23 Culinary courses in Manchester

‘Both of these wines are [Grape X] from [Country Y] – so why is this one twice the price?’ It’s a question that we’re often asked, so for summer 2024, we’re putting on a trio of tastings to show what happens when you fork out some extra money. Each week, we’ll try four pairs of popular styles of wine, one bottle of we’ve bought for under £10, while the other has cost at least twice as much. And we’ll be trying each pair ‘blind’ – you’ll know what the wines are, but not which is in Glass 1 and which in Glass 2… We’ll have a chat about what it is in each case that makes one of the wines more expensive, then we’ll see which you prefer before revealing which is which. Do you have expensive tastes, or are you more at home with the cheap and cheerful? It’s a great opportunity to find out – and to taste some lovely wines!  The line-up for each week will be: Week 1 WHITES: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Italian Pinot Grigio REDS: Australian Shiraz, Red Bordeaux Week 2 WHITES: Loire Sauvignon Blanc, South African Chenin Blanc REDS: Rioja, New Zealand Pinot Noir Week 3 WHITES: White Burgundy, German Dry Riesling REDS: Red Rhône, Argentine Malbec Each week’s tasting will include 8 wines, and there’ll be some tasty cheese as accompaniment. The cost for each tasting is £37.50, but if you book for all three sessions, the price will be just £100, saving £12.50.

World Malbec Day is April 17th, although for some reason it’s actually called Malbec World Day. Meanwhile, May 6th is International Sauvignon Blanc Day. So how about a very special event between the two to celebrate these very special grapes? It’s a great opportunity to see how the “Old World” originals such as Sancerre and Cahors stack up against their “New World” counterparts such as New Zealand Sauvignon and Argentine Malbec. But it’s also a chance to see the success that winemakers are having with the two grapes in other parts of the world. Expect to see a range of styles too – in previous years, we’ve kicked off the day with a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, and finished with a fortified Malbec, for example. And we’ll have a dig through our cellars to see if we can find some rare older examples of both grapes We’ll taste 12 wines on the day (yes 6 of each!) with a break in the middle for a tasty two-course lunch. This is usually one of our most popular tastings, so do book soon to avoid disappointment

For many people we know, the first rule of wine is that it should be sparkling. If you fall into that bracket, or you know someone who does, allow us to introduce our Prestige Champagne and Sparkling Wine Masterclass.  There are two main ways in which this event stands out over our regular and very popular sparkling wine tastings. Firstly, we’ll be featuring eight wines rather than the usual six. Secondly, we’ll be focussing on more expensive bottles, with the line-up including a Prestige Cuvée from a well-known Champagne producer. What else can you expect? At least another couple of Champagnes as well as sparkling wines from other parts of Europe (England included) and a selection of the best of the New World. And with that amount of wine, we’ll have a couple of specially-selected cheeses on hand to mop up the bubbles and to show just how well fizz and cheese can go together. If you had to buy a bottle of each of these wines, it would cost over £300, which makes our price per ticket of just £55 look very appealing. We’re expecting this tasting to prove very popular, both for sparkling wine enthusiasts and also for those looking to buy a present for the fizz fans in their life. So if you’d like to book a place, we’d advise you to move quickly before they’ve all gone.

The combo of Fish and Chips with good white wines is a brilliant one – especially if some of those wines are sparkling! We’re equally thrilled to be able to host this tasting at The Real Greek in central Manchester, home of impeccable fish and chips and much more besides. We’ll kick off the evening by trying a trio of still wines that make great Fish and Chip partners – expect things like Spanish Albariño, Australian Riesling, Greek Assyrtiko and South African Sauvignon Blanc. There’ll also be some classic Greek flatbread and dips on the side to stop tummies rumbling too much. And then for the main event, we’ll try our fish and chips alongside three sparkling wines, including Champagne. If past experience is anything to go by, expect a fun-filled tasting where you’ll learn a little, laugh a lot and enjoy a great evening of food and wine. (a vegetarian alternative of Halloumi & Vegetable Skewer and Chips is also available - please notify us at the time of booking if you'd prefer this option. Also, let us know at the time of booking if you have any specific dietary requirements and we will liaise with the restaurant to try and accommodate them.)

