What if a wine event wasn’t focused on the wine?
At last week’s Wine Safari at Kingsley Napley, we flipped the script for our 60 guests. We started with the food: sushi, Greek mezze and cheese. Then we explored two wines with each course and talked about why they worked.
The Assyrtiko disappeared almost immediately. I told everyone it’s one of my favourite white wines in the world, and I think I converted a few people.
The Xinomavro was another surprise. We served it slightly chilled because London decided to give us a proper summer’s day, and it showed beautifully.
We also paired the sushi with a Chinese Riesling from Kanaan Winery, an amazing Chinese-German winemaker, and one of my favourite English whites, Wiston from South Downs.
The conversations felt different, too. Rather than everyone asking, “What grape is this?”, they were talking about what they’d cook at home, what they’d order in a restaurant, and why one pairing worked better than another.
It’s a format I’ve just started pitching to clients, and I think it’s one I’ll be using a lot more.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: these events aren’t just about wine; they’re about finding new and exciting ways for people to connect.
