Things to do in London – Winter food and wine guide
Whether you want to escape to 'Argentina' at the Barullo fiesta in Hoxton or revel in all things British at a Squiffy Picnic, we bring you the top London festivals, tastings and pop-ups for wine lovers this winter.
Things to do in London
Barullo (October 25 – 28)
Wines of Argentina is taking over Hoxton’s JJ Studios for a three days of music, art, food and of course – wine. Two-Michelin starred chef Mauro Colagreco will be transporting the flavours of his world-famous restaurant Mirazur, for a four-course dinner with unlimited Argentinean fine wines (£100). Or you can go for an evening of canapés, wine tasting, music and art (£30). Including an exhibition curated by the Buenos Aires art gallery Barro. As well as live music from Coiffeur, a new band from Argentina, and a DJ set to take you through the evening. At the tasting stations you can expect to find major producers such as Trapiche and Andeluna, as well as lesser-known Argentine gems making their debut on the UK market. Click here to book now.
Hackney Road
Unit 17A Perseverance Works
25-27 Hackney Road
London E2 8DD
BIB Taproom’s Halloween closing party (October 29)
‘Drink the bar dry’ at the BIB Taproom’s Halloween closing party. The pop-up bar serves biodynamic, organic and natural wines from a bag in a cardboard box, a set-up intended to make it more affordable and eco-friendly. Now coming to the end of its 6-month residency, BIB says it will be going out with a scream at its Halloween leaving party on October 29, with the help of live music from Mafalda and cauldrons of mulled wine. Join the founder Kirsty Tinkler and chef Harry Kaufman from 6pm, for your last chance to sample low-intervention wines on tap and trays of lasagne. The party-goer with the best outfit wins a box all to themselves…Free Entry.
Brunswick East Coffee
Stamford Works
3 Gillett Street
London N16 8JH
The Epicurean (October 28-29)
The Epicurean is a food and drink festival taking place in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane over the last weekend of October. The event centres around artisanal food, wines, beers and spirits, with over 1,000 unlimited free samples. If that doesn’t satisfy you, there are expert masterclasses, such as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s expert guide to food and wine pairing. Or more unusual seminars like the ‘Wine-to-Tea Tasting Perspective’ and ‘Expensive Wine Vs Great Food Wine’. All are included in the cost of the £25 ticket. There are wines to buy by the bottle or case, and you can take home a free Riedel Ouverture wine glass. Click here to book now.
Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane
London E1 6QR
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (November 12-13)
Obviously we can’t talk about the best London winter wine events without making mention of the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2016. Taking place at The Landmark London five-star hotel, we have filled the Grand Tasting rooms with over 600 wine producers. Guests have six hours of limitless tasting of wines from all over the world, with the opportunity to find out more from the producers themselves. The popular Discovery Theatres are back, where you can explore topics like ‘Rioja through the ages’ or you can book a 90-minute masterclass with an expert. Grand Tasting tickets for the Saturday are sold out, but there are some remaining on Sunday and for classes and theatres. View all Decanter events
Little Feast (November 4 – December 23)
Little Feast is back for another year, this time its shedding its Scandinavian theme in favour of a ‘quintessential English yuletide’ feel. The Shepherd’s Bush Yard will be transformed into an English winter garden, complete with giant Christmas trees. You can visit the decked out bar for mulled wine or cider, or even a magnum of red wine. As for food, there are seasonal street food vendors offering anything from crab burgers from Devon to Taiwanese bao buns. Then you can wrap up in a blanket and enjoy the live music, including anything from carol-singing to jazz. Free entry.
Shepherd’s Bush Yard
Goldhawk Road
London W12 8HA
Squiffy Picnic at Cahoots (Every Saturday in November and weekends in December)
For something a little out of the ordinary you can try the indoor winter picnics at Cahoots, describing itself as an ‘underground’ bar designed to look like a genuine 1940s tube station. The picnic hampers have a similar vintage theme, providing guests with a brown bag of sandwiches, pies and Victoria sponge (£46 per person). A bottle Moët & Chandon Imperial NV Champagne can provide the ‘squiffy’ element, or a bottomless supply of ‘Hail n’ Rain’ gin and white wine cocktails, according to organisers. Then you can entertain yourself with a DIY paper airplane, or just watch the ‘live swinging entertainment’. Click here to book now.
Kingly Court
13 Kingly St
London W1B 5PG
5-Course truffle and wine pairing evening at Polpo (November 8)
Calling all truffle lovers – the wine company Honest Grapes are teaming up with Venetian restaurant Polpo for a decadent 5-course truffle and wine evening in Covent Garden. After its popularity last year, the team have brought back the event, this time serving an entire suckling pig with truffle sauce. The evening’s tasting dishes are all themed around black and white truffles, prepared by executive chef Jason Wass and truffle expert Ben Milne. The wine pairings are selected by the Honest Grapes wine director Tom Harrow, who will be on hand to guide the tasting. We’re told he’s picked Italian wines from Piedmont, Umbria and Marche. Click here to book now.
Polpo at Ape & Bird
142 Shaftesbury Ave
London WC2H 8HJ
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