A Show to Remember

When Laithwaites Wine throws a party, it is a party to be remembered! That’s exactly what we did at the weekend in the wonderful Vinopolis Great Halls, adjoining our Arch shop, next to London’s world famous Borough Market.

We were delighted to be joined by scores of wine producers from across the globe, around 200 different wines, 70 members of staff, and almost 1600 happy smiley customers over three tasting sessions!

The wine and wine makers, of course, stole the show, and a rich cacophony of laughs could be heard for most of the weekend as producers joked with customers, customers joked with each other and staff and we all ribbed the South African boys about the rugby.

At the end of each session the votes were counted up and the winner announced, with Bill Calabria’s Westend Estate Pinot Grigio 2010 scooping the award for Friday evening, his Amore Durif 2009, winning the Saturday evening prize and the Spier Signature Collection Pinotage 2008 splitting the Westend Estate wines for the Saturday lunchtime top spot.

Hopefully, all those who attended, be they staff, producers or customers, enjoyed the events of the two days and can take back fond memories; I certainly have several fond memories as well as one slightly painful one that will remind me to take more care where to put my foot next year!

For a full list of the wines on show please feel free to browse this eBrochure

Will Waters

What started off as a pipe dream

What started off as a pipe dream came to reality on Saturday, when we hosted our first ever wine tasting at the Eden Project.

The 12 strong team of staff were joined by a whole host of producers who had travelled down to Cornwall to be with us on such a brilliant day, the focus of the tasting was to show the diversity of wines available that use sustainable, biodynamic and organic practices.

Richard Addison & Zakkie Bester, CEO of Cape Weaver in South Africa came along and showed their new range of excellent wines from the Cape. David Ferreira from Casal Branco in Portugal jetted in from his whistle stop world tour (literally, I have no idea how he managed it).

William Long owner of Long Wines in Spain braved the British public transport to come along and Tamara Roberts, South Ridge Estate in Sussex took the sensible option and made a long weekend of it and stayed over on Sunday in Cornwall with the family.

We were blessed with the weather and, as you looked out across the Eden Project from the Gallery Room, the sun glistened across the tops of the two huge biomes and we were all taken aback by the view.

200 customers joined us on Saturday and many were queuing up some 20 minutes before opening time eager to be the very first through the door. The atmosphere was very relaxed and I’m certain that the majority of people took full advantage of the half-price entry into the Biomes to make a full day of it.

Every person I spoke with had a smile on their face when they left the tasting and we were urged to return to Cornwall again next year!

Will