Every year (for over 25 years) The Wine Society have locked their whole Buying Team into the Stevenage Tasting Room to blind taste hundreds of wines and announce their list of Wine Champions. Find out more about TWS here.
The eagerly awaited 2026 results were published in an 18 page brochure - and a selection of the Champion Wines were on show at walk-around tastings in:
Cambridge; Lincoln; Birmingham; and London.
Any excuse for a short break in a lovely city, so my wife and I booked into a Lincoln hotel - a convenient 2 minutes walk from the tasting venue!
There were 32 wines on show and, as one would expect, they were all very good. But I have picked out our personal favourites.
I was keen to try this trio - different styles at around the same price point.
The Society’s Exhibition Fleurie 2024, 12.7%, £12.95.
This was elegant and fruity, a textbook Fleurie at an excellent price. Also
available in handy 1/2 bottle, at £7.25.
The Society’s Valpolicella Ripasso 2022, 13.5%, £11.95.
Ripasso wines are not a go-to for me, but this example, was neither over ripe nor too powerful. I really enjoyed it! For current drinking.
The Society’s Reserve Claret, Côtes de Bordeaux 2022, 13.5%, £12.95
Real interest on nose, good fruit and balance. This was an excellent example that could win over some claret sceptics. “Will improve. Drink now - 2035”
That was a good start, 3 excellent & great value examples of their styles. Now for a trio of sub £10 reds.
The Society’s Portuguese Red, Peninsula de Setúbal 2025, 13%, £7.50
Warm, ripe fruit. Honest, well made and attractive red. Excellent. This vintage is on form. OK to “drink to 2028”.
The Society’s Chilean Pinot Noir, Leyda 2024, 13.5%, £9.75
Good fruit, decent length and the eucalyptus flavour, which I often pick up in Chilean examples is nicely muted. My wife described this as “light & lovely”.
The Society’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2024, 13%, £8.95
Not from a Co-op, a warm fruited, chewy example with good length. Less rustic than most at this price point. VG
Now I pick some more expensive reds - ones that I would personally splurge money to buy!
Glorioso Reserva, Rioja 2021, 14.5%, £14.95
Very likeable, sweetly spiced, smooth tannins - wears its alcohol well! “Now to 2030”
Vacqueyras Variation, Domaine de Montvac 2023, 14%, 100% old vine Grenache, £24
One of my favourite reds of the tasting. Great nose, juicy, spicy and just classy. “Now to 2032”
Vanguardist ‘Botanic’ McLaren Vale, Carignan 2025, 13.6%, £20
I had high hopes for this, and wasn’t disappointed. A classy multi layered wine, and I loved the fresh acidity “Now to 2031”.
Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay Longeroies, 2020. 12.5%, £42
I hesitated before selecting this. But, despite the much publicised high red Burgundy prices, it would a shame to shun them altogether. This is elegant, charming and with a touch of that ethereal quality that we seek. We were both impressed. “Now to 2033”.
After this feast of reds, I picked out a fizz, a rosé and four whites.
The Society’s Cava Reserva Brut 2023, 11.5%, £10.50
This has some interest on the nose, depth and character. I have to admit that whilst I do enjoy Champagne and English fizz, I generally prefer to splurge on red wines. This well made fizz suits us just fine for the minor celebrations in our lives!
Ciró Rosato Gaglioppo, Santa Venere 2025, 12.5%, £12.50
I think my colleague Paul would describe this as a Proper rosé. Very enjoyable. The description suggests this will particularly shine with ripe summer tomatoes. We grow many varieties in our greenhouse - so will buy some of this!
Beaumont Chenin Blanc, Bot River 2025, 12.5%, £13.50
I am a big fan of Chenin, and of this producer. Zesty but sufficient texture to be a very versatile food white.
Anna’s Way Nelson Albariño 2025, 13.6%, £11.95
Possibly my favourite white on the day. I often find that where Albariño wines have more weight and texture, the acidity can be muted. I thought this maintained a lovely freshness - which is what I want in an Albariño.
The Society’s Exhibition Alsace Gewurztraminer 2021, 13.5%, £18.50
Very much not a go-to grape, but this example surprised me. It was fresh and complex, but balanced and without, for me, excessive aromatics. Will buy a bottle and try their cheese matching suggestions.
The Society’s Exhibition White Rioja Reserva 2018, 12%, £13.95
Nicely balanced, creamy, nutty, fresh. The oak is nicely judged. This is a versatile food white that could match sea food, cheeses - and also dishes with creamy sauces. A good wine to have in your racks, ready for food matching.
So a most enjoyable tasting. It was quite a small event, and there was a lot of chatting between members, and with one of the TWS Committee members who was in attendance, as well as Catherine and other Tasting Team members.
We also thoroughly enjoyed the following day in Lincoln - and never knowingly passed an ice cream parlour without buying.
The Guild has received positive comments when visitor information has been given, in addition to wine content. So I will give a few similar pointers about Lincoln. But as the Guild is primarily about wine, these will be right at the end - so they can be easily ignored!
(Kathleen Burk and Michael Bywater)
Explores the world of wine through a series of answers to intriguing and often overlooked questions, why does Bridget Jones like Chardonnay? blending history, science, culture, and humour rather than offering conventional tasting advice or pairing guides.
(Sergio Esposito)
Sensory-rich memoir detailing the author’s journey from Naples to becoming a premier Italian wine merchant in New York.
It offers insights into Italian wine regions and legends, including profiles of producers like Bartolo Mascarello and Franco Biondi Santi.
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More Monday Top Tips from Brian Elliott
Dave Cronin - My Coravin Experience + Richard Wyndham - Cheese & Wine Matching
Paul Davies - “Wine & Words - Taste by Roald Dahl + TBA
Note: Our ‘Thursday” and “Saturday” Newsletters are usually published on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 19.00. Brian’s Monday posts are published early on Monday mornings.
But, perhaps because it is a bit out of the way, it does seems to be under-visited. This is a great shame as it has a truly historic cathedral, for which it is really worth booking a guided tour. An adjacent castle, which houses one of the 4 original Magna Carta documents. And is a lovely city to stroll the streets, with the high proportion of University students contribiting to its vibrant atmosphere.
The castle and cathedral are at the high end of the city, and walking down the iconic Steep Hill, which morphs into the High Street, leads to the attractive Brayford Waterfront - the oldest inland harbour in England.
There are hotels close to the water: Holiday Inn; DoubleTree; and Premier Inn - where we stayed this time. There is an NCP carpark right behind, the tasting was opposite - and we didn’t fancy walking up Steep Hill after the tasting!
At the top end, close to the cathedral, we have stayed at the historic 14th century White Hart hotel. And also had a memorable experience at the The Old Palace Lodge - our bedroom had a most impressive stained glass window!
We used the Lincoln Sightseeing Tour Bus to navigate around the city. They have real people giving a commentary, and it worked brilliantly for us. We spent 90m minutes at both the Bomber Command Centre, and the Museum of Lincs Life - both recommended. The tall metal spire, situated in the Bomber Command gardens and which can be seen from much of the city, is exactly the same height as the wingspan of a Lancaster plane!
A last point is that if you are travelling up from the south, a stop en route to visit the home of Sir Iassac Newton, at the National Trust property at Woolsthorpe Manor, is highly recommended. We booked a morning tour which was a real highlight of the trip.
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