Oxford College Tasting, by Sean Burbridge

So, the time arrived for yet another visit to Trinity College in Oxford for the autumn college tasting. The wines had been delivered, the invites sent out, and the tasting sheets, spittoons and corkscrew were onboard ready for my journey from Cambridgeshire.

Founded in 1555 and situated right in the heart of Oxford city centre, it is always a pleasure to visit and hold tastings at Trinity, so I was very much looking forward to the event. Every time I visit Oxford the sun seems to shine but unfortunately not on this occasion, maybe as it was much later in the year than normal I was just asking for too much, but at least there was no rain.

On arrival, I was already a little concerned for the attendance levels. The replies to my invite were scattered with very legitimate reasons not to attend, such as lectures, all day seminars, holidays and people out of the country. Not to be disheartened, I carried on with the set up regardless and prayed that the lure of tasting Bancroft’s finest would bring along the crowds.

The tasting was held in The Sutro Room, named after John Sutro the British film producer who was a major benefactor of the college in the early part of the 20th century. The room is littered with original letters and drawings from this period which make for fascinating reading. Unfortunately, the crowds didn’t appear but a gentle trickle of people ensured that the event was not a complete washout. The colleges that did attend were very impressed with the eclectic range on show and one attendee can be quoted as saying “this is the last tasting of the year but certainly the most interesting” but also can be quoted as saying “you should book earlier to ensure you wines are shown to a wider audience” – so I lock the door on another tasting and promise myself that I will definitely book earlier, next time!