, and we aim to find a style that suits everyone. In an informal setting, this is a highly enjoyable way to learn more about Champagne and to share some good bottles and light food. You will be given tasters of the type of foods that often accompany Champagne and at the end of the evening you will be able to take home a quarter bottle of Laurent Perrier and a Leiths cookery book. <<

Matching Wine with Food: general principles

This session looks at the structural elements that make up taste, ie: acidity, sweetness, saltiness, bitterness and, in the case of wine, alcohol. >>

This session looks at the structural elements that make up taste, ie: acidity, sweetness, saltiness, bitterness and, in the case of wine, alcohol. In particular it looks at the interaction of these components and the dramatic impact different combinations can have on our perceptions of taste. It is a focused but entertaining session that will provide each participant with the information and the confidence to experiment more freely with two of life's greatest pleasures: wine and food. <<

Speciality Beer and Food Matching Evening

A Food and Beer Matching evening hosted by Marc Stroobandt Master Beer Sommelier, featuring five or six leading Speciality beer brands paired with some simple food flavours. >>

A Food and Beer Matching evening hosted by Marc Stroobandt Master Beer Sommelier, featuring five or six leading Speciality beer brands paired with some simple food flavours. Students will receive guidance on how to understand and enjoy Speciality beer, how to select a Speciality beer, store and handle beer, how to match with food and overall appreciation of the category.

All students will receive a complementary goody bag containing a Leffe branded glass, educational information and recipe cards with food ideas to try at home. A great evening out and a fabulous Valentine present! <<

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Bookings received before 1 April will be at the prices indicated; any bookings received after that date will be subject to a fees increase. E&OE
2008 © Leiths School of Food and Wine

The Matching Wine with Food lectures are generally delivered by Nancy Gilchrist MW, a Master of Wine we are lucky enough to have working with us on our courses. Nancy is a highly experienced speaker on the subject of matching wine with food, widely acknowledged as a particularly tricky subject, not least because tastes are so personal. However Nancy explains the principles of how food affects the flavour of wine (and vice versa) with such clarity and knowledge that the subject starts to make a great deal more sense. A key outcome of the session is that the audience leaves with the ability to work out the right pairings for themselves in future.

The Champagne lectures are generally delivered by Richard Bampfield MW, an experienced speaker and one of only 250 or so Masters of Wine in the world. Richard is responsible for the wine side of the Leiths Diploma in Food and Wine and has developed a speaking style that is both informative and informal. His audience often comment on his evident love of wine as a subject, and, by his own admission, Champagne is a particular weakness! www.winevents.co.uk

Marc Stroobandt is Director and Master Beer Sommelier for the F&B Partnership (www.fandbpartnership.com), an experiential training and marketing company, leaders in beer appreciation and beer connoisseurship. He worked very closely with Belgian brewers and gained an unrivalled understanding of the Belgian beer landscape, whilst working in the best specialised Belgian Beer bars. Combining this with a stint at catering school he combined his passion for beer with his culinary finesse making him an expert on pairing food with beer.

Our Scotch whisky tastings are with William Grant & Sons and conducted by Ludo Ducrocoq Glenfiddich’s Global Brand Ambassador. He has worked at the distillery since 2000 and in 2002 became the youngest member of the company’s Nosing Panel. He regularly conducts master classes and tutored tastings.