Come and join Dominic Rhodes for a fun, informative evening to help fund our Future Pool project. Throughout the summer, Dominic quietly works behind the scenes as our resident engineer—helping to keep the pool heated, the water clean, and everyone safe, despite not being a swimmer himself.

With over 40 years of engineering experience, Dominic’s love of fine wine began in his teens and has remained a lifelong passion. During his university years, a generous scholarship from De Beers Diamonds allowed him to start building a cellar alongside his studies. This eventually led to him becoming a fine wine buyer for a startup independent merchant in Nottingham while completing his university research. That merchant still thrives today, specialising in the same “unusual but high-quality wines” from around the world that helped Dominic win Wine Merchant of the Year in the early 1990s.

This tasting will be a light-hearted evening exploring characterful, high-quality, and affordable wines, all sourced locally right here in Cumbria. They should be readily available to purchase afterwards in local shops—provided there isn’t an immediate run on stock (which regularly happens!).

We will sample a selection of whites, reds, and sparkling wines, along with a surprise or two. These are not your everyday, usual choices; each bottle comes with personal stories from Dominic’s 40 years associated with the wine industry. We will also discuss how to perfectly pair them with festive seasonal food. 

Held in Greystoke Village Hall, doors open 7pm for a 7:30pm start.

Cost £20 per person with a cheese option at an additional £6 cost. Limited number of tickets available, though more may be released if there is demand