OUR LUNCHES & TASTINGS Click here to get a flavour of our tasting lunches: Click here to see a summary of all our tastings and courses Click here for our Special Midweek and Weekend Deals We have added a whole new range of events for 2010. We offer tasting lunches, dinners and Midweek suppers, usually focusing on a grape variety or region, and there is a one day general introductory wine course, which covers tasting technique and the whole world of wine. You can also get some great deals when you combine one of our tastings with a stay for a night or two. All our tastings are very informal. Some of our tastings are at introductory level where all you need is an enthusiasm for wine, others are Master Classes, which go into quite a bit more depth and are ideal if you want to learn more about wine. For our introductory lunches we choose wines generally in the £10 to £12 bracket, for our Master Class dinners the average retail price will be more than £20 per bottle, as wines at this price level offer real quality and the best insight into the region or grape variety. VERY IMPORTANT - DIETARY REQUIREMENTS & TERMS AND CONDITIONS We are very happy to cater for any dietary requirements, as long as we are advised in advance. The only tasting that really is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans is the Food and Wine Matching Lunch where we do need to offer a range of fish, sea food and meat. For our full terms and conditions, click here. DEVON WINE SCHOOL INTRODUCTION TO WINE The Devon Wine School offers a really good one day Introduction to Wine Course. This one day course is perfect for someone who is interested in wine and would like to learn how to taste and enjoy it, while at the same time getting some really useful background knowledge as to why a wine tastes as it does and what to look for when faced with rows of bottles on the supermarket shelf. The course is built around tasting at least 14 wines with an average retail price of more than £12 per bottle. What we cover How to taste wine, using the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine© How wine is made and the factors that influence the style of wine Key white and black grape varieties Sparkling and sweet wines Food and wine matching Course Dates for 2010: Saturday 29th May, 10th July or 11th September The course runs from 11.00AM to 5.00PM. Course Costs: £125 per person (including £18.62 VAT). We offer a special rate of £108 (including £16.09VAT) per person when booked as a couple. The cost covers 14 good quality tasting wines tuition by a Master of Wine, video clips, with a light lunch and a certificate. Maximum numbers: Limited to 12 participants Download the Introductory Wine Course registration form in html Download the Introductory Wine Course registration form in Excel SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY WEEKEND DEAL FOR COUPLES COME AND STAY FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS, WITH 2 COURSE SUPPER AND A BOTTLE OF FIZZY CRÉMANT DE LIMOUX ON THE FRIDAY NIGHT, THE INTRODUCTORY WINE COURSE ON SATURDAY, AND BREAKFAST ON SATURDAY & SUNDAY MORNINGS. WE’LL BOOK YOU INTO ONE OF OUR EXCELLENT LOCAL PUBS FOR DINNER ON SATURDAY. ALL FOR £220.00 (£250 IN SAINT AMOUR) PER PERSON. (DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF THE PUB DINNER ON SATURDAY NIGHT). OUR LUNCHES Our lunches are not grand affairs - we take a theme, a region or a grape variety and choose a range of really interesting wines to get behind the label and explore the key flavours and styles. What is included: An apéritif on arrival 6 wines to taste at an average retail price of £12 Informal tutored talk on tasting techniques and on the key characteristics of the region or grape variety 3 course lunch Our lunches run from 12.30PM to 3.00PM. 2010 Saturday 5th June - Introduction to Pinot Noir This is the winemaker's heartbreak grape, difficult to tame and hard to make good wine from. But countries like Chile and New Zealand are achieving results unheard of 5 years ago. Saturday 12th June - Introduction to Pinot Gris Known as Pinot Grigio in Italy, this fragrant white grape variety makes some great wines around the world. Saturday 3rd July - Delicious but Unusual Whites Everyone has heard of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc so we thought we would go out and find some really delicious whites with grape names that don't roll off the tongue. Saturday 31st July - Introduction to Italy There are vineyards planted all over Italy, mostly with grape varieties never heard of outside the country. It