Northern Ireland Wine and Spirit Institute (NIWSI)
2026 & 2027 Tastings
13 October, 7:30pm: English Wines
19 November, 7:30pm: Beaujolais
8 December, 7:30pm: Festive tasting
January 2027: Members' Annual Dinner
Follow us on instagram or facebook. If you'd like to attend our tastings as a guest, or to become a member contact niwsisecretary@yahoo.co.uk.
Tastings take place at the Ramada by Wyndham Belfast City Centre, 20 Talbot St.
Next Tasting
Tues 29 September 2026 – 7.30 p.m.: Prosecco and More with Riccardo Vendrame of Valdo Spumanti
For the first tasting of the second half of the year 2026 we are taking you to Northern Italy. We are all familiar with Prosecco, but there is a lot more to Prosecco than meets the eye. There are several ‘appellations’ (DOCGs) for Prosecco and various different production methods (Charmat vs. Traditional Method). We will taste our way through several of these, and it will show sides of Prosecco wines we don’t always get to taste and appreciate.
Riccardo Vendrame from Valdo Spumanti will be taking usthough the Valdo portfolio of Proseccos, and also some still wines. This includes Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG.
Riccardo has been involved in the wine world for over 25 years. His passion for wine began during his military service in Cividale del Friuli, where he was surrounded by vineyards and wineries every day. After his military service Riccardo trained as a sommelier, studied Viticulture and Oenology, achieved WSET Level 3 with Distinction, and wrote for several Italian wine magazines.
His career has taken him from managing vineyards in Italy and France to international wine sales. Today, he work as Area Manager Europe for Valdo and, together with three friends, he also own a three-hectare vineyard on Lake Garda, where they produce a rosé pét-nat and a traditional-method sparkling wine
Members: £ 25 Guests: £ 40
Ramada by Wyndham, Belfast City Centre, 20 Talbot St., 7:30pm
Contact us if you'd like to attend niwsisecretary@yahoo.co.uk
For the first tasting of the second half of the year 2026 we are taking you to Northern Italy. We are all familiar with Prosecco, but there is a lot more to Prosecco than meets the eye. There are several ‘appellations’ (DOCGs) for Prosecco and various different production methods (Charmat vs. Traditional Method). We will taste our way through several of these, and it will show sides of Prosecco wines we don’t always get to taste and appreciate.
Riccardo Vendrame from Valdo Spumanti will be taking usthough the Valdo portfolio of Proseccos, and also some still wines. This includes Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG.
Riccardo has been involved in the wine world for over 25 years. His passion for wine began during his military service in Cividale del Friuli, where he was surrounded by vineyards and wineries every day. After his military service Riccardo trained as a sommelier, studied Viticulture and Oenology, achieved WSET Level 3 with Distinction, and wrote for several Italian wine magazines.
His career has taken him from managing vineyards in Italy and France to international wine sales. Today, he work as Area Manager Europe for Valdo and, together with three friends, he also own a three-hectare vineyard on Lake Garda, where they produce a rosé pét-nat and a traditional-method sparkling wine
Members: £ 25 Guests: £ 40
Ramada by Wyndham, Belfast City Centre, 20 Talbot St., 7:30pm
Contact us if you'd like to attend niwsisecretary@yahoo.co.uk
About the Institute
The Northern Ireland Wine & Spirits Institute (NIWSI) is a not-for-profit group of wine enthusiasts who are serious about wine. Our monthly wine tastings are hosted by wine experts and special guests, on a range of topics. We welcome anyone who is curious about wine.
Tastings are held at the Ramada by Wyndham, Belfast City Centre. If you'd like to attend a tasting or join the Institute, contact: NIWSIsecretary@yahoo.co.uk. Our event and membership fees go directly into providing the best and most exciting wines for our members.
The Institute was founded in November 1979, at a meeting in the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast and originally named the Northern Ireland Wine & Spirit Education Trust Association. The name was later changed to avoid confusion with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET).
Tastings are held at the Ramada by Wyndham, Belfast City Centre. If you'd like to attend a tasting or join the Institute, contact: NIWSIsecretary@yahoo.co.uk. Our event and membership fees go directly into providing the best and most exciting wines for our members.
