El Vino - Tasting Service

THE EL VINO TASTING SERVICE

Tutored tastings can be a great way to learn more about the world of wine. Whether you are looking to host a formal corporate function or simply wish to get together with a group of friends and enjoy a relaxed evening sampling wines, El Vino has the experience and expertise to co-ordinate the perfect event for you.

Tastings can be held either in the cosy and traditional surroundings of one of our four City wine-bars, or can be arranged at a venue of your choice. We are also able to provide food, from canapés through to formal three-course meals, which can be tailored to suit both taste and budget.

El Vino are renowned throughout London for delivering a bespoke, top quality tasting service at a very sensible price, and for this reason we remain the first (and usually only!) port of call for those in the know looking to organise a memorable event. We understand that the business of wine tasting should be above all enjoyable, and as such we seek to ensure that our events are not only informative but also good fun. Our most recent clients have included KPMG, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Lovells and Coutts.

Wine tastings taking place in our five wine-bars are usually run by the appropriate Branch Manager (see our Winebars page for further details), but in addition we have our own Tasting tutor, Lawrence Baylis (lawrence@elvino.co.uk), who will be happy to organise corporate events. Lawrence is well qualified in the field of wine, with thorough knowledge and a host of experience. We bring great enthusiasm to our tastings, and will ensure that your event is a highly enjoyable and successful occasion. If you are interested in our Tasting Service please contact Lawrence on 020 7353 5384 or via email and he will be happy to provide you with further details. In order for us to be able to produce a quote for your event, it would be extremely helpful if you could provide us with as much information as possible in terms of how many people are due to attend, whether you would like food, your approximate budget etc.

TYPES OF TASTINGS OFFERED

Blind Tasting
A selection of Red and White wines will be served 'blind' - guests will not be able to see the bottles from which they are poured, and must try to ascertain from the three stage tasting process alone the provenance of the wines. Usually run as a competition, we recommed offering bottles of champagne (or other wine of your choice) as prizes to the winning team. A fun evening, guaranteed to induce intense competition and fierce discussion!

Around the World in Two Hours
For this type of tasting we provide interesting Red and White wines from around the world, seeking out less common grape varieties. Guests may be treated to anything from a New Zealand Riesling to a Chilean Viognier. In this way we hope to open your horizons to new and exciting styles of wine, and give you the confidence to be experimental in your selections.

Old World versus New World
A popular choice! Four grape varieties are selected (two white and two red) and we provide one Old World and one New World example of each, encouraging you to compare and contrast the different styles. Tasters might be asked to guess the Sancerre from the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, or the Australian Cabernet Merlot from the Claret. Tasters will learn to identify the essential characteristics of different varietals, and how to differentiate between New World and Old World styles.

Different Grape Varieties
A great choice for those who have never taken part in a tasting before and would like to find out more about different styles of wine. Eight very different grape varieties will be selected (four red and four white) and their styles compared. Tasters will be encouraged to assess the wines in terms of their character and will be able to describe them using basic wine terminology. By the end of the evening you will be able to speak confidently about different styles of wine, and will have the knowledge to be able to purchase or order wines that are certain to suit your palate.

Tour of Bordeaux (or Burgundy, Australia etc)
For the more experienced wine taster, or those with a specific regional interest. The tasting will be focused on a single region, and will feature wines from different comunes/vintages, allowing the taster a more in-depth study of the varying styles that can be produced.

Wine with Food/Wine with Cheese
A tasting designed to give you the knowledge to be able to match wine and food with confidence (a great skill for your dinner parties!). A range of wines will be served along with a selection of different foods, and tasters will be able to experience the ways in which the two are able to complement one another. You may be pleasantly surprised by the combinations!