London’s Landmark in Marylebone opened its doors again this November weekend to more than 1,500 wine lovers, who flocked to the historic hotel to taste wines poured by some of the greatest names in the world of wine, all under one roof.
The Grand Tasting
This is the 28th Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (DFWE) to be held in London, and for the first time guests could choose to attend the Grand Tasting on a Friday afternoon (3pm to 8pm) or on the Saturday – or both!
More than 100 producers flew in for the event, from all corners of the globe, from classic regions in Europe and the New World to up-and-coming regions that offered new tasting experiences to many guests.
Bordeaux producers, as usual, were out in force, with dozens of leading names from the Left and Right Banks for wine lovers to visit. Champagne, Burgundy, Rhône, Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon were also waving the French flag. The classic regions of Italy and Spain were also strongly represented, with guests flocking to enjoy fine wines from Piedmont, Tuscany, Sicily, Rioja, Catalonia and beyond.
English sparkling wine house Hambledon was in attendance, demonstrating the exciting quality of this booming category, while Southern Hemisphere stars from Australia, Chile, South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia and US brought the New World wine experience to London.
As we all know the wine world never stands still, and guests looking to find the next big thing in wine were drawn to the two exhibitors from China, as well as a strong Greek contingent, and leading names from Ukraine, Switzerland and Turkey.
Meanwhile, the ever-popular Decanter World Wine Awards stand featured 33 Gold, Platinum and Best in Show winners from the 2025 competition, spanning all styles from sparkling wine and Champagne through to fortified wines and sweet treats. A rare opportunity to taste so many DWWA starts in one place.
The Grand Tasting featured 120 producers and hundreds of fine wines. Credit: Ellen Richardson
Cellar Collection
The Cellar Collection has become a much-loved highlight of the Saturday schedule, for those lucky enough to snap up one of the 300 tickets available.
Hosted in a dedicated room at The Landmark, the exclusive VIP tasting features 21 top-name producers from around the world, who each pour three vintages of a flagship wine, including a rare library release dating back at least 10 years – and often much further. The format offers wine lovers a rare opportunity to chart the evolution over the years of many of the finest wines on the market, and guests have access to the room during the whole day, and for 90 minutes before doors open to the Grand Tasting.
NEW, Winemakers’ Lunches
This year saw an exciting new addition to the DFWE expereince, with a series of Winemakers’ Lunches hosted on the Friday offering a small number of guests the unique opportunity to join world-class winemakers and a Decanter editor for an intimate and relaxed lunch. Wineries featured this year were: Abbott Claim from Oregon, Rioja’s Bodegas Muga, Châteaux Canon and Rauzan-Ségla from Bordeaux, Lebanon’s Chateau Musar, Ken Forrester from South Africa, and English sparkling wine estate Hambledon.
Hosted in the elegant and relaxed Great Central Pub by Matt Fletcher, within The Landmark, the six separate lunches were each limited to just six guests. The experience included a delicious three-course lunch of modern British classics; specially selected wines, including rare bottles from private cellars; the company of a visiting winemaker and a Decanter editor for engaging, behind-the-scenes conversations. And of course, access to the Grand Tasting afterwards.
Vintage Champagne, Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Antinori wines featured in the masterclasses. Credit: Denise Maxwell
Masterclass line-up
While the Grand Tasting offers more than enough to keep any wine lover busy all day, our masterclasses continue to sell out fast, offering the chance for a deep dive into a single producer or category – and the chance to sit down! Three 75-minute tutored tasting sessions were scheduled during the day, each featuring winery principals or leading Decanter writers, and co-hosted by a Decanter Regional Editor.
What better way to begin the day than with bubbles? This year’s sell-out masterclass programme began with a fascinating horizontal tasting of Champagne’s fabulous 2012 vintage. Decanter writer Charles Curtis MW and Decanter’s France Editor Natalie Earl guided guests through 11 wines from leading houses: Delamotte, Drappier, Laurent-Perrier, Philipponnat, Pierre Paillard, Marc Hébrart, Diebolt-Vallois and Marie Courtin.
In the next masterclass, Fabien Teitgen, head winemaker and general manager at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, joined Decanter’s Bordeaux Editor Georgie Hindle to explore the terroir of this family-run Pessac-Léognan property through eight vintages going back to 2005 and 2000, both poured from magnum.
The final masterclass took us to Tuscany, and specifically to Bolgheri’s Guado al Tasso estate, owned by Marchesi Antinori. The company’s vice-president Alessia Antinori and Renzo Cotarella, CEO and chief winemakers, co-hosted by James Button, Decanter’s Italy Regional Editor, presented four vintages of the prestigious red blend of Bordeaux grape varieties including the 1998 from magnum, followed by four vintages of the estate’s single-vineyard Cabernet Franc, Matarocchio (2021, 2016, 2013, and 2007 from magnum).
Look out for reports on DFWE London 2025 masterclasses on Decanter Premium soon.
More than 1,500 guests enjoyed wine tasting at its best in the luxurious setting of the Landmark London. Credit: Denise Maxwell
DFWE London 2025: an unforgettable day
Whether in the Grand Tasting, the dedicated Cellar Collection room or in the three star-studded masterclasses, stemware from Riedel, our event sponsor, made sure all wines were showcased at their best, and visitors were also able to experience how different styles taste in different glasses at Riedel’s own stand.
In addition to a cheese and charcuterie food station in the Cellar Collection room, guests could enjoy nibbles and make purchases from Mouse & Grape (whose cheese bowls were in high demand), Firetree Chocolate and The Oil Merchant. They could discuss wine collecting with Berry Bros & Rudd, taste non-alcoholic fermented botanical drinks from the Italian Dolomites at the Feral stand – and, of course, subscribe to Decanter Magazine and Decanter Premium during the day.
Look out for pictorial highlights from the event shortly. If you attended, keep an eye out for our photo gallery as you may be featured.
Our next DFWE takes place in Singapore on Saturday 22 November, followed by New York in June 2026, showcasing more top wine producers from around the world. For more information, visit our Events page.
