No rest for the wicked

or if today is Thursday, this must be Cheltenham...

The days since the Laithwaites Show at Vinopolis have hardly been idle. We’ve had four more events to organise, to travel to and to host - and there are another two in the offing.

The former Bird’s Custard Factory in Birmingham is now an Arts & Media centre comprised of many different spaces – we opted for The Old Library which dates from 19th Century. Dilapidated by the Nineties but now restored to a bright, airily-vaulted venue thanks to grants from English Heritage and the EDRF.

Despite the threat of heavy snow around the area, Jo and I made it and so did almost everyone else. It was good to be joined by Jim & Paul from our Solihull Shop who presented 5 wines including the statuesque Trapiche Las Palmas Cabernet which ended up as fourth most popular wine behind these three:

Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – sadly now sold out; 2010 vintage due in February 2011

Pillastro Selezione d’Oro 2007 – the ‘Champion’ wine of 2010 at our events

Moonlighters Cabernet Sangiovese 2006 – a unique RedHeads Studio production


Reading Town Hall was next on the list for John and Jo – if you’re thinking this one should be easy for them being based in nearby Theale, you haven’t met Reading’s Traffic Wardens.

Unfortunately, the snow did affect this one – two out of three producers were unable to make the journey to Reading from France but we did have 120 customers and some canapés to sustain them. David Emmins representing Campanula will be pleased he did make it as his lively Hungarian Pinot Grigio 2009 was the most popular wine followed by the muscular Groote Kaap Cabernet 2009 and the dainty frizzante Limonetto.

Next day, next event – Cheltenham, the beautiful Grade I listed Pittville Pump Room – again more snow around but we were not to be put off. With most of our staff coming from our Gloucester base, travel wasn’t quite so much of an issue here.

Tony & Barbara Laithwaite joined Will to taste their way around 32 wines and our popular Breton Cider, presented by Sylvain Ruffier. Other highlights in sales terms were the Pillastro Selezione d’Oro (again, see, told you so) and Westend Estate’s The Boxer 2009 red.

With a quick trip to Gloucester to look after a group from the Institute of Directors thrown in last week, this week, with only two events should be a piece of cake, shouldn’t it?

Ian