Wine Circle

FAQs about the Tongham Tasters' Wine Group

What is Tongham Tasters?

Tongham Tasters is the name of both our wine circle and the blog.
It is an informal, fun way to discover wine, locally in Tongham near Farnham in Surrey, UK.  We also have regular visits to Fanborough, Hampshire where a number of our regulars live.
We meet once a month, normally on the 2nd Friday of each month – 8.00pm start.  Some of our events are on Thursdays or Saturdays.
Each monthly get-together costs an average of £10 per person.
All monthly get-togethers are held in the Tongham or Farnborough area.
Everyone takes it in turn to buy the wines.
Get-togethers restricted to a maximum of 12 people (over 18s only).
Nobody makes any profit from our evenings and we pay no hall hire and thus our evenings are incredible value.

When Are Our Next Get-Togethers?

May 2013 - Friday 10th May in Farnborough at 8pm.  The Rhone rangers! (Chris and Andy)
June 2013 - Friday 22nd June in Farnborough at 8pm.  Portuguese wines. (Ian and Kathryn)
July 2013 - Friday  5th July in Tongham at 8pm.  Cracking the Languedoc. (Steve S)
August 2013 - Friday 9th August in Tongham at 8pm.  Fine Wine evening featuring mature Rioja (John E)

What Happens At Our Monthly Get-Togethers?

Short informal introduction to the evening by the person who purchased the wines
Blind tasting of the wines
Discussion about the wines
Chat and Simple food (French Bread, Cheese, Crudités and Cold Meats or sometimes more but budget is normally £15)
Fix future get-togethers, hosts, themes, person who purchases etc.
A different person each month purchases the wine
Most get-togethers held in Grange Road, Tongham, Surrey UK; others are welcome to host an evening locally.

What Do You Want From Me?

Try to come to as many get-togethers as possible.
Purchase the wines for one meeting a year (optional but most of us enjoy this part) and do a short introduction to that meeting and its wines (you will be reimbursed the cost of the wines and any food within the budget).
Bring your own glasses to each event – each person should bring 6 glasses to each event so that they can properly compare and taste each wine (not required for your first event as we have a few spares)
Share in the cost of wine and food at each session you attend (normally of £10 per meeting). Payment in cash on the night.
Notify host whether you will be attending next get-together at least 5 days in advance. Meetings will be rescheduled if less than 6 can attend.

What Wines?

6 different bottles of wine at each get-together (more if we have 12 or more attendees)
Wines will follow a pre-agreed theme such as “6 Red Riojas” or " 6 Shiraz stars".
Cost of any bottle of wine will normally be between about £5 and £20 (except at our ocassional special evenings when we have spent as much as £70 a bottle!)
Cost of all six bottles must not exceed £60 (except if agreed prior to the evening).

Do You Welcome New Members?

Absolutely!   As long as you enjoy wine and are sociable we would love to meet you and have you join our wine circle.

How Can I Join In The Fun?

Contact John Etherton on 07717 876743 or email tonghamtaster@gmail.com.

Reports on our past wine evenings
Click on the links below to read reports on our wine tasting evenings
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
Just click on the links above to read the report.