The Hannington Wine Society

We often think of wine societies as part of the urban scene, but they are increasingly becoming part of village life. When the energetic Barbara Macmurchy moved to the beautiful village of Hannington in Hampshire she threw herself into local activities. She had helped run a wine society at her workplace for over twenty years so when she retired from work in 2004 she decided to canvass opinion to see if there was demand for a society in Hannington. The response was positive and in two years it has become a very active group with a varied programme, with tastings given by wine merchants, educators and others. They have visited Champagne and are planning a three-day visit to Oporto next year.

Barbara urges people to "get to know about the vineyards and the people who make the wines, as a lot of the speakers have met them. Get to know about the conditions in which the vines are grown and the terrain. You will be astonished at the enormous amount of different grape varieties. It is not just about Australian Chardonnay."

The members are a friendly group, which includes novice and experienced wine drinkers, all with a common desire to learn about wines in a relaxed atmosphere. Barbara says that one does not have to live in Hannington to become a member as they have members from a wide area.

The club meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 8 pm at The Function room of the Vine Pub, Hannington, Hampshire. Membership costs £5 a year. Charges per meeting vary between £9 - £15 depending on the costs of the speaker and wines.

Contact Barbara Macmurchy Tel: 01635 298547, e-mail: bmacmurchy@hotmail.com, web-site: www.hanningtonwine.org

Chalfont and Amersham Wine Society

The long established Amersham Wine Appreciation Society has "rebranded" itself as the "Chalfont and Amersham Wine Society."

The Original Amersham Society was founded in 1991 and originally had the redoubtable Helen Verdcourt as its resident expert, but eventually changed to having a different speaker each month. With a membership of fifty and average attendance of thirty it continues to be large enough to be viable but small enough to be friendly.

The energetic secretary, Julia Belton is responsible for organising speakers, special events and trips abroad. She says that the reason for the change in name was threefold:

• 1. They are no longer based in Amersham, now meeting in Little Chalfont Village Hall.
• 2. The members come from a wider area than just Amersham and they didn't want people to feel that they couldn't come unless they lived in Amersham.
• 3. They wanted to get away from the Appreciation Society label as it is a bit of a mouthful and possibly puts off people who enjoy drinking wine but don't necessarily know much about it.

The club strives to have a balance between the sexes, a good mix of ages and to maintain a friendly and informal atmosphere which it was not felt was reflected by the old title. They say that it is very hard to attract women and younger people to wine clubs for fear of it being dominated by, perhaps, mature men who are predominantly interested in French wine. "This is not what we are about " says Julia, "and we hope to use our website to express this particularly through photographs of our trips abroad and parties."

Julia has organised two wine tasting trips abroad; the first to Tuscany and the second to Ribera del Duero. Details will appear on the Chalfont website some time this autumn. Next year they plan to go to the Languedoc. The trips are for three days, with about five winery visits. They also run quizzes, a summer party and other events, including special tastings of finer wines. The usual meetings cost around £11 with ten wines and a light buffet half way through. Details from info@chalfamwineclub.org.uk

Web-site: www.chalfamwineclub.org.uk

Wine Clubs are often thought of as being urban creations, but one club, The Glenfarg Wine Club from Scotland, is essentially a village club –perhaps even a village institution. The Club was formed by Stephen Mee in September 2000 to increase the social interests of the villagers of Glenfarg, and to make people more aware of the delights of social wine drinking. Usually about 30 locals attend, though it has been known for friends and relatives from England and even abroad to time their visits to coincide with meetings.

The Club has a very easygoing structure. There is no committee, apart from someone who "looks after the money", Stephen Mee who is considered the figurehead.

They meet on a monthly basis in the terrace bar of the local hotel on the last Sunday of each month. The only months there isn't a meeting are June when there is a "food safari " (5 courses of food at 5 different houses with wine personally selected by each individual member acting as host) and December. Each year there is the inevitable Christmas meal, organised some time during winter, with wine supplied by the club's favourite wine merchant.

Every two years they have a trip abroad. Two years ago they rented an old chateau near Carcassone in the Languedoc region of France and employed the services of a local guide for three days out of seven who took them to several excellent wineries. The rest of the week they toured the region themselves, calling in at wineries and enjoying the annual Carcassone wine festival! This year they have rented villas in Tuscany. They do the organising themselves by means of the internet, with the main parameters being a wine growing area to where the budget airlines fly, accommodation able to take 20 people together, and the availability of a local guide.

Each month, two members are allocated £200 to buy wines of their choice. They are given total control as to which wines they chose. It is their choice to either buy the wines themselves, or to bring in an outside wine merchant. The only guidelines are that there are two whites, followed by four reds, ideally with the sixth and last wine being one of higher quality, and to supply information and tasting notes on the selected wines. The theme is left entirely to them. Over the years, they have covered most of the wine producing countries and types of grape. They have had several presentations by wine merchants, such as Majestic and Oddbins, even the Sunday Times Wine Club Christmas selection. But now, if they have a wine merchant along, they tend to go for the small independent ones, as their philosophy is that they should, as a group, encourage them in every way possible. Last month the theme was wine from Portugal, this month will be a comparison between the grapes of Cahors and Argentina Malbec, and the Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux with the Cabernets from the New World. The finish will be to taste the delights of French Muscat with Roquefort cheese as an alternative to Port & Stilton.

The club has started to go by coach to local wine shops on a Friday evening, recently visiting The Tasting Rooms in Dundee for an excellent evening of wine and canapés, cost £10.00 each. The cost of the coach comes from an evening tasting 30 or so wines that the club had accumulated over the years.

There is no membership fee, but two members on rotation are expected to provide free of charge the nibbles enjoyed with the wines. The charge for wine evenings is £6.00, with no discrimination between regulars and new members

Each evening all present are guaranteed several things: at least 6 glasses of wine, to go home very happy, their knowledge of wine will have improved, and most importantly their circle of friends will have grown.

The club is also involved in fund raising for the village, each year there is a wine tasting tent at the village fête, all proceeds (last year £200) go to village needs, and each October they have a variety show. They have so far had a Wheel Tappers and Shunters night, and a Good Old Days night. Each member of the audience gets a bottle of wine and a very good night out for £10.00. They have raised over £1000 for the village hall restoration fund.

