Date: Thursday 7 - Sunday 11 October 2010

Exclusive three-night wine and culture tour to the beautiful Argiano Estate in Chianti, a newly renovated boutique winery in the heart of Tuscany, just 15 minutes' drive from Siena. This short break packs in excursions, tastings and tours as well as the chance to dine at some of the finest local restaurants. We've also laid on private drivers for the whole of the time you are in Italy, making travelling around easy and stress-free.

Check out the Argiano Estate and vineyards where you'll be staying and tasting - a fantastic place for you to enjoy a mini-holiday this autumn as well as discover the delights of wine in Italy's most famous region.

The full itinerary for the tour is shown below. If you would like to know more, please contact Ruth.

TUSCAN TOUR ITINERARY

Thursday 7 October

• Depart London Gatwick with EasyJet, 10.55am, arriving Pisa, Italy, at 14.05pm.
• Transfer from airport to Argiano Estate in Chianti, where you'll have a few hours to relax before heading off to Siena for dinner.

Friday 8 October: A day discovering Tuscan wine

• Italian breakfast served in your own apartment.
• A guided tour of the Argiano estate.
  This includes visiting the winery and cellars and is followed by a tutored wine tasting of the full Argiano range, served with canapés. The tasting will be hosted by the owner of the estate, Bruno Conci, and his wife, Roz.
• Visit to Castello di Brolio.
  Includes a tour of Brolio Castle, which dates back to the 11th century and has been the property of the Ricasoli family since 1141, as well as the park, the magnificent Italian garden, the chapel with the family tomb and the tower where the Ricasoli Collection is housed. This collection includes armour from various periods and documents from the public life of Bettino Ricasoli (1809-1880). The tour is followed by a tutored tasting of wines and a hearty lunch!
• Return to the Argiano Estate for a few hours of relaxation before heading off for dinner locally.

Saturday 9 October: A day of culture

• A full day in Florence, leaving after breakfast.
• Three hours of private guiding including entrance to the Accademia gallery to see Michelangelo’s statue of David (no queuing either!).
• Lunch in Florence.
• Return to the Argiano Estate for a few hours of relaxation before heading off for dinner locally.

Sunday 10 October

• After breakfast, depart Argiano for Pisa via Lucca for a brief stroll around the town and lunch (paid locally).
• Depart Pisa, Italy, with EasyJet, 16.10pm, arriving London Gatwick at 17.20pm.

The price per person is £795 (based on two sharing an apartment)
This includes:

• all flights and private transfers throughout your stay in Italy 
• accommodation and breakfast at the Argiano in Chianti Estate for three nights
• two tutored wine tastings 
• tour of Castello di Brolio with lunch
• lunch in Florence and entrance to the Accademia gallery (with special pass to avoid queuing)
• dinner on all three nights (in family owned local restaurants, including friends of the Conci family)
• a tour guide for our day out in Florence.

Reservations require a 20% deposit. Email Ruth to secure your place and for payment instructions.

Amazing! With each bang, the cork came a little further out of the bottleneck until I could pull the rest out.

So we need more feedback - would it actually work with a slightly less tight cork or only if you release it first, which means it's absolutely no help at all?!

By the way, everyone I mentioned it to assumed one would use a stiletto rather than a brogue. Maybe they thought you prised the cork out - or, more likely, pushed it in - with the heel. Ooh, now that's an idea.

On one of the hottest nights in June, guests gathered in the gardens of imposing 19th-century Warren House in Surrey to enjoy an opening sparkler from South Africa accompanied by delicious summer strawberries, while saxophonist Kevin McMahon created the perfect mood with some sultry jazz.

Then it was inside for the formal tutored tasting designed to show the diversity of rosés from around the world. Led by Master of Wine Maggie McNie, this was held in Warren House's elegant Magnolia Room, with guests sitting down to taste Old World and New World pink wines, including a Champagne, a Provencal rosé, a Pinot Grigio Rosato and examples from New Zealand and California. While nibbling a selection of beautifully prepared canapés, Maggie guided guests through the wine list, entertaining and engaging them along the way.

There was then a chance for retasting particular favourites before everyone took their leave not long after the sky had darkened, since it was one of the longest days of the year.

Michelle Wish, who came with her husband Andrew, thought it was a great event and said, 'Thank you for a lovely evening. Much appreciated.' While another attendee, Des Daly, summed it up in a couple of words: 'Great night. Great fun.'

