TO celebrate a decade as one of the UK’s most enterprising wine merchants, Hanging Ditch (or hangingditch, if you must) are expanding their annual Wine Fair to two days (October 27 and 28) across three separate tasting sessions and have enlisted the services of the ‘Wine Gang’, a quartet of star experts.
Venue once again is their spectacular neighbour at the end of Deansgate, Manchester Cathedral, described by HD head honcho Ben Stephenson, as “having the feel of the best ever wine cellar”. A new sound and lighting system should be in place by then to enhance this hugely popular event, but the spotlight is firmly on the ‘Wine Gang” – Jane Parkinson, Joanna Simon, Anthony Rose and David Williams. For full details on their illustriuous careers visit here. https://www.thewinegang.com/the-gang
“We are so pleased to have got them on board,” Ben (below) told us. “It’s the first time they have teamed up with an independent wine merchant to put on a show.”
So what do they bring to the Fair, already one of the UK’s best?
1 Each ‘gang member’ will be carefully selecting a special mixed case of wine to be enjoyed over the festive season. There will be two versions of each mixed case selection, the themes being a Christmas case and a New Year’s Eve case.
2 The gang will be running special wine walks where they will taste the wines they have selected for their mixed cases, explaining in person the rationale behind their choices.
3 Each ‘gang member’ will deliver a 45 minute masterclass at the fair covering a specialist subject of their choice. Attendees will have the opportunity to pre-book spaces on these masterclasses for an additional fee.
Hanging Ditch Wine Fair, Manchester Cathedral, Victoria St, Manchester M3 1SX. Friday, Oct 27 6pm-9.30pm (early bird tickets £25, regular £30), hosted by gang members Jane Parkinson and David Williams ; Saturday, Oct 28, 1pm-3.30pm day session (early bird £20, regular £25) 5pm-8.30pm evening session (early bird £25, regular £30), both hosted by gang members Joanna Simon and Anthony Rose. The limited number of ‘early bird’ tickets will be on sale until August 31, limited availability, directly from hangingditch wine merchants in person, via 0161 8323 8222 or at www.hangingditch.com.
