Dear SPWC Members
A very warm welcome to this special edition of The Grapevine celebrating fifty years of Spring Park Wine Circle. Yes, our wine club was formed on December 11th 1975 with the inaugural meeting taking place the following month. I think it’s time to reflect on those fifty years and to raise a glass or two to members past and present, especially those who are no longer with us. Here’s to the next 50! Oh, and a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone from all the committee.
Last Month’s Meeting
It was a pleasure to welcome Teresa Seamer from The Maid of Kent in Tonbridge and I think she went down a storm. She brought with her some excellent wines from small producers in Spain, Italy and Chile, all of which were available at affordable prices. The whites, in particular were lovely. Teresa did very well on sales for the evening and ran out of both the white rioja and the viognier – unfortunately the latter had all gone before Heather and I managed to get our hands on some. I can sense a trip to Tonbridge coming soon. And thanks too to Kevin for the Aussie themed cellar wines. Good on yer, mate.
This Month’s Meeting
As already mentioned, this December the club celebrates its 50th anniversary. In fact, our December meeting takes place exactly fifty years to the day on which the club was created back in 1975. We are planning a golden evening of fun and celebrations to mark this very special milestone. Please rummage through those wardrobes for any golden themed clothing or items that you might wear for the evening as we plan to take some photos for the occasion. Also, as is customary for our December meeting, we are aiming to raise funds for our chosen charity which this year is The Alzheimer Society. Last year we made over £500 which was our best yet, but this year we would like to do even better and break our own record. We made a brilliant start when our visit to a local Probus club raised over £400 for our charity, so we are already heading in the right direction.
We look forward to seeing you all and to sharing with you a very special celebration, so please ensure you have plenty of cash with you on December 11th when last year’s record is going to be smashed into smithereens. We have planned a fun evening with games, a quiz, a massive tombola with some spectacular prizes and each member of the committee will be presenting a different wine for you to sample with a few surprises included. We look forward to seeing you all then and just a reminder that guests are welcome to join us and on that evening their guest fee will be added to the charity pot. Thanks to everyone who contributed items for the tombola.
Wine of the month – Crémant de Bourgogne, France
We’re definitely in celebratory mood this month and obviously we need some fizz so why not give this lovely Crémant de Bourgogne a try? Produced by the Cave du Lugny co-operative in south Burgundy’s Maconnais region, this is certainly one of the best supermarket crémant de Bourgogne available this Christmas. Made largely from chardonnay but with about a third of pinot noir and a significant percentage of locally produced gamay, this non-vintage crémant has a nutty, brioche style with a lively lemony twist finish. At 11.5% ABV this wine can be served as an aperitif or as a perfect accompaniment to virtually any meal. It’s available from Asda for £10.24 per bottle until December 18 when it reverts to its normal price of £11.98.
Wine of the month – Crémant de Bourgogne, France
SPWC Christmas Meal – 8th December 2025
We have already more than 40 people signed up for our Christmas meal which takes place on Monday December 8th at The Agra Indian restaurant at Eden Park. However, there is still room for a few more if you want to come. You just need to let us know and let Martyn have your £20 – an absolute bargain. Just a reminder - the restaurant will be ours for the evening so we can make as much noise and merriment as we like. The menu for the evening appears below. There will be live musical entertainment included in the price of your ticket, so we’re in for a great evening.
SPWC 50th Anniversary Coasters
There is still an opportunity to secure your beautifully created Spring Park Wine Circle 50th anniversary coaster sets, featuring six different designs celebrating our golden jubilee, which are now on sale for the price of £20 per set, £5 of which will go to our chosen charity. 18 sets have already been sold but if you haven’t already ordered a set, you can do so at this month’s meeting. They really are special and unique to SPWC and make an excellent Christmas gift.
Christmas Poser
Name the Cliff Richard Christmas number one from the picture below.
Top 10 wines in the UK
According to YouGov, these are the 10 most popular wines in the UK.
1. Blossom Hill Rose, USA
2. Echo Falls Summer Berries, USA
3. Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay, Australia
4. Moet and Chandon Champagne, France
5. Dom Perignon Champagne, France
6. Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile
7. Bollinger Champagne, France
8. Yellow Tail Australian wines, Australia
9. Gallo family White Zinfandel, USA
10. Asti Spumante, Italy
And you thought we were more discerning about wine today, didn’t you? There’s no accounting for taste.
Thank you
As we reflect on our first fifty years, I think it’s important that we say a massive thank you to those who have kept this club going over that time and without whom there would be no wine circle. I’m talking specifically about those who have given their time and energy as committee members and, especially as office holders. We salute you and drink a toast to you all. It’s also appropriate to thank all our speakers, both external and internal over the last half a century. Thank you everyone for your continuing support and long may SPWC prosper.
Very best wishes,
Goff
1st December 2025