Don't know if it works, but I'm going to give it a go tonight. Don't think I'll be trying it with my Jimmy Choos though!

After drinks and the chance to mingle, we'll move in to one of Warren House's elegant rooms to discover a delicious selection of sparkling and still pink-hued wines guided by our expert, Master of Wine Maggie McNie.

The price for this amazing evening is just £44.50 for members and £48.50 for non-members. This includes:

• welcome drink in the garden (weather permitting)
• tutored tasting led by our Master of Wine
• 6 generous tastings of different still and sparkling rosés, including a champagne
• a selection of canapés to accompany the tasting.

Date: Thursday 24 June 2010

Time: 6.30pm for drinks, tutored tasting starts at 7.30pm

Place: Warren House, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. For directions, visit Warren House. If you are travelling by train, there's a free shuttle bus from New Malden station.

This is a mixed event, so why not bring your partner or a friend along too, especially as Wine Couture members' guests will also be able to come at the discounted members' ticket price.

Tickets must be pre-paid as places are limited. Please book online through our shop.

Remember, if you are a Wine Couture member, you must be logged in to get the discounted price.

I don't have a cleaner but when I go to my friends for supper, I greet them with a kiss on each cheek, then hand over an expensive - over £10, natch! - bottle of Prosecco - which, of course, is a Northern Italian sparkling wine made from the grape variety of the same name -  that I picked up from Waitrose (if not from Wine Couture).

Does that mean I'm posh?

According to the study of 150,000 French people, as reported in yesterday's Evening Standard, those who enjoyed low or moderate intake of alcohol were fitter than teetotallers or those who drank to excess.

Pass me the corkscrew!

If that still isn't enough to tempt you, then maybe the location will - as our Call My Wine Bluff is being held at 86 St James, the prestigious freemason's lodge at the end of Pall Mall. So, what are you waiting for? Book today to make sure that you don't miss out.

What it's all about

The evening starts with a welcome drink, then everyone sits down to the not-so-serious game of Call My Wine Bluff. For this, everyone is divided into teams ready to taste six different wines. 

Each time a wine is poured (and don't think you'll get a peek at the label!), a panel of three experts will try to persuade you that what they are saying about the wine is true - only two of them will be blatantly lying.

Each team has to decide what the wine really is and, as with all good games, there will be a prize for the winning team at the end of the evening.

Date: Thursday 29 April 2010

Time: 7pm registration for 7.30pm start

Place: 86 St James, 86 James's Street, London SW1A 1PL

Price: £44.50 (inc VAT) for members, £48.50 (inc VAT) for non-members.

This is a mixed event, so why not bring your partner or a friend along too, especially as Wine Couture members' guests will also be able to come at the discounted members' ticket price.

Tickets must be pre-paid as places are limited. Please book online through our shop.

Remember if you are a Wine Couture member you must be logged in to get the discounted price.

Frankly, it really annoys me when a restaurant only has small wine glasses, especially as waiters always feel they need to fill them to the brim. Actually, don't even get me started on that one!

The wine merchant had said don’t serve the whites too cold, which is correct if it’s one with some complexity because you want to maximise the wine’s aroma and can’t do this if it’s really chilled. But there’s a huge difference between overchilling and room temperature on a hot, balmy evening in Mougins!

I hope if the hapless pair ever get their own restaurant, as is their plan, they employ a sommelier because otherwise, even if their food is worth a visit, doesn’t sound like they’ll be much hope for the wine. That would be a good night to offer to drive and stick to drinking water.

Lifehacker AU editor Angus Kidman's solution when you need to chill a bottle really fast is to wrap the bottle in a wet tea towel and pop it in the freezer. Well, I tried it last night and it worked! A gorgeous NZ Gewurztraminer that I wanted to go with prawn curry chilled in as long as it took me to get the ingredients together and chop the onions - so I could enjoy a glass as I cooked.

Anyone got any other great ways to chill a bottle in an instant?]]> Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT http://www.winecouture.co.uk/news/32 Come and join an evening of fun and frolics where you'll taste some great wines while trying to guess what they might be.

The evening starts with a welcome drink, then everyone sits down to the not-so-serious game of Call My Wine Bluff. For this, everyone is divided into teams ready to taste six different wines. Each time a wine is poured (and don't think you'll get a peek at the label!), a panel of three experts will try to persuade you that what they are saying about the wine is true - only two of them will be blatantly lying. Each team has to decide what the wine really is and there will be a prize for the winning team at the end of the evening.

