Tastings and Events Diary	Autumn/Winter 2008
	Lay & Wheeler runs a series of tastings and special events throughout the year. These range from formal dinners and master-classes to informal walk-around tastings.
As places are limited for these tastings, please place your order now to avoid disappointment. For further information, please telephone our events tickets line on 0845 330 1855 or e-mail events@laywheeler.com.

The Grandest Names in Champagne

Thursday 4th September 2008, 6.00 to 8.30 p.m
River Room, Glaziers’ Hall, 9 Montague Close, London Bridge, SE1 9DD
£49.00 per person

You have voted our annual Champagne tasting as one of your favourites in the Lay & Wheeler diary, and we are pleased to announce this long-awaited Autumn event. No other wine captures the imagination as well as Champagne. Over the last few years Simon Larkin MW, our Champagne Buyer, has been championing the small producer and this informal walk-round event will allow you the perfect opportunity to review his efforts.

Amongst the houses we will be showing are Vilmart, considered by Tom Stevenson, award-winning wine writer, to be ‘greatest Champagne-grower’, Gosset, the oldest house in the region, Billecart-Salmon, an exceptional family run Grande Marque and Pol Roger, Winston Churchill’s favourite. Combine these illustrious champagnes with the fine perspective of the River Thames offered by the River Rooms at Glaziers’ Hall and you have all you need to enjoy a very special evening in London.

2006 - An Exceptional Vintage

Tuesday 16th September 2008, 6.00 to 8.30 p.m.
River Room, Glaziers’ Hall, 9 Montague Close, London Bridge, SE1 9DD
£39.00 per person

Chablis is unique. Tantalising Chardonnays produced elsewhere in the world have neither the race nor the nervosité that epitomises quintessential Chablis.

Imagine the scent of citrus fruits, minerals, steel and of the tide washing across a pebbly seashore; flavours that combine lemon, lime and occasionally white peaches and nectarines, even greengage. Chablis of fine vintages encompass all of these elements – and at Premier and Grand Cru levels, much more besides. In 2006, Chablis was blessed with the quality of wines one rarely sees in the region, wines that display the precision, breadth and subtlety that makes Chablis so highly sought-after.

Tour of The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace & Lunch at The Goring Hotel

Thursday 25th September 2008
£95.00 per person (inclusive of tour, three course luncheon, apéritif and wines)

• Tour of the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace – 10.45 a.m. prompt
• Luncheon at The Goring Hotel, Beeston Place – 12.30 for 1.00 p.m.
  

Sure to be a truly memorable event, this special day commences with a tour of The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace offering an opportunity to enjoy the two current exhibitions: ‘Treasures from The Royal Collection’, whose highlights include world-famous paintings by Rembrandt, Canaletto and Winterhalter, spectacular jewels, dazzling works by Fabergé, as well as furniture, sculpture, arms and armour, and historic pieces of porcelain that are still used for ceremonial occasions today; and ‘The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery’, this extraordinary exhibition has been selected from the collections of the Royal Library in collaboration with the distinguished naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. It brings together the works of four artists and a collector who have shaped our knowledge of the world around us. Leonardo da Vinci, Cassiano dal Pozzo, Alexander Marshal, Maria Sibylla Merian and Mark Catesby are diverse figures who shared a passion for enquiry and a fascination with the beautiful and bizarre in nature. The Royal Collection is held in trust by The Queen as Sovereign for her successors and the Nation, and is not owned by her as a private individual. Please note that The Queen’s Gallery operate a timed ticket operation and we have been allocated the 10.45 a.m. slot. Late-comers may not be able to gain entrance and therefore we emphasise that a prompt arrival is required.

Following the tour we will undertake the short walk, approximately five minutes, to The Goring Hotel, which opened its doors in 1910 and is still a family run establishment, to enjoy a glass of champagne followed by a three course lunch which will be served in the recently renovated Archive Room. Senior members of the Lay & Wheeler team will be on hand to provide commentary on the wines during the meal.

