Past tastings

Classified as a Second Growth in 1855, Château Léoville Poyferré sits at the heart of Saint-Julien on Bordeaux’s Left Bank. Founded in 1638 and owned by the Cuvelier family for over a century, it embodies the harmony of power and elegance typical of Saint-Julien. Its Cabernet Sauvignon-driven wines reflect the finesse of the clay and sandy-clay soils, combining depth, balance, and a refined, velvety texture. Vintage after vintage, Léoville Poyferré stands out for its precision and purity of fruit, offering both immediate charm and impressive ageing potential.

Founded in 1880, Ramos Pinto farms a variety of elevations across the Douro, from the warm, river-level parcels of Ervamoira to the Cima Corgo slopes of Bom Retiro and the high, breezier hills of Bons Ares. In Vila Nova de Gaia, time in cask within cool lodges refines the house’s Tawny styles, while Vintage Ports and Douro DOC reds draw on old field-blend vineyards for detail and depth. The thread tying it together is clarity: fruit that is generous yet finely drawn, framed by the Douro’s stony backbone.

For any ticketing issues, please contact the CUWS Website & Ticketing Officer, Claire.

Catena Zapata helped redefine Argentine wine by looking upward. In Mendoza’s high country the family mapped vineyards by altitude, soil and parcel-focused vinification. Indeed, from Adrianna in Gualtallary to Nicasia in Paraje Altamira’s each site keeps its voice. The Catena Institute of Wine underpins it all, showing how altitude and UV shape freshness, texture and longevity. The result is science in service of pleasure – a seamless bridge between research and tradition.

For any ticketing issues, please contact the CUWS Website & Ticketing Officer, Claire.

Founded in 1702, Château de Ferrand sits atop the limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion, its distinctive lyre-shaped caves still opening onto the Dordogne. Acquired by Baron Bich in 1978, the estate remains in the family; a carefully managed renewal helped secure recognition as Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé in 2012. In classical right bank fashion, the vineyards are planted mainly with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon on clay-limestone soils.

For any ticketing issues, please contact the CUWS Website & Ticketing Officer, Claire.

Family‑run Recaredo crafts sparkling wine from the calcareous soils of Corpinnat in historic Penedès. The vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically, with every bottle riddled by hand, aged under natural cork, and manually disgorged. These practices support the house’s hallmark of extended ageing. The style is dry and precise, with an accompanying clean, refreshing finish that is reflective of the Mediterranean climate.

For any ticketing issues, please contact the CUWS Website & Ticketing Officer, Claire.

Since 1385, the Antinori family has shaped Italian winemaking. Now in its 26th generation, the family has guided its estates through reform and renewal, pairing respect for tradition with a willingness to innovate. From a Florentine base into the Chianti hills, and outward to Bolgheri’s coast, Montalcino’s slopes, Umbria’s Castello della Sala, Montepulciano’s La Braccesca, Puglia’s Tormaresca, and partnerships in Piedmont and Friuli, the vast array of Antinori’s estates is impressive in its variety and attention to quality.

For any ticketing issues, please contact the CUWS Website & Ticketing Officer, Claire.

Founded in 1883, Concha y Toro is one of Chile’s historic wine families and the largest wine producer in South America. Its fine-wine projects are shaped by place, coastal influence, Andean foothills and northern desert clarity. This, along with attentive viticulture and patient cellar work, allows the vineyard character to lead the conversation.

Since 1987, Don Melchor has been rooted in Puente Alto at the foot of the Andes, where alluvial, stony soils and cool mountain air shape a benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon. Parcel mapping and small-lot vinification define the project’s precision. Don Melchor was the first Chilean wine to receive top accolades from international critics.

Terrunyo is a single-origin series, bottling sites across Chile to show how soil, climate, and diurnal rhythm shape character. Think coastal freshness from Sauvignon Blanc and warm-day and cool-night depth from Peumo-grown Carménère.

From Quebrada Seca, with its steady coastal breath, Amelia favours restraint, attentive watering and rows set to the wind, measured irrigation and wind‑aware farming yield wines of clarity and quiet finesse.

Join us to explore the legacy of this iconic producer. For any ticketing issues, please contact the CUWS Website & Ticketing Officer, Claire.

Join us at this exciting event to try a diverse range of 15 sparkling and still wines from various parts of England. This is intended to be a social event, not just a wine education one, so please feel free to invite your friends!

Grape Britannia is a Decanter award-winning local wine merchant and wine bar specialising in English and Welsh wine. They offer over 200 wines ranging from classic still and sparkling ones to rival the world’s best to pioneering new styles that you can find nowhere else, all available to CUWS members at a special discount.

With over 1000 vineyards in the UK producing wines from a wide range of grapes, there’s never been a better time to drink English and Welsh wines.

The drop-in will run from 5pm to 8pm on Tuesday 17 June. and guests are welcome to arrive at any time within those hours!