Friday Wine Club Wine List - 23 October 2026
Thank you for joining me for another great afternoon!
Aplauso Brut
Bairrada, Portugal · Baga, Touriga Nacional and Pinot Noir · 12%
A Portuguese sparkling wine with a lovely combination of freshness and richness. Expect green apple and white-fleshed fruit, with subtle toasted notes and a touch of lemon. The bubbles are fine and persistent, and the palate has a creamy, rounded feel while remaining fresh and balanced.
What makes it a hidden gem is the unusual blend: two Portuguese red grapes, Baga and Touriga Nacional, alongside Pinot Noir, used to create a white sparkling wine.
£19.00 at Amathus Drinks
Myrtia Assyrtiko 2025
Macedonia, Greece · Assyrtiko · 13.5%
Dry, fresh and unoaked, with bright citrus, white blossom and a distinctly mineral character. The acidity is mouthwatering, giving the wine plenty of energy and making it particularly good with food.
Although Assyrtiko is most famously associated with Santorini, this wine comes from cooler vineyards in mountainous north-west Greece, where altitude, lakes and rainfall help preserve freshness.
£12.00 at Marks and Spencer
Reverie Orange 2025
Languedoc, France · 60% Muscat, 30% Viognier and 10% Grenache Blanc · 12%
An excellent introduction to orange wine. Aromatic and expressive, with bitter orange, ripe peach and orange blossom alongside gentle nutty and spicy notes. The palate is fresh and vivid, with a little tannic grip from the skin contact.
The colour comes from fermenting white grapes with their skins. Reverie receives a short period of maceration, followed by extended lees ageing, which brings both texture and complexity without making the wine too challenging.
£15.00 at Amathus Drinks
Brezo Mencia 2023
Bierzo, Space · Mencia · 13%
Perfumed redcurrant, cranberry and forest fruit with warm spice and earthy notes. Juicy and fleshy, with fresh acidity, gentle tannins and a bitter-cherry finish.
Did you know? Cannonau is Sardinia’s name for Grenache, also known as Garnacha in Spain.
£14.75 at The Good Wine Shop
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Douro Red 2024
Douro, Portugal · Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional · 13%
A richer finish to the tasting, with concentrated wild berry fruit, spice, hints of vanilla and a soft, smooth texture. It has plenty of flavour without being overly heavy.
The hidden-gem connection here is particularly fun: these are traditional Douro varieties closely associated with Port, but here they’re used to make a dry table wine. It’s made by Symington Family Estates in the Douro Valley.
£11.75 at Sainsbury’s
Which was your Hidden Gem?
The joy of wine is that there’s no single “best” bottle. Perhaps your favourite was the most unusual, the best value, or simply the one you’d most happily drink again.
Keep exploring, keep tasting, and don’t be afraid to choose something unfamiliar.
If you enjoyed the event, follow me @winewithcarl for more wine experiences.
Looking to bring some wine fun to your team or group?
Wine tasting… but make it an adventure.
Forget sitting in the same room all afternoon. We’ll explore Bermondsey’s buzzing wine scene, stopping at three brilliant venues to taste five carefully curated wines, uncover fascinating stories and learning just enough to impress your friends
No wine snobbery. No exams. Just great wine, good company and plenty of “I never knew that!” moments.
Next Event…
