WanderCurtis Wine

Wine tastings, wine school, corporate events, reviews and recommendations


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Champagne Taittinger dinner July 8th 2026 with Kevin Mckee


We began the evening with the newly released debut vintage from Domaine Évremond, Taittinger’s landmark English sparkling wine. In 2015, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger made history by becoming the first major Champagne house to plant vineyards in England, acquiring land in the North Downs of Kent — terrain whose chalk geology and cool climate he recognised as sharing an affinity with the Côte des Blancs.The Classic Cuvée Edition I is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, crafted using the traditional méthode champenoise and made with the same meticulous care as the Champagnes that follow. This was truly delicious and almost undistinguishable from Champagne

The Evening’s Menu

STARTER  ·  Taittinger Brut Vintage 2016

A wine of real poise and precision, the Vintage 2016 is made only in exceptional years and spends a minimum of six years ageing in Taittinger’s deep chalk cellars. The 2016 harvest delivered outstanding quality — concentrated, vibrant and beautifully structured. Expect notes of ripe citrus, white flowers and toasted brioche, with a long, mineral finish that speaks eloquently of Champagne’s unique terroir.Paired with: crab

Taittinger Préludes Grands Crus — en Magnum

A non-vintage prestige cuvée composed exclusively from grand cru vineyards — an equal marriage of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from the very finest classified sites in Champagne. The Préludes is a wine of remarkable consistency and generosity: creamy, complex and deeply satisfying. Presented in magnum this evening, which allows for slower, finer ageing and amplifies its elegance. A perfect companion to delicate seafood.Paired with: Alongside the Brut Vintage 2016 with the starter course  · 

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2014

The crown jewel of the Taittinger range and one of the most celebrated prestige cuvées in all of Champagne. Made from 100% Chardonnay sourced entirely from grand cru vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize and Cramant — the spiritual heartland of blanc de blancs Champagne — the Comtes de Champagne is a wine of extraordinary finesse and longevity. The 2014 vintage is particularly revered: a cool, classic year that has produced a Comtes of linear precision, with vivid green apple, chalk and lemon curd aromas layered over a deep, almost creamy palate. Aged for a minimum of eight years on the lees before release, this is Champagne at its most profound.Main course Paired with: Pan-fried halibut. ·

  Taittinger Nocturne Rosé Sec A wonderfully original and slightly daring way to close — Taittinger’s Nocturne Rosé Sec is a city-of-night Champagne designed for the end of an evening. ‘Sec’ denotes a lower dosage than the standard demi-sec, giving this rosé a drier, more refreshing character while retaining a delicate touch of sweetness to complement dessert. Vivid raspberry and wild strawberry on the nose, with a palate that is light, bright and perfectly weighted against the richness of a red berry cheesecake.Paired with: Red berry cheesecake
Host for the EveningKevin McKee, UK Director of Champagne Taittinger With many years spent representing one of Champagne’s most iconic houses across the UK, Kevin brings an unrivalled depth of knowledge — from the history of the Taittinger family and the architecture of their cellars beneath Reims, to the minutiae of each vintage and the philosophy behind every wine in the range. He is a superb communicator and a tremendous host in his own right, and his presence made this an evening of real substance as well as exceptional pleasure.

Keep the datePlease reserve the date Thursday October 15th 2026 for an exclusive evening with Chateau Des Jaques from Beaujolais. Château des Jacques was purchased by maison Louis Jadot in 1996. They have an exceptional range of wines. We will taste  white Beaujolais (one unoaked the other oaked from a single vineyard called Clos de Loyse), a village and few single vineyards red wines from Moulin-a-Vent and Morgon


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Thai Square, Trafalgar Square with Monsoon Valley wines of Thailand. April 30th 6.30pm

Thailand..producing  wine? Yes, and it’s very good quality too.

Adam recently travelled  to Monsoon valley vineyards, explored the terroir, viticulture and wine making techniques. He tasted through their whole range and discovered  how they  achieve excellent results despite challenging conditions. For more details check our website to see  Adam’s recent publication in Decanter wine Magazine following his visit to Monsoon Valley.

We tasted five of their wines including their recently released Sparkling Brut Prestige 2024 which was exclusively imported for the evening. The other wines are detailed below.

Melissa Barshef and Chutiton Pryde from Monsoon valley talked us through the history and introduced the wines. We had a quiz with exciting prizes wine by Ella Read and Ankur’s crowd and a blind tasting wine expertly won by Dr Konrad Laker

Monsoon Valley was founded in 2001 by Chalerm Yoovidhya, the visionary co-founder of Red Bull. Monsoon Valley was created to establish a world-class wine culture in Thailand.

Nestled in a former elephant corral near Hua Hin, the vineyard thrives at the 13th latitude, producing “new latitude” wines enriched by mineral-heavy soil and cooling sea breezes.

With over 300 international accolades, including gold medals from the Decanter World Wine Awards, these wines are celebrated globally for their quality.

Aperitif

Monsoon Valley Sparkling Brut Prestige 2024

First Course

Monsoon Valley Premium Shiraz Rosé 2024

Seared Scallops
Glazed with blended coriander, green chillies, garlic and fresh lime.

Second Course

Monsoon Valley Premium Colombard 2024

Soft-Shell Crab with Mango Salad
Roasted coconut flakes, cashew nuts and fried shallots.

Third Course

Monsoon Valley Premium Shiraz 2020

Roasted Duck Curry with Jasmine Rice
Red curry and coconut milk with lychee, pineapple, cherry tomatoes and bell pepper.

Fourth Course

Monsoon Valley Flagship Late Harvest Muscat 2025

Fresh Mango with Sweetened Sticky Rice
Finished with coconut sauce and sesame seeds.

We would be delighted for you to join us on

Thursday 30th April starting 6.30pm
Thai Square, Trafalgar Square, London

Kiran, Adam and Stuart.

A memorable evening of food wine entertainment quizzes education and blind tasting showing off the beauty of Thai wine from Monsoon Valley