Past events

Bibi Basch Stephansen is a mindfulness teacher and coach, trained with a specialisation in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University.  CMRP is the oldest mindfulness teacher training department in the country and sets the national standards. Bibi’s introduction to mindfulness workshop won the Young President’s Organization European Award for best Personal Development Event.

Her path to teaching mindfulness has taken many unexpected turns, from graduating with a first class honours in French and Philosophy at UCL, to training as a multi engine pilot, to training again as a photographer. By the time her children were toddlers she was photographing people and events all over the world, and her clients included Tori Amos, Queen (the rock group!),  Chris Rea, Shirley Bassey, HRH Prince Philip, Elizabeth Murdoch, Plum Sykes, Amanda Foreman, The Richemont Group, Alfred Dunhill and Cartier.

How she came to Mindfulness and Mindful Self-Compassion is a story she would like to share with you. Bibi will also be talking to you about Mindfulness itself: what it is, where it comes from, what it does and whom it can help.

We will taste 6 wines of the Loire

Domaine des Cognettes Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2018

Andre Dezat et Fils Sancerre 2018

Champalou Vouvray La Cuvée des Fondraux 2017

Domaine Claude Riffault Sancerre La Noue Rouge 2018

Domaine Fabrice Gasnier Vieilles Vignes 2018

Yannick Amirault Bourgueil Le Grand Clos 2018

Price: 80£ with wines registration on the website (90£ for EU so please register online and then send us the additional 10£ on our bank account direct)

Deadline to order wines: Wednesday 27th of January during lunch time.

To join without wines: 10£ to transfer to our account

Account

The London Women and Wine Club

Natwest

Sort Code: 502101

Account: 31022634

Reference: Bibi

Diana was born in Napa Valley and today she commutes to make the wines for the family business, Snowden Vineyards. She has settled in Burgundy, France, living and working there since 2001. She is married to Jeremy Seysses and is the Oenologist for Domaine Dujac. She is also winemaker at Ashes and Diamonds in Napa and consults for Triennes in the south of France. She is a strong advocate of sustainability : “I find more and more inspiration and meaning in the notion of “Terroir”. The most memorable wines are living and changing. They are the result of vineyard work without chemicals, native yeast fermentation with minimal handling, and élevage in a cellar that breathes.  Beyond these simple, traditional techniques, those of us who are fortunate enough to run wineries must deepen our thoughts on “Terroir” to allow that term to encompass both ecosystem and community. We must think about balance between prosperity in our beautiful grape-growing regions and protecting the simple charm that made them famous in the first place. Climate change and all our farming choices have a genetic impact on the vine. The emotional state of our employees leaves its signature on our wines. All these complex issues are in part our responsibility. I seek to protect a healthy environment in the largest sense of the term and transmit this just savoir faire to the next generation.”

Diana is also a member of the Académie Internationale du Vin since 2019, of Porto Protocol Global Climate Change Thinking Table since 2020 and a Batonnage Mentor to aspiring female Vigneronnes/Winemakers since 2020.

We will discuss wine making in Napa, Burgundy and how sustainability is the key word of Fine wine and wine in general.

2016 Les Aureliens Blanc - Triennes

2019 Triennes Rose

2017 Morey-St-Denis - Dujac Fils et Pere

2017 Nuits-St-Georges - Dujac Fils et Pere

2015 The Ranch - Snowden

2016 Petit Verdot - Snowden

Price: 85£ with wines registration on the website (95£ for EU so please register online and then send us the additional 10£ on our bank account direct)

Deadline to order wines: Thursday 14th  of January during lunch time.

To join without wines: 10£ to transfer to our account

Account

The London Women and Wine Club

Natwest

Sort Code: 502101

Account: 31022634

Reference: Diana

"I am the founder of Lady Talk Matters.  I am an endurance athlete and an advocate for women’s health.  I am a passionate sports person with an extreme sense of adventure, always thinking about crazy things I would like to achieve.  I love pushing my physical and mental boundaries, it is here that I truly find out who I am and what I am capable of.  My philosophy is ‘create your own epic’, I believe in being the best you can be and not comparing yourself others. 