The club is non-profit making hence the low costs. They try to keep about £200 in the bank, and should that drop they have a fund raising event. The club has become an integral part of village life. As many members often say "it is the best value night out one could ever have."

The ancient city of Lincoln, famous for its wonderful Cathedral and its Imp is becoming a centre for wine enthusiasts. The Lincoln Wine Society is one of the largest in the country with a hundred members. Now there is a new and specialist society. The Lincoln Sherry Society was founded in April 2005 by a great enthusiast for that underrated wine. Gavin Holt wanted to share his passion with others so he founded the society. He says that some may find him foolhardy. He wants a fun society to explore and enjoy the products of Jerez.

Meeting once a month (on every second Tuesday) at the Lincoln Cathedral Centre it has tastings presented by members of the wine trade with special connections to the Sherry bodegas and other people who are knowledgeable about the wine.  Most people do not think of sherry as a food wine, but the society intends to hold "gourmet evenings" to demonstrate the compatibility of sherry with a range of foods.

A future hope is to organize visits to Jerez.

The annual membership fee is £10 for individuals and £17 for couples.  The cost for tastings varies between £10 and £35.

To join, download the application form on the website www.lincolnsherrysociety.co.uk

There are some wine societies that realise that most wines are better drunk with food and a few of them combine their tastings with meals. One of the more active of these is the Surrey Wine & Food Society which is is based in Tadworth. It meets every month with tutored tastings on Saturday evenings which include a supper with wine. They organise, in addition, occasional restaurant visits. A highlight of their year is a splendid annual dinner each July. Summers events are a priority. In August there is an al fresco lunch and a champagne breakfast in members' gardens. At the moment membership exceeds 80 and attendance varies at around 50%.

To find out more contact Don Bishop on 0208 647 4658

This month's "Club of the Month" must be one of the largest in the country. With 130 members the Portsmouth Wine Society, which was founded in 1976, meets for monthly tastings at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth.  It is also unusual in having a Master of Wine, Chris Tatham as its honorary President.  The meetings provide the opportunity to taste wines from different regions and at varying costs.  Speakers presenting the wines often include Masters of Wine and qualified wine educators. Recent tastings have included Organic Wines, S. African wines, classic white Burgundies and red Bordeaux. Their well produced newsletter shows future tastings from California, Rioja and South America as well as a Garden Party evening in July with food and wine "al fresco". A formal dinner is usually held at South Downs College in November and there is a tasting given by Committee members around Christmas. Notable recent speakers include Lance Foyster MW, Rosemary George MW, and Bill Baker.

Annual membership is £7 per person or £12 for couples and the monthly tastings range in price from about £6 to £15 depending upon cost of wine and speakers fees. The very active Secretary, Bob Hawthorne tells us that they do no make a profit, but merely cover costs although they do maintain a healthy contingency reserve.

Details can be obtained from Bob on 07005 981682 or e-mail secretary@portsmouthwinesociety.org.

The Aston Wine Club is a thriving club for wine lovers in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area. It meets monthly (except August) in the Buckland Village Hall on a Friday evening, and all new members are very welcome. It has special events including a dinner in March a "Summer Spectacular" in July and a Christmas celebration.

The membership at the moment is around 70, and they would welcome even more members - the average attendance at the meetings works out at around 40, although this varies depending on other local activities, time of year, weather etc.  The standard meeting starts at 8pm, four wines, usually white, are tasted and then there is a break for a buffet supper. The evening continues with 4 reds until around 10:30-11pm.  Each evening has a theme, and either professional wine presenters, or a representative from a local wine outlet such as Oddbins or Majestic leads the tasting. Richard Kinch, the tastings Secretary, says that this mix seems to work very well.  The club also tries sometimes to get sponsored evenings, where the wine importer/dealer is promoting a range of wines at special rates.

Annual membership is £12 and each meeting/tasting costs £10 for members, £12 for guests. Contact Secretary Richard Kinch on 01296 624167 or e-mail rckinch@btopenworld.com web-site http://astonwineclub.s5.com

Hampton-in-Arden is a village about four miles south of Birmingham airport. Its Wine Society has been in existence for around seven years and consists of 36 members with a waiting list of 28. Membership is restricted to residents of Hampton-in-Arden and costs a massive £5 per year! It meets in the village church hall three times a year with attendance limited to 36. Members pay about £7 for each meeting when there is almost always a guest speaker.

The society's AGM, which is also the annual dinner, is held in a different, slightly larger location when those on the waiting list are invited. It is an interesting meeting. Four names are drawn from a hat and each is allocated one of the dinner courses. They have a budget of £50 to buy 8 bottles suited to that course and at the meeting they must stand for 5 minutes and say what they bought, what it is and why. "Because I like it is not an acceptable response". Says chairman, Tom Haig. This is evidently a recipe for a very successful, light-hearted evening. It costs about £20 each (including a small subsidy).

Because of the size of the club it cannot afford expensive speakers so local lecturers, merchants and supermarkets are invited. The subject for the evening is usually selected by the society and could be wines from a particular country or region or something like "Wines for a Winter Evening". The speaker usually takes six wines (three bottles of each) for tasting for which there is a budget of around £150. After the tasting there is a buffet supper (included in the price!) prepared and served by the ladies on the committee.

This year there are plans for visits to Halfpenny Green, the Ludlow Food and Wine Festival. In 2003 and 2004 they took a party of 34 to The Lord Haldon Hotel near Exeter for a three-day visit to include tastings and visits to local vineyards and sites of interest.

Next year it is hoped to arrange a visit to France, encouraged by the fact that we can there are now flights from Birmingham to a number of interesting locations over there.

Although there is a waiting list details can be obtained from Tom Haig, the Chairman tomhaig@info-med.net

One of our recently featured wine clubs is attached to another, larger non-wine institution and another started as an amateur wine-making club. This month's club fits into both categories. The Garstang Wine Circle is affiliated to the Garstang Arts Centre where it holds its meetings and it was founded more than a quarter of a century ago as a meeting place for home wine-makers and brewers. There were in-house competitions and members were entering their efforts - and winning prizes - in local agricultural shows.

Home wine-making declined in popularity about ten years ago, at about the time that wine drinking in this country really began to take off so the Garstang Circle gradually turned into a wine appreciation society. It shares premises with such diverse activities as chess, country dancing, a big band and other groups and societies. It has a closed membership of 80, which is the maximum number that the room it uses will hold. Meeting on the third Monday of every month (except August and September) it has an average attendance of 40 to 50.

