London Wine Week returns to the capital

Do you know your Shiraz from your Sauvignon Blanc or your Malbec from your Merlot? Whether wine novice or connoisseur, partake in some of the finest varieties from around the globe at the London Wine Week, which returns to bars around the capital from 5 to 11 June.

This popular showcase will set up camp in the City’s Devonshire Square, from where you can pick up festival passes, priced at £10, that gain you access to £5 wine flights and tastings laid on by more than 100 bars and restaurants across London. Counted amongst them are award-winning mini-chain Hawksmoor, modern American steakhouse MASH and Gordon Ramsey's Maze alongside specialist shops such as Vinoteca and the Noble Rot Wine Bar. The square will also host a number of special pop-ups, including Wines of Argentina which will turn a deconstructed shipping container into a bar serving some of the best bottles from South America, and Vins de Provence, showcasing the best roses from the French region.

There's more gastronomic action to be had further east, as The Oval in Bethnal Green is transformed into a summer vineyard from 8-10 June. During one of the four bookable sessions, sample some of the finest regional wines from across Europe in idyllic surrounds before moving on to the Rogue Terrace, where sun-downer aperitifs of Regal Rogue vermouth cocktails can be enjoyed while soaking up the beach party-inspired entertainment.

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If your approach is more academic, there's plenty of opportunity to learn more about different regions and varieties. Join renowned cookery school Le Cordon Bleu on 8 June for a lesson in matching drinks for different occasions, while you can unleash your inner sommelier on 5 June at the Covent Garden Hotel with a guide to pairing wine and food from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Some familiar faces will be on hand to share their knowledge on 7 June as Oz Clarke, Tim Atkin and Olly Smith showcase their favourite Champagnes. Meanwhile there's a chance to discover the best of English sparkling wine with a behind-the-scenes masterclass at Berry Bros & Rudd's historic Sussex Cellar in St James’s.

Shop for wine now at theweekwines.com

London Wine Week takes place from 5 to 11 June in various locations across London, festival pass £10 and other events individually ticketed; drinkup.london/wineweek