The Institute was founded in November 1979, at a meeting in the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast and originally named the Northern Ireland Wine & Spirit Education Trust Association. The name was later changed to avoid confusion with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET).
Member Benefits
Annual Membership
Membership runs from January to December £70 for the year, or £60 if paid before the year starts £35 from June WSET students currently enrolled save 50%
Tastings
Members save £15 off the price of tastings. Access member-only special events including the Annual Dinner, AGM, Enniskillen wine weekend and Wine Study Trip abroad.
Discounts
NIWSI members save 15% on wine and events at Direct Wine Shipments in Belfast https://www.directwineshipments.com/
Our Committee
Anne McHale
President
Anne, originally from Belfast, is an award-winning Master of Wine. She took first class honours in French and Classics at Cambridge, discovered the delights of wine while studying in France, and joined the wine trade. We are honoured to have her as our President.
Alastair Bell
Vice President
Alastair's name is synonymous with the Institute, and indeed, with wine education in Northern Ireland. He is a member of the Association of Wine Educators, completing his Diploma in 1994. He and his wife Mildred have been members since 1991. Alastair has a fine cellar and particularly enjoys the wine of the Loire.
Richard Lee
Vice President
Richard took his level 4 WSET exam (Diploma) with the WSET in London before moving to Northern Ireland in 2014 and joining the Institute. He loves organising wine trips for members. The most recent trip was to France in summer 2025.
Dennis Ensing
Chair
Karla Amirault, WSET 2
Vice Chair
Lisa Wilson
Secretary
Paul Kavanagh
Treasurer
Joe McGlade
Committee Member
Caron Cullen
Committee Member
Past Tastings
Thu 18 June, 7:30pm: A History of Wine with our President, Master of Wine Anne McHale
For this tasting, Anne has delved into the past to track some of the key factors that have shaped the style and taste of wine over the centuries. Some key themes that she will discuss, and illustrate with her wines, will be:
Science and Technology
Champagne – to illustrate how thick glass, cork and the understanding of secondary fermentation transformed sparkling wine; A skin-contact, amphora-aged, natural/low sulphur wine, to evoke earlier extraction methods and oxidative handling; Retsina – to illustrate the ancient practice of lining vessels with pine resin as a means of preservation, which shaped flavour; A modern, protectively made fruit-driven wine – to show how an understanding of microbiology has led to radical change and the production of clean, stainless steel, temperature-controlled wines; Tokaji Aszu – to demonstrate noble rot and how sweet wines once signalled prestige and stability.
Religion, Provenance and Terroir
Burgundy – to illustrate the work of Cistercian monks and the mapping of terroir; Chateauneuf-du-Pape – to illustrate early legal definitions of origin and the development of appellation systems.
War, Politics and International Trade
Madeira – the archetypal maritime wine, shaped by fortification, heat and long sea voyages. We are most fortunate to be able to call on Anne’s expertise. This promises to be a fascinating evening – one you won’t want to miss!
Members: £ 40 Guests: £ 55
Ramada by Wyndham, Belfast City Centre, 20 Talbot St., 7:30pm
Wed 13 May 2026, 7:30pm: Canadian winemaker Thomas Bachelder of Bachelder Wines in Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Join us for an evening of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Gamay wines from Niagara, Canada made by the talented winemaker Thomas Bachelder of Bachelder Wines.
Thomas is a super star in Ontario wine, promoting his terroir-driven Canadian wines around the world. Thomas has been making wines in Niagara since 2003.
A former wine journalist turned winemaker, he and his wife Mary Delaney own Bachelder Wines, producing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay wines. Thomas previously made wine in Burgundy, and Oregon, but found that his Niagara wines were the ones flying off the shelf. As a result, he moved back to Canada to focus full-time on making wines in Niagara.
Thomas works exclusively with grape growers across the region, producing a few blends or ‘Villages’ wines, and a large range of single vineyard wines. With access to grapes across different vineyards and parcels, he has been mapping the terroir of Niagara. The region has largely dolomitic soil with a limestone backbone. The ‘Bench’ area of Niagara has a similar climate to Burgundy, while vineyards closer to Lake Ontario share a maritime climate.