Most meetings are led by a member and at least six wines are tasted. In their region it is difficult to find outside speakers; three local wine merchants have closed in the past year. Occasionally they visit local supermarkets where the wine department has laid on a tasting.

One great feature of the club is its visits. In 2003 they had a successful visit to various English vineyards. In 2004 a party went to Alsace and Champagne and this year a trip to Oberkirch in the Black Forest is planned with excursions into Alsace. In summer there is usually an evening trip and a barbecue. This year's programme includes a tasting given by Peter Edwards, a well-known Wine Educator, a "wine trail quiz", and some in-house tastings and another guest speaker.

To be a member one has to belong to the Garstang Arts Centre or another affiliated group, which costs £14 per year and then a £10 per year sub to the wine circle plus a £3 entrance fee, which includes supper! The wines tasted are usually in the £7 - £14 range so on the whole it seems good value.

Contact the Secretary Don Heap on 01995 604031

The Harrogate Medical Wine Society was started by Doctor Bernard Dias in 1991 to further the understanding and appreciation of wine and initially, membership was restricted to members of the medical profession. Such was its success that it now has 100 members and welcomes wine lovers from other professions as well. With an annual membership fee of £10 it meets at least once a month, usually on the first Wednesday of the month, for a tutored wine tasting. They tend to taste on a theme and often invite speakers such as Masters of Wine to address the Society. The cost of each tasting depends on the cost of wine and the fees paid to visiting tutors. Average cost is £15 per person and they tend to taste 8 - 12 wines at each event. Tastings are usually held at St. Robert's Centre in Harrogate and start at 7pm. Millstones Restaurant in Harrogate is the venue when a tasting is followed by a dinner. A recent tasting was a Penfolds Grange Vertical followed by 'champagnes which express terroir.' (Both tutored by Bernard Dias).

The Society also arranges several gourmet dinners with matching fine wines several times a year at leading local restaurants. The annual dinner-dance is held in August.

The Society arranges up to 4 wine tours every year, visiting a different wine region or country during each outing. Tours have been to France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Hungary and South Africa. This year they visited Sicily and the Veneto. Next spring it is planned to visit Rioja & Navarra. Participation is restricted to members of the HMWS. Most of the tours are for 2 weeks and all arrangements including travel, are normally handled by the Society. They usually take a coach from Harrogate with a regular driver and hostess on all European tours. For shorter tours like a 5 day trip to Champagne they use a Pullman Diner with 2 drivers and chef who prepares even three course dinners on the move!

The Society has a small wine list for members and tries to purchase wine from wholesalers at favourable prices and to pass on the savings to the members.

Details of its current activities can be found on http://hometown@aol.co.uk/brnrddias/myhomepage/newsletter.html

Contact Dr Bernard Dias
Tel: 01423 884426
e-mail brnrddias@aol.com

As we have often said on these pages wine clubs come in all shapes and sizes and with very different antecedents. Some are founded by a group of like-minded friends, others are continuations of evening classes and wine courses, while others are started and run by merchants who want to encourage wine drinking in their areas. This month's club, the Coulsdon and Purley Wine Circle, is different again. It was started in 1966 originally to pursue the then popular hobby of home wine and beer making. Over the years it has evolved into a wine tasting and social club, although it has not entirely abandoned its interest in home made wines, and why should it if that is what its members want and if it leads to a wider appreciation of wines.

It meets at 8 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of each month in the Youth Centre in Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon. Its programme varies from themed tastings of wines to wine quizzes, matching wines and food to more general social events and speakers on subjects of special interest. Most of its tastings are "in-house"; it is not a forum for
outside pundits.

Anyone interested should contact Brian Blakeney on 01737 552774.

Wine clubs often come from wine courses or evening classes. Some are self-governing once the course ends, others are run by the tutor. The Blackheath Conservatoire Wine Clubs are tutored by Carolyn Bosworth-Davies, one of the country's leading wine educators. She is, in fact, Chairman of the Association of Wine Educators and is a well-known lecturer on the wine-tasting circuit, as well as being a noted wine consultant. Carolyn runs regular wine courses for beginners and more advanced students at the Conservatoire and many then proceed to one of the Wine Clubs.

Although these Clubs are principally aimed at past students, membership is available to any one who has attended a WSET course or similar, or has some previous experience with wine tasting.

 The aim is to look at more specific areas, such as newer regions, winemakers, vertical tastings, and fine wines. The tastings are in the main led by Carolyn, although occasionally she invites local merchants to present evenings.

Topics for the forthcoming months are:

October Emerging Regions in Australia - areas like Mount Barker, Orange, Limestone Coast.

November Rhône Greats - three wines each from Guigal, Chapoutier, and Jaboulet.

December Port - with cheese, fruit and nuts - a look at the style of Port.

For more information either contact the Conservatoire on 020 8852 0234 nfo@conservatoire.org.uk or email Carolyn on carolyn_bosworth@yahoo.com

This month's club is yet another of those that had its genesis in a wine appreciation evening class. The Herefordshire Fine Wine Society was founded in the 1980's after a class taught by its current president, the wine writer John Hurley. John is also well known for his "Wine Weekends". The society is based in Hereford and meets on the first Thursday of every month (apart from July and August) in a classroom at the Hereford Cathedral School. With an active membership of around forty it has a varied programme, with tastings given by its president, other knowledgeable members, and a wide range of outside speakers. Its policy of paying expenses to visiting contributors means that it can attract experts and merchants from across the country and not just from its own locality.

Recent tastings have included a vertical tasting of Cru Bourgeois Chateau Beaumont, wines from the quality Australian producers Barry and Carr, and selections from the Rhône and the Loire. Merchants like Tanners, Bibendum, Lay and Wheeler and Yapp Brothers present their wines.

They have an annual dinner in the winter and a summer party, and arrange visits to wine growing areas. With an annual membership fee of only £20 the tastings are priced on what the cost and the attendance.

