by Mark Wilson An invitation to taste some of the most respected wines in Spain is hard to turn down; to have them matched with dinner at an exciting new restaurant in London, too good to refuse. Will and Jamie from Maison Marques & Domaines, together with Arthur from Marqués de Murrieta, were our hosts at a small gathering of around 20 at Nela at The Whitley, in Bayswater.

by Nick Clarke Wednesday evening saw Ikoyi along with Private Cellar put on a dinner in celebration of Domaine Lamy-Caillat which Nicola and I attended, alongside Sébastien Caillat and Florence Lamy, the husband and wife team behind the Domaine. Ikoyi has 2 Michelin stars and was recently voted 15th best restaurant in the world in the ‘World’s Best Restaurants’, while Domaine Lamy-Caillat is one of the most in-demand white Burgundy producers, so expectations were high for the dinner – the man sitting next to me flew in from Finland for it.

by Charlie Stanley-Evans Thank you for the huge generosity of so many, the donations and kind words of support helped us finish the walk with smiles and a satisfactory spread of aches and pains. The weather was kind, the company was constantly cheery, and the sustenance provided was sufficiently energy bosting, Caffeine Bullets a must have for any endurance outing.

by Nick Clarke As wine merchants we’re often invited to assess customer’s collections and, from time to time, we come across something seriously unexpected. Such was the case when Andrew was asked to check out a collection recently and, amongst many gems, many of which are presently being offered on our Fine Wine List, he came across a bottle of Château Branaire Ducru 1924 (the label is just about legible), bottled by Eschenauer & Co.

by Charlie Stanley-Evans Famously, President François Mitterrand ate Ortolan for his last supper. The Ortolan is a small songbird which, for this now banned French delicacy, was caught in a net and drowned alive in Armagnac before roasting. While on holiday in Provence last week the volume of rosé consumed, and the extreme heat made me feel rather like those poor wretched birds.

by Josh Morris Lowe A best seller Ordinarily for home drinking, my go-to white wines hail from Beaune or Meursault but I was so impressed after showing Chablis Domaine Watson at tasting recently, it’s become a firm favourite. There is currently much trendy talk in the UK of supporting British made wines, with producers from Sussex being all the rage, but I believe it’s equally important to support British wine makers who are working abroad – and successfully beating the French at their own game!

by Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW I was lucky enough to make the draw for the oversubscribed Masters of Wine trip to Macedonia in Northern Greece – home to our very own Château Julia and the Costa Lazaridi operation – the aim of which was to find out more about the region and spread the word about the fascinating wines produced there.

by Mark Wilson Always one to tax the mind – what to take for a day (or two!) at the cricket? Something sparkling to start with, a refreshing white to follow and a lunchtime claret for afters? The decision is often affected by the weather and certainly complicated by a present-day limit allowing only one bottle per head to be taken into the ground.

By Rebecca Preece-Spill There are worse tasks than being professionally compelled to taste as many wines as possible. Indeed, it is a prerequisite of being a wine buyer. Thus, on starting as Nicola’s Assistant Buyer eleven months ago, I set to the arduous task of acquainting myself with the Private Cellar Selection.

By Rebecca Preece-Spill November 7th, 2024 This November’s portfolio tasting at the Institute of Contemporary Arts was special for two reasons: firstly, it marked the release of Private Cellar’s 20th Anniversary List, masterfully curated by Nicola. Secondly, and in significant contrast, for me it marked the first occasion that I have curated anything for the second time, since starting as Nicola’s assistant buyer 10 months ago.