In September 2019, I completed what most believed was an impossible challenge; swimming 34km across the English Channel, Cycling 900km across France and then climbing Mt Blanc – all in just 4 days and 20 hours. Exactly one year later, I have defied all odds again, successfully completing the Mt Blanc Triple Crown, swimming 38Km around the perimeter of Lac Annecy, cycling the gruelling Tour Du Mont Blanc and running 170km around one of the toughest trail runs in the world, the Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc – all in just 4 days, 23 hours and 40 mins.  Despite the many challenges I have faced, I believed in myself and created my own epic.

In 2017 following major surgery for endometriosis and cervical cancer I decided to create the ‘Sea To Summit Extreme’ platform to raise awareness of endometriosis and ensure women and girls attend their cervical smear tests.  Having operated in both sport and corporate environments, I have experienced first-hand the impact the taboo surrounding female reproductive health can have on the lives of women.  I am on a mission to change this for the better and ensure that the next generation is one that can talk openly and freely about women’s health, regardless of age, race of gender." Andrea Mason

We will taste the following wines:

2018 Les Vignes de Paradis “C » de Marin – Chasselas, IGP Vin des Alloborges

2016 Domaine du Pélican Arbois Savagnin Ouille

2017 Lucien Aviet & Fils Arbois caveau de Bacchus « Reserve du Caveau »

2017 Domaine de l’Idylle Savoie Mondeuse

2018 Domaine de la Borde Arbois-Pupillin « Côte de Feule » Ploussard

2018 Domaine des Cavarodes Côtes du Jura « Les Lumachelles » Trousseau

Price: 75£ with wines registration on the website (85£ for EU so please register online and then send us the additional 10£ on our bank account direct)

Extended Deadline to order wines: Monday 4th of January @ 2pm UK time

To join without wines: 10£ to transfer to our account

Account

The London Women and Wine Club

Natwest

Sort Code: 502101

Account: 31022634

Reference: Andrea

We met Dawn in the excellent wine club 67 Pall Mall and we enjoyed right away her energitic approach with wine making, her tremendous hard working life style and the fact that she is not afraid to take risks. When we tasted her wines, we were amazed by the purity, the elegance and the joy they procured (and many of our club members had the chance to taste some of her wines in our events) . Apparently, we are not the only one:

"In a wine trade that is often still dominated by middle aged men in pink chinos, it's massively important that we make every effort to champion 'inspirational women in wine.  I've met incredible people with incredible stories, but few can rival Dawn Jones-Cooper, owner and winemaker at Château de Monfaucon.

First up, she's a fantastic winemaker.  Her commitment to organics and biodynamic principles have helped her extract the maximum flavour out of her vines and into the bottles.  I loved the wines before I met her.  That's important to say before you start hearing about the person and the journey behind them.

Dawn is a force of nature.  I met her first in her salon in Mayfair.  That's right, you heard it, Dawn was (and still is) one of the finest hair stylists in London.  But a late night dare from husband Jay started a journey that saw her complete some of the WSET courses, and took her to Plumpton College to study as a Viticulturist and winemaker.  The couple then sold up in London to buy Château de Monfaucon, a wine estate in Entre-Deux-Mers in Bordeaux with huge potential, but in need of no small amount of TLC.

There is nothing to be done on that estate that Dawn will not have a go at herself.  Initially seen by many locals as a curiosity, this 'crazy English woman' has forged a solid reputation within her community and the wider wine world as one of the winemakers to watch.  Her very first vintage scooped medals at the prestigious Decanter Wine Awards and she's never looked back.

The best thing for us is that there's a very simple way of showing our support.  It involves a glass, a corkscrew, and buying a bottle of her brilliant wine."

Mike Turner, The Buyer, April 2020

Join us for a specail class on biodynamic wines (Dawn is an excellent teacher) and listen Dawn telling us how she embarked on this amazing journey!

We will taste 6 wines from Chateau Maufoncon.

Price: 70£ with wines registration on the website (80£ for EU so please register online and then send us the additional 10£ on our bank account direct)

Deadline to order wines: Friday 27th during lunch time.

