| With such a rich and lengthy association with | | | | attended by the more serious of our |
| the wine trade, the city of Bristol has been | | | | customers, and much note taking and |
| no stranger to major wine tastings over the | | | | reflection was to be found. The evening |
| years. Averys own biannual tasting, held in | | | | session started at 5pm and had an all |
| our historic cellars has been growing in | | | | together different atmosphere. |
| popularity over the last few years, so much | | | | |
| so that we had to triplicate our Christmas | | | | One of the most popular features of the |
| tasting last year to accommodate demand. So | | | | tasting was the bank of Champagnes that |
| we thought it was about time, as the oldest | | | | greeted eager tasters as they entered the |
| established wine merchant in Bristol, that we | | | | hall. After tasting through 10 champagnes |
| organised our own wine festival. | | | | including different styles of Bauchet, |
| | | | Gosset, Pol Roger, Roederer and Bollinger, |
| As an established and growing wine merchant, | | | | with some vodka and brandy sprinkled in, |
| Averys has the whole range of wine styles and | | | | enthusiasm for tackling all the rest of the |
| price range to offer our customers - from the | | | | tables laden with wines was heightened. |
| old guard who know what they like and demand | | | | |
| recognised styles, to the new wine converts | | | | Other highlights included: three master |
| who are happy to taste all styles of wine. | | | | classes where some fantastic wines were |
| Because of this diversity there is nobody in | | | | shown; a blind tasting competition of New |
| Bristol better placed to hold a wine festival | | | | Zealand wines; and demonstrations of the |
| in which people are able to taste almost | | | | different nuances that Reidel glasses can |
| every style conceivable from the humble | | | | make to a wine. I would like to give my |
| Italian Pinot Grigio to the finest Grand Cru | | | | special thanks to the food producers who came |
| Burgundy. | | | | along. They added the perfect accompaniment |
| | | | to our wines and gave some extra interest and |
| Our festival, christened the "Celebration of | | | | colour to the festival. These were Romy |
| Wine" was held on Saturday 10th November in | | | | Cuisines for their pâtés and chutneys, |
| the spectacular Great Hall at Bristol Grammar | | | | Fresh and Wild for their cheeses, The Real |
| School. A date that I learned soon after | | | | Olive Company, and Choucochoute for their |
| planning coincided with the Bristol leg of | | | | lovely matching of truffles with Banyuls. |
| Tesco's newly launched wine tasting road | | | | |
| show. On the Saturday there were two | | | | With over 500 satisfied customers to testify, |
| two-and-a-half hour sessions held with close | | | | our festival was a resounding success. The |
| to 200 wines to taste in each, a challenge | | | | ice test for me was a comment by one hardcore |
| which perhaps was taken literally by a happy | | | | wine fan who had attended the Tesco fair and |
| band of hard core tasters. Each of the many | | | | then had jumped in a taxi to come straight to |
| stalls was manned by a wine maker or vineyard | | | | ours. When asked by me which of the events he |
| owner who did their best to answer the myriad | | | | had preferred, he laughed and said "it wasn't |
| of questions fired at them. | | | | in the same league as yours." The only down |
| | | | side of this success is that it seems I will |
| The first session (an unfortunate or | | | | have to do it all again next year. I better |
| appropriate term for a daytime drinking | | | | start planning now! |
| function) started at 11.30am. This was | | | | |