Our cellars at No.3 St James’s Street have been home to tastings, lunches and dinners for well over two decades. From introductory wine courses to exclusive events with some of the finest producers in the world, there is always something going on. But what does hosting such events actually involve? We spoke to two of our talented educators – Rebecca Lamont and Michael Dabbs – to find out more about a typical day.

With the exception of our One-Day Wine Schools, most of our events are afternoon or evening affairs. Therefore it stands to reason that our educators do far more than “just” teach.

“When I am not teaching,” says Michael Dabbs, “I am often preparing for upcoming events or helping my team with their event preparation. This can range from helping them select wines to doing a run-through of a particular section of their presentation. It is incredibly rewarding being part of this process and getting to work with such dedicated wine professionals.”

High energy

Equally, teaching is a high-energy role, so getting into the right frame of mind before an event is key. Rebecca Lamont does “very little” the morning before hosting a Saturday dinner, she says.

“I want to save my verve for the evening event, so I rest. But, in the back of my mind, I am going over everything for the event: the logistics of how I am going to get to the cellars on time, going through my timing for checking the wines and dietary requirements, reminding myself of when I need to check in with the Operations team and chefs. Also, I’ll be going through what I need to take, and thinking about the guests, the seating plan, making amendments to paperwork and rehearsing all my notes about the wines.”

Months in the planning

That perhaps doesn’t sound overly restful for some. The preparation for these events starts months in advance too, argues Rebecca.

“When putting together events, the prep often starts three to six months in advance, choosing the wines and arranging the dates. There are then emails to the Buyers about setting aside stock. There’s always a dilemma of whether to choose rare bottles for a treat at the event, but knowing if guests enjoy them, they won’t be available to buy after the event; the fine wine market often has such limited stock.

“Although, I have to say BBX, our fine wine exchange, really helps solve this with the fantastic array of wines available.”

Preparation

Outlining how he juggles hosting events on a diverse array of regions, Michael confirms that preparation is crucial.

“Generally, we’ll each be looking after several events per week and so we have to wear a few different specialist hats,” he says. One night, we may be in the Pickering Cellar, hosting 30 people for an Introduction to Bordeaux. The next, we may be guiding guests through a selection of the wines of Piedmont with a four-course dinner.”

For him, most preparation begins by creating the theme and choosing the wines, “months in advance.” Then, in the ensuing weeks, he’ll begin to piece together the specific running order, key focus points or learning objectives, and additional detail on the specific wines.

Of course, Michael clarifies, “not all of this content will make it into the final event, but we need to have a lot of information at our fingertips. By the time the day of the event comes around, the only thing that should need to happen is last-minute refinements and tweaks.”

The joy of hosting

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given all this work, the joy Michael, Rebecca and our other educators receive from hosting is immense. For Michael, it’s about sharing his knowledge and expertise, arguing that “the best thing about educating is the ‘light bulb’ moment when you see that something you’ve just explained or highlighted has really resonated with a guest.”

But there are special moments from guests too, he says. “Hosting allows me to share incredible products and their stories with guests from all over the world. We had one gentleman at a dinner last week who first came to Berry Bros. & Rudd in 1961 and could still recall exactly what he purchased!”

For Rebecca too, there’s real pleasure in seeing guests gain in confidence.

“I love it when our guests have so much to say about the wines. They are all on their own journey of self-discovery.” She continues, highlighting that “they are in a safe place where they can say exactly what they think. Knowing that I’m helping them to answer questions and satisfy their curiosity about wine, that is marvellous.”

Memories and emotions

And of course, emotions are often key when it comes to wine. “One time we were serving an old Sassicaia,” she confides, “and one guest shared ‘I’ll always love this wine because this was the wine my now-husband bought in the restaurant for our first date’. Memories and emotions play a huge part in our enjoyment and I always like to acknowledge this.”

Given this, it is no great surprise that more than a few of our events have enduring emotional resonance for some guests. “We’ve actually managed to start a few romances with our events,” Rebecca confirms, “and one or two couples can always say they met in our cellars at No.3 St James’s Street. I think it’s the Bordeaux events that have started the most partnerships over the years.”

Learn more about our events.