Italy: Weird & Wonderful – From North to South

Italy is famous for its classics. But some of the best bottles aren’t the ones you already know.

They’re the unexpected ones. The ones that make you pause mid-sip. The ones you didn’t know you were missing.

This is an evening for those wines.

Join Raise Your Glass at Starling, Harrogate as we travel from the Alpine north to the sun-drenched south of Italy, exploring five wines that are a little different, a little surprising, and a lot more interesting than the usual suspects.

Not the obvious choices. Not the supermarket staples. The weird. The wonderful. The quietly brilliant.

Across the evening, you’ll taste five Italian wines chosen for character, contrast, and conversation, each paired with exceptional English cheese.

Because great wine deserves great company. And sometimes that company is cheese.

At the helm is Nick Fildes, our Lead Sommelier, with two decades in hospitality and a firm belief that wine should feel joyful, not intimidating.

No lectures. No maps. No need to remember regions. Just flavour, stories, and the quiet satisfaction of discovering something new before everyone else does.

You’ll leave with:

• A handful of wines you can actually talk about
• A clearer sense of what you like
• And at least one bottle you’ll want to track down again

All hosted at Starling, warm, welcoming, and made for a sociable evening out.

This isn’t a masterclass. It’s a better way to spend a Thursday.

Come and see what you’ve been missing.

• 5 Italian wines, guided throughout
• Paired English cheeses
• Hosted by Raise Your Glass
• A relaxed, sociable atmosphere

• You’re bored of ordering the same Italian classics
• You’re curious about the lesser-known side of Italy
• You enjoy flavour, conversation and discovery
• You believe wine and cheese should feel joyful, not intimidating

No prior knowledge required. Just curiosity.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Raise Your Glass