The Austwick Wine Club meets on the second Wednesday every month.

The club is friendly and unpretentious, endeavouring to explore the mainly affordable wines from all corners of the globe.

For further information please contact:

Andy Lewis:
Telephone: 015242  51766
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Upcoming Events

On April 17^th twelve members of the Austwick wine club flew to Barcelona to explore the city and sample the delights of the vineyards. We stayed in a centrally located Hotel and during the day independently visited the highlights of the city, such as ‘La Rambla’, Sagrada Familia and Barcelona Cathedral.

The first excursion was  to visit the famous internationally renowned Cava Winery of Cordorniu, located outside of Barcelona in Sant Sadurni D'Noia of the Penedés wine region. Its most widely distributed product is Cava, the local variety of champagne.

During the trip, the guide gave a brief introduction to the cava growing region in order to familiarise the group with the area.  After the initial welcome the group were taken on a one and a half hour interactive tour of the vineyard during which the whole process, from the harvesting of the grapes, through fermentation to the actual bottling and tasting itself, was explained. Once the tour finished everyone was given the opportunity to sample some of the vineyard's best Cavas which were accompanied by some light snacks and explanation about the wine we were drinking.

The next vineyard, Albert I Noya was a complete contrast as this was a totally organic winery run on a much smaller scale. Our guide took us through the growing cycle for the vines, harvesting, the vinification process, bottling and labelling. The final stage, of course, was the tasting. We all agreed that this visit had taught us so much but had also taken so long that the final visit to the Torres vineyard had to be cancelled.

It was a very successful trip, if a little disappointing as our team leader was unable to join us as he missed his flight.

In what sort of glass should I be serving wine?

Tulip-shaped or inward-curving glasses allow you to swirl, tilt and get at the bouquet effectively, improving your ability to appreciate the wine. In order to do this, fill your glass to no more than one-third full. The extent to which a wine releases its aromas depends on the shape of the glass. Thinner glass also allows more oxygen to enter the mouth opening up the wines flavour.

What serving temperature should I serve wine?

Serving wine at the right temperature makes all the difference. It does depend on personal preference but, as a general rule, always serve wines on the cool side as they will warm up in your hands, whatever the weather.

Serving White Wines

Chilled wines are refreshing. Chilling does mask flavour, so the finer the wine, the less it will need chilling. Remember, ice with water in an ice bucket chills more efficiently than just ice alone.

Serving Red Wines

The tannin level in a wine dictates the temperature at which it should be served. The greater the  tannic in a wine, the warmer you it should be drunk.  Red wines that are low in tannin may be chilled like a full-bodied white wine. If a red wine is served too warm, it will become soupy and all you will be able to taste and smell will be the alcohol. As with all wine, serve cooler rather than warmer.

The expression room temperature  came from the days before the introduction of central heating when dining rooms were usually 5 to 6 degrees cooler than they are today always err towards coolness.

In what order should I serve wines?

Dry before sweet, white before red, light before heavy, lesser before finer, young before old. This gives your taste buds a chance to get used to the increasing strength or complexity.

When should I decant a wine?

Decanting is usually used as a means of removing sediment from a mature wine. It can also be very effective in softening a firm, young red wine. The younger and tougher the wine, the earlier you should decant. It is the pouring action, bringing the wine into contact with the air, that softens the wines. For mature wines, decant later rather than sooner. Exposure to air accelerates the wine's development. You can always swirl it around in your glass to bring it out.

Should I leave the wine to breathe?

Simply drawing the cork and leaving the bottle to stand for an hour or two before drinking it  'does virtually nothing towards aerating the wine. Wine once poured in the glass will start to aerate. A good tip is to decant young and rustic wines into a plain jug.

How long can you keep a wine once it is opened?

Wine evolves once the bottle is opened and has a finite lifespan. It is the gradual exposure to oxygen that ages a wine. Once you open the wine, you are accelerating this procedure. The higher the alcohol, the more robust the wine. Most half-full bottles of wines and champagnes will oxidise overnight. Use a vacuvin to remove the air from the bottle. Fortified wines have been stabilised with the addition of spirit, so there is room for a little more leeway.