After a three-year hiatus, the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter London returned with a bang on Saturday 5 November for its 25th anniversary, and what an iconic wine tasting experience it was for everyone that attended.
We were reminded of the joy that comes with shared experiences, of the collective passion for fine wine, and we are grateful to everyone, including our prestigious producers, wine experts, and valued attendees, who came together to create this incredible day.
See photo highlights from our 25th Encounter below.
Thanks to photographer Nic Crilly-Hargrave and video team Amoveo
Thanks also to our sponsors: Riedel
Over 1,000 wine enthusiasts gathered at The Landmark London for the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter London 2022.
More than 100 outstanding wineries presented their finest wines during the Grand Tasting, which was spread over three impressive rooms - the Grand Ballroom, the Marble Ballroom and the Empire Room, which hosted the new Cellar Collection.
The new Cellar Collection proved incredibly popular with guests; 21 hand-picked wineries showcased three different vintages of their flagship cuvée, giving guests the opportunity to taste the evolution of each wine over time.
William Jonquères d'Oriola in the Cellar Collection room showcasing his iconic wines from Château de Corneilla across three vintages.
The Masterclass room beautifully set up and ready for the guests to arrive.
The Champagne Charles Heidsieck Mis en Cave Vertical Tasting was the first 90-minute masterclass of the day, led by chef de cave Cyril Brun and introduced by Natalie Earl, Decanter's Regional Editor for France.
Guests tasted a stellar line-up of Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve mis en cave bottlings from 1989-2018.
The Decanter World Wine Award winners’ bar featured 51 Gold and Platinum wines for guests to taste.
Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is the world's largest and most influential wine competition, judged by top wine experts from around the globe.
The 45 minute Discovery Tasting classes with producers Planeta, Bodegas Ysios and Marchesi di Barolo were located adjacent to the beautiful eight-storey glass atrium with stunning views of the Garden Terrace.
Victoria Bryksa, Wine Education Ambassador, presenting the Singular Expressions of Bodegas Ysios Discovery Tasting.
We were delighted that Mark Lewis, owner of Cape Landing, was able to fly over from Australia for this event.
Discovery Tasting host and owner of Marchesi di Barolo, Valentina Abbona, had a wonderfully busy day pouring wines to happy guests during the Grand Tasting, and also hosted an exceptional Discovery Tasting.
The second masterclass of the day was the hugely popular A Sassicaia Perspective: Ten Wines Across 20 Years led, by Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, Head of External Relations for Tenuta San Guido, and Susan Hulme MW. This class was introduced by Decanter Editor-in-Chief Chris Maillard.
Guests were overjoyed to taste an incredible line-up of Sassicaia vintages from 1999-2019.
Our guests had access to three ballrooms showcasing more than 600 fine wines, making it an unrivalled day out for fine wine lovers.
Guests had the chance to discover new producers and to meet their winemaking heroes.
Our final masterclass featured the Saint Émilion Grand Cru wines of Le Dôme and Château Mazerat with proprietor Jonathan Maltus.
Our guests were excited to be guided by Marchesi di Barolo's Valentina Abbona during the final Discovery Tasting.
We would like to thank our loyal sponsor, Riedel Wine Glass Company, for
their valued support in supplying this event with the perfect glass for the occasion.
And finally, we would love for you to share your favourite moments with photos from the day by taking part in our Twitter and Instagram competition. This will give you the chance to win a pair of tickets to our next London Fine Wine Encounter in 2023. Just tag #DecanterFWE.
