Every evening we wrote down

with The Naughty Grape

The Naughty Grape takes us to Slovakia — wines you almost certainly haven't tried.

with Tom Holt, Paso-Primero

Award-winning winemaker Tom Holt presented his own Paso-Primero range from Somontano in the Spanish Pyrenees — an estate he has been building, vine by vine, for a decade. His engaging personal story framed eight wines: two vintages of his Blanco side by side, a richer Pasotismo white, a dark rosado, and four reds from the carbonique-macerated Moristel '76 through to the flagship Pasotismo Tinto — all, in his words, the wines he would want to drink.

with Pippa Heyward, Wine Education Service

Professional wine educator and WSET diplomate Pippa Heyward led an authoritative tour of Catalunya, drawing mainly from the Wine Society's catalogue and weaving in the region's history and terroir. The range opened with an elegant Cava, moved through four whites of increasing complexity, then four reds from a light Garnacha to a rich Priorat and a Bordeaux-styled Montsant — all presented, the room agreed, by a skilful and knowledgeable guide.

with Penny Barnes

WSET-qualified member Penny Barnes brought her own quiet rigour to an evening of French wines united by a charming conceit: every wine's appellation bore a saint's name. From a crisp Touraine Sauvignon through a Viognier and Saint-Véran Chardonnay, to a Provence rosé and a quartet of reds culminating in a Saint-Estèphe, the range was well chosen and, by the room's verdict, Penny did them proud.

with Simon Collins, Solent Cellar

Simon Collins, proprietor of Solent Cellar in Lymington, challenged the room with an elegant proposition: four grape varieties, each tasted at a modest and a fine-wine price point, members voting on whether the premium was justified. Sauvignon Blanc (Touraine vs Sancerre) and Pinot Noir (Mosel vs Burgundy) earned a firm yes; the Viognier pair and Riojas returned a more equivocal maybe — though the Reserva had its advocates.

with David Rossell & David Flanders, NHWS

The January AGM eight wines chosen by co-Chairs David and David , all sourced from the Wine Society, Andy Finklaire emerged as the most accurate taster, his prize a bottle of Hunter's MiruMiru Marlborough Brut.

The Society's annual Four Corners party saw members man each corner of the room with their own bottles — Spain, Burgundy, England-plus-Portugal, and an Italian quartet all appearing. The evening was rounded off with ice cream and a glass of Pedro Ximénez, and was, by all accounts, a fitting close to the 2025 calendar.

with Jon Barnes

Long-standing member Jon Barnes shared the fruits of a trip to the Caucasus, presenting eight wines from Georgia and Armenia — many sourced through specialist importer Wine Origins. The evening ranged from a pale Rkatsiteli to a qvevri-aged orange-tinged white, on through Saperavi reds of varying age, and two honeyed semi-sweets, offering members a rare and thorough introduction to this ancient wine culture.

with Preet Sahota, Edgmond Wines

Preet Sahota of Edgmond Wines made his third successive visit to NHWS, bringing a characteristically eclectic haul from South Africa. Members benefited from a generous special price against his normal retail, tasting eight wines from MCC fizz and unusual Grenache Blanc through to a Pinotage-based Cape Vintage port-alike — with plenty of entertaining anecdote along the way.

with Mark Heffer

Mark Heffer pours old world against new and lets the wines fight it out.

with Tim Syrad Wines

Tim Syrad returned to present an authoritative tour of the Veneto — a region that, remarkably, outproduces the whole of Australia. The range spanned Prosecco Asolo through two contrasting Soaves, a Bianco di Custoza, a Pinot Grigio Rosato, two Valpolicellas (basic and Ripasso side by side), and a luscious Recioto to finish — a thorough demonstration of the region's considerable variety.