All the Fun of the Fair: A Wine and Art Pairing

We are delighted that local artist Davey Powell will be exhibiting his work in our shop for the Leytonstone Arts Trail. This is a perfect opportunity for us taste the most flamboyant and fascinating wines in our range.

His quilt pieces evoke a childhood spent working with his family in a travelling fairground, bold phrases found in striking letters on waltzers and halls of mirrors that have become affirmations for him as he reclaims his identity as a queer Showman.

At this special tasting in response to the exhibition, we will explore everything carnivalesque. We might taste a Cabernet Franc from Chinon, mentioned by Rabelais himself in his accounts of the wild and gluttonous medieval feasts that were a precursor to Mardi Gras as we now know it, or something light and spritzy that one could imagine sipping from behind a gilded mask at the Carnival of Venice.

Just as showmen take their fairgrounds from town to town, travel is a constant theme in wine – the term 'Flying Winemaker' was even coined in the eighties for oenological experts who criss-cross the globe sharing their expertise and grapevines themselves have been dispersed across almost all inhabited lands.

We'll make sure to taste a wine made from Criolla grapes in Argentina (the delicious result of European grape varieties' propagation in South America) or perhaps a bottle from trailblazer Dirk Niepoort whose inventive winemaking projects have a global wingspan.

Surrounded by Davey's tongue-in-cheek phrases quilted in the brightest of colours, it will be a relaxed tasting perfect for newcomers and seasoned tasters alike. Roll up because tonight we are bringing all the fun of the fair!

Our shop tastings start at 7.30pm and run for approximately one-and-a-half to two hours. We will taste 6-8 wines on a theme, and bread, cheese and charcuterie is provided to match with the wines. Due to the communal nature of the tasting, we are unable to cater for dietary requirements.

Host or Publisher Theatre of Wine - Leytonstone