To join without wines: 10£ to transfer to our account

Account

The London Women and Wine Club

Natwest

Sort Code: 502101

Account: 31022634

Reference: Dawn

Soheila Sokhanvari is a British/Iranian artist, whose multimedia work cultivates a non-uniform practice and her works deal with contemporary political landscape with a focus on pre-revolutionary Iran of 1979. She is drawn to events and traumas that linger in the collective consciousness or cause mass amnesia.  In her Iranian crude oil on paper drawings, faced with political events and traumas of contemporary Iranian politics that are impossible to represent, she plays with meaning and materiality by allowing the medium to carry the political message. Crude oil as the most precious commodity of modern times implicates us all and addresses our relationship to this material be it economic, political, ecological and social. By employing crude oil, a non-art material, these drawings tell the narrative of the collective narrative through the story of the individual in relation to the mass consumer society and energy-hungry world. Where oil rich countries negotiate and battle for democracy and liberty but at a human cost.

Her miniature paintings employ the traditional technique of egg tempera on calf vellum by grinding colour pigments so in effect they are comparable to modern illuminations.

She is interested in the practice of magic realism, symbolism and allegory that allows political and social commentary through poetry, metaphor and subtext. Magic realism being the most useful tool that allows slippage in meaning that resists the totalitarian discourse of all kind. Employing calf vellum in her paintings and drawings functions as a symbolic gesture; calf representing the animal that is sacrificed in all monotheistic religions becomes the symbol of the sacrifice of the individual and the artist.

Her practice also includes using found objects from taxidermy to genuine expired passports. The concept of political, social and the individual remains the core of her concern and addresses our collective traumas and consciousness.

We will taste wines from two regions in Italy - Veneto and Sicily- both offer great value for money. 

Capitel Croce, Roberto Anselmi 2018

Mareneve, Federico Graziani 2018

Villa Mattielli, Valpolicella Ripasso 2018

Perricone, Vigna del Core, Feudo Montoni 2018

Deadline for ordering wines: Wednesday 18th of November midnight

1/ Registration with the wine selection  UK Delivery:  75£ online 

(85£ Europe, please send us an email with your delivery address, phone number and email to conact)

2/ Registration without wines 10£

Email us and transfer directly to our account

Account

The London Women and Wine Club

Natwest

Sort Code: 502101

Account: 31022634

Quote: Soheila

The wine-growing history of Maison Trimbach dates back to 1626.

Since then, twelve generations of winemakers have tirelessly drawn on their passion for Alsace wines, ensuring the wines they produce stand out for their quality and authenticity, patiently establishing, from father to son, a solid reputation for excellence.

Trimbach wine acquired true international acclaim in 1898 when Frédéric Emile Trimbach received the highest distinction at the International Wine Fair in Brussels.

This success is due in no small part to the jewel in the estate’s crown, the «Clos Sainte Hune» vineyard.

Today, the family vineyard is run by Hubert Trimbach, his nephews Jean and Pierre, and  Pierre’s daughter Anne, the oldest member of the 13th generation. Their enthusiasm and ambition keep the family’s tradition, rigor and know-how alive, bringing their wines to the very peak of perfection.

Pierre has been in charge of the « technical side » and vinifications when Jean and Anne are traveling all around the world. Julien, Jean’s son, just joined the Family to work closely with Pierre in the cellar.

This unrivalled expertise makes the “Trimbach style” a reference for Alsace wines across the world.

Registration with the wine selection  UK Delivery:  85£ on line (95£ Europe)

Riesling 2014

F E Trimbach Riesling Selection de Vieilles Vignes 2016

F E Trimbach Riesling Cuvée  Frederic Emile Alsace 2011

F E Trimbach Gewurztramminer Selection de Grains Nobles 2008

For those who would like to try the Iconic Clos Ste Hune:

The Iconic Clos Ste Hune 2012 : Supplement of 10£ to transfer directly to our account

Registration without wines 10£

Email us and transfer directly to our account

Deadline for ordering wines: 26^th of October

Account

The London Women and Wine Club

Natwest

Sort Code: 502101

Account: 31022634

Quote: Trimbach

Helen is a Partner and Head of Pantheon’s European Primary Investment Team.

