The Southern Quarter’s pick of wine-related things to see and do during the month of June
Sign up to this: Macknade Wine Club
This month Kent food and wine specialists Macknade launch its new wine subscription boxes.
Created by the company’s team of wine experts and buyers, this new service champions the world’s most exciting and trusted winemakers while following a seasonal theme – the first being wines to enjoy al fresco.
Each monthly case will feature six (superior collection) or 12 (classic collection) wines carefully selected by the Macknade team, along with expert insight, inspired tasting notes and a seasonal recipe to pair with one of the wines.
Examples of wines in June’s case include Long Barn Pinot Noir 2019, De Westshof ‘Bon Vallon’ Chardonnay 2021, Marques de Riscal Proximo Rioja 2017 and Los Caminos Sauvignon Blanc 2021.
From £99 per month, macknade.com
Raise a toast to this: The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
What better way to toast the Queen’s 70th anniversary over the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend than raising a glass of British bubbly. Whether you’re hosting a street party, garden soiree or just celebrating quietly indoors, make sure you include some home-grow fizz. Check out our recommendation of limited edition English sparkling wines here.
Travel here: Bordeaux Wine Week
Francophiles with a love of wine might like to check out the Inaugural Bordeaux Wine Week, which takes place in the city of Bordeaux from June 16th to 26th.
The largest wine-growing region in France, Bordeaux is home to some of the world’s finest vineyards and this week will give visitors the chance to experience many of their wines all in one place, along with events dedicated to other French and international wines and spirits.
Check out this: The London Wine Fair
From June 7th to 9th, Olympia London will host the 40th edition of the London Wine Fair. The industry event is overflowing with tastings of wines from around the world, an abundance of networking opportunities, meetings with winemakers and importers, over 400 top exhibitors and much more.
There is also a selection of masterclasses with speakers such as presenter and celeb wine brand partner Phillip Schofield and Drinks Trust trustee and founder of Club Soda, Laura Willoughby. New for 2022 is the Low & No zone, focusing on the fastest growing category in the drinks industry.
Drink these: The Uncommon low alcohol spritzers
Just in time for the British summer to begin, English wine-in-a-can pioneer, The Uncommon has released a duo of remastered low alcohol botanical wine spritzers. The English white and rosé spritzers – affectionately known as Peggy and Alfie – are made by blending The Uncommon’s award-winning white and rosé wines with sparkling water and natural botanical extracts.
Alfie is a delicious dry and refreshing mix of Bacchus and Chardonnay grapes blended with sparkling water and extracts of cool cucumber and classic elderflower, while Peggy is made from 100% hand-picked Pinot Noir grapes, sparkling water and extracts of mint and jasmine.
At 5.5% abv and just 83 calories per the refreshing low-alcohol drinks are perfect for picnics, garden parties, and festivals alike.
£17.99 per 4 x 250ml multipack, exclusively from Selfridges.
Celebrate this: English Wine Week
It’s back again – a whole week dedicated to English (and Welsh) wine. Vineyards up and down the country will be hosting special events to celebrate the awareness week, which runs from June 18th to 26th.
Many will be offering free tours and tastings and one-off ticketed events keep a look out on social media and check back here for details of what’s taking place.
Listen to this: Steven Spurrier – A Life in Wine
One of the wine trade’s most important figures, the late Steven Spurrier has been a wine merchant, buyer, educator and writer. His memoir, Steven Spurrier – A Life in Wine, looks back on his life charting the incidents, adventures, ideas and discoveries that formed his wine journey, in now available in audiobook.
Sit back with a glass of wine and listen as Steven recalls his many wine memories from the first time he was handed a glass of Cockburn 1908 vintage port by his grandfather at 13 years old, to the momentous Judgement of Paris wine tasting, which he organised and presided over in 1976 and put Californian wines on the global map.
