Become an emperor of wine with

Become an emperor of wine with Emperor Wines

You don’t have to fly all the way to the Cape to get a hold of your favourite South African grapes; Emperor Wines is bringing all the glory of South African wines to London on the 12th September 2014.

Become an emperor of wine with

Emperor Wines will host an all South African wine session aimed at educating South Africans living it the UK about the wide variety and supreme quality of South Africa’s finest wines . The wine tasting session will be held at South African House on Trafalgar Square on 12 September 2014.

The South African took time to chat to the host Paul Grinstead of Emperor Wines to tell us what the event aims to achieve and also what lovers of South African wines should expect at this premium event.

What is the event all about?

The aim of the event is an educational approach to enable guests to learn, taste, interact and experience a selection of South Africa’s finest wines presented by our South African specialist Master of Wine, Lynne Sherriff MW, and the producers and winemakers of South Africa’s top estates themselves who will be here in London for the event.

What options are there for wine lovers wishing to attend the event?

There are two options of attending:

Option 1 is the Masterclass Tutored Tasting and Walk-around Tasting. There are two Masterclass sessions to choose from, one at 6pm and the other at 8pm where examples of South Africa’s finest wines from our selection of the country’s top award winning estates will be presented by our South African specialist Master of Wine, Lynne Sherriff MW, and the winemakers and producers themselves. The ticket price for this option is £30.00 which, as I say, also includes the Walk-around tasting where the full ranges of our participating award winning estates can be sampled.

Option 2 is the Walk-around Tasting on its own which will enable guests to taste, interact and experience a selection of South Africa’s finest wines and the full ranges of all our participating award winning estates.

What can South African wine lovers look forward to?

Apart from the privilege to taste and experience a selection of South Africa’s finest wines across a number of key grape varieties and styles, they can also look forward to a highly educational and entertaining experience, particularly in the Masterclass sessions where they will learn directly from the winemakers and producers themselves in a highly interactive approach.

Will the guests be able to get hold of a bottle of their favourite wine?

With more than 150 premium wines on show from South Africa’s finest estates, I am sure they will find their favourite bottle or otherwise appoint some of these superb wines on offer as their new favourites. Should guests wish to purchase any of the wines there will be Emperor Wines order forms on hand for each estate with delivery being made directly to guest’s homes.

What are the participating wine estates, any foreign wines or will the event be exclusively South African?

Emperor Wines specialises in premium South African wines only and therefore the event itself is exclusive to South African wines. We have a fantastic selection of participating estates at this, our first event of its kind, and the full ranges of the following top award winning South African estates can be tasted, analysed and enjoyed at the event:

Anwilka, Ashbourne, Bouchard Finlayson, Cape Point, Chamonix, DeMorgenzon, Delaire Graff, Elgin Vintners, Fairview, Glenelly, Guardian Peak, Hamilton Russell, Iona, Jordan, Kaapzicht, Ken Forrester, Klein Constantia,  Mulderbosch, Paul Cluver, Rupert & Rothschild, Rust en Vrede, Southern Right, Steenberg and Thelema.

What’s your favourite varietal?

They are all my favourite varietals as they each have a unique place and offering depending on the location, occasion, cuisine, company and time of day in which you find yourself. I enjoy white varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Semillon as an aperitif on warmer days or with seafoods or lighter meat dishes and red varietals such as Shiraz, Cabernet or Merlot, or even blends of these, with pastas or red meat dishes and strong cheeses. Rosé on a hot summers day with seafood salad is also a great favourite of mine. They all have a place of their own!

Can you tell us more about Lynne Sherriff?

Emperor Wines is very privileged to have Lynne Sheriff MW as our consultant South African specialist Master of Wine who will be leading and chairing the Masterclass Tutored Tasting Sessions at the event. Although Lynne has lived in the UK for many years now, she grew up in South Africa and has a very special feel and incredible knowledge of the South African wine industry. Amongst her many accolades and achievements Lynne was the first South African to gain the international title of Master of Wine and the first and only South African to become Chairman of Institute of Masters of Wine.

How can people get involved?

All wine interested consumers are welcome to join us at South Africa House, Trafalgar Square in London on Friday, 12 September 2014 from 5.30pm to 9.30pm; for tickets and details they can visit www.empwines.com or email me at  paul@empwines.com or even call me on tel no’s: 01403 865 677 / 07737457423.