And you might go away hungry for more wine knowledge, but certainly not hungry because a light buffet is included in the price of the event.

Date: Tuesday 16 March 2010

Time: 7pm registration for 7.30pm start

Place: The Old School House, Chapel Place, Tunbridge Wells (opposite The Brew House Hotel)

Price: £30 for members, £34.50 for non-members.

This is a mixed event, so why not bring your partner or a friend along too, especially as Wine Couture members' guests will also be able to come at the discounted members' ticket price.

Tickets must be pre-paid as places are limited. Please book online through our shop.

Remember if you are a Wine Couture member you must be logged in to get the discounted price.

Red wine got the best PR in the findings of the medical report, so I know what sort of bottle I'll be opening tonight.

Check out more in The Daily Telegraph.

The event, which was held in the elegant Lavender Room and Ballroom of 19th century Warren House in Surrey, saw native South African wine expert Gavin Murphy entertain guests with an informative talk about each wine as he explained how they worked with each of the dishes on the specially chosen menu.

Before that, the evening launched off with a glass or two of Simonsig sparkling wine as guests had a chance to mingle and enjoy the unique art of Paul Lemmon, who brought along a selection of his paintings for everyone to view.

Then it was time to get down to discovering more about food and wine pairing. The four-course dinner matched Avontuur’s Sauvignon Blanc to a delicious starter of ricotta and sage tortellini on a sage and butter sauce, followed by Fort Simon’s Chenin Blanc to go with fillet of sea bream on herb-crushed potatoes with a red pepper essence.

Two stunning reds – the appropriately named Very Sexy Shiraz from Cloof and Fort Simon’s Pinotage – were served with the main course of duck breast with a shallot tart tatin, red cabbage and a red wine jus, so guests could compare how each worked with the dish. Finally, Meerendal’s natural sweet Chenin Blanc dessert wine was poured to accompany the lemon posset pot with raspberries and rosemary shortbread.

Guest Alex Rocha said, 'Thank you for organising such a fabulous event,' while Maaike Vlam added, 'The venue was excellent, the food and the wine very tasty!'

Erica Campbell also had a good time and described the evening as, 'So stylish with nice food and a good selection of wines. Gavin was a very knowledgeable speaker.'

Drop-in date: Thursday 26 November 2009

Time: from noon to 8pm

Place: rsvp to Ruth or phone her on 07979 770375 and we'll send you the details.

Remember you have to be a Wine Couture member to come along - so if you haven't yet joined the club, why not join today and become part of the UK's first wine club for women.

On arrival at Warren House, we've lined up an exhibition of art by Paul Lemmon, who will be in attendance for you to talk to him about his work. After this, everyone sits down to dinner, during which native South African wine expert Gavin Murphy will guide you through the different wines designed to accompany each course.

Date: Thursday 5 November 2009

Place: Warren House, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey KT2 7HY

Time: pick-up from Victoria Station departing promptly at 5.45pm. If you are making your own way to the venue, there will be a shuttle bus available from New Malden station from 6.30pm. Dinner will begin at 7.30pm.

We’re making this a mixed event, so why not invite your partner or a friend along too, especially as Wine Couture members can bring guests at the discounted members' price of just £39.50 a ticket. This includes all the wines, dinner and coffee. The price for non-members is £43.50.

Tickets must be pre-paid as places are limited. Reserve yours today: call Ruth on 07979 770375, email Ruth@winecouture.co.uk or book online through our shop.

Remember if you are a Wine Couture member you must be logged in to get the discounted price.

Please note: a coach will return you to London at the end of the evening. However, if you would like to stay overnight, Warren House (www.warrenhouse.com) has offered guests of Wine Couture favourable rates of £120 for two people sharing a room, including full English breakfast and VAT, or £100 for single occupancy.

The event focussed on South African wines, which were matched to a gastronomic four-course menu prepared by the team that cook at the boutique Brew House Hotel in Kent. However, to kick off the evening, there was an art exhibition by Paul Lemmon, who came along to talk to everyone about his work, much of which depicts women. Guests were able to wander round while they enjoyed a welcome glass of South African fizz before sitting down for the tutored dinner.

