Birmingham Wine Weekend is back with a bang … this time it’s for a whole week and we’re so here for it! One of our favourite events is making up for lost time, and its post-Pandemic return promises to be bigger and before than ever.
The new App includes tasting notes, a route planner and much more
From an underground Japanese bar to the city’s leading hotels …. It’s time to raise your glasses in some of the best venues in the city and enjoy a week of all things wine. The festival runs from Monday April 4 through to Sunday April 10, with each day celebrating all that’s good about the red, white and rosé. In a bid to make up for lost time, there’s more venues, more days, and – most importantly – more wines than ever before; and even features an app, to make this real-life event doubly immersive. It’s simple to take part; buy your e-ticket on Eventbrite and sign up for the Birmingham Wine Weekend App (you’ll need your e-ticket number in order to access it). The app includes tasting notes for every wine being showcased and you’ll be able to rate each tipple and save your own comments. It also makes it easy to plan your route, check out the event schedule, bookmark the wines you want to try and then use the handy interactive map to navigate your way around the city.
–GET TO KNOW GREAT ENGLISH WINES–
Enjoy local glasses from Chapel Down, Three Choirs and Vagabonds Urban Winery at selected venues throughout the festival. Plus get to know these award-winning vineyards at some special masterclasses:
Vagabonds wine tasting, featuring a selection from their Battersea based winery
Vagabond Urban Winery Guided Tasting – Wednesday April 6, 6pm-7.30pm at Vagabond Wines: This exclusive tasting features a selection of wines from Vagabond’s Battersea-based winery. You’ll get the chance to explore some of their best wines from the 2020 vintage under the expert guidance of Chief Wine Maker Jose Quintana.
–MEET THE EXPERTS–
Brush up on your own wine knowledge with the help of those in know, Birmingham Wine Weekend is bringing together wine experts from around the country to share their passion with you.
Meet the experts at The Canal House, JoJoLounge and Hotel Du Vin
Taste Like a Pro – Monday April 4, 7pm-8.30pm at The Canal House: Tony Elvin, from The Wine Events Company, will guide guests through the basics of tasting wine; looking at quality, aromas and tastes. You’ll get to try examples of grape varieties from different countries and discover the impact of climate and production methods.
A Perfect Match: Food & Wine Pairing Masterclass – Wednesday April 6, 6.30pm-8.30pm at JoJoLounge Bar & Restaurant: White wine with chicken or fish, red wine with steak, right? Well, sort of but there’s a lot more to it than that. Join Birmingham Wine School to discover why certain foods are a match made in heaven whilst others are the ultimate turn-off. Taste a variety of foods and flavours accompanied by six different styles of wine (food offered will be vegetarian-friendly).
Dine with a Master Sommelier – Friday April 8, 7.30pm-10pm at Hotel Du Vin: An engaging, fun and interactive gastronomic experience hosted by International Wine Legend, Master Sommelier Nigel Wilkinson and Tony Elvin of the Wine Events Company. It includes a classic French four-course dinner with a sparkling welcome drink and five more wines throughout the evening.
–INDULGE IN A WINE FLIGHT–
For the first time in Birmingham Wine Weekend history, your Wine Pass will get you access to a selection of wine flights at a series of hand-picked venues, offering a different insight into the world of wine. Perfect for wine-lovers who want to try something new, there’s curated collections from fortified varieties to Japanese favourites.
Wine flights at Grain & Glass, Arch 13 and Bar Ikigai
Fortified Wine Flight at Grain & Glass: Explore the most popular styles of fortified wines.
Premium Wine Flight at Arch 13 at Connolly’s: A variety of styles with a different take on the classics.
Introduction to Japanese White Wines at Bar Ikigai: A great introduction with a diverse flight showing the breadth of white wines now being produced in this country.
–THE GOLDEN TICKET–
BWW is giving everyone who buys a ticket the chance to win a glass of the award-winning Sassanian 2016, one of Italy’s finest wines and retailing at more than £350 a bottle. Exclusively for #BWW2022 a limited number of complimentary glasses can be won by Golden Tickets holders, who will be chosen at random. The lucky winners will be able to trade in their golden tickets on the Saturday of BWW and receive a taster glass of Sassanian 2016 at Loki Wine in Great Western Arcade. Golden Tickets will be drawn on March 31 at 4pm, tickets purchased after this point will not be entered into the draw – so get in quick!
–TWENTY-EIGHT GREAT CITY VENUES–
There are more venues taking part than you can shake a stick at, each one offering something different for ticket holders.
Gaucho
Along with those previously mentioned, you can pull up a bar stool at the likes of Gaucho, Harvey Nichols, Loki Wine, Chapter, Wine Freedom, The Rep, Hilton Garden Inn, The Botanist, Fazenda and The Highfield.
Alex Nicholson-Evans, the founder of the festival’s parent company Living For The Weekend, said:
“I couldn’t be more excited about bringing Birmingham Wine Weekend back for 2022, and truly feel that this year will be the best one yet. The introduction of the BWW App means that festival-goers can enjoy all the things they already know and love about Birmingham Wine Weekend, but in a more personalised and immersive way. Not only does it allow you to see the participating venues and access exclusive events in an easier way; it also means you always have a wine-expert in your pocket, with the introduction of the digital tasting notes.
“We’re so looking forward to enjoying the magic of Birmingham Wine Weekend for a whole-week and hope that this gives wine-lovers and wine-learners even more quality time to find out about the incredible serves we have in the city. As always, the line-up is phenomenal, and we feel so lucky to have more venues than ever taking part!”
