We first met in September 2009 with no great knowledge of wine tasting protocol but with a desire to learn more about the world’s wines. Meetings are at members’ homes with a pre-arranged rota and take place round the dining table where generous quantities of bread, biscuits, cheese, etc are provided by the host for cleansing the palate.

Highlight of the first six months was our visit to France in March 2010 where we enjoyed a four course lunch with 6 wines arranged on our behalf by wine expert Guy Boursot. Guy joined us for the meal to tell us about the wines being tasted and talk about the future of the wine industry. After the meal we carried out further tastings at Guy’s shop in Ardres before tumbling into our coach for the journey home.