Wine expert and native South African Gavin Murphy guided everyone through each wine and explained why the selection worked with the food for each course, such as the classic combination of goat's cheese (served for the starter with roasted beetroot on a rocket and watercress salad) and Sauvignon Blanc. South Africa's flagship red and white grapes - Pinotage and Chenin Blanc - were obviously included in the line-up. In fact, a sweet Chenin beautifully accompanied the final dessert course of vanilla pannacotta, fruit compote and shortbread biscuit. After coffee, guests had another chance to wander round the art exhibition as well as order their favourite wines to try some of their own matches at home. 

Heather Jones, who was at the event, said it was, 'A really superb evening. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.' Maria Chumas-Baker also thought it was a 'fabulous event', adding, 'It was nice to be able to chat freely amongst ourselves and Gavin was very knowledgeable.'

If you are a member of Wine Couture, then we've negotiated a great new benefit for you at La Belle Femme, the top-notch stockist of stylish and beautiful designerwear and special-occasion outfits in Tunbridge Wells.

There's now 10 per cent off all purchases in the shop for members.

Go to www.winecouture.co.uk/?page=memberbenefits for all the details.

The evening will kick off with a welcome glass of South African fizz while guests wander round looking at Paul Lemmon's work. The artist will join us for the evening, so you will be able to talk to him about his oil paintings.

After that everyone will sit down to a four-course gastronomic menu with a different wine to accompany each dish. Native South African wine expert Gavin Murphy will guide you through the line-up.

Date: Monday 5 October 2009

Time: from 6.30pm for 7.30 sit down for dinner

Place: The Old School House, Chapel Place, Royal Tunbridge Wells (opposite The Brew House Hotel).

We’re making this a mixed event, so why not bring your partner or a friend along too, especially as Wine Couture members' guests will also be able to come at the discounted members' price of just £39.50 a ticket. This includes all the wines, dinner and coffee. The price for non-members is £43.50.

Tickets must be pre-paid as places are limited. Reserve yours today:
call Ruth on 07979 770375, email Ruth@winecouture.co.uk
or book online through our shop at
www.winecouture.co.uk/shop/product.asp?P_ID=175.
 

Remember if you are a Wine Couture member you must be logged in to get the discounted price.

Come and help Wine Couture support a great cause at a sparkling event in a fantastic location – at the top of the tallest building in London, One Canada Square in Canary Wharf.

Magical Moments, organised by 1230 TWC, the business women’s network, is an evening of fabulous fashions and magic along with a sumptuous buffet and a raffle in aid of Ovacome, the charity that supports those affected by ovarian cancer.

Wine Couture is delighted to sponsor such a worthwhile cause by providing a cool and sparkling welcome drink to launch off the evening, which features Frank Usher Fashions and top magician Matthew Duggan as well as actress Jenny Agutter as the guest speaker.

Prices for the event are £40 for Wine Couture members and £45 for non-members. 

Date: Friday 25 September 2009

Time: 5 – 7.30pm

Place: 37th Floor, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AP

To join in with this truly magical evening, book now by clicking on one of the links below.

If you are a Wine Couture member, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to www.winecouture.co.uk/?page=theclub to take advantage of the discounted price.

If you are NOT yet a member of Wine Couture, please book through 1230’s website at http://www.1230.co.uk/events.asp?event=303&month=9#event.

The evening, which was held most appropriately at the German Embassy in Belgrave Square, began with everyone enjoying a sparkling glass of Sekt. Then came the formal sit-down tasting. Guests were taken on a tour of discovery – and diversity - of some of Germany’s wines, including several made from the queen of grapes, Riesling, and also with different sweetness levels. The food was typically German too – perfect bite-sized specialties to nibble in between sampling the wines.

The highlight of the event, however, was the chance to sample the wine from the Handel family vineyard, this year being the 250th anniversary of the composer’s death. There are only around 500 bottles of this Gutedel made every year because it comes from such a tiny vineyard, so it was a rare chance to taste this youthful white wine made from the Chasselas grape.

Tim Kitchener-Smith, who writes about wine for London-Eating, came to check out Wine Couture’s event. He said, ‘The wines showed really well. Great canapes…and the venue was fantastic.’

_{Photographs: Tommaso Bruccoleri}

Join us at a summer tasting of wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon organised by Sud de France in Central London. Around a dozen female French winemakers from across the region are coming over for this special event and bringing around 40 of their wines.

It’s sure to be a relaxed and informative occasion – a time to sip, chat, sample some of the food specialities from the region and discover all about the different styles of wine straight from the women that made them.

So make space in your diary on Wednesday 1 July at 4pm for this Sud de France wine and food extravaganza, which will be held in W1.

