Twice the Price: Australian Innovations

Is it more expensive wine worth the extra? Join us as we compare wine styles from Australia made using the same grape at prices of around £7.50, £15 and £30 and see if the best is the most costly!

Have fun pooling our blind-tasting instincts and voting to uncover the best value wines from 2 sets of three each made from the same grape. 

Along the way, we'll learn about the art and science behind winemaking, discovering the secrets of the vineyards and the winery.

To keep things exciting, the price of each bottle will remain secret until after we've tasted it and then, we'll vote on whether it's a budget-friendly option or the more premium pour. Come and join the fun, it's going to be a blast!

The two Australian styles we will examine at the different prices are:

• Chardonnay from Margaret River 
• Shiraz from Barossa

Margaret River is an area that benefits hugely from the moderating influence of the sea. We pick a producer with a reputation for making top-flight Chardonnay and taste to see if we can detect the influence of selection at different price points - better fruit, better barrels?

Australian Shiraz may be a story you feel familiar with, but what exactly accounts for the difference between a budget version and one that makes your mouth zing? Diving into Barossa we'll examine winery choices that depend upon the quality of fruit.

Not only will you come away knowing the latest trends for those two wine styles, but you'll get to grips with winemaking and choice. And you'll have fun testing and developing your blind-tasting skills!

All our evening tastings include a minimum of 6 wines sourced locally so you can find them easily if you like them, full tasting notes, use of professional tasting glasses and a focus on food pairing.