The France Show 2018 Comes To Olympia

Ecoutez Francophiles! I have a proposal for you. Let’s rebel against the British winter and pretend it’s springtime in Provence. We could gorge ourselves on Burgundy wine and Roquefort cheese and gambol through the violet fields, intoxicated by the perfume of flowering lavender. Failing that, we could hit London’s Olympia for the France Show 2018.

Between Fri 26th and Sun 28th January the west London event space will be dedicated to all things French. Well, not ALL things French. It’ll mostly be focusing on food, property, holiday ideas and… wine. And, let’s face it, I’m going mostly for the wine.

In the show’s Wine Theatre, you’ll be able to learn more about France’s wine regions and grape varieties in specialised seminars with experts including Sunday Telegraph columnist Susy Atkins and “Wine Tipster” Neil Phillips.

Tickets for the Wine Theatre cost £6, while entrance to the show itself is £12. Here’s a list of the wine events happening over the weekend. I’m booked in for the Médoc one at 2.30pm on Friday. If you spot me and say hi, I promise I’ll buy you a drink.

FRIDAY 26th JANUARY

11.30 Award-winning French Sparkling Wines
Chris Walkey
Taste a selection of 2017 Glass of Bubbly award winning French sparkling wine.

13:00 – The Wine Tipster’s Favourite French Wines
Neil Phillips
Neil Phillips guides you through his favourite wines from all over France.

14:30 – The Wines of the Crus Bourgeois de Médoc – 2015 vintage
Neil Phillips
A chance to taste a selection of Bordeaux wines from the exceptional 2015 vintage on first showing to the UK public.

15:45 – Fascinating French Wines
Susy Atkins
The Sunday Telegraph wine columnist presents a diverse selection of fine wines from the Loire to the Côtes-Catalan.

SATURDAY 27th JANUARY

11:00 – A Selection of Champagnes, Presented by Champagne Deutz with Food Pairings from La Ferme London
Ben Wyse and Guillaume Dunos
The famously food-focused Champagne Deutz is paired with a variety of seasonal culinary options by a finalist of Michelin’s Young Chef of the Year 2017.

12:15 – Wines from Saint Emilion and Pomerol
Jeff Berrouet
Jeff talks through the huge upsurge in quality in the satellite appellations of Bordeaux’s Right Bank.

13:30 – AXA Millesimes Presents Wines from AOC Pauillac
Jean-Remy Lacaille
Join Jean-Remy Lacaille of négotiant AXA Millesimes as he introduces wines from Pauillac.

14:45 – Bordeaux Biodynamics
Mike Turner
Mike takes you through the wines of Dawn Jones-Cooper, who makes single varietal, biodynamic wines in Entre-Deux-Mers.

16:00 – Château Jean Faure – the Terroir of Saint-Émilion
Château Jean Faure team
A look at the varying soils of one of Bordeaux’s most iconic regions.

JANUARY 28th JANUARY

12:00 – Champagne and French Sparkling Wines
Neil Phillips
The Wine Tipster guides you through his favourite Sparkling wines from France.

13:15 – The Diversity of the Languedoc with Domaines Paul Mas
Neil Phillips
Discover the Crus of the Languedoc with Domaines Paul Mas wines.

14:30 – Discover Bordeaux Wines
Neil Phillips
The Wine Tipster is back to guide you through the wines of Bordeaux.

For the full seminar schedule, see: www.thefranceshow.com/whats-on

The France Show takes place at Olympia, London, from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th January 2018. Tickets £12. For more info and to buy tickets, visit www.thefranceshow.com