She chairs Pantheon’s European Investment Committee and is a member of the firm’s global Co-investment Committee and International Investment Committee. 

Prior to joining Pantheon, Helen worked for Russell Investments in Paris, where she was Managing Director with overall responsibility for private equity in Europe. Helen holds a BA and a MA in Engineering from the University of Cambridge and a MBA from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Helen is a Past Chair and Council member of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA). She is also a passionate supporter of gender diversity in financial services and is a co-founder and current Board member of Level 20, an organisation that encourages women to join and succeed in the private equity industry.  

We will taste two "wines to invest in". Venture Capital relies on discovering entrepreneurs and nurturing them to create value. This can be applied to wines too! 

Please register ONLINE if you want your 2 half bottles of wine. ORDER before the 30th of September.

- La Crema Pinot Noir

- Fontodi

Price is 50£ UK only and delivery included.

(For EU, contact us via email)

Send us an email if you want to join WITHOUT wines.

Cucumber is the brainchild of North London friends Nancy Zeffman (formerly in advertising with Saatchi & Saatchi) and Eileen Willett (ex-Nicole Farhi). They are friends who met at the school gates almost twenty years ago, and who recognised the need for stylish, sustainable sleepwear and loungewear using cutting edge fabric technology to help maintain an even body temperature and keep the wearer cool day and night.  

All pieces are made from luxuriously soft, performance fabrics that wick away moisture at speed. Cucumber is all about creating the perfect everyday luxury multi-functional pieces for busy lives, and Cucumber’s slow fashion ethos has fans in everyone from Claudia Winkleman to Lisa Armstrong.

Between Nancy and Eileen, their complementary characters, two dogs, six children and continuing friendship have helped create their vision for Cucumber.

We will taste 6 "happy" wines.

Price likely to change .

Join us for a live session with Nicole Rolet who previously came to our club to present her wines. She will be talking about sustainablity, vineyard managment during crisis etc...

Nicole runs Chêne Bleu, a multi-award-winning winery, as well as the eco-luxury retreat La Verrière in Provence, France. A former investment banker and program director in one of David Rockefeller’s geopolitical think tanks, Nicole had to connect with her inner entrepreneur when she co-founded a sustainably-minded haute-couture wine label, now distributed in 18 countries and hailed by critics. The restored ancient estate operates as a leading wine education venue and retreat for holidays and thinktanks.

Granddaughter of a Boston Suffragette and heir to a legacy of professional women, she supports the ‘Profit&Purpose’ economy, mentoring young women to achieve their goals and participate in the betterment of society. Living in London and Provence, Nicole is acting chair of the UK chapter of global women’s network Feminin Pluriel, delegate of Lead(Her)ship and the Global Female leader Summit in Berlin, judge and presenter at the Women of the Future Awards, and advisory member of the St James’ Roundtable at Chatham House.

We will be tasting

Abélard 2011

Héloïse 2011

Astralabe 2015

Aliot 2014

Viognier 2016,

Le Rosé 2019

PLEASE CONFIRM THROUGH EMAIL ONLY

We are going to one of our favourite's regions in the world, and explain the differences between two areas in Bordeaux: St Julien and Pomerol. We will also taste a sweet wine, Sauternes!

We will present the wines and the appelation for about 40 minutes, folllowed by questions and answers for 20 minutes. We will start at 6 pm GMT.

If you decide to order from the Little Fine Wine, you will get the following three half bottles: (UK and EU delivery possible)

• Les Crzuelles Lalande de Pomerol 2015 
• Château Lalande Borie St Julien 2015 
• Château Villefranche Sauternes 2016 

If you want to buy your own wines:

• Bordeaux: POMEROL any vintage from 2015
• Bordeaux: ST JULIEN any vintage from 2015
• Bordeaux or France: any sweet wine

Register VIA EMAIL ONLY and we will send you the link for to buy the wines if you want and a few hours before the tasting the link to join the virtual tasting.