FAQ - Guidance for Presenters

Don’t Panic...

1. Isn’t presenting  scary? Most of us were nervous the first time we presented to the group, but it is a friendly group who are basically there to have a good evening. If they find a wine they like or learn something that is a bonus. By the end of the evening you (and they) will have enjoyed it.
2. Will they like my wines? Everybody’s taste in wine is different, what one person will like another won’t, you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but after a few classes of wine most people will be pretty mellow!
3. What sort of wine should I bring? This is entirely up to you, look at what has been done before on the web page then try to be different! Over time we have found that a mixture of reds and whites (or roses) works well.
4. How much wine should I bring? You should bring two bottles of each wine,  about 12 bottles in total,
5. Do I have to organise food? Yes, please organise basic nibbles etc. to help soak up the wine, we are not a food competition group we are there to taste wine!
6. What should I spend? There is notional budget of £150 per evening including food, you don’t need to spend that much, but if you want to spend more you should discuss this with the organisers first so that we can warn people ahead of the meeting. You should bring receipts for your purchases with you on the evening you present.
7. When do I get my money refunded? During the evening the treasurer will take your receipts from you and calculate how much money needs to be collected from each of those attending  (including you) to refund your costs.
8. What other material should I bring? Generally presenters bring a fact sheet (or tasting notes) to distribute to those attending, listing the wines they are presenting and any other salient facts or opinions. Typically 20-25 people attend, but couples can share sheets.
9. What goes on a fact sheet or tasting notes? This is up to you, start with the name of the wine  and work from there. One sheet of paper (possibly double sided) is more than enough. Please let the organisers have a copy electronically for our web pages. Here a  few suggestions (it gets more obscure as you go down the list)
   1. The name of the wine  & wine maker
   2. The grapes used
   3. How much per bottle (sometimes people like to guess & be told later)
   4. Where you bought it from
   5. Description of the wine; see the label or the suppliers web site
   6. Country of origin
   7. Region of Origin
   8. Climate
   9. Geography (height above sea level etc.)
   10. Soil
   11. Additional information about any of the above or anything else you fancy
10. Are External presenters allowed? Yes, but talk to the organisers first, some have been excellent, and one or two haven’t!
11. Does it have to only be wine? Not necessarily we have had a Vodka evening in the past, and have finished evenings off with fortified wines and sloe gin, so the organisers are open to creative suggestions!