A few weeks ago, Boutinot travelled up to the bonnie banks of the ‘burgh (Edinburgh, that is) in Scotland, and then all the way down to the South-West coast of England to Bristol, near polar ends of the UK, to bring a range of wines to our fabulous Indies customers across the country.

Although not as big as our Spring or Autumn Portfolio events, these two cities’ tastings were just as exciting!

We had a mixture of free pour tables and producers here with us showcasing their own ranges. With summer around the corner, there was fizz, there was rosé, there was Henners, and there was Spritz, courtesy of Camila, of course! On the opposite side of the room and looking forward perhaps to the latter end of the year, we had our comfort food table, with food and wine pairings, we had Bordeaux Direct (in preparation for what’s to come in September…), and we had plenty of Sherry and Vermouth thanks to our friends at Fernando de Castilla.

Riding possibly one of the biggest trends of the wine industry at the moment, our natural and biodynamic table had an array of interesting and innovative wines. Complimenting this, we had Jerôme from l’Ermite d’Auzan offering his selection, including his infamous new Gavroche range – if you’ve not tried it yet, this is your sign to grab a case now!

Of course, David and Victoria from Peter Lehmann and Morris of Rutherglen were with us to display their fantastic range, including their iconic sparkling Shiraz from the Barossa Valley: the Queen (yes, that’s correct, a sparkling red wine from Australia, and it’s as majestic as its name suggests).     

Finally, not to go unnoticed, we had our ‘Under the Radar’ table. The wild and wonderful, but also classic staples that aren’t to be forgotten! A few wines from Maison Boutinot, along with some Slovenian, German, Italian, Spanish, and French bottles, it’s fair to say these tastings had it all covered.

With our offices based in Manchester and London, it was brilliant to travel further afield to see those who aren’t or can’t make it to our bigger events in Spring and Autumn. Despite the smaller size, it made these tastings that bit more personable, and we hope those in attendance can attest to this, and were able to try everything and speak to everyone.

A huge thank you to those who came to see us – we hope you found what you were looking for, or enjoyed simply refreshing your palate with our extensive range. Another thank you must go to the venues who hosted us (Dovecot Studios and Bristol Beacon) – we feel very lucky to work with some great spaces that are accommodating of our many, many wines and the equipment that comes with it! And last but not least, the biggest shout out goes to our Events Manager, Jason, who was able to plan, organise, and execute these tastings, as well as complete the 7+ hour drive from Edinburgh to Bristol to set up back-to-back events. All in a day’s work, eh Jase?

We look forward to seeing you all in September!