Like most wine societies Herefordshire is a friendly and welcoming group.
Contact: Brian Joy, Honorary Secretary, Tel: 01432 34280

Wine Clubs and Societies have a variety of venues: rooms above pubs, church halls, schools, even people's houses but there is one that has a most appropriate and congenial venue. The Winchester Wine Appreciation Society meets at the Hotel du Vin, Southgate Street, Winchester. This hotel was the first of a small chain devoted to wine; its rooms are sponsored by various leading wine houses and the chain runs a wine school, so it was the ideal place to house a wine society. The society tells us that whether one is new to wine tasting or already has an in depth knowledge of wines from around the world it offers the opportunity to compare the finesse of classic old world wines with the big flavours of more exuberant new world wines.

The society meets on the second Monday of every month in the hotel's Abbey Well Room. A great deal of trouble is taken to craft a varied programme of tutored tastings which they hope will appeal to everyone. Understanding what goes into making good wine, they say, will greatly increase the appreciation of what comes out of the bottle. It is a knowledgeable and friendly group with membership from Hampshire and surrounding counties.

A new member pays £140 and joint membership is £250. Renewal of membership is less and guests can expect to pay around £25 for a tasting. The total membership is very sensibly limited to 60. Contact the membership Secretary, David Edwards on 023 8026 6886 e-mail: dedwards@tawdrive.wanadoo.co.uk. Web-site: http://www.wwas.org.uk

This month's club - based in Staffordshire - is one of the many born out of an evening class. The Leek Wine Club began 18 years ago as a class run by the local College but after about four years it began running independently and, from then on each member took it in turn to select a theme for an evening and select the wines. Unsurprisingly, at the beginning they found that it meant lots of research and hard work to prepare for each evening's tasting of 8 wines. Now, having tasted over 3000 wines their knowledge of wines has improved to the extent that they, from time to time, present tasting evenings for local organisations.

The club has its own web site (http://www.leekwineclub.org) which gives an opportunity for them to share their comments about individual wines, and the marks they give them , with a wider public. They say that they have a healthy disregard for professional opinions about wine, preferring to make, and share, their own judgements.

They say that the purposes of the Club were, and still are, to learn about the growing and vinification of grapes and the differing Countries and the styles of wines made there; to learn about the wine itself and to learn about wine faults. The club is keen to learn more about wine and food combinations, and, the most important purpose of all, to enjoy the wines.

The Club now has 12 permanent members with visitors welcome (with due notice so that enough wine can be available).

At each meeting 8 or 9 wines are tasted, the theme of the evening having been chosen in advance. The topic may be wines from Aldi, Sauvignon Blanc, Australian Red blends, Chilean Reds, wines from Noel Young etc. etc.  They use the evenings, in part, to find a wine that is really worth buying or not as the case may be. They invite people to take an evening for example "Bat and Bottle from Oakham" or Booths Supermarkets, from Knutsford.

The club meets at different houses for each tasting.

Contact by e-mail edwards@btinternet.com or telephone 01538 384889.

Ealing in west London seems to be an area for wine lovers. In addition to the North Ealing Wine Tasting Society (q.v.) there is a flourishing, long-established club with a flourishing membership. The Charlemagne Wine Club was founded, in Ealing, in the late 1970's by a group of wine loving friends. Today with a membership of around 70 spread throughout West London, the friendly and informal character of those early meetings is still evident.

Members have a common interest in learning about and tasting fine wine and it provides the opportunity to taste wines at a price level they might not normally purchase for everyday drinking. The majority of tastings are "tutored" by professional lecturers, specialists from the wine trade and occasionally by visiting winemakers. All levels of knowledge and tasting experience are represented and members are encouraged to say what they think about the wines being tasted. The success of this is easily gauged by the rising sound level throughout the evening. They believe that healthy differences of personal opinion are what matters and are part of the fun and learning experience offered by the club.

The annual programme includes the popular and 'classic' Old World wine producing areas and also introduces members to New World and lesser known regions and producers. Some past tastings have featured Burgundy – from village to grand cru; Côte Rôtie and Shiraz/Viognier wines from around the world; Château Potensac from the great Bordeaux vintages between 1982 - 1995. The New World has been represented by cool climate wines from Australia's Mornington Peninsula introduced by Michael Kyberd, winemaker at Red Hill Estate; Super Premium Chile and Argentina; and Clare Valley, Australia. A series of tastings featuring wine with food from both Italy and Portugal, and puddings with dessert wines has proved very popular as did a special tasting of all five 1997 First Growth clarets.

Tastings are held in rooms at 39 Broughton Road, West Ealing, London W13 at 20.00 on the 3rd Monday of every month except for months where there is a Bank Holiday, when it is held on the 2nd Monday. There is no August tasting.

Tasting fees vary depending on the wines tasted but are generally between £13 - £15.
Membership rates: £6 single, £9 double.
A monthly newsletter is sent to every member and tickets are booked in advance of the tasting.
Contact: David Carter 020 8567 1733 david@magnacarter.net

The Inverness Wine appreciation Society is a group of amateurs who enjoy wine and find great pleasure in learning more about it. Regular meetings are held in a fine riverside location, the dining room of the Glen Mhor Hotel, in Inverness.

Tastings are led by speakers who have particular knowledge of the wines being tasted (often local merchants) and the tastings are based either on wines of particular regions or grape varieties. Usually about six wines are sampled during a tasting.

Whilst there is usually an opportunity to place an order for any of the wines that have been tasted, they emphasise that there is absolutely no obligation to do so.

The Society has an interesting website www.iwas.org.uk, and, very unusually, a very well stocked wine library. For information about joining the society, please write to:

The Secretary
IWAS
Strathkyle Lodge
By Ardgoy
Sutherland
IV24 3DP

or e-mail strathkyle@aol.com.

Those interested will be made very welcome if they decide to come to one of the tastings, but are asked to contact the Secretary in the first instance so that seating arrangements may be made with the hotel. There is a modest charge to cover the cost of the wine and the supper.

Recently Wine on the Web featured the well-named SWIG (Serious Wine Imbibers' Group). This month we have another acronymous society – NEWTS. No, not "tired and emotional as" but the North Ealing Wine Tasting Society.

