THERE are alternatives to all that Christmas Market mass glugging of Glühwein out on Albert Square – a haven of distinctly finer wine inside Manchester Town Hall. Two, in fact, with a pair of the best public wine events of the year taking place in this vintage venue on succeeding weekends.
First up is Matthew Jukes’ 100 Best Australian Wines Roadshow, now in its 13th year the biggest yet, which rolls into town on Saturday, November 12. It does exactly what it says on the labels, championing the amazing quality and value of Aussie wine – from independent producers a world away from all those dreary supermarket discount offers.
The roadshow springs from Mail wine columnist Jukes’ annual Oz wine review. Buy a ticket to the event and you and you also get a voucher for a free copy of his 100 Best Australian Wines Report for 2016/17 (worth £20).
Nearly 50 of the wines that made it into the Top 100 list will feature in the Manchester event. Well-known names include Tyrrell’s, Leasingham, Hardy’s, Yalumba, Brown Brothers, Penfolds and Tim Adams – alongside boutique minnows such as First Drop, Larry Cherubino, Fox Gordon, Paringa Estate, Lake Breeze, Innocent Bystander, Yabby Lake, Skillogalee, and Riposte.
Jukes says: “Duty rises and other factors mean there’s no event Aussie wine for a fiver, but in the £10 to £20 bracket the country is producing truly world-beating wines.”
You can see why Matthew was awarded the Honorary 'Australian of the Year' award by the Australia Day Foundation. It recognises a non Australian resident of the UK who displays "Australian characteristics”.
“I get a lot of stick for that – visions of me sitting in a beach hut with the Castlemaine XXXX – but I do visit three times a year, judging wine competitions and banging the drum for Australian homeless charities I’m involved with.”
A week later in the Town Hall you get three top wine writers for the price of one in altogether wider-ranging event, very much aimed at the ‘wine for Christmas’ market.
At the Three Wine Men on Saturday, November 19 and Sunday 20 the perennially popular trio of Oz Clarke, Tim Atkin MW and Olly Smith host a legion of wine suppliers, many offering special discount offers in the festive build-up.
100 Best Australian Wines Roadshow 2016/17, Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA. Nov 12, 5pm-9pm. Tickets £20.83. Buy a ticket here.
Three Wine Men at the same venue, Nov 19 and 20, various sessions. £27.50 – for one person at one session (including unlimited tasting samples); a double £50. For full details and to book visit here.
