Trying out Fortnum's Cellar Sessions for the launch of the store's new wine range

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The tasting in full flow at Fortnum's Wine Bar in Piccadilly

Hold on, Fortnum & Mason has a wine bar?

It does. Tucked away in their wine shop on the lower ground floor of the Piccadilly store is where you'll find The Wine Bar. It's something of a hidden secret, but a perfect place to sit and enjoy wines from their 100-strong list as well as small plates, fresh oysters and more.

And why were you there?

Good question; we were here to attend one of the first of their new Cellar Sessions. It's a series of events bringing together some of the wine world's most celebrated voices over the coming months. Guest speakers have included Diogenes The Dog owner Sunny Hodge, TV's Olly Smith, Instagram star Tom Gilbey and Jancis Robinson, all on this year's roster. And tickets for a session with Dan Keeling from Noble Rot's event have just gone on sale. Each speaker will guide guests through a tutored tasting of interesting wines.

Our session was run by Edwina Watson, Fortnum's own wine buyer. She's just been responsible for bringing out a new range of wine for Fortnum's under their own labels, which is what we were here for. As Edwina explained to us, "We wanted to draw attention to our wine bar in the heart of the store in Piccadilly - it's a bit of a hidden gem. And as we're building our new wine range, we wanted to bring in characters from the wine world to help tell that story."

Edwina gives us a preview of the wines we're tasting that evening.

So how does it work?

Tables are laid out with five wines that you'll be talked through as part of the tasting. There's also a very good cheese and charcuterie platter for each table, packed with items from the store's deli on the same floor.

The generous cheese and charcuterie board with crackers for two.

Our wines were chosen from the Fortnum's new range, which is split into two tiers: the classic Piccadilly House range with its colourful labels and the higher-end Fortnum's Collection.

We tried their new English Coastal White from the Camel Valley (which went very well with a Cornish Yarg cheese) and then two reds and two whites, both chosen to showcase different wines from the same area but with different price points. So we had a White Burgundy from Les Vins Aujoux, from the Piccadilly range and a Saint-Véran from Joseph Drouhin from the Fortnum's Collection, for example.

Moving on to a Chianti Classico from Reicine.

And you can buy the wines too?

Happily, if you really like one of the ones you're tasting, you can then buy a full-sized glass at the end of the tasting. But, even more usefully, the wine shop is right outside the bar for any bottles you might want to pick up.

Overall thoughts:

If you love wine, or know someone who does, booking one of Fortnum's Cellar Sessions is a must. They're fun, interactive and a great window into interesting wines. They'd also make a fabulous gift for the oenophile in your life. An easy recommendation.