Welwyn Wine Society www.welwynwinesociety.co.uk

Venue : Monk’s Walk School , Knightsfield, Welwyn Garden City
Meetings : Last Thursday of most months, 7.15pm
Contact : Chairman: Bob Cinnamon info@welwynwinesociety.co.uk
Membership : Open to all over 18s. Guests welcome but must be invited by a member. 
Membership Fee : £7 pa payable in September 
Cost of Events : usually £12 (£2 surcharge for guests)
Typical Attendance : 50-60

Club Information


About 50-60 people, members and their paying guests, meet once a month on a Thursday evening to enjoy a glass of wine and a chat with their friends.   Each month we have a professional presenter who provides the wines, tells us about their region of origin, how the wines were made and other interesting details. There is always an opportunity to ask questions.   It's a very sociable occasion.
On each occasion we taste small samples of eight wines of which 2 or 3 are usually white and the rest are red.  To make the tasting more enjoyable, a range of nibbles consisting of breads, biscuits, mild cheeses, patés, crisps and the like, is also provided.
The monthly wine tasting is an informal and relaxed occasion and although we have members who are very knowledgeable about wine, we do not have any ‘wine snobs’.
Membership of the Welwyn Wine Society is open to all persons over the age of 18 years.
HISTORY
In 1945 the UK industrial giant Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) had small research laboratories and a resin manufacturing plant in Welwyn Garden City.   In the 1950's it developed and became the sole occupier of the site in Bessemer Road now known as Shire Park which became the headquarters and research centre of ICI Plastics Division employing about 2500 people in Hertfordshire.
On that site there was a Recreation Club with Sections offering a wide variety of activities, one of which was a Wine Tasting Section which was founded in February 1968.   When ICI left Welwyn Garden City in 1985, the members of this Section formed the ICI Welwyn Wine Society and continued their usual activities in the former Recreation Club.   Eventually they were forced to move to Monks Walk School where to this day they continue their wine tasting meetings.
At first only former employees of ICI could become Members but later Associate Membership was established for non-ICI people.   In 2001 Associate Membership was abolished and those members became full members.   Later still ICI was dropped from the title and we became the Welwyn Wine Society.   At present we have about 150 Members.
At one time the Society had its own wine cellar comprising about 400 bottles of wine. The last location for this wine was in the cellar of a one-time public house in Watton-at-Stone but the maintenance and difficulties of keeping such a wine cellar became too great and in 2000 it was decided that the members should drink it all, which they gradually did with much pleasure!
WINE DINNERS
Wine Dinners are held twice a year for about 50 Members and their guests in the upstairs dining room of the Welwyn Garden City Golf Club.   A three course meal is provided and Members and guests must make a selection of dishes in advance of the event.   A variety of wines is provided with the meal.
Details of the forthcoming Wine Dinners are issued to Members at the Wine Tastings.   Members and guests each pay about £37 to attend the Dinner and only Members can invite guests.   There is adequate parking space available.   This venue is wheelchair accessible.
ANNUAL WINE FAIR
This annual event for about 120 people is held on the last Saturday in November in the Woolmer Green Village Hall.    It starts at 6.30 pm and there is plenty of time to chat to friends and to sample the many wines on offer before a three course dinner is served at about 8.00 pm to tables of eight persons.  Additional wine is served with the meal.  Members and guests must make a selection of dishes in advance of the event.   The evening ends at about 10.45 pm.
On arrival at the venue, one sheet of 100 squares (= 100 points) is issued free to each person attending.  There are usually four wine stalls operated by our members and each stall offers about 12 wines.   Every wine has a ’points price’ marked and the more points the dearer the wine.   The stall holder marks off the appropriate number of points for the chosen wine from the buyer’s sheet.   After the meal there is selection of post-prandial drinks to be chosen and paid for by the same procedure.
Details of the Annual Wine Fair and the dishes on offer are issued to Members at the Wine Tastings.   Members pay about £35 each to attend the Annual Wine Fair and only Members can invite guests who pay about £40 each.
There is adequate parking space available.   This venue is wheelchair accessible.
NOTE: Children are not permitted at any of our meetings.

Programme 2020
Thu 23 Jan Big Red Wine Company James Bercovici
Thu 27 Feb Wine2Trade James Dowling
Sat 7 Mar Golf Club Dinner
Thu 26 Mar Brazil Nicholas Corfe
Thu 23 Apr Chile Janina Doyle
Thu 21 May AGM & Members Choice
Thu 25 Jun tba
Sat 7 Jul Golf Club Dinner
Thu 23 Jul Australia & New Zealand Julia Jenkins
Thu 24 Sep Ad Hoc Evening
Thu 22 Oct Sardinian Wines
Thu 19 Nov French Wines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Club News