For our tasting, Thomas will walk us through several of his Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay wines, and we’ll taste single vineyard wines side-by-side. I’ve personally visited the Bachelder ‘Bat Cave’ (tasting room) and can say these are some exceptional wines not to be missed!
Members: £30
Guests: £45
Ramada by Wyndham Hotel, 20 Talbot St, Belfast at 7:30pm
Tuesday 14 April 2026 - 7:30pm: Brandy & Things with Peter Morris Wilson DipWSET®
Spirit produced from the Distillation of Wine and other fermented fruit juices is collectively known as ‘Brandy’. Our tasting will highlight these brandies, the countries they come from and their various methods of production. We should expect one or two surprises along the way!
The speaker is our Vice-President Emeritus Peter Morris Wilson DipWSET® Before hanging up his hat, Peter was a Spirits Tutor for six Approved Programme Providers, including the WSET® Flagship London School.
A key flight of tonight’s Spirituous Liquors will be a VS, VSOP & XO Cognac from a Classic Maison and there will be a few other ‘Things’ to tantalise your palate, loosen your tongue and open your mind. Our evening begins with a ‘Thing’ - a ‘Thing’ called Oloroso Sherry and our evening ends with a Solera Gran Reserva Brandy de Jerez that is especially significant for our speaker and perhaps the Institute too!
Members: £35
Guests: £45
Ramada by Wyndham Hotel, 20 Talbot St, Belfast at 7:30pm
10 March 2026: Wines of South Africa with Matthew Nugent
Matthew Nugent has been a wine critic and educator for 25 years. He's written for the Dublin Evening Herald for more than a decade, the Irish Daily Mail and the Irish Sun. His popular, down-to earth and approachable style of writing has won him many admirers.
Matthew has travelled the world to visit vineyards, meet winemakers and taste their wines. Over the past five years, Matthew has fallen head over heels in love with the wines, geography, and people of South Africa. Join us as we taste some wonderful wines that Matthew has selected and learn more about the varied wine regions of South Africa.
Members: £20
Guests: £35
Ramada by Wyndham Hotel, 20 Talbot St, Belfast
Tuesday 10 February 2026 - 8:00pm: Wines of Lanzarote with Sinead Germaine Smyth
Sinead holds a BA in Culinary Arts from Dublin Institute of Technology and is Chair of Wine Spirit Women Ireland as well as a freelance wine consultant working with several wine companies in Dublin and beyond and recently became an Ambassador for Wines of Lanzarote.
She is a great enthusiast for all things wine and in particular for these wonderful wines from the “moonscape” vineyards of sunny Lanzarote where we will taste a range from Sparkling, to mineral driven Malvasia whites, fruity reds and exquisite sweeties. Bring your parasols, sunhats and after-sun cream and expect to have your tastebuds tantilised.
