72 Sommelier courses

The French arguably make the best sparkling wine in the world – Champagne, but their counterparts in the New World are catching up fast with their own versions ... England included, especially our very own country, Hampshire!  We will blind-taste 6 of the very best Hampshire sparkling wines, and decide for ourselves once and for all which one deserves to be our favourite! This is an opportunity to taste high quality sparkling wines coming from great locations around Hampshire.

Are you a little tired of drinking the same three or four different reds every time you go out? During this event, we will take you through a range of wines made around the world using lesser-known indigenous varieties.

Sometimes you just don't have anything in the fridge, can't be bothered to cook, and for some reason can't decide on a takeaway, but still fancy having some wine and something nice to eat with it.

Are you a little tired of drinking the same three or four different reds every time you go out? During this event, we will take you through a range of wines made around the world using lesser-known indigenous varieties.

We tour the stunning vineyards of the Loire Valley for refreshing, mineral and bone-dry wines. We'll go East to taste a steely Sauvignon Blanc, through the Touraine Region to experience a Sancerre and thus enjoy the sharp delights of a mouth-watering Sauvignon Blanc. Discover why the Loire Valley wines are some of the most expensive wines today, and how to find the best value for money wines from this region.

Chardonnay is the most successful white grape in the world. We will explore oaked, unoaked, youthful as well as aged versions of the most reknown and beloved of grapes.

Join us in Southampton at the fabulous DOLPHIN HOTEL, as we taste several pairs of wines made from the same grape variety, but from different countries.  Do you think you can tell the difference between Zinfandel from California and Primitivo from Puglia? – by the end of the night you will be able to!

Red wine lover? Compare some of the best Malbec from Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia (yes, Malbec is no longer just grown in Argentina!) with some of the best Malbec from Cahors (yes, Malbec actually originates from France!). Think you only like a particular type? Then prepare to have your tastebuds challenged ...    

There is a 20-minute Introduction to Wine Tasting at the start of this tasting.

If I drink one more glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, I will scream! It's everywhere, from restaurants' wine lists to supermarkets shelves, to my own fridge (guilty). But today I feel like having something different! So if you feel like rebelling too, then come and join me for a fabulous tour of the World for 'weird and wonderful' wine-producing countries.