Numbers for this event are limited and early booking is advised.

Lay & Wheeler's Top 100 Wines for Autumn and Winter Drinking

Wednesday 8th October 2008, 6.00 to 8.30 p.m.
Saddlers’ Hall, 40 Gutter Lane, London EC2V 6BR
£39.00 per person

A wonderful opportunity to review the new Top 100 Wines for Drinking Now List. The senior members of the Lay & Wheeler team have selected 100 wines which they are delighted to recommend for drinking now and over the next few years.

Whether you are looking for ‘house’ wines to stock up your wine racks, something special for a forthcoming celebration or a present for a wine-loving friend, we are certain you will find the ideal wines here. All 100 wines will be available to taste and assess at this informal walkaround style event.

Château Mourgues du Grès Luncheon at The Bleeding Heart Restaurant

Wednesday 15th October 2008, 12.15 for 12.45 p.m.
Terrace Room, Bleeding Heart Yard, London, EC1N 8SJ
£75.00 per person (inclusive of apéritif, luncheon and wines)

We are very excited about the quality that is coming out of the Costières de Nîmes region of France with this rising star of the south producing complex, opulent wines with a similar signature to those of the neighbouring Rhône Valley. One of the leading estates of the region is Château Mourgues du Grès, which sits under the careful guidance of François Collard who returned to the family domain in the 1990’s. Prior to this François was winemaker at the first growth property of Château Lafite in Bordeaux. Since his return the estate has gone from strength to strength winning many plaudits along the way, including Robert Parker.

To accompany the fine cuisine of the Bleeding Heart we will be showing a range of wines that clearly demonstrate why this tremendous estate has become a firm favourite of the Lay & Wheeler team.

The Domaines of Burgundy

Wednesday 22nd October 2008, 6.30 to 8.30 p.m.
The Banqueting Hall, Number 45 Millbank, John Islip Street, London, SW1
£39.00 per person

Burgundy, fabled home of pinot noir and producer of the world’s greatest chardonnay, is arguably the leading wine region on the planet with its rich diversity. Stretching from Chablis in the north through the magical Côte d’Or, Chalonnaise, Mâcon, to Beaujolais in the south this journey encompasses some of the greatest names of the wine world.

This informal tasting of at least forty wines, with an array of vintages and growers drawn from Lay & Wheeler’s cellars, will afford you the opportunity to travel through the region to discover the real charm and beauty of Burgundy.

The Oyster Feast - A  Lay & Wheeler Tradition

Saturday 25th October
The Oyster Fisheries, Mersea Island, Essex
£115.00 per person (inclusive of champagne apéritif, four-course lunch, wines)

The setting is idyllic and provides a unique opportunity to taste the world- renowned Colchester Native Oyster close to their natural habitat. The Long Dining Room of the Oyster Fisheries, with its rustic charm, overlooks the oyster beds of Pyefleet Channel and this enchanting view is the perfect backdrop for a seafood-lovers’ dream.

A stroll along the sea wall prior to lunch is the ideal way to whet the appetite, and a glass of restorative champagne awaits the strollers. We will then proceed to a four-course luncheon of all the Fishery has to offer, accompanied by a range of carefully selected wines.

For those travelling from London, transport has been arranged to convey you from Colchester Station to the venue and back again. Please note a full timing itinerary will be issued nearer to the date.

Royal Opera House – Guided Tour and Luncheon with Fine Wines

Friday 31st October 2008
Tour commences at 11.00 a.m. followed by Luncheon in the Ballet Trust Rooms (carriages 3.00 p.m.)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London WC1
£89.00 per person (inclusive of three-course luncheon, champagne apéritif, lunch wines and guided tour)

Enjoy an exclusive private tour of the Royal Opera House followed by a restorative glass of champagne and lunch in the Ballet Trust Rooms. If you love wine, opera and ballet, then this unique opportunity is one not to be missed. The Guided Tour will take you behind the scenes, through foyers and exhibitions, rehearsal studios, backstage areas and scenery docks.

