Wine Bits and Pieces

Like the sediment at the bottom of an unfiltered red, a mix of news bits and pieces, only much more palatable than the bottle gunk..

Call My Wine Buff
Lincoln's Inn will play host to an exclusive evening of wonderful wine, fabulous food and top-class celebrity entertainment on Thursday 18 November, in support of international development charity, ActionAid.

This year CALL MY WINE BLUFF will be hosted by MICHAEL BUERK with celebrity panellists NIGEL HAVERS, MIRANDA HART, ANDY PARSONS and LUCY PORTER contributing sharp wit and hilarious humour to the proceedings. Exclusive money can't buy prizes are to be auctioned off at the event. Expect luxury holidays and many more once in lifetime experiences to bid for.

In this high-spirited take on the classic TV game show, the six celebrity panellists aim to try and dupe guests and each other into believing a fictional story behind the wine being tasted. Those who managed to snap up tickets to ActionAid's CALL MY WINE BLUFF will have the chance to taste eight wines all donated by exclusive wine merchant Laithwaites Wine as well as enjoying a sumptuous three course meal.

For information about how to bid on the live auction of 'money can't buy' items and experiences to raise vital funds for ActionAid's work with poor and vulnerable people worldwide call 0203 122 0554.

WHEN: THURSDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2010, 7PM-MIDNIGHT
WHERE: LINCOLN'S INN, LONDON
HOW MUCH: £295 PER GUEST, OR £2500 FOR A TABLE OF TEN
Join Emma Thompson and celebrity friends for a night of comedy, deception, delicious food and fantastic wine.

Venissa en Primeur
The first bottles of the Dorona I explored earlier this year are now available:

Venissa is brand new wine made from the recently recovered grape variety Dorona, historic local Venetian variety cultivated through to the end of the fifteenth century, but then subsequently lost. Years of historic and oenological research by the Bisol family, together with the techical expertise of Desiderio Bisol and Roberto Cipresso, have brought this valuable grape variety back to life on the Venissa Estate - Scarpa Volo in Mazzorbo, from which this "lagoon" wine takes its name.

Venissa is a rare wine, rightly placed among those labels for collection: its first vintage, to be released in 2012, will in fact be a limited production of only 5000 bottles - all numbered - of which 4200 will be destined for pre-sale, equal to 700 "Option Agreements".

Venissa is an investment wine, in that it fllls all the characteristics required by the "wine futures" market, in continual growth over the last few years, particularly in France. It is a wine produced with unique characteristics, with the Bisol guarantee of quality, long lasting and produced in limited quantities, such that it has already captured the attention of international opinion leaders.

The sale of the 700 "Venissa Option Agreements" was launched only recently and the requests are countless, for this reason Terre di Venezia has decided to divide them into three lots with the initial lot open until 31 December 2010 for 180 Options. This option for a package of 6 bottles costs € 210 plus € 60 at the time of delivery, a total cost of € 45 per single bottle.

Further lots will be open from 1 January 2011 to 30 June 2011 for 240 Options. (6 bottles will cost € 210 plus € 90 at the time of delivery) and from 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2011 for 280 Options. (6 bottles will cost € 210 plus € 120).

Each option is for 6 bottles of Venissa (of 500ml each), representing the minimum purchase. A maximum of 6 options can be purchased by any one person.

An excellent and secure investment, for a wine destined to become the symbol of Venice.

Fine Wine Fair
For those who enjoy wine and want to learn more about it, visitors to the Fine Wine Fair can taste and learn through a series of captivating Masterclasses. The Fine Wine Fair takes place at Chelsea Old Town Hall from 15-17 October 2010; tickets are available now from www.finewinefair.org. Visitors can truly immerse themselves in the world of wine with a series of seven Masterclasses hosted by expert presenters, keeping visitors informed and entertained. With a burst of taste and knowledge, Fine Wine Fair is the ideal place to discover more about fine wine in a fun, relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Masterclasses are available with Premium and VIP tickets and will take place in the Masterclass Theatre.

PINOTPHILIA
Get inside the skin of the capricious, enigmatic, sometimes dysfunctional Pinot grape family with Mark Savage MW, looking at Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Meunier. Discover why the Pinot seems to generate more passion among its worshippers than any other grape on the planet. Hold on to your wine glass!

TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT COGNAC
An intriguing insight into Cognac: how to taste, what aromas to look for, how to pair Cognac with food, why the right glass matters, plus a tutored tasting of unique VSOP and XO Cognacs as well as the very latest classic Cognac cocktail, The Summit. Hosted by experts from The Cognac Bureau (BNIC).

CHOCOLATE & WINE PAIRING
Discover how cocoa is produced with Raffaella Baruzzo, founder of Baruzzo Fine Italian Chocolates. Award-winning sommelier Robert Giorgione will take visitors on a sensory journey through a range of luscious, unusual wines paired with a variety of chocolate flavours, from citrus and blueberry to rosemary, salty caramels and pistachio pralines.

ICONS OF THE ANDES
Discover what South America has to offer with Emidy Ritchie presenting amazing wines from Concha y Toro's "Fine Wine Collection". Taste from Prosecco and Pinot Noir, to Malbec and Sauvignon Blanc and discover how these world-class wines are produced by Concha y Toro and Cono Sur & Trivento plus what makes them great.

INVESTING IN WINE
Experts from Bordeaux Index, one of the leading European fine wine merchants, will present a 'how to' guide for fine wine enthusiasts to simplify the buying process and offer an introduction to wine with tasting techniques, advice on storing your wine and an explanation of how investing in wine works with news on the wine market - a must for any budding wine investor!

FROM BEAN TO BAR
A unique insight into every aspect of chocolate's history and the cocoa production process, from bean to bar, hosted by Raffaella Baruzzo. Visitors will enjoy unparalleled flavour combinations as they develop and enhance their palate with a tasting of hazelnuts from Piedmont, pistachios and almonds from Sicily, and selected praline.

WINE INNOVATION
Come, taste, and discover thought-provoking, great quality wines that push the boundaries, revealing a diverse selection of champion wines from the ground-breaking Wine Innovation Awards. This session also looks at great value Portuguese light wines, how Australia is making waves, celebrating Champagne, wines from the Rhône and some of the most exciting wine trends coming out of Chile and Italy.

The Fine Wine Fair takes intimidation out of the wine world while bringing together a host of quality wines, largely priced £10 and upwards. It is a boutique event in terms of intimacy yet its goal is to make fine wine accessible to anyone interested in drinking and learning about quality wines. Red, white and sparkling wines will be in abundance accompanied by carefully matched gourmet treats, allowing visitors to taste and buy from hundreds of fine wines in a relaxed, unstuffy atmosphere.

Tickets priced from £20: buy advanced tickets now at finewinefair.org