And the great news is, this event is FREE to Wine Couture members.

But we only have a limited number of places, so if you’d like to be there, call Ruth on 07979 770375 today or email ruth@winecouture.co.uk today. It’s strictly first come, first served.

Remember you have to be a Wine Couture member to come along – so if you haven’t yet joined the club, what a great reason to do that now! Don’t miss out, get in touch today and become part of the UK’s first wine club for women.

Did you know that Handel’s family were winemakers?  Well, to mark the 250th anniversary of his death this year, we are giving you the chance to taste wine from the Handel vineyard.  This wine is a true rarity as there are only around 500 bottles made a year from this tiny vineyard.

At the same time, we will be showing you some of the other great things the Germans are doing with grapes. We will take you from East to West with a selection of superb wines, including ones made from the queen of grapes, Riesling. Don’t miss the chance to experience just how good they can be.

If wine was fashion, then German wine would be the new black.

Date: Tuesday 9 June 2009
Time: 6pm
Place: German Embassy, Belgrave Square, London SW1

Reserve Now

'We are very excited about our new branding,' said Managing Director Ruth Trigg. 'Our new name and look are totally right for us going forward. Delivering quality and service to our members and customers is of the upmost importance to us and we feel the name Wine Couture reflects that. And, although we focus on being a wine club for women, we are also happy to run mixed events for groups, both private and corporate, so our new branding incorporates the diversity of that and of our business generally - everything from tutored tastings and tours to offering fabulous boutique wines and other wine events.

'Wine Couture is a membership club, but you don't have to be a member to come along to our tutored tastings,' explained Ruth. 'However, members are also exclusively invited to some special events. For example, coming up is a fashion and wine evening in readiness for Ascot and a Sud de France tasting in London, meeting a group of female winemakers and tasting their wines.'

Nancy engaged members of KIC, their partners and friends in trying various seasonings, herbs and foods and seeing how they interact with different wines. Then everyone got a chance to experience how this works when it comes to recipes, as the tasting was followed by a specially selected buffet of dishes designed to combine perfectly with some of the wine selections.

Guest Elizabeth Johnson really enjoyed the evening. 'It was a revealing experience of wine and food matching,' she said.

Date: Tuesday 24 March 2009
Time: 7.30pm
Place: Salomons, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Price: £50 for members and £55 for non-members

If you are not a member of WiW, please click below to book.

 Members should click here to book.

Expert Kelly Bayliffe led the assembled ladies through the event and tantalised their taste buds with a blind chocolate tasting of some of Zotter’s wonderful – and sometimes weird-sounding – flavours, such as Cranberry and Thyme and Lemon Polenta. Then it was on to the pairings part of the evening, when Kelly guided guests through the selection of wines and their chocolate matches. A Gewurztraminer from Alsace producer Josmeyer paired with Almond and Passion Fruit as well as The Very Sexy Shiraz from South African Cloof and Butter Caramel were a couple of the combinations.

The finale came as The Vine’s waiting staff whisked in individual chocolate souffles to accompany a deliciously sweet, limited-availability German ice wine.

Some of those present couldn’t wait to tell Women inspired by Wine how much they had enjoyed it. Rosa Esterhuizen said, ‘I love chocolate and I love wine! Yip, I know, nothing new in that confession, but the way in which you presented both was spectacular. I don't know if this is possible, but I actually think I like both even more now!’

Anne Blair added, ‘The surroundings were convivial, the food was excellent, and the wine and chocolate divine!! Kelly is certainly very knowledgeable about wine and chocolate and I really enjoyed learning how to taste wine, the effect of food on the taste, and vice versa. It was lovely to spend time experiencing the different flavours and to have them so expertly explained.’

After a welcome glass and some fine canapes prepared by head chef Richard Lee of The Vine Restaurant, our wine and chocolate expert Kelly Bayliffe will take you through our tasting and help you find your favourite wine and chocolate pairings. Then, for the finale, The Vine will create a special chocolate souffle as a heavenly accompaniment to a last wine.

At the end of the evening, there will be a two-bar gift set of Zotter chocolate, worth £10, for every guest to take home.

Date: Thursday 12 February 2009
Time: 7pm
Place: The Vine Restaurant, Sevenoaks, Kent
Price: £45

Our speaker

Kelly Bayliffe is a wine educator and chocolate expert who has a passion for both.

She has worked for Vinopolis and does tastings around London including at Cooks for Books in Notting Hill.