By Bike!?! Across York!?! What a delivery!!!! 
Earlier this month, Ben and I were lucky enough to be asked to collaborate with great friends, Jerry and Jools Rebbeck, who set up and run Wheelwrights of York (renting out incredible Holiday Apartments around York City Center).
Their properties include some of the Minster's own treasures, so they offered to sponsor this year's John Shannon Memorial Lecture held by the York Consortium for Craft and Conservation.
Jerry offered to deliver the wines by bike!!!
The event was being held in the stunning De Grey Rooms and the lecture was being delivered by Dr Anna Keay, Director of the Landmark Trust (if you ever have the opportunity to hear her speak, do go): "Saving special buildings: the Work of the Landmark Trust". We couldn't have said "yes please!" faster.
We were the 'warm up act' before the Bursary awards ceremony preceding the John Shannon Memorial Lecture.As the good folk attending would include those from The Minster team, York Conservation Trust, and the York Civic Trust, we thought we would not just titillate their taste buds, but also fascinate them within their own interest and pleasure zone.
Bulfon's Cividin peaked the interest of many: a stunning dry white made from a recovered ancient and extraordinarily rare white grape from the valleys of Cividale.Pomario's Umbrian wines satisfied those obsessed with the restoration theme:- lovingly revived ancient clones of Trebbiano and Sangiovese now thriving, in what was once a dilapidated farm close to the Tuscan border; vines that had been claimed by the forest now producing the clean, delicious summer-fresh white and rosé we handed out.
For the red: Ca' Emo. La Montecchia is one of Italy’s oldest family wine businesses, Giordano lives there and has a shadow covering 1000 years - the beautifully scribed, simple family tree in his kitchen dates back to Catherine de Medici.
What an evening! Quite genius, fascinating people; a brilliant lecture; we were kindly invited to join in the post-event pizza and our wines are now being enjoyed in a few more homes. Best of all, Wheelwrights may have an exciting new property coming on board, thanks to a conversation with a vicar over a glass of Bat and Bottle wine! #lovelife