Members: £35 Guests: £45, Ramada by Wyndham Hotel, 20 Talbot St, Belfast
Wines of Lanzarote with Sinead Germaine Smyth, 10 Feb 2026
Favourites Old and New, The Wine Rack, 13 Jan 2026
Sparkling Wines - tasted blind! 16 Dec 2025
Greek Wines with Divine Wine by Lisa McCully, 11 Nov 2025
Sustainable Wines with Delaney Sheridan, 30 Sept 2025
Walkaround Tasting - Wines of the World, 16 Sept 2025
Wines of Alsace with Master of Wine Anne McHale, 19 June 2025
Pre-Phylloxera Wines with Oz Sercan Vatansever, Sommelier at Ox Belfast, 6 May 2025
Iberian Wine with Jeremy Shaw & Simon from Iberian Wine Tours, 8 April 2025
A journey through German Wine with Gerd Brabant & Mark Roovers, authors of Wine Country Germany, 11 March 2025
Wines from the Thracian Lowlands of Bulgaria, hosted by Alastair Bell WSET, 12 Feb 2025
Christmas Tasting, with Paul Kavanagh, 10 December 2024
Committee Favourites, 12 Nov 2024
A Journey Through Occitane with Seam Hamill Dip. WSET of JN Wine, 8 Oct 2024
20 years in the Wine Business with Harshal Shah, of Carrington Wine Merchants, 17 Sep, 2024
Island Wines with Master of Wine Anne McHale, 13 June 2024
Old Wine Wines with Alex Johnston DipWSET, from JN Wine 14 May 2024
Speyside Whiskey Tasting with Matthew Porritt, 16 April 2024
Rhone Valley Wines with Alun Griffiths, 12 Mar 2024
New Zealand Wines, Alastair Bell, 13 Feb 2024
South African Wines with Sean Smullen, 16 Jan 2024
Christmas Tasting with Indie Fude, 13 Dec 2024
Wines from Galicia with John Wilson, 10 Oct 2023
For this tasting, Anne has delved into the past to track some of the key factors that have shaped the style and taste of wine over the centuries. Some key themes that she will discuss, and illustrate with her wines, will be:
Science and Technology
Champagne – to illustrate how thick glass, cork and the understanding of secondary fermentation transformed sparkling wine; A skin-contact, amphora-aged, natural/low sulphur wine, to evoke earlier extraction methods and oxidative handling; Retsina – to illustrate the ancient practice of lining vessels with pine resin as a means of preservation, which shaped flavour; A modern, protectively made fruit-driven wine – to show how an understanding of microbiology has led to radical change and the production of clean, stainless steel, temperature-controlled wines; Tokaji Aszu – to demonstrate noble rot and how sweet wines once signalled prestige and stability.
Religion, Provenance and Terroir
Burgundy – to illustrate the work of Cistercian monks and the mapping of terroir; Chateauneuf-du-Pape – to illustrate early legal definitions of origin and the development of appellation systems.
War, Politics and International Trade
Madeira – the archetypal maritime wine, shaped by fortification, heat and long sea voyages. We are most fortunate to be able to call on Anne’s expertise. This promises to be a fascinating evening – one you won’t want to miss!
Members: £ 40 Guests: £ 55
Ramada by Wyndham, Belfast City Centre, 20 Talbot St., 7:30pm
Wed 13 May 2026, 7:30pm: Canadian winemaker Thomas Bachelder of Bachelder Wines in Niagara, Ontario, Canada
Join us for an evening of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Gamay wines from Niagara, Canada made by the talented winemaker Thomas Bachelder of Bachelder Wines.
Thomas is a super star in Ontario wine, promoting his terroir-driven Canadian wines around the world. Thomas has been making wines in Niagara since 2003.
A former wine journalist turned winemaker, he and his wife Mary Delaney own Bachelder Wines, producing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay wines. Thomas previously made wine in Burgundy, and Oregon, but found that his Niagara wines were the ones flying off the shelf. As a result, he moved back to Canada to focus full-time on making wines in Niagara.
Thomas works exclusively with grape growers across the region, producing a few blends or ‘Villages’ wines, and a large range of single vineyard wines. With access to grapes across different vineyards and parcels, he has been mapping the terroir of Niagara. The region has largely dolomitic soil with a limestone backbone. The ‘Bench’ area of Niagara has a similar climate to Burgundy, while vineyards closer to Lake Ontario share a maritime climate.
For our tasting, Thomas will walk us through several of his Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay wines, and we’ll taste single vineyard wines side-by-side. I’ve personally visited the Bachelder ‘Bat Cave’ (tasting room) and can say these are some exceptional wines not to be missed!
Members: £30
Guests: £45
Ramada by Wyndham Hotel, 20 Talbot St, Belfast at 7:30pm
Tuesday 14 April 2026 - 7:30pm: Brandy & Things with Peter Morris Wilson DipWSET®
Spirit produced from the Distillation of Wine and other fermented fruit juices is collectively known as ‘Brandy’. Our tasting will highlight these brandies, the countries they come from and their various methods of production. We should expect one or two surprises along the way!