NEWTS was founded by Ron Bloomfield in 1994, and he nurtured and organised it single-handedly for over 5 years.  It is now organised by a small committee. It meets once a month, usually at Saint Barnabas Church Hall, Pitshanger Lane, Ealing, London on the last Friday of the month, with a summer break. It has had a wide variety of speakers, including its own members presenting wines they enjoy, managers of local wine stores, representatives from specialist wine traders, and experts on particular wines or countries including MWs. The Society's mailing list has grown to around 75, and it usually attracts around 25-30 to each tasting. The atmosphere is informal – it doesn't care much for professional marking schemes or searching comparisons. They say that they are all there to learn more about the varieties of wine, how they are made, and to appreciate their qualities.  Thus an "average" tasting is likely to show wines that are around £10 a bottle, i.e. wines they are regularly going to go out and buy for themselves if they like them, but with one or two more expensive bottles to ensure that they are educated.  On occasion extra events are organised, for example trips to Southwold for Adnams wines and food, and there is a tradition of an excellent and highly popular annual tasting hosted by the wine manager of the local branch of Waitrose.  During 2001-2002, there have been tastings of New Zealand wines, Languedoc wines, Loire wines, English wines, South African wines, St. Emilion from AC to Premier Grand Cru Classé, organic wines and wines from Oddbins.

NEWTS has no subscription, but there is a standard fee (normally £15) to attend tastings, and they trust people to pay up (or send a deputy if they can't make it) after booking by email.  A description of the next tasting is sent out about 2 weeks beforehand asking for bookings a.s.a.p. since space is limited to about 34 max.

To be put on the mailing list, simply email Jeremy Pearson, jdpearson@ntlworld.com with your name, and he will add it to the mailing list until such time as you want it to be removed.

The Lincoln Wine Society is a society of 100 members which is its maximum membership – there is currently a waiting list to join. It meets every 3rd Thursday of the month with tastings, tutored or otherwise given by wine merchants, MW's, wine writers etc. It also has 2 functions per year, a formal dinner/dance and a summer barbecue or something similar. Its meetings are at a large and beautiful old venue in Lincoln, called the Judges' Lodgings [this is where the circuit Judges for the crown court reside when the court is in session]. It is situated in Castle Square between Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle.

Annual membership costs £7 and the price per tasting costs between £6 and £20 depending on the wines being tasted that evening. They pride themselves on having a very knowledgeable membership but they tell me that newcomers to the world of wine are always made to feel extremely welcome.

It is a very active society with a most comprehensive list of speakers lined up for the coming year. It is, of course, a completely non-profit making organisation, founded solely for the benefit of its members and those who share a love of wine. Contact e-mail: wine.master@tesco.net.

The Deal Wine Society

It is always good to welcome a new society, particularly when it has been founded by an old friend and associate. John Howard is a distinguished wine judge in international competitions such as "The International Wine Challenge" and "The International Wine and Spirit Competition". Not only that, he is a remarkably lucid and down to earth wine lecturer. Having been a leading light in the Dulwich Wine Society he moved to Kent and has set up the Deal Wine Society. After two months it has already a membership of around thirty, and more than two thirds of that number are attending the meetings in the Landmark Centre, High Street, Deal. The meetings are, at present, on the third Wednesday of the month. The charges cover costs - and average between £5 and £8 per session - but this will vary with the quality of the wines and the speaker.

At the moment John is leading the tastings, but speakers from the trade and elsewhere will be appearing before long. The atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly, with a complete lack of pretension.

Details from John Howard on 01309 239799 E-mail howards@care4free.net.

Royton Wine Society

It often seems that the South East of England has a monopoly of wine clubs, but there is a flourishing wine tasting "scene" in the North. The Royton Wine Society has been flourishing for more than fifteen years, although it was previously known as the Rochdale Wine Society. About five years ago it moved to nearby Royton and made its headquarters at the Oddfellows Club, Union Street, Royton, where it meets on the first Wednesday of every month, except January, when there is a meal at a local hotel.

The tastings are usually conducted by members, but guest speakers have come from numerous organisations, including firms like Majestic, Winos of Oldham and the Heart of England wine society. Recent tastings have included Chilean and South African wines, vintage port with cheese and, intriguingly, "Water into Wine". No, not a miraculous tasting but a range of wines with a watery connection to their name. As well as these meetings, trips to meals, tastings etc. are arranged. Some future tastings include Madeira, Champagne and non-French European wines.

The membership fee is a modest £2 per year, and the meeting fee is £6, which includes six wines, a light supper and an interval wine. There can be few societies that offer better value.  It has around thirty members.

Details from Ian Etchells on 0161 620 9446 or etchelli@aol.com or consult the society's website www.users.waitrose.com/~roytonwine.

Greville Havenhand, Wine Club Editor

Not many wine clubs have a venue like that of the Kingston and Surbiton Wine Circle.

The club, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, meets once a month except in July and August. Its meetings alternate between the last Wednesday and Thursday evenings of the month, usually at Thames Sailing Club which is opposite Raven's Ait - a Clubhouse that is cosy in winter and exceptionally pleasant in early summer, and there is plenty of parking. For sensible non-drivers, it's a brisk 15 minute walk from Surbiton station.

The organiser, Clifford Mould, who teaches about wine and food and has been a judge at the International Wine Challenge for more than ten years, tells me that tastings are seated tutored tastings, with informality as the keynote. They feel that wine and food is an inseparable combination, and Members enjoy bringing finger food and nibbles, as it's often hard to find the time to eat properly before the tasting begins at 7.30pm.

The circle has had all sorts of events, based on regions, varietals, Old World versus New World blind, verticals of a particular chateau etc. In 1998, 1999 and 2000 they have had lateral tastings of wines from 1988, 1989 and 1990. Recently there was a ten year lateral tasting of Burgundies from the 1992 vintage. About half the tastings are presented by Clifford Mould. Guest speakers have included Charles Metcalfe of Wine Magazine, Paul Bowker - then head of Christie's Wine Department, Ed Berry (Mr Cloudy Bay) and other distinguished members of the wine trade.

They like to have about 32 members at each meeting, and the cost varies between about £8.00 for a tasting of interesting wines from, say, South Africa, to a rare £22.50 for last October's tasting of grand cru clarets from the top vintages of the 1980s.

The annual sub has been £5 since the beginning, and members supply ten stamped addressed envelopes each season.

Kingston & Surbiton Wine Circle welcomes visitors, but entry to tastings is strictly by prepaid reservation.

Organiser: Clifford Mould
Fir Lodge, Little Bookham Street,
Bookham, Surrey
KT23 3HR

S.W.I.G.

