What is blind wine tasting?
Blind wine tasting is the art of identifying a wine, in terms of its major characteristics, without any prior knowledge of the wine. The objective is to work out the grape variety, country, region, subregion and vintage using information gleaned from its appearance, smells and taste. More informally, blind wine tasting is a great way to learn which wines you like and which wines you don’t!
Who are CUBWTS?
Cambridge University Blind Wine Tasting Society (CUBWTS) is a society for members of the University of Cambridge (including students and staff). We have a broad, diverse informal membership with an emphasis on learning about wine in a relaxed, friendly way. We also field the University team for the Varsity match sponsored by Pol Roger, held annually since 1953.
Do I need to know anything about wine before I come?
No! We don’t expect you to know anything about wine before coming to our tastings. Although in Michaelmas our term is designed to take you through the very basics of wine tasting at the beginning before slowly building up in difficulty as your knowledge and skills grow, all our tastings are beginner-friendly. We strongly believe wine tasting should be accessible to all, so we always go over the basics. You don’t even have to worry if you miss a tasting! Beginners are welcome at every session.
Is blind wine tasting competitive?
Yes! Though our weekly tastings are designed to be informal, fun and informative, there is also a competitive element. We provide the team for the annual Varsity match against Oxford University, held since 1953. We have selection tastings which determine our 7 best tasters to compete against Oxford. Selection for the team is based entirely on merit, and of course, is entirely voluntary. Being on the team is, of course, great fun!
When do you meet?
Blind wine tastings are held every Sunday evening during term time, 7.30pm – 9:30pm.
How do I join?
Each week our tastings are open to anyone and everyone, and may be booked on a first come, first served basis. Tickets will be sold on the website.
Please also subscribe to our mailing list to be notified when events are announced/on sale.
How do I reserve a place at a tasting?
You will find details of forthcoming tastings on our Events page. All reservations are made via our online booking system. We usually aim to open tastings for reservations at 6pm on the Monday prior to the tasting on Sunday. For tastings held at other times, look out for details in our emails.
How much does it cost?
There are no membership fees. You simply pay for the tastings you attend. Our introductory tastings cost £15, and the current cost of our standard tastings is £20. We try to keep the costs manageable and access as many favours as possible (for example, bottles donated by producers) to give us access to interesting/old/expensive wine wherever possible.
What happens if I need to cancel my place?
We do not ordinarily offer ticket refunds, but you are welcome to sell your ticket to someone else. We have a marketplace group chat to help you find people that may be interested.
How do I pay?
You must pay via our website. Payment is taken through Stripe. You cannot pay in person. If there are exceptional circumstances, please contact us to make alternative arrangements.
What do I need to bring to the tasting?
For the introductory sessions, you don’t need to bring anything (other than a pen). For standard tastings you will require your own tasting glasses. We recommend professional ISO tasting glasses which you may purchase from us, at a very advantageous price, either online or at our tastings. We also recommend purchasing our Blind Wine Tasting Guide, which is an indispensable source of information covering all you need to know about blind wine tasting. Please bring a pen to all our tastings to take notes on the sheet provided!
How do I subscribe/unsubscribe from the email list?
Visit our subscription page.
Can I come to your tastings if I am not a student?
Yes! We welcome everyone (over 18!) to our tastings. Please buy a ticket via our website in the usual way. Unfortunately, you will be unable to take part in our competitive matches if you are not a student.
Can I come to your tastings if I am allergic to sulphites?
No. Sadly, many of our wines contain sulphites so we will be unable to accommodate you.
What if my question isn’t listed here?
Please contact a member of the CUBWTS committee who will be happy to help. You can find out how to contact the committee here.