Drinks Heroes

We have many supporters at the Festival, some regulars and some new. Our Drinks programme supporters for 2011 are listed below. See information about:

Christine Austin

Christine Austin is wine writer for the Yorkshire Post. Resident of York and winner of the Louis Roederer Regional Wine Writer of the year in 2006 and 2009.

Karen Hardwick

 

With over 20 years drinks trade experience, most of it in the wine trade, Karen is the person restaurants, hotels and retailers turn to to train their staff. Due to demand she now hosts more informal and extremely popular food and wine events every month in York at Melton’s Too. She has been a tutor for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust for 10 years, holds the prestigious WSET Diploma and now teaches to Advanced level both at home and abroad.
With a relaxed and approachable style Karen’s aim is quite simply to ditch the jargon, demystify wine and give consumers the confidence to try different wine styles. It is this style which makes her a firm favourite with Festival goers and she delivers many events throughout the Festival.
Karen has recently won the 2011 International Wine Educator of the year award. This award was won in 2008 by the New York Wine School , in 2009 Wine and Spirit Professional Consultants in Greece, and 2010 saw the Award move to the Sydney Wine Academy .   We are very proud that the Festival's own has now brought the Award to York.
www.thewineacademy.co.uk

   
Tim Hartley
Tim Hartley of the York Jurade de St Emilion, will delight the St Emilion novice or connoisseur alike.
Tim is one of the two British Chancellors of the Jurade de Saint-Emilion and a member of its Grand Conseil. He has worked with the Festival on a number of occasions and we hope will continue to do so for number of years to come.

Charles Metcalfe

 

According to the Association of Wine Experts, "Charles Metcalfe is one of the best-known, most spontaneous and amusing wine critics in Britain. He presented drinks and occasionally food items for 12 years as one of the Richard-and-Judy team on the ITV programme, ‘This Morning’, and was the drinks expert for ‘Taste Today’ on the Taste TV CFW channel.  He has also presented many wine and food programmes on the Granada Breeze satellite channel." He joins us for two events at this year's Festival, on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th.

   
Peter McKenna

Following extensive vineyard and winery visits in both the Old and New World and exam success, Peter has been tutoring as well as leading tastings and presentations in the York area for some years. Working in association with producers, as well as for Adult Education, he has organised visits and tastings with companies throughout the North.