Are you interested in holding a wine tasting for a group of friends or colleagues? We may be able to help!
Alongside our busy schedule of ticketed tastings and masterclasses, we are able to provide a range of private tasting events. Tutored wine tastings can be held in our Turl Street Cellar, at The Jericho Wine Rooms, or at your own venue. See below for guidelines on the kind of events we are able to host. Please keep in mind that we are open to suggestions, so if you have a specific idea for an event do feel free to contact us using the form at the bottom of this page.
Wine Tastings Don’t Need to Be Serious!
Are you looking for something a little more casual and off-beat for your tasting experience? We have a selection of offerings which may well fit the bill. Take a look at the three options below from our very good friend and experienced tasting host Lee Isaacs.
Old World vs. New World
Is it true that the French make the finest wines known to humanity? Or perhaps it’s the Italians? We’re sure that the Australians and Argentines might have something to say on this contentious issue. If only there was a way to settle this argument once and for all, for an evening, at least. Join us for a tasting where we pitch Europe up against the rest of the world. Head to head. Glass to glass. Over the course of three rounds you’ll taste European expressions of the famous grape varieties against a New World variation. Put your tasting skills to the test and amaze your friends as you finally settle the question: Old World or New World?
Call My Wine Bluff
Call My Wine Bluff is a hugely entertaining show pitting the wits, wine knowledge and intuition of the audience against the lying, devious and cheating expertise of the panel. With none of the pomp and ceremony usually associated with wine tasting, it is an opportunity to taste (and drink!) six wines in a fun and competitive atmosphere.
The panel is usually led by our owner and chairman Ted Sandbach who invites a variety of guests to join him. These may be drawn from our pool of expert staff, or friends of the company who fancy making a fool of themselves.
Wines are poured from covered bottles so there is no opportunity of seeing the label. The panel of two or three each give an amusing, informative and highly convincing description of the wine. One of the panel is telling the truth, with the other(s) unashamedly lying through their teeth. The table teams have to decide which of the panel is innocent of such deception. Points are awarded for guessing the correct wine and bonus points can be picked up for guessing the retail price.
As the six rounds progress the teams – by this time enjoying the effect of the wine – are no longer basing their decisions on cold logic or sound knowledge. Instead they are beginning to realise how difficult it can be to identify the right wine.
At the end of the game, after the scores have been totted up, one team is declared the winner, and rewarded with a bottle of something delicious and fizzy!
Call My Wine Bluff is suitable for private bookings and corporate events at our exclusive venue, The Jericho Wine Rooms – or we can come to you!
The Big Blind Wine Tasting Quiz
Everyone loves wine. Everyone loves a quiz. Imagine the two worlds colliding in a fun evening of wine tasting and wine knowledge questions. Separated into teams, you’ll taste six wines blind, but fear not. Our host is on hand to guide you through the art of tasting while handing out helpful hints and tips. During the tasting you’ll hear stories and tales from around the world of wine whilst also answering questions about this vast subject. The world of wine is a large, mysterious and occasionally absurd place. The quiz element will cover all these areas, from the obvious to the obscure. But that’s all part of the fun. With a prize for the winning team, as well as the much more important bragging rights, this is a whistlestop tour around the exciting world of wine.
Your Host – Lee Isaacs Dip.WSET
Lee has been around wine from a young age and at the age of 18, he turned down a place at university to join the wine trade. 20 years later he has built a background in independent wine retail and education. A WSET Diploma holder, Lee ran the Oxford Wine Company’s flagship store for 5 years before becoming Head of Education and Lead Lecturer for Oxford’s oldest wine school. He has travelled widely and specialises in Argentina and Italy. Lee serves as a panel chair at The Independent English Wine Awards and is an internationally sold out speaker and writer.
TUTORED TASTINGS
Our tutored tastings are structured and informative events are led by one of our wine experts aimed at helping you to learn more about wine. Our approach is inclusive and entertaining, and we will tailor the session to the knowledge level of your group.
We will talk to you before the session to make sure we understand your requirements – whether it be for a complete introduction, a focus on a certain region or style, or an advanced masterclass!
- How many people can you accommodate? We can accommodate groups of up to 10 in our Turl Street Cellar, and up to 30 at The Jericho Wine Rooms.
- How much does it cost? We charge £300 + wine for groups of up to 15, and £450 + wine for groups of up to 30. Wine costs vary based on what you choose, but we recommend six different wines priced between £15 and £25.
- Where are the tastings held? We host wine tastings in the cellar beneath our Turl Street shop, and in the Jericho Wine Rooms above our shop on Little Clarendon Street.
- Who will host the tasting? We have a team of several wine experts who are able to host wine tastings. All of our hosts have WSET Advanced qualifications or higher.
- Which wines will we taste? We are happy to recommend wines to you. However, if you have a particular theme in mind we would be delighted to work to your specification.
- Do we need any prior knowledge? We are experienced in hosting wine tastings for complete beginners as well as fully-fledged experts. We will talk to you before the event and make sure the tasting is right for you.
MAKE AN ENQUIRY
If you’re interested in organising a private wine tasting, please get in touch! We will be delighted to help you to plan an event that suits you – whether it follows one of the formats described above, or if you have a specific request. Use the form to contact John Shuckburgh to discuss your event.
Previous Events
‘Thanks very much for taking care of us on the Saturday, it was a fabulous event and we all very much enjoyed it! We received some great feedback, and we hope we will be able to host a similar event again in the future. It was fantastic to see how well-received the Cloudy Bay Pelorus was, as well as other standouts!’ Jason Tong, President, Oxford University Australia & New Zealand Society
‘What a fabulous evening Ted. I have had so much positive feed back from my guests who want to book your team up again for next year. Thanks for your efforts – brilliantly arranged and really hilarious yet highly competitive.’ Paul Daffern, Frilford Heath Golf Club
Please do bear in mind that while we will do our best to accommodate you, the booking of all private events is subject to availability. The pricing quoted relates to tastings held at our location. Due to the character of the building, the room is not accessible by wheelchair. We are able to run tastings at other locations, although an extra charge may be applicable.
Contact John Shuckburgh on tastings@oxfordwine.co.uk to make an enquiry or booking