The week in pictures

Estancia Mendoza hosted event with the Pumas, the Argentine Rugby team this week. The event included live music, art, shirt signing and, of course, lots of wine and steak.

Sisters Laura and Adrianna Catena were in town this week to present a talk on the ten centuries of Malbec, Argentina’s flagship variety. Unveiling their historical label for the 2015 vintage of Catena’s Malbec Argentino, guests were fortunate enough to try Nicolas Catena Zapata 1999, Malbec Argentino 2004 and Malbec Argentino 2015 in magnum, paired with delicious food at Wandsworth’s Chez Bruce.

Head sommelier Antonin Dubuis and his team with Tim and Carlo Mondavi

Tim Mondavi from Continuum Estate and his son Carlo Mondavi from RAEN winery were in London this week touring the city’s restaurants and merchants with supplier Flint Wines. Among the restaurants visited were Clos Maggiore and Cabotte.

Carlo Mondavi, Jason Haynes, Xavier Rousset MS, Tim Mondavi, Gearoid Devaney MS

Star Pubs & Bars hosted its annual Star Awards in Manchester this week to celebrate the talents of its licensees. 130 guests attended the event with a total of 14 awards presented during the evening. Pictured are the winners.

The drinks industry came together in London on Wednesday for the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Annual Awards Banquet at Guildhall. With over 400 gin entries from 35 different countries, this year’s IWSC awards proved the gin bubble has yet to burst, with submitted entries containing weird and wonderful botanicals, from ants, to seaweed and clotted cream.

Attendees were able to try the medal winning wines and spirits before the event started later in the evening.

Hop Stuff Brewery hosted a full tap takeover in The Rake bar in Borough Market this year to launch its barrel-aged porter called Woody Barrelson.

Kent based cidery Nightingale shared this beautiful snap on Twitter this week showing the mist rolling in over its apple orchards.

Senior winemaker at Yealands Wine Group New Zealand, Natalie Christensen, was in the UK this week presenting “The Perfection of Pinot Noir”, a masterclass on cutting edge techniques for Pinot Noir in the vineyard and winery.

db hot footed it down to Lindley Hall this week for London’s first Nebbiolo Day tasting, organised by Walter Speller and Hunt & Coady, which saw over 80 Nebbiolo producers flock to the capital to pour their delicious drops. Some of the exhibitors came from closer by, including Francesca Cioce and Tom White from Astrum Wine Cellars.

We also caught up with Laura Pigoni and Angus MacNab of Armit Wines to sip through the merchant’s divine Barolo range.

Some of the most stunning Barbarescos were to be found on the Rizzi stand, manned by the tall, dark and handsome Enrico Dellapiana.

Our fizz find of the day was an elegant sparkling Nebbiolo from Ettore Germano.

We were also charmed by the ethereal delicacy of the wines from Nervi in Gattinara, which reminded us both of Burgundian Pinot and Nerello Mascalese from Etna.

Always up for a jolly, wine writers James Lawrence, Sam Wylie-Harris and Anne Krebiehl MW joined PR guru Emma Wellings at Michelin-starred Scandi restaurant Aquavit in St James’s Market for the launch of its winter terrace, where they enjoyed lashings of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne.

Arsenal FC legend Ray Parlour jetted into Dublin this week in a whistle-stop tour of the city as guest of Chilean wine producer Santa Rita.

Parlour headed to the Lemon & Duke Bar where he regaled guests with tales from his professional footballing days. The event, hosted by Santa Rita 120 wines – the official wine partners of Arsenal FC – was attended members of the on and off-trade, the press, and members of the Irish Arsenal FC Supporters Club.

On 14 November the “fastest man on earth”, Usain Bolt, attended the Japanese launch of Maison Mumm’s G.H Mumm Grand Cordon bottle design. As Mumm’s new Chief Entertainment Officer. The bespoke bottle, produced for its limited-edition Grand Cordon bottle, features the house’s trademark red sash, which has been physically engraved into the bottle, and also has a longer and narrower neck than the standard. Its development was “driven by a desire to tear up the rulebook” and challenge the traditional codes of Champagne, says Pierre Bérard, Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët global marketing director.