It will conclude with a visit to the Trust Rooms where a chilled glass of champagne awaits you. This sets the scene for the threecourse gourmet luncheon where each dish has been carefully matched to a fine wine, selected to reflect a broad spectrum of styles. Senior members of the Lay & Wheeler team will be on hand to provide commentary on the wines during the meal. Places for this event are limited and we advise early booking.

Edinburgh Tasting

Tuesday 11th November 2008, 6.00 to 8.30 p.m
The Archers’ Hall, Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh EH8 9LR
£25.00 per person (inclusive of tasting and canapés) (4 tickets for £80.00)

Lay & Wheeler’s annual winter tasting at The Archers’ Hall is a keenly awaited event and a chance to taste some fascinating wines. The format of the evening will be the usual informal walkaround style featuring wines that would not only grace many a Christmas table, but provide the perfect excuse to re-stock the cellar. The Edinburgh caterers Pinkertons will be providing canapés during the tasting. Members of the Lay & Wheeler team will be on
hand to act as your guide.

Dinner at The Seahorse Restaurant, Dartmouth

Saturday 15th November 2008, 7.00 for 7.30 p.m.
The Seahorse Restaurant, South Embankment, Dartmouth, Devon
£85.00 per person (inclusive of apéritif, dinner and wines) 

The Seahorse, owned and run by Mitch Tonks, Mat Prowse and Mark Ely, opened its doors in April of this year and has, in a very short period of time, obtained growing accolades and rave reviews. Lay & Wheeler, together with Mike & Yve Cast from Gitcombe House, are delighted to host a dinner at the Seahorse and are certain that a memorable night will be enjoyed.

Mitch Tonks, voted Tatler’s restauranteur of the year, and labelled by The Independent as “a fishmonger for the 21st Century” has been driven by an honest passion to enthuse, cook for and inspire others to enjoy seafood. His list of awards and recognitions is testament to Mitch’s hard work and inspiration, including “Best Fishmonger”, ‘Best London Seafood Restaurant’, ‘Best Fish Book in the World Gourmand Awards’, plus, he has been nominated as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He is also listed as one of the top 100 most influential foodies by Hotel and Caterer. A favourite on BBC Saturday Kitchen and UKTV’s Market Kitchen, Mitch’s good humour and constant relish for good food and the good life tend to be infectious.

Together with Mat Prowse, this ‘chef duo’ has devised a menu demonstrating their philosophy. To accompany the menu the Lay & Wheeler ‘duo’ Andrew Caslin & Tony Bell will select wines to match the food.

We strongly recommend that those who wish to make a weekend of it contact our co-hosts Gitcombe House, whose eight stylish self-catering cottages nestle in a private valley just outside Dartmouth. Following a glass of champagne, transport has been arranged to take guests staying at Gitcombe House to and from The Seahorse for dinner. To enjoy the relaxing facilities please contact Gitcombe House directly on 01803 712678 or e-mail yve@gitcombe.co.uk (Further details can be found on www.gitcombe.co.uk) For those staying at Gitcombe House there will be an informal wine-tasting hosted by Andrew & Tony on Friday the 13th in Maristow Cottage from 6.00 p.m., the perfect way to start the weekend off!

Lay & Wheeler at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Sunday 7th December 2008, 11.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London WC1
£30.00 per person

You are invited to spend a morning and early afternoon at the Royal Opera House, enjoying an exclusive private tour of the House with a casual, walk-around style wine tasting in the Crush Room. If you love wine as well as opera and ballet, then the opportunity to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the Royal Opera House is one not to be missed.

Two groups, limited to twenty guests each for comfort, will be shown ‘behind the scenes’ of the House in a 45 minute tour. Visitors will be guided through the foyers and exhibitions, rehearsal studios, backstage areas and scenery docks. Following the tour, guests will be invited to the Lambert Studio for an informal tasting of ten wines for enjoying over the Christmas celebrations.