Spain’s most famous wine region could arguably stake a claim to being the world’s most popular one too – it’s a rare wine drinker who hasn’t been wooed by the charms of Rioja. And while we’re big fans of the good everyday bottles – what we think of as Wednesday night, sausage-and-mash gluggers – we thought it was time for another tasting to show what happens when the producers pull all the stops out. Because this is a place with a magnificent heritage, a magnificent terroir – or to be more accurate several magnificent terroirs – and a magnificent array of grape varieties. So join us as we explore the higher reaches of Rioja, and look at the many expressions of its wines. There’ll be traditional wines, there’ll be modern ones. There’ll be wines made from a variety of grapes, there’ll be ones made from just one. There’ll be young wines, there’ll be older wines. There'll be blends from across the region, but there'll also be examples of the recently-introduced 'Viñedo Singular' - single vineyard wines. And in among the delicious reds, there’ll be at least one of the undersung white wines. We’ll be trying at least eight wines with an average price of over £25 – and there’ll be some Manchego to nibble on the side. It’s a great opportunity to see what makes a great wine region great, and we look forward to sharing these treasures with you.

There are lots of people who think that the first task of any wine is to be red. We meet you at our events, and while you’re (usually) very polite about the white wines, your eyes light up when we say, ‘And now let's move on to the reds…’ So we’re putting on a tasting just for you, in which we’ll focus on rich red wines, seven of them, with some rather tasty cheese on the side. To show that red wine can be full-flavoured without being full-bodied, we’ll begin with reds that are refreshing and fragrant, probably from Italy and France. Then we’ll move on to wine that are draughts of the warm south, most likely from countries close to the Mediterranean. Spain. And we’ll finish with gutsy Malbec or Australian Shiraz (aka Blood-and-Thunder from Down Under). Or possible both. Whatever the line-up, you can be assured of an excellent, belly-warming and tooth-staining evening.

We will taste a range of different cold meats and cheeses and match them with classic wines from France, Spain, Italy and the rest of the wine making world and explain why they taste so good together. We'll also talk about food and wine pairing in general and give you some really good tips to try out at home. The combinations will vary from one event to another depending upon availability but in the past, we've featured pairings such as -  Prosecco Superiore DOCG Mozarella Burrata Rich Malbec with an aged Cheddar Fresh fruity Beaujolais with German Salami Delicous crisp Sauvignon Blanc with Chevre A Manzanilla or Fino Sherry and Jamon Iberico Pinot Noir with Pork Pie This 2 hour tasting is perfect for foodies, with tasting samples of at least 6 wines and cheeses/charcuterie samples to try. 

The French make arguably the best sparkling wine in the world, Champagne, but how does it stack up against other fantastic Sparkling Wines from around the world? In total we will taste 6 wonderful, sparkling wines from Champagne, Egnland, Italy and further afield. It's a fantastic opportunity to do some comparing and contrasting. Will you be able to taste the difference - and which will you prefer? Great value at £35 with 6 wines to taste and some cheese to nibble on inbetween!

Cheese and wine are known as a classic combination, but when you examine a well-stocked dairy counter and then the shelves at a good wine shop, the obvious question that comes to mind is this: just which cheese with which wine? Now's the chance to engage in a couple of hours of research on the topic, as we match a range of delicious cheeses with some classic wines from around the globe. We'll also talk about food and wine matching more generally, and you'll pick up some really good tips to take away and practice at home. On the evening we will try six different cheese and wine combinations, some of them classics - goat's cheese with Sauvignon Blanc, mature Cheddar with a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, Stilton and port - but some less well-known. Have you ever tried cheese with sparkling wine, for example? So don your foodie hat, wet your wine whiskers and come along for an evening of fun and fromage!

You'll be amazed by how much you can learn in just one evening! If you know what you like but want to understand why - then this evening is for you. We will taste six wines from around the world and provide many pointers that will enhance your appreciation of wine. No previous experience necessary! This course is for people who want to have fun learning a little more about it in a friendly and relaxed way. We will cover how to taste wine like a professional and look at all the major wine regions of the world. We will guide you through how to make better wine choices and will start you on your journey of wine discovery. COURSE OUTLINE Introduction to the World’s major wine regions Why wines taste different How to taste wines – aroma, taste, describing wines Recognising elements of wine - tannin, acidity, oak Tasting notes, presentation and some cheese included.