An evening of fine wine, tasty nibbles and the chance to learn from expert sommeliers is in store for ticket holders of the first ever wine tasting event at National Trust’s Arlington Court on Thursday 2 August from 6:30pm. Proceeds from the event will be put towards the rebuilding of a conservatory at the North Devon property.
Ben Warren, gardener at Arlington, who instigated the idea of the wine tasting said, ‘Starting this year, we have been challenged to raise the additional £200,000 to fund the next phase of our conservatory rebuild project. A wine tasting evening is a fun, grown up way to start the ball rolling.’
This evening event is supported by Majestic Wine Warehouse who will be bringing wine and experts along to encourage people to become more wine savvy. Sampling wines from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, visitors will be able to pick up tips on how to match wines to menus and understand the flavours of differing vintages and regions.
In 1920, Miss Chichester, the last occupant of the house, went on a round the world trip. To celebrate this, the staff at Arlington have been exploring inspirations taken from her travels. Whilst drinking is not explicitly mentioned in Miss Chichester’s journals, wine would have been a significant part of the Chichester lifestyle, with roomy wine cellars still in evidence underneath the house.
Paul Firmin, Manager at Majestic Wine in Barnstaple commented, ‘It’s fantastic to be invited to such a beautiful location to pass on our knowledge. Structuring the evening around the Miss Chichester’s “big adventure” brings a unifying theme to the event.’
Tickets cost £15 and will include entrance to the house and gardens, canapés by the Arlington kitchen, all wine samples and the expert knowledge. Local companies will also be selling their wares and North Devon Hospice will be holding a raffle, to which Majestic Wines will be donating prizes.
Emma Lowe, from North Devon Hospice’s fundraising team, said: ‘This will be a really interesting and fun evening, and having the event at Arlington Court makes it all the more special. We are very grateful to the organisers for hosting a raffle in aid of North Devon Hospice, because support like this from our local community really does make a difference. So please go along to support this event, and the work of your local hospice.’
To buy tickets or to find out more contact Majestic Wines on 01271 379545 or Arlington Court on 01271 850296