S.W.I.G. - what a good name for a wine society (and it has no connections with the North London merchants with the same name). It is a small Cardiff based club and the name is an acronym for "Serious Wine Imbibers' Group". The group is about ten years old and meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Three Arches Hotel in Cardiff. It is unusual in the fact that it is entirely self-contained: all the meetings are conducted by members and there are no visiting speakers. A dinner is held each summer, and often just before Christmas.

There is no subscription but each tasting, which is based on a theme, be it a grape variety, a region or a country, costs around £10.  Stephen Rogers, the chairman, tells me that it is a very friendly group, which welcomes new members - who should not be put off by the word "serious". Although it takes its wine seriously it is not at all pretentious. Enjoyment is the key word.

The contact is Stephen Rogers on 02920 259388, E-mail: stephenrogers@ntlworld.com.

The Whitewater Valley Wine Society

The Whitewater Valley Wine Society is a local wine appreciation society, based in Hook, Hampshire. Chairperson Margaret Steer tells us that its aim is to be friendly, welcoming and to provide a good mixture of fun, learning and social events. The Society has been established for over ten years and during that time members have tasted wines from almost every part of the world. Most of the evening tastings are led by a guest speaker and there are, as in many societies, a mix of new presenters and favourites who return to present different topics on a regular basis. Recent tastings have included the wines of Italy, presented by Susan Holme, Association of Wine Educators and the wines of South West France, presented by Les Caves de Pyrene. Tastings planned for later in 2004 include the fine wines of New Zealand, to be presented by Margaret Harvey, and the wines of Chile, to be presented by Sue Crabtree. It is a popular and active society, attracting as many as forty people to its tastings. Unlike many societies, that concentrate merely on tasting, Whitewater Valley also organises a number of special events each year, including gourmet weekends, visits to local restaurants, barbecues, and summer garden parties. The monthly meetings are usually held at the Community Centre, Ravenscroft, Hook, on the second Wednesday of the month. Members arrive from 7.45pm for an 8pm start and usually finish by about 10.15pm. Admission is £10 for members and £12.50 for non-members. The annual membership fee is £12.50. Further details of the Whitewater Valley Wine Society are available from the Secretary, Keith Cooper on 01276 33202 or e-mail keithcooper@compuserve.com

Quite a number of wine societies start off as closed 'in-house' clubs – and many stay that way. Others find that demand means that they open their doors to anyone. Such a one is the ICI society at Welwyn. It was started as long ago as 1963 for the staff of the local ICI branch, but it opened its doors in 1992 to become an entirely independent operation, offering associate membership to any wine enthusiast. This is subject to a period as a guest, to demonstrate regular attendance. It has about 130 members, under the guidance of the veteran wine expert Paul Mapplebeck, who is well known as a lecturer around the South-East and as the Chairman of the Central London Wine Society.

It meets on the fourth Thursday of every month - except December - at the Shire Park Club, Welwyn Garden City, Herts and has an average attendance of 70. The tastings are of a very high standard and because overheads are kept to a minimum, the costs are very reasonable. Annual membership costs just £5 and the tastings cost between £8.50 and £12.50.

Contact: Paul Mapplebeck, 65 Grange Gardens, Pinner Middlesex HA5 5QD
Tel/fax: 020 8866 9314

The Universities and Colleges have started another academic year; "the Freshers Fairs" are over and the thousands of clubs and societies are in full swing - and these include wine societies.  The image of students swilling cheap beer in union bars may be accurate but there are dedicated wine tasters in the universities.  The wine trade is keen to promote itself to what it believes to be tomorrow's affluent wine buying market, so speakers are not hard to come by. For this month we are going to take brief look at some of these clubs.  Most of them have web sites, so to find out more, all that you need to do is click on the link.

As might be expected, the older universities with their tradition of college cellars full of fine (and not so fine) wine laid down from generation to generation, lead the way. Oxford has two flourishing societies, Bacchus, the Oxford University Wine Society and the Oxford University Wine Circle.

Bacchus is a large Society, with reasonable costs and a good discount scheme.  It holds regular tastings, visits, beginners' classes and dinners.  For instance, one of the highlights of this term is a visit from Annegret Reh-Gartner of the leading German estate Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt. The fee for the evening is a mere £1. See the society's website www.oxfordwinesociety.org.

The Oxford Wine Circle is the society that runs the Oxford team for the annual blind tasting competition with Cambridge - the oldest blind-tasting competition in the world, judged by Jancis Robinson MW and Bill Baker and sponsored by Pol Roger.  It has a history of members going into the wine trade and even becoming Masters of Wine.  Its alumni include such wine luminaries as Charles Metcalfe and Jasper Morris MW (one of this term's speakers).  It attracts a formidable array of speakers. See www.ouwc.co.uk.

The OUWC's opponents are from the Cambridge University Wine Society, www.cam .ac.uk/societies/wine.  This, too, is a flourishing society, catering for buffs and beginners, with a wide programme of tastings usually arranged by region. Its year's highlight is always its Annual Dinner, traditionally held in the Lent Term.

It is not only Oxbridge that tastes wine seriously.  Once upon a time a group of Edinburgh University Students discovered a tiny stairwell in the depths of the Old College. They went down and, after wandering through long and dusty corridors, they found a poorly lit but cosy room and began to taste wine - until thrown out by the night watchmen (or so the story goes.) Their successors still meet in this homely room (known as LO5) and are now known as the Edinburgh University Wine Society. They have a very varied programme, which can be found on www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies/winesoc or e-mail: EdWineSoc@yahoo.com.

Edinburgh is the destination this year of the University of Warwick Wine and Whisky Appreciation Society. As its name indicates it is not exclusively involved in wine tasting, but we can forgive them that! Its 90 members meet informally each fortnight to taste wine or whisky with a speaker from local merchants to guide them, and have two rather more formal sessions every term.  Each year they have a visit to a vineyard or a distillery - hence the Edinburgh visit.  Contact Paul Turner e-mail: SU19@sunion .warwick.ac.uk

Moving a little further south and west The University of Bath Students' Union has a flourishing society. Its tastings are often "in house" - led by members but they do have outside speakers and organise trips to wine fairs and the like.  See their web-site: www.bath.ac.uk/~su3ws.

If any other universities have societies please will they e-mail us Editor@wineontheweb.co.uk

Tanglewood Wine Societies

John and Jean Trigwell have been familiar names among wine enthusiasts in Surrey and beyond for many years now. They run the highly successful Tanglewood Wine Tours but John is also well known as a lecturer - both to wine clubs and to adult education classes. He runs two wine clubs; both called Tanglewood Wine Society - one in Cobham and one in Reigate.  The constitutions of the two clubs are more ore less the same.

