The extraordinary long, hot, dry summer that Europe has experienced this year saw the earliest harvest ever in Burgundy, when picking of Chardonnay grapes began on August 13th in the Montrachet Grand Cru vineyard breaking a record set in 1556 (an apparently legendary year of heatwave and drought). Perhaps more pertinently it will no doubt turn out to be the fifth year this century making the top ten hottest years since 1354. This is having a profound effect on the general style of wines, so the idea behind this tasting was to choose wines that reflected this. But at the same time in this world of extremes, London’s Hedonism Wines in Mayfair has become known as the best wine shop in the world. Therefore it seemed apt to share some of their current best-sellers that have helped achieve this position: bottles that are very popular and not for just for the Mayfair purse.

About your host

Richard Pearey DipWSET has been passionate about wine from an embarrassingly early age. His time at Magdalene encouraged him to begin a cellar in 1984 and despite (or perhaps because of) a long career in advertising, film and sports marketing, then men’s luxury shirts, has been drinking steadily ever since. His addiction to the grape has led many of his friends to hand over their wine cellars to his care. He has organised and hosted wine evenings as corporate or staff entertainment for city firms, marketing agencies and private clients, from 8 to 200 people. He has run a wine course for friends, his own wine club – Who Nose – since 1985 and his old school dining society, the oldest in the world, for 26 years. He co-founded a wine event company, We Don’t Spit, in 2013 and learned to spit, at which point he began his official wine qualifications. Covid and lockdown gave time to complete the WSET Diploma; then, probably under the influence, the Master of Wine programme seemed a natural next step. Year one quickly taught him two things: how little he knew and how slowly he typed. It did, however, persuade Hedonism to let him manage the tasting area, which must be one of the greatest jobs in wine.