A Clerkenwell bar is launching a series of monthly events led by some of the biggest female names in wine.
The Rebellious Wine Club will be hosted at Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings throughout the winter, with the aim of making wine tastings less stuffy and to challenge pre-conceived myths and rules around wine. The tastings, which promise to be as fun as they are informative, will be accompanied by snacks from the bar’s executive chef Matthew Harris as well as generous pourings of vino.
Things kick off on October 19 with Ruth Spivey, the founder of Wine Car Boot, a pop-up independent wine market. The wine writer and consultant will be hosting a session on temperature and whether it is ever acceptable to add ice cubes to wine, including tips on how different temperatures can make even poor-quality wines display their best characteristics.
Next, on November 9, is Erika Haigh, the founder of the UK’s first independent saké bar Moto, and Kamosu, an online community concerned with all things saké. Haigh was born in Japan and worked as a sommelier before specialising in the Japanese national drink (and actually neither wine nor spirit). Her session will aim to demystify what for many consumers is a confusing drinks category, though one that rewards investigation and exploration.
Crispin Group head of wine Alexandra Price will welcome the new year on January 18 by focussing on low-alcohol, Alpine wines. The session promises to be perfect preparation for anyone about to hit the slopes or whose 2024 resolutions include cutting down on alcohol without limiting their enjoyment of wine.
The Rebellious Wine Club will end its inaugural season on February 8 with a discussion led by Hannah Crosbie. The wine expert (and Standard contributor) founded Dalston Wine Club in 2020 with the aim of introducing more young people to the wine world. She currently presents the I’ll Have What She’s Having podcast and is a regular on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. Her discussion will continue her mission to make wine accessible for a new generation of drinkers.
Tickets cost £39 (including wine and snacks) and are available to buy here.
42 Northampton Road, EC1R 0HU, bourneandhollingsworth.com