The Cobham Club

This club has been running now for over thirteen years and tastings are on a Wednesday evening every month, except for July and August. Meetings are usually held at the St. John's ambulance Hall in Cobham or at Fetcham Park House in Fetcham. Starting at 8 p.m. the tasting usually consists of eight wines and then the evening finishes with bread and cheese and socialising.  They try to vary the tastings to include all the wine countries of the world and the regions within them. They also try to vary the speakers as much as they can.

John Trigwell himself lectures at some of the tastings, but more often there is an outside speaker - a wine consultant or an importer in this country.  Often there is a tutored tasting by a visiting winegrower from France.

Once a year a dinner is arranged at a local restaurant and every December there is a Christmas blind tasting.

The hundred or so members include those who are new to wine, those who attended John's classes and longstanding members who have become quite expert. There is quite a large catchment area - some members come from as far as Hampshire.

The Reigate Club

This club was started in East Grinstead about 10 years ago and moved to Reigate, where it has remained for the last 5 or 6 years. It meets once a month on a Monday, again apart from July and August. Its format and approach mirror the Cobham club and average attendance is around 30.

Annual Membership of the Tanglewood Wine Society is £12 for a couple and £7.50 for singles. There is a tasting fee of between £10/15 for each tasting, depending on the quality of wines on offer.

For details contact John Trigwell on 01923 34872, e-mail: john.trigwell@lineone.net web-site: http://website.lineone.net/~john.trigwell/socs.html.

East Grinstead Wine Appreciation Society

Many a wine club has been spawned from a wine course or an adult education class.  The members of the wine tasting evening class in East Grinstead, West Sussex decided that they wanted to continue with their interest and their friendships and form their own society in 2000. It is a welcome addition to the wine tasting scene in that part of the world.

The formal programme runs from September to May inclusive each year. Each evening starts at 7.30pm and on most occasions a speaker is invited to share their knowledge and expertise of particular wine producers, countries, grapes etc. A members evening is held in each programme when a lighthearted quiz takes place quite often involving blind tastings and team work.  The evening closes at 9.30pm with a break for cheese and pate half way through.  An informal programme runs through the summer months with visits to vineyards and local restaurants, a trip to France and other social gatherings. The meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month in East Court Mansion in East Grinstead.  Membership for the year is £25 with £5 being paid on the night. Non-members are welcome for single meetings at a cost of £10.00.

Presently, membership is full but those who are interested in joining are put on a waiting list.  Should attendance be low on a particular evening, guests are invited to join.  The summer programme is open to all guests.

Details are available from the Chairman – Jackie Morris – on 01342 312218 or from the secretary – Jean Locke on 01342 314076

Canterbury Wine Tasting Society

Twenty years ago this year two Kent dentists decided that they would like to start a wine society. They began with six members in their surgery waiting room, and, after a spell in a room above Canterbury East Railway Station, the club moved to its present venue - Christchurch College, Canterbury. Keith Powis, one of the original founders, still organises the programme, which is an eclectic mix of styles, regions and quality –with a range of speakers from the trade and elsewhere.  Keith himself learned a lot of his wine lore in Australia; at one time he even considered training as a wine-maker at Roseworthy.

The Society has a flourishing membership and usually has about 25-35 people at its monthly meetings. This is hardly surprising, since with a fine programme and membership at £12 per year and usual tasting fees of £5 for members and £7 for guests it must be one of the least expensive societies in the country. They do, however, have premium tastings where the price can double.

A few years ago wine writer Andrew Jefford wrote about an evening at the Canterbury society for the Evening Standard, where Keith Powis himself was the speaker. He wrote: 'It was well organised, highly informative – but above all fun. Relaxed fun. There was none of the pretentiousness of the grand wine dinner, where the atmosphere of veneration asphyxiates much of the pleasure offered by the wines in the glass; nor was there any of the jaded cynicism of professionals ploughing through samples at a trade tasting  ……. A group of like minded people sat down in a room to hear what some articulate wines had to tell them'

That for me is what a wine society should be.

Like most societies there have been hiccups. Keith recalls a dire tasting of Algerian wines with poor wines and a speaker who did not know what he was talking about - but judging by the current programme and the comments of members and visitors the standard is consistently high

The Eastbourne Wine Society is one of the most established wine societies on the south coast. Founded in 1980 it meets on the last Tuesday of each month at the Eastbourne Blind Centre, 124 Longstone Road, Eastbourne. With 35 active members the programme is varied, with tutored tastings from experts, local merchants and from within the very knowledgeable membership. Recent tastings have been led by Christopher Ann of the English Wine Centre, Peter Rehberg from Hailsham Cellars, Joanna McDonald of Safeway and Douglas Henn-Macrae, a wine merchant.

In addition to the normal meetings the society takes advantage of its location to visit the continent for tastings. It also has a summer picnic and an annual dinner.

Even though it has a lively membership it is always keen to expand, and prospective new members should contact the secretary, Paul Davies on 01323 727675. Membership is £10 per annum plus £6 per meeting. Guests pay £10 per meeting

West Yorkshire Wine Tasting Group

There are many differing sorts of wine tasting clubs and one of the more unusual is The West Yorkshire Wine Tasting Group, which was founded in the late 1980's by four Wine Society members who were able to connect through the member link. Three families from Huddersfield and one from Rochdale have expanded into an extensive group, which also includes members in Leeds and Wakefield. They meet about six times a year, and like many other clubs have an annual barbecue and the usual Christmas/New Year celebration, which are well attended in spite of Yorkshire weather!

Instead of the more familiar meeting places in halls and schools and pubs, meetings rotate between houses and the host prepares a simple buffet while members each bring a bottle of wine which matches the theme for the evening. Members pay £2 each meeting (guests free) to cover secretarial expenses, and the surplus that accrues is spent on purchases of vintage Port for instance, and also used on special occasions. In this way the group operates on a break-even basis and costs of travelling and "hosting" are effectively shared.

Occasionally the group meets for meals at restaurants where they can take their own wine. One example is Shears Yard wine bar in Leeds, the proprietors of which, Rob Noble and Sue Thorne, are club members.  The group has used this venue several times including a tasting run by a local Oddbins branch. They have considered the idea of inviting speakers, but they say that in the wilds of Yorkshire choice can be quite limited or expensive.  Instead they prefer to maintain their independence and treasure their mainly social nature.

