A TWIST ON THE CLASSICS Our April tasting in The Courtyard at Hotel du Vin became a wonderfully spirited journey across Central and Eastern Europe, led by the infectious enthusiasm of Abbie Wafer from Jorvine and Alex Bassick from Betton Wines. Their theme, A Twist on the Classics, came alive through a line‑up they personally…
A Personal Reflection on an Evening of Wine With the Wonderful Gill Young – Matthew Swallow, Sheffield Section Chair The Sheffield section of the Yorkshire Guild of Sommeliers enjoyed a warm, lively, and wonderfully engaging tasting hosted by Gill Young, who brought both knowledge and charm to a line‑up that travelled across Greece, Australia, Spain,…
WHITBY’S MARCH 2026 MATCH REPORT BY JAMES R CARSON Our meeting was, as usual, held in Sanders Yard Bistro in Church Street, Whitby. We had in the region of 30 attendees in total – slightly down on our usual turnout. Unfortunately our planned presenter was unable to attend due to matters beyond his control so…
Yes, we should be drinking English wines! – Joanne Maxwell, Section Chair In a first for us, we devoted an entire evening to tasting English wines. In another first, our speaker, Alfie Smith, debuted as a presenter to a group of wine drinkers rather than his usual audience of wine buyers. Alfie, an engineer by…
A showcase of Austrian and German wines in a historic Yorkshire setting This year’s AGM took place at the elegant Middlethorpe Hall, where guests enjoyed an evening that combined the society’s annual review with a curated exploration of Austrian and German wines. Following the formal session, wine specialists Paul Tate-Smith and Alex Danson led a…
Preet’s new selection of South African Wines by Joanne Maxwell, Section Chair February’s meeting saw the return of Preet Sahota from Edgmond wines who showcased a new selection of South African wines. Preet’s easy yet informative style made him something of an “in demand” speaker at Guild events in 2025 so Hull were more than…
WHITBY’S JANUARY 2026 MATCH REPORT BY STEVE BREMNER January’s meeting at Sanders Yard Bistro was both reflective and warmly engaging, setting an appropriate tone for the first gathering of the year. With Chairman Robert unable to attend, Malcolm took on hosting duties for the evening. In his opening remarks, Malcolm paused to remember Gillian, whose…
Hull section AGM and Committee’s Personal Choices by Joanne Maxwell, Section Chair Hull section members came together for what was promised to be (and was!) a very brief AGM. Chair Joanne Maxwell encouraged everyone to continue to introduce prospective new members. Secretary Jo Coupland reported that the section ended the year with 62 members, but…
A LAZY SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT PAIRINGS It was great to see so many members and their guests come out for a really enjoyable Sunday afternoon at Pairings Wine Bar to kick off the new year. We spent a few relaxed hours tasting wine and picking at charcuterie and cheese boards, and the atmosphere couldn’t have…
WHITBY’S DECEMBER 2025 MATCH REPORT BY NICK HUTTON The Whitby Group met for its annual black tie Christmas Dinner on Monday 15th December at the Saxonville Hotel. It is the one occasion in the year when we do not meet at Sanders Yard which looks after us so well for every other meeting. This has…