After four years of waiting, our HUGE London Wine Festival is finally back! 

We won’t go into the reasons why it wasn’t possible to welcome you back before now (we all know what was stopping us,) but we will tell you just how excited we are to be opening our doors again. 

An institution among wine lovers for over 40 years, the festival is a once-a-year chance to meet your favourite producers and taste more 350 wines, as well asa special selection of craft beers and spirits.  

After a long break, our much-loved annual festival returns to London onFriday the 12th and Saturday 13th May 2023 and our family of winemakers can’t wait to see you again. 

Join Tony and the rest of the Laithwaite family in Kensington (home to our first Wine Festival back in 1980) for our biggest wine show ever. There’ll be more space, more winemakers and more wines to taste than ever before! 

And if you still need convincing, here are SEVEN reasons we believe this year’s festival is one not to be missed.

1. Meet producers making wine at more than 100 estates around the world

Travel the world through wine … and meet the people who make your favourite bottles. From Marlborough royalty Jane Hunter and Aussie legend Sam Trimboli, to King of Prosecco Alessandro Gallici and everyone’s favourite Frenchman Jean-Marc Sauboua.  

These winemaking superstars will regale you with tales from their vineyards while you sip wines which they’ve spent decades perfecting. Ask them anything you like, whether it’s what food they enjoy alongside their wine, or what they’ve favourite season in the vineyard is. 

They’d also love to hear from you about special moments in which you’ve savoured their hard work!

2. Taste your way through a selection of 350 wines, as well as craft beers and spirits 

As this is our biggest show everit’s only right that we treat you to wine list like none other. As well as all of your favourites – think The Black Stump, Cabalié, Abbesse, Sunday Bay, Pillastro, The Gooseberry Bush (we could go on and on) - we’ll also have wines never seen before at one of our festivals.  

Champagne Central will feature a bar stocked with Laurent-Perrier, while our Planet of the Grapes exploration area will boast wines from unexpected countries such as Moldova and Georgia. Then there’s the RedHeadsStudio Bar, a place for fans of the cult Australian brand to meet.  

And don’t miss our Spirits Quarter where we’ll be shaking and stirring things up with a range of cocktails.

3. Meet best-selling author and TV’s ‘Mr Wine’ Oz Clarke 

We couldn’t pull off a wine event of this magnitude without asking our favourite wine broadcaster Oz to come along and host.  

He’ll be on hand to make sure you don’tmiss out on our tasting theatre events, recommend wines to try and hand out our Wine of the Show award. 

4. Explore artisan food stalls and find perfect partners for your wines 

As well as plenty to drink, there will be lots of food to sample. 

Sample cheeses from Paxton and Whitfield to try the ultimate food and wine matches. We love their double cream, ultra-decadent Brillat Savarin Affine alongside a rosé English Sparkling Wine. 

Then there’sthe award-winning range of cured meats from Sommerset Charcuterie - try the Garlic and Pepper Salami with a glass of Prosecco or the Cider Chorizo with a Rioja. 

Or how about pairing Gorvett & Stone’s Chocolate Dipped Brazil Nuts with a glass of gloriously rich and complex sherry? 

5. Snap up exclusive merch 

They sell out time and time again, and now the woman behind Partner in Wine – Lucy – has created an exclusive, limited-edition run of Laithwaites x Partner in Wine cooler bottles.  

The handy bottles are perfect for picnics, days at the beach and anywhere else you’d be unwilling to drink warm rosé! 

As well as demonstrating her range of travel-friendly wine side-kicks, Lucy will also be talking about her favourite wines to enjoy al fresco. 

6. Take a seat at our tasting theatre 

Take part in aunique sensory experience discovering how sound, temperature, texture and sight can affect the taste of wine. 

We’ll also have expert-led wine tastings, giving guests more of an in-depth look behind the scenes of winemaking. 

We’ll introduce you to grape varieties and wine-making countries you may not have tried before, and talk to our fantastic producers about their favourite tipples. 

7. Activate VIP mode in our Fine Wine Room 

Why not give in to temptation and upgrade your ticket for a rare opportunity to sample some of the best bottles from across the world, all in one place. Taste top-tier wines from classic regions, including Cru Classé Bordeaux and fine Burgundy, discover iconic New World estates from Australia, California, Argentina, New Zealand and sip vintage Champagne from legendary Grand Marques, such as Bollinger and Krug.