The speaker is our Vice-President Emeritus Peter Morris Wilson DipWSET® Before hanging up his hat, Peter was a Spirits Tutor for six Approved Programme Providers, including the WSET® Flagship London School.
A key flight of tonight’s Spirituous Liquors will be a VS, VSOP & XO Cognac from a Classic Maison and there will be a few other ‘Things’ to tantalise your palate, loosen your tongue and open your mind. Our evening begins with a ‘Thing’ - a ‘Thing’ called Oloroso Sherry and our evening ends with a Solera Gran Reserva Brandy de Jerez that is especially significant for our speaker and perhaps the Institute too!
Members: £35
Guests: £45
Ramada by Wyndham Hotel, 20 Talbot St, Belfast at 7:30pm
10 March 2026: Wines of South Africa with Matthew Nugent
Matthew Nugent has been a wine critic and educator for 25 years. He's written for the Dublin Evening Herald for more than a decade, the Irish Daily Mail and the Irish Sun. His popular, down-to earth and approachable style of writing has won him many admirers.
Matthew has travelled the world to visit vineyards, meet winemakers and taste their wines. Over the past five years, Matthew has fallen head over heels in love with the wines, geography, and people of South Africa. Join us as we taste some wonderful wines that Matthew has selected and learn more about the varied wine regions of South Africa.
Members: £20
Guests: £35
Ramada by Wyndham Hotel, 20 Talbot St, Belfast
Tuesday 10 February 2026 - 8:00pm: Wines of Lanzarote with Sinead Germaine Smyth
Sinead holds a BA in Culinary Arts from Dublin Institute of Technology and is Chair of Wine Spirit Women Ireland as well as a freelance wine consultant working with several wine companies in Dublin and beyond and recently became an Ambassador for Wines of Lanzarote.
She is a great enthusiast for all things wine and in particular for these wonderful wines from the “moonscape” vineyards of sunny Lanzarote where we will taste a range from Sparkling, to mineral driven Malvasia whites, fruity reds and exquisite sweeties. Bring your parasols, sunhats and after-sun cream and expect to have your tastebuds tantilised.
Members: £35 Guests: £45, Ramada by Wyndham Hotel, 20 Talbot St, Belfast
Wines of Lanzarote with Sinead Germaine Smyth, 10 Feb 2026
Favourites Old and New, The Wine Rack, 13 Jan 2026
Sparkling Wines - tasted blind! 16 Dec 2025
Greek Wines with Divine Wine by Lisa McCully, 11 Nov 2025
Sustainable Wines with Delaney Sheridan, 30 Sept 2025
Walkaround Tasting - Wines of the World, 16 Sept 2025
Wines of Alsace with Master of Wine Anne McHale, 19 June 2025
Pre-Phylloxera Wines with Oz Sercan Vatansever, Sommelier at Ox Belfast, 6 May 2025
Iberian Wine with Jeremy Shaw & Simon from Iberian Wine Tours, 8 April 2025
A journey through German Wine with Gerd Brabant & Mark Roovers, authors of Wine Country Germany, 11 March 2025
Wines from the Thracian Lowlands of Bulgaria, hosted by Alastair Bell WSET, 12 Feb 2025
Christmas Tasting, with Paul Kavanagh, 10 December 2024
Committee Favourites, 12 Nov 2024
A Journey Through Occitane with Seam Hamill Dip. WSET of JN Wine, 8 Oct 2024
20 years in the Wine Business with Harshal Shah, of Carrington Wine Merchants, 17 Sep, 2024
Island Wines with Master of Wine Anne McHale, 13 June 2024
Old Wine Wines with Alex Johnston DipWSET, from JN Wine 14 May 2024
Speyside Whiskey Tasting with Matthew Porritt, 16 April 2024
Rhone Valley Wines with Alun Griffiths, 12 Mar 2024
New Zealand Wines, Alastair Bell, 13 Feb 2024
South African Wines with Sean Smullen, 16 Jan 2024
Christmas Tasting with Indie Fude, 13 Dec 2024
Wines from Galicia with John Wilson, 10 Oct 2023
How To Join
Membership is £70 per year. To join please email niwsisecretary@yahoo.co.uk
