Solihull wine merchants team up with pub to offer global wine tasting night

A Solihull wine merchant is taking drinkers on a trip around the globe at a series of new wine tasting events.

Fraziers, who have been supplying wine to trade since 1989, are now teaming up with the The Hatton Arms in Warwick.

The next wine tasting will take diners across the other side of the globe to Australia, on February 23rd. Meanwhile, it’s all things Swiss every Wednesday at the new Hatton Arms Fondue Nights, with a choice of Fondue or Fondue and Steak menus, served between 5-9pm.

With sweeping views of the idyllic Hatton Locks, the award-winning country pub has established a reputation among locals for authentic dining and classic British cuisine made with the finest ingredients, often sourced direct from the privately-owned Hatton Estate.

What the wine merchants said

The wine tasting is delivered by Frazier’s Operations Director Steve Jay who has created a Connoisseurs selection of wines to complement the food.

Steve said: “We always start with a sparkler from the selected country, we then move to a white and then we do two reds and finish with a dessert wine. As the months get a little warmer, we will move to two whites and one red and if possible, we may do a Rose evening in the summer depending on weather, we would hopefully do this outdoors.”

He added: “We want to give the more discerning wine drinker the chance to indulge in their passion for finer wines. When selecting the wines, I try and find the more unusual styles so the guests get the chance to taste something different.

“These evenings are a fantastic chance to taste wines from outside of the comfort zone along with great food. It is very easy to stick to what you know best when buying wine so this gives people a chance to taste a different style of wine which gives them confidence to buy by the bottle in the future.”

What the pub’s manager said

Manager Steph Ward said: “The Hatton Arms team have also been educated about their wines and can be more informative for the guests who like their wines. It’s a different kind of experience and something we haven’t done before at the pub and the chefs are enjoying the chance to be creative in this way.”

“The fondue nights came about because we wanted to bring something different to the area, something to bring people together, a sharing experience, especially after the pandemic.”

Valentine’s Day events

Love is also in the air at the Hatton Arms with a series of Valentine’s events lined up between February 10^th-15th, including this year, Galentine’s and Palentine’s nights as well as a family Valentine’s offering on Sunday, February 12^th.

Steph added: “Valentine’s puts a lot of pressure on single people or people who have recently split up with their partner so the Hatton Arms Festival of Love is a way of offering something for everybody.”

The Wine Tasting Nights take place on the last Thursday of each month and cost £40pp. The Fondue menu is available every Wednesday night for £23 or £32 (for steak and fondue).

Bookings can be made on The Hatton Arms’ website.