It is that time again. The Fareham Wine Cellar Portfolio Wine Tasting returns on Wednesday 21st October 2026 at Lysses House Hotel, 51 High Street, Fareham – and it promises to be one of the best yet.
If you have been before, you will know exactly what to expect: an afternoon and evening of exceptional wines and spirits, poured by the people who make and sell them, in a relaxed, unhurried setting.
Clear your diary! This is a superb opportunity to come and try over 150 wines and spirits. We look forward to seeing you on 21st October.
Tickets are £20 per person, available in advance only.
Numbers are strictly limited. We strongly recommend booking early – our previous tastings have all sold out.
On arrival you will be given a tasting glass and you are then free to wander between the tables at your own pace, taste whatever takes your interest, and talk to the producers and agents who have brought the wines.
There is no set programme, no guided session, and no obligation to taste everything – though with well over 150 wines and spirits available across sixteen exhibitor tables, it is worth having a rough plan of attack.
The tasting runs for five and a half hours. We recommend setting aside at least two hours to do it justice, but many guests stay much longer.
Jean-Baptiste Audy is one of Bordeaux’s most respected négociants and château owners. Michel Moulène will be presenting their range of Bordeaux wines which include accessible everyday clarets through to some excellent Pomerols. Fans of Château Bonalgue should make this table a priority.
The Chanfreau family own Château Lestage and Château Fonreaud in Listrac-Médoc and produce excellent Médoc at genuinely accessible prices. Loïc Chanfreau will be showing the current range, including their white wines Le Cygne and La Mouette which are rapidly gaining a cult following.
Doran’s Far Horizons Farm in Voor-Paardeberg is producing some of the most interesting and accessible wines in the Cape right now – including the Rosie D Grenache Noir Rosé that featured in our Summer Mixed Six. Tom Doran will be presenting the range.
John E. Fells represent some of the most storied names in wine – Torres wines from Spain and Chile, Wente Vineyards from California, and Blandy’s Madeira among them. Matt Nutt is one of the most knowledgeable agents in the trade and always has something interesting to pour.
One of Spain’s most intriguing Pago estates, Finca Élez in Castilla-La Mancha produces wines of remarkable quality and originality – including the El Secreto de Élez Viognier, a high-altitude Spanish Viognier that rivals Condrieu at a fraction of the price. Stefan Gemmeker will be presenting the full range.
Champagne Forget-Brimont are an independent Champagne house producing consistently excellent value and consistently delicious wines. Valentin Vogel will be showing wines from across the range. A table not to miss for Champagne enthusiasts. Check out the new Champagne Forget-Brimont Brut Terroir and the new Brut Nature.
Goodworth Clatford Vineyard is a boutique vineyard in the Test Valley near Andover. It is one of Hampshire’s smallest and most charming wine producers and is the “vineyard with one acre”. Cecilia Haszlakiewicz will be presenting their Hampshire sparkling wines. A genuinely local, small producer well worth discovering.
Hallgarten represent an exceptionally broad and distinguished portfolio — from Champagne Gosset to South African estates, Australian wineries, New Zealand producers. Guy Nightingale is one of the most experienced agents in the business and always brings excellent wines as well as the odd bottle of Cognac Frapin!
Halo Wines represent a selection of producers including Niepoort Wines from Portugal as well as wines from across France including Burgundy and the Loire, Italy, and beyond – expect some interesting discoveries from this table, check out the Chitry Bourgogne, for example.
Hatch Mansfield’s portfolio spans some of the finest estates in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside Burgundy from Louis Jadot. Klein Zalze is always a highlight. James Wilson will be presenting the range.
J&O represent some of Spain’s most interesting independent producers — expect Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and some less familiar Spanish regions and grape varieties. Javier Navamuel will be on hand to guide you through the range including wines from rare bottlings of quality Airen and Tinto de la Pampana Blanca. Keep an eye out for the Avancia Mencia.
Katie Jones needs no introduction at a Fareham Wine Cellar tasting. British-born and based in the Languedoc and an old vine specialists. She is the producer behind the Vineyard Collection Fitou, the Muscat, and the Rouge Cérise. Always one of the most popular tables at our tastings.
Lyme Bay Winery, recently ranked 22nd in the Top Wineries of Great Britain 2026, will be bringing their exceptional English wine range including the award-winning Pinot Noir (Gold at IWC and IWSC 2025, Trophy for Best English Pinot Noir), the Bacchus Block, and the Shoreline white blend.
Marussia Beverages represent an impressive range of artisan spirits – gin, Cognac, Armagnac, Mozart liqueurs, and more. Helen Wainwright is a familiar and welcome face at our tastings and always brings something genuinely surprising to pour. Marussia also own Torabhaig Distillery on Skye.
Mentzendorff represent some of the most prestigious names in wine and spirits. Clive Ashby will be presenting wines from their portfolio including Hamilton Russell, Tappanapa, Akitu and Turkey Flat. They also represent local wine producers Exton Park, who I am sure many of you will know.
Raimes English Sparkling made one of the most dramatic rises in the Top Wineries of Great Britain 2026 — jumping 17 places to 14th overall. Augusta Raimes, whose family has farmed the Tichborne Estate near Alresford for five generations, will be pouring wines from what is now firmly established as one of Hampshire’s finest sparkling wine producers.
