Mark Bedford, Owner, Caviste: Madness, Devotion and Brilliance

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

In September, we welcome back Mark Bedford, owner of our local wine merchant Caviste.  Mark will introduce the people and their stories behind 9 wines that Caviste has sold over the years.  It takes commitment, skill, vision and a high degree of craziness and self-sacrifice to make many of the wines that we enjoy. We shall endeavour to identify both the terroir of the vineyard and the personality of the winemaker, while Mark amuses us with the stories behind the wines.

Alun Griffiths, Master of Wine

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

It is with enormous pleasure that we welcome back Alun Griffiths to present our October tasting. Alun is a great friend of our Society and needs no introduction to many of our members. We know that his evenings with us are always informative, interesting and fun. For the benefit of our newer members who may not know Alun, he has been a Master of Wine since 1991. For many years, he was Wine Director at Berry Bros & Rudd, following which he was based in Hong Kong for several years.  Back in the UK,  Alun lectures on wine and has been a panel judge at the International Wine Challenge and the Decanter Wine Awards Competition. He’s a regular member of the Decanter Magazine tasting panel. 

James Booth, Director, New Generation Wines: New Zealand Pinot Noir (mostly!)

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

This month we welcome James Booth, Director of New Generation Wines. His company imports and distributes wines to independent merchants across the UK and the London-focused on-trade, as well as supplying selected lines to multiple retailers. The focus of our evening will be New Zealand pinot noirs.  James will also include one or two whites, wines which he regards as rather special and which he wants to show us.

Christmas Raid on the Chair’s Cellar

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

Tonight we'll be celebrating Christmas!  And back by popular demand, we're going to do that in style by raiding the Chair's Cellar! Yes, as he did last year, Keith will be digging deep into his cellar to bring you some superb wines, which will hopefully get us in the mood for the upcoming Christmas celebrations.

Claudia Hussain, Noble Green Wines: Volcanic Wines

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

Tonight we welcome Claudia Hussain, who is presenting to us for the first time. Claudia is an enthusiastic and lively ambassador for Noble Green Wines, who are an independent wine, craft beer and spirits merchant located in the Twickenham area. 
Claudia will present her pick of volcanic wines.

Members’ Choices, preceded by a brief AGM

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

We have many wine enthusiasts within our Society and it’s always good to taste wines which are recommended by them. That's why this month we will open the floor to eight of our members, who will each introduce a wine of their choice. These evenings are hugely popular with our members, so you won't want to miss it.

Robert Boutflower, Tanners Wine Merchants: Rioja

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

It's been four years since we last welcomed Robert Boutflower to present to us. We had a great time on that occasion, so we have no hesitation in giving him the opportunity to talk to us again. Robert is a Director at Tanners Wine Merchants, a long established retailer, well known to many of our members. This time, Robert will present his selection of wines from Rioja. 

April 2026 Tasting

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

More details soon.

May 2026 Tasting

The Raven Hotel The Raven Hotel, Hook, United Kingdom

More details soon.