Wine Nights

Friday 3rd November, Beaujolais 2017; Never Mind the Nouveau, what about the Crus?

Location: Cafe du Soleil, 5 Pound Lane, Canterbury CT 2 8AA

The wines of Beaujolais have been overlooked in the last few years due, partially, to the  massive volume of lightweight and often insipid Beaujolais Nouveau. The Nouveau, once seen as a celebration of the latest vintage, had become a marketing ploy to off-load a huge volume of modest wine. The British public gave up on Nouveau and moved on. However, it is now time to look beyond  the Nouveau and explore the Crus; a selection of terroir specific villages which craft wonderful wines from the Gamay grape.

During this evening’s tasting we will taste wines from 8 of the Cru and get to understand the nuances and characters of the different terroir. Some wines will be gentle , some will be full , but all will carry the sun and fun  of this historic and beautiful region.

The cost of the Beaujolais evening, including food, is £ 35.00 per person.

Friday 8th September 2017, Northern Spain

Location: Cafe du Soleil, 5 Pound Lane, Canterbury CT 2 8AA

Northern Spain is home to the internationally renowned region of Rioja and also hosts the famous areas of Priorat and Ribera del Duero. During this Wine Night we will sample wines not only from these areas but also those from the lesser well-known but high quality areas such as Cigales, Mencia, and Galicia. We will look at varieties beyond Tempranillo and explore the modern versus the traditional wines of this dynamic wine country.

The cost of the Northern Spain evening, including food, is £ 35.00 per person.

8th July 2017, South America Wine Trip

Location: Cafe du Soleil, 5 Pound Lane, Canterbury CT 2 8AA

Both Chile and Argentina have been significant players in the UK wine market for over fifteen years and their wines are growing in stature and diversity year by year. From producing high volume, branded wines the countries are now producing high quality ’boutique’ wines which compete with the top wines around the world. The South America Wine Trip will be a tour of some of the exciting wines coming out of the continent.

We will taste the signature varieties of Carmenere, Malbec, Torrontes and Pais, as well as world class Syrah, Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

The cost of the South America Wine Tour evening, including food, is £ 30.00 per person.

May 12th  2017 Bordeaux v’s the World

Location: Cafe du Soleil, 5 Pound Lane, Canterbury CT 2 8AA

Bordeaux is famed throughout the world for fine wines and, as consequence, there are producers to be found around the globe who aspire to replicate its styles. This tasting is a chance to taste some classic Bordeaux wines and compare them to their global imitators. We will taste 8 wines, red and white, and you can judge which is the best.

Wines from the Medoc, St Emilion and Pessac Leognan will be digested plus their competitors from California, Italy and South Africa, plus others.

The cost of the Bordeaux v’s the World evening, including food, is £ 35.00 per person.

April 7th  2017 The Rhone Valley,

Location: Cafe du Soleil, 5 Pound Lane, Canterbury CT 2 8AA

The Rhone Valley has a long history of producing high quality wines which express both grape and terroir. The region boasts a number of famous areas such as Crozes Hermitage, St Joseph, Cote Rotie, Gigondas and Chateauneuf du Pape and we shall certainly enjoy wines from some of these  during the evening.  We will experience the contrasts between the north and south; between the single variety focus of the north, with its Syrah reds and Viognier whites, and the blends, both white and red of the south.

The evening will commence with an outline to the history, climate, geology, grape varieties and tradition of the region so as to give a background to the origin of the wines. Each wine will be introduced and its production explained so as to deliver a more comprehensive picture of the Rhone Valley’s wines and its producers.

The cost of the Rhone evening, including food, is £ 30.00 per person.

One Day Courses

Classic Regions of France

Date: Sunday 19th November 2017  11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Location: Cafe du Soleil, 5 Pound Lane, Canterbury CT 2 8AA

France is, arguably, home to the greatest wine regions of the world. This one day masterclass explores the most famous regions, Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire, the Rhone and Alsace so as to identify what makes them so special and revered throughout the globe.

During the day we study the ‘terroir’ and history of each region and taste bench mark examples of the classic wines. Red, white, rosé and sparkling styles will all be tasted and enjoyed. By the end of the day you know your Grand Cru from your Grand Cru Classé and the PDO from your PGI ! The course is run in an informal manner where the regions are brought to life through anecdotes and tales from the wine trade.

We will taste over ten wines during the day which will test your palate and show you the expressive nature of the region’s wine.  We will also enjoy a delicious three course lunch with the wines.

The cost of the day’s tuition, the wines, lunch and tea or coffee is £99.00

Bordeaux Master Class

Date:  Sunday June 11th 2017 

Location: Café du Soleil, 5-6 Pound Lane, Canterbury

If you have ever wanted to know your Left Bank from your Right, to understand what makes claret such a fabulous wine then this one day course is for you. The day is a superb opportunity to taste through the wines of this prestigious, world renowned wine region and enjoy a three course lunch in a restaurant in Canterbury.

We will start the day by looking at the environmental conditions which shape these wonderful wines and then look at the history of the region to see the influence of man upon the estates and vineyards of Bordeaux.

Through the day we will taste over ten wines which have been carefully selected to express the diversity and quality range of France’s largest producing wine region. As well as good expressive whites and reds, which will explore the varieties of Bordeaux, we will taste the Grand Cru wines which have made it famous and that express the terroir of the different communes.

The cost of the day’s tuition, the wines, lunch and tea or coffee is £115.00