takes a bit of digging but Italy is home to some real gems that are just waiting there to be tried. Saturday 4th September - Food and Wine Matching There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to matching food with wine but there are definitely some combinations made in heaven, while others that can really disappoint. Lamb and red Bordeaux, Roquefort and Sauternes are classic examples but we are going to do a bit of experimenting, with 2 wines for each course and see if we can achieve the thrill that comes with finding those elusive pairings. A booklet with food matching tips and suggestions is included. The cost for all Tasting Lunches, with an aperitif and 6 wines to taste, followed by a 3 course meal is £82.50 per person, with a special rate of £72.50 per head when booked as couples. OUR DINNERS Our Master Class dinners go into a little more depth. We start at 6.30PM with an aperitif, then a sit down tutored tasting of 6 wines, followed by a 3 course dinner matched to the wines we have been tasting. We normally finish around 10.00PM. What is included: An apéritif on arrival 6 wines to taste at an average retail price of at least £20 Informal tutored talk on tasting techniques and on the key characteristics of the region or grape variety 3 course dinner 2010 Saturday 13th February - Bordeaux Master Class Bordeaux is the biggest quality wine producing area in the world, by far. It is a region of great red wines and enticing dry and sweet white wines. It is also a region whose wines repay ageing. For reds, the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties are king, for whites it is Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Come and get under Bordeaux’s skin and taste how age and the different communes within the Bordeaux wine region make such startlingly good wines. Saturday 6th March - Chile & Argentina Master Class These 2 South American countries have really come of age over the last 5 years. Most people have tried their day to day wines but we are going to taste some of their top wines that are creating a lot of talk around the world. Saturday 3rd April - Rhône Valley From Côte Rôtie in the North to Châteauneuf du Pape and Tavel Rosé in the South, the Rhône Valley offers great reds, rosés and white wines, some of which can live for decades. Saturday 17th April - New Zealand The growth in the popularity of New Zealand’s wine has been dramatic and for a relatively small producing country to have made such an impact says a lot about the quality its wines. Sauvignon Blanc may be its most famous variety but there is much more to discover. Saturday 1st May - Burgundy Master Class Burgundy, home to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is a fascinating patchwork of vineyards on soils which go back millions of years. Come and taste why wine from one vineyard can be so different from its neighbour yards away. Saturday 25th September - Spain Master Class Spain's diversity of climates, from the cool Galician slopes in the north-west to the parched arid plains around La Mancha has led to a whole range of different styles, some made from local grape varieties, others from around Barcelona using better known more international varieties. Saturday 2nd October - Italy Master Class In a country with roughly 2000 different grape varieties planted all over the country, you could never accuse Italy of a lack of diversity. We probably won't taste even half a percent of what is on offer but we will select some of the more interesting varieties there are. The cost for all Tasting Dinners, with an aperitif and 6 wines to taste, followed by a 3 course meal is £97.50 per person, with a special rate of £87.50 per head when booked as couples. MIDWEEK SUPPERS These tutored tastings and suppers are very informal and fantastic value. They are the perfect way to learn about choosing and enjoying wine. We will find 4 wines which are available locally but which you may not have discovered and taste them with a two course supper. Our Midweek Suppers run from 7.00PM to 9.30PM. 2010 Wednesday 17th February - Beaujolais's Villages There is much more than Beaujolais than Nouveau. There are 10 villages to choose from that create sublimely flavoured wines, some of which can age very gracefully. Wednesday 10th March - Wine & Oak The old days of dreadful over-oaked woody wines have mercifully moved on. Nowadays, oak is used much more judiciously - and what a choice of oak there is. The French have at least 3 different oak forests, each producing wood with a slightly different flavour, then there's