A top UK girls' private school is teaching students to drink responsibly, while exploring the culture and history of wine, teachers claim.
Malvern St James School in Worcestershire, which charges up to £9000 a term, runs regular wine appreciation evenings.
The school, widely considered one of Britain's best, would not comment on UK chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson's recent pronouncement that children under 15 should not taste alcohol under any circumstances.
However the school's critical thinking teacher Rachel Huntley, who runs the twice-termly course, confirmed the popular wine club, open to girls aged 16 and over, would continue to meet as usual.
'Certainly we have not had any instances of binge-drinking at the school, and the girls are very aware of the news stories and can see what happens outside the school,' she said.
'My personal view is that children who are introduced young, in a permissive atmosphere where there might be spirits, may form bad habits.
'But if you introduce them age 16 to wine in a controlled environment, this helps move them away from drinking Bacardi Breezers or fruit juices loaded with neat alcohol.'
Huntley said after pouring a taste for up to 24 participants, there is usually a quarter of a bottle left.
'We do not teach them that the purpose of drinking is to get drunk,' she said.
'It's about enjoying a meal together and having a discussion. The tasting itself is always very relaxed – we encourage the students to express their own views, and then we might read out one of the flowery, imaginative comments by the wine critics'.
According to a study by Unicef's Innocenti Research Centre, just under 31% of UK cihldren aged 11-15 claim to have been drunk at least twice.
While the legal drinking age in the UK is 18, it is legal for 15-17-year olds to drink if supervised.
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When I was at school in the early nineties we had a superbly run wine tasting society called La Confrérie. Entrance was restricted to pupils in their final year who had passed a short examination after two open lectures. We met periodically after prep and enjoyed some scintillating tastings from various wine importers, merchants and connoisseurs. The emphasis was firmly on knowledge and training our palates for the all important wine tasting matches we held against other schools. The other day I looked back over my notes for La Confrérie and found them to be as informative as anything I learned from the WSET. Sadly La Confrérie is no longer. Will Lyons
Bravo to the Malvern St James School in Worcestershire! If one's parents can afford £9000 a term you can only assume a cellar full of first growths and Grand Crus await them upon reaching adulthood. They might as well appreciate it! Mick Dowling
I grow up drinkin wine sice I remember, and never been drunk in my life. I am seventy seven. Information never wrong. Great Idea. Domenico Moretti
When I was at Epsom College aged 13 I smuggled in a half bottle of B&G Sauternes which I consumed luke warm with a friend in the long grass when we should have been playing cricket. We were called before the house master and beaten. Once the thrashing had been administered the house master, a Mr. Collier, advised us next time to chill the bottle. Tony Aspler (my contemporaries at Epsom would know me as Elliott)
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When I was at school in the early nineties we had a superbly run wine tasting society called La Confrérie. Entrance was restricted to pupils in their final year who had passed a short examination after two open lectures. We met periodically after prep and enjoyed some scintillating tastings from various wine importers, merchants and connoisseurs. The emphasis was firmly on knowledge and training our palates for the all important wine tasting matches we held against other schools. The other day I looked back over my notes for La Confrérie and found them to be as informative as anything I learned from the WSET. Sadly La Confrérie is no longer. Will Lyons
