Don’t know your Arneis from your elbow? Don’t fear – here’s your chance to find out all you wanted to know about wine but were too afraid to ask.

Merricks Store is excited to be putting on an informal four-week wine course to thoroughly explore the basics of wine. Wine writer and educator Ed Merrison will lead you through key grape varieties and explore the implications of various winegrowing conditions and winemaking choices. You’ll find out why wine smells, tastes and costs what it does and gain insight that will immeasurably improve your experience of choosing what to drink, visiting cellar doors and being around others who enjoy wine.  

Split into whites, light reds, fuller reds and sparkling wines, this course will look at classic varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot, Shiraz and Cabernet, as well as more exotic grapes like Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Nero d’Avola, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Tempranillo. You’ll taste wines from all over Australia as well as France, Italy, Germany, Austria and New Zealand, covering famous regions such as the Loire Valley, Beaujolais, Champagne, Piedmont, Chianti, Rioja and Pfalz.

The sessions include a light dinner, a warm fire and lively conversation. The convivial atmosphere of Merricks Store on a winter’s evening has a knack for kindling new friendships with other curious types as you gain a thorough grounding in the whys and wherefores of aroma, flavour, structure… and pleasure.

Tickets are strictly limited to 24 places so get in quick!