They are a group who have become firm friends, yet also welcome new members. Out of twenty members they regularly muster fourteen to a tasting even though some travel for up to an hour to be present. Recently they have increased their membership in the Leeds area but feel that a further 6 – 10 members would be advantageous.

Brian Marsden, the most experienced taster, has been a tutor at local wine appreciation courses for 16 years. His encyclopaedic knowledge of wine and growers is invaluable to the club in general.  Martin Longman has a French connection with Les Vinosophes, a club in the Bourg/Blaye area of Bordeaux. He has occasionally organised a tasting of fine Australian wine for them, as they tend to be far less parochial than their compatriots.  He has also taken part in judging for the 'Challenge International du Vin'.

Contact Martin Longman, 25 Busker Lane, Scissett, Huddersfield, HD8 9JU.

Tel/Fax 01484 864766. E-mail: martin@longmanonline.co.uk

Bacchus (theFylde's Friendly Wine Society)

Bacchus is the friendly wine society on Lancashire's Fylde Coast. like many other societies, it was formed in 1985 as a follow-on from a college wine course. Currently there are 55 members, who, as amateurs are enthusiastic and pasionate about wine. The society meets on the last Thursday of the month from September thro' to May at a hotel in Blackpool. The usual meeting format is an invited speaker conducts a tutored tasting of a wine either by country, region, or grape variety. Occasionally a cellar or wine retailer visit is arranged; on these occasions the manager/owner usually presents the wines. The society prides itself on offering wines from all regions of the world, with quality being the guide. Over the years the society has built up many contacts including the Wine Education Trust and various importers and wine merchants. Examples of tastings in 2001/2002 include a representative from Ruinart Champagne and Hardy's of Australia, the latter with wines not yet released in the UK. Each meeting attracts 30-40 members who, in 2002, pay £8 per meeting. Guests are welcomed and pay £9.50. Should a guest join after the first 'try before you buy' tasting then th £1.50 is refunded. For further info contact Peter Fletcher (Secretary) 01253 824287 or e-mail peterfletz@supanet.co

The Gardeners' Wine Appreciation Group (WAGS)

Wine clubs have many different origins.  Some are spawned by evening classes; some by wine educators and other by wine merchants keen to sell their wares.  Then there are those set up by a group of like-minded individuals the better to appreciate wine.  Gardeners Wine Appreciation Group (WAGS) from Loughton in Essex falls into the last category but with a difference.

About 12 or 13 years ago Ian Locks and one or two of his friends had waited somewhat impatiently to join the very exclusive Epping Forest Wine Society.  They decided they would be dead before enough of the Epping members passed on for them to join so they started their own. Four friends pooled names and they invited 60 people to their first meeting in February 1998.  About thirty came and so WAGS was born.  One might think that it has a horticultural background, but it takes its names from the pub in Loughton where the meetings are held.

It has a committee of four – chairman, secretary, treasurer and wine buyer.  Its core membership comprises about 45 debenture holders who each paid £50 and these have priority to attend the four meeting a year – and the rather splendid summer party – but it also has a large mailing list from which the extra places at meetings are filled. Its speakers mainly come from the wine trade or from the more well-known performers on the wine club circuit, like Paul Mapplebeck who was described by one WAGS member as "one of Britain's hidden treasures."

It is a different society in a number of ways. It has formed an investment club and attracts about 30 people to its gold days. It also is unusual in that its age group is pretty tightly drawn in the 50 – 60+ age group and, more controversially, its meetings are men only – on the original presumption that buying wine is men's work. (Tell that to Jancis Robinson, Joanna Simon, Jane Mcquitty and all the women wine buyers for the supermarket chains!)

The Putney Wine Club

The Putney wine club in South-West London is the creation of Terry Hazell. It usually meets in the reading room of Putney Library, most often for informal walk-around tastings, although occasionally it has tutored tastings and about twice a year seated tastings of fine wines.

Founded in 1977 it has about 70 members who pay £12.50 to belong (or £20 for 2 names at the same address) and the tastings cost, on average, between £15 and £20. Terry insists that it is a club where people like to meet to taste and discuss new wine finds in congenial company.  These tastings usually comprise 10 wines accompanied by fine cheeses.

Contact: Terry Hazell Tel: 020 8877 1185.

Verulam Wine Tasting Club

The area around St Albans in Hertfordshire is lucky enough to have one of the best established and well regarded wine societies in southern England.  Founded in 1978 it is characterised by its warmth and informality.  Its 80+ members meet nine times a year (always o n a Saturday) in the dining hall of a local secondary school where they entertain speakers from the wine trade, the Wine and Spirit Education Trust – and they take advice from embassies on who can give a good talk on their country's wines.

Last year they had meetings on Canadian Wines, Australia – Standards and Flagships , Champagne and Chocolate and Modern Versus Traditional Wines as well as many others. In the summer they always have a barbecue, and they even have a dented silver cup (bought at a car boot sale for a fiver) that is awarded for a light-hearted annual blind-tasting competition.

Membership costs £10 and tastings are charged according to the cost of the wine and are usually about £10 for members and £12 for guests.  Those interested in joining – or just going along to see what the meetings are like, should contact Chairman Richard Foster Tel: 01438 813388 e-mail info@vwtc.org.

Maidenhead Wine Circle, Beaconsfield Wine Club And Charvil Wine Club

These three wine societies are run by the very well known wine merchant, Helen Verdcourt, who is based in Maidenhead. Helen is a noted authority on Spanish wines and is in demand as a speaker on that subject in wine society circles. However, neither her business nor her wine clubs are restricted to Spanish wines.

All 3 clubs, which have been in existence for many years, meet once a month throughout the year at 8.00 pm.  The Maidenhead Wine Circle meets on the second Monday of the month, the Beaconsfield on the fourth Tuesday and the Charvil on the fourth Thursday.

Helen gives tutored tastings of 10 or 11 wines at each meeting.  It is, perhaps, unusual for clubs to be run by a merchant and to have only one speaker, but the size and enthusiasm of the groups, and the fact that they have such a long history, says a great deal about her ability and skill as a tutor. She can be contacted on 01628 625577.