American oak which brings a very different style to the wine. Wednesday 7th April - Sherry & Tapas The last time we did one of these tastings, everyone was amazed at just how good the wines are. There's much more to sherry than Auntie's sticky pale cream. From racy dry Manzanilla to aged Amontillados, Spain's Sherry region close to the Atlantic is responsible for some great wine that makes a perfect match for the local meats and dishes. Wednesday 21st April - Unusual reds We all know about Merlot and Shiraz, but what about Tannat and Nero d'Avola. Come and try some delicious reds that are so often missed because the label doesn't give you a nice friendly well-known name. Wednesday 26th May - Rosés are not Quite Red Rosé wines have had an paralleled success on the UK market over the last year or two. From dry tooff dry, they remind us of joy and celebration in these recessionary times. We have chosen some of the best from around the world. Wednesday 9th June - Chenin Blanc Chenin Blanc does not have all the instant star quality of Chardonnay but from South Africa to Vouvray it does produce striking dry and heavenly sweet wines. The cost per person for our Midweek Suppers is £41.00 for a two course supper, an aperitif and a 4 wine tutored tasting. OUR VERY SPECIAL DEALS MAKE IT A REAL OCCASION - COME AND ENJOY OUR WINE TASTINGS AND STAY IN ONE OF OUR VERY COMFORTABLE VISITBRITAIN 5 STAR GOLD AWARD EN-SUITE ROOMS WITH SUPER KING-SIZE BEDS. THE WEEKEND DEAL FOR COUPLES TASTING LUNCH WEEKEND DEAL (2 NIGHTS) COME AND STAY FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS, WITH A BOTTLE OF DELICIOUS FIZZY WINE ON ARRIVAL, 2 COURSE SUPPER ON FRIDAY NIGHT, A TASTING LUNCH, AND BREAKFAST ON SATURDAY & SUNDAY MORNINGS. WE'LL BOOK YOU INTO ONE OF OUR EXCELLENT LOCAL PUBS FOR DINNER ON SATURDAY. ALL FOR £185 PER PERSON. (£212 IN SAINT AMOUR). (DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF THE PUB DINNER ON SATURDAY NIGHT). MASTER CLASS DINNER WEEKEND DEAL (2 NIGHTS) COME AND STAY FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS, WITH A BOTTLE OF DELICIOUS FIZZY WINE ON ARRIVAL, 2 COURSE SUPPER ON FRIDAY NIGHT, THE DAY FREE, AN EARLY EVENING TASTING FOLLOWED BY DINNER, AND BREAKFAST ON SATURDAY & SUNDAY MORNINGS. ALL FOR £200 PER PERSON. (£225 IN SAINT AMOUR). MIDWEEK DEALS FOR 1 OR 2 NIGHTS 1 NIGHT BED AND FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST, WITH 2 PLACES ON ANY MIDWEEK SUPPER AND DINNER ON THE SECOND NIGHT, ALL FOR £75 PER PERSON, SAVING £20 PER COUPLE. (£82.50 PER PERSON FOR SAINT AMOUR). 2 NIGHTS BED AND FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST, WITH 2 PLACES ON ANY MIDWEEK SUPPER AND DINNER ON THE SECOND NIGHT, ALL FOR £135 PER PERSON (£147.50 FOR SAINT AMOUR). OR, IF YOU CAN GET A PARTY OF 5 COUPLES TOGETHER, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL WEEKEND ACCOMMODATION DEAL FOR YOU TO TAKE THE PLACE OVER FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS FOR JUST £95 PER ROOM PER NIGHT FOR THE 5 ROOMS, TO INCLUDE FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST. To make enquiries or to reserve a place on one of our lunches or dinners, please telephone or email Carol or Alastair Peebles TERMS & CONDITIONS Full payment, by cheque or credit card, should be made at the time of booking. We do not accept provisional bookings and places will only be confirmed once payment is received. Cancellations or changes to confirmed places are accepted up to 21 days prior to the tasting. After this time, full refunds, transfers or exchanges will only be given if we are able to re-sell your places. Please note that it is not possible to do these tastings with less than 8 people, because we taste relatively expensive wines and the cost of these wines makes it uneconomical for smaller groups. If we do not have sufficient numbers, Devon Wine School does therefore reserve the right within 7 days of the tasting to offer our clients the choice of either a new date or a complete refund. VERY IMPORTANT We are very happy to cater for any dietary requirements, as long as we are advised in advance. The only tasting that really is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans is the Food and Wine Matching Lunch where we do need to offer a range of fish, sea food and meat. Click here to return to the top of the page Click here to return to the top of the page Alastair and Carol Peebles, The Devon Wine School, Redyeates Farm, Cheriton Fitzpaine, Crediton, Devon EX17 4HG United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1363 866742     Email