If you wish to stay close by overnight beforehand, the Hilton Doubletree Hyde Park Hotel, 150 Bayswater Road, W2 4RT is just over the road from the Coach Park and convenient for an early departure next morning. 

Monday 21 May
We will depart from London (Bayswater Coach Park W2) at 08.00 hours.
There will be a Grand Tasting and lunch en route, where the Guides will provide 11 champagnes showing their different styles. 
We will arrive in Reims at the Hotel de la Paix (4 star) around 16.45.   Dinner will be in Le Grand Café with wines from Champagne and Burgundy.

Tuesday 22 May 
Champagne Taittinger. Followed by lunch with Taittinger at La Marquetterie.
There will be further visits in the afternoon, and dinner in the evening.       

Wednesday 23 May 
Visit to Champagne Joseph Perrier in Chalons. The restaurant Cheval Blanc is halfway between Chalons and Reims; a notable restaurant in La Chef.   After lunch we will go to the Côte de Blancs, Oger, and visit the Grand Cru Champagne Jean Milan.
Dinner that night will be close to the hotel at Le Flo    

Thursday 24 May
We will visit either Ruinart or Moȅt (Dom Perignon tasting). We will follow that with a light lunch and a visit to Champagne François Secondé in Sillery, Grand Cru for Champagne Brut Absolut and Blanc de Noirs.  In the evening, we will be the guests of La Confrérie du Sabre d'Or at Le Vieux Pressoir.  This is the home and cave of Philippe Brugnon, our host, and doyen of Pink Champagne, the Art of Sabrage and creator of fine Vintage Champagne. A memorable dinner and accompanying fine wines will be followed by a demonstration of Sabrage and our "end of term" party

Friday 25 May.
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we will visit Champagne Mumm where the history and ethos of Champagne will be well demonstrated, followed by a swift tasting. We move on to Le Boulingrin for our climax - The Krug Experience in which we will be served substantial pourings of the most expensive Champagne from such vintages as 1990, 1995 and 2003 as well as the famous Grand Cuvée.
After lunch, we will depart for the Channel Tunnel and London, where we will arrive at around 20.30.   A traiteur (caterer) will serve a gourmet three course picnic on board during the journey. 

Monday 21 - Friday 25 May

This exceptional experience will include:

• At least 28 Champagnes to be sampled.
• Visits to three Champagne Houses (négociant-manipulants), and three Viticulteurs (récoltants).
• All lunches and dinners with Champagne and fine wines.
• Expert tutors with resources to present fine French wines, including some privileged wines of older vintages.
• Hotel accommodation and breakfast.
• High standards of gastronomy.
• Luxury table-seated coach with kitchen, toilet, snack boxes and refrigerators. Champagne always served and other wines available on board.
• An opportunity to buy and bring back Champagne from all producers.
• A demonstration of Sabrage.

Dress codes and joining instructions will be issued nearer the time.

The fully-inclusive price is 2,550 euros per person, single supplement 360 euros.

To enjoy this fantastic opportunity to visit the ‘Emerald Isle’, you can fly into Dublin en route from North America to the London Festival, or from many other international airports. Budget airlines also have regular flights from London to Dublin and Cork to London in just over an hour. 

The Pre-tour starts with registration on Tuesday 22 May 2018, with two nights in Dublin, and the 5 star Merrion Hotel will be our festival hotel. Alternative hotels to suit your budget are available in Dublin. Our opening dinner will be at a two Michelin starred restaurant, close to St Stephen’s Green in the Georgian area of Dublin Town. 

Tours of Dublin including lunch, on the second day, will relay its history, architecture and culture. In contrast to our first night, our second night will be casual and destined to enjoy the ‘Crac’, a gaelic word meaning fun. We will dine in the highest Pub in Ireland, a chance to sample Irish beer, Irish Whiskey or imported wines and we will be entertained at a ‘Hooley Show’ with Irish music and dance. 

On the third day we leave by coach towards Cork, enjoying the green countryside and stopping en route at places of interest for photo opportunities and lunch at a country house. St Patrick travelled in this area and we will learn his history. We stay together for three nights at a Central Cork hotel. Our first dinner will be prepared for us in a local restaurant. 

Next day we head to the South West, Killarney and the beautiful Kerry peninsular, known as the outer edge of Europe, or the Wild Atlantic Way. We will stop for lunch and return to Cork for a free evening.

We explore Cork the next morning, taking in the English market before heading for a wine/whiskey tasting, visits, and lunch in the Kinsale area. Our festival finishes with a farewell dinner in Cork celebrating Irish produce matched with fine wines. 

On Sunday 27 May 2018, you are free to stay on, or take a flight to London, which as previously mentioned, takes just over one hour.)

Tour price of 1,750 euros per person includes

2 dinners and 1 lunch in Dublin, plus all visits and coach transportation

Coach transfer to Cork and local coach tours

3 nights hotel accommodation in Cork (no single supplement), plus 2 dinners and 2 lunches

Wine/whiskey tastings and visits 

Accommodation in Dublin and transport to and from Ireland are not included, and will need to be booked separately.

We have received an invitation to take part in an exclusive musical and historical tour of Westminster Abbey on Saturday 26th May 2018 in the company of members of the Purcell Club.

The Purcell Club tours of the Abbey are very special and much in demand.  They take place only once a month, and currently there is a four year waiting list for tickets. Members of IWFS who have been lucky enough to experience one of these tours promise that they are a unique experience, not to be missed. 

 Formed in the 1920’s, The Purcell Club is a male voice group drawn from members of the Westminster Abbey Old Choristers Association who provide tours of Westminster Abbey to raise money for the Abbey itself and various carefully chosen charities.  The tours are designed to give guests a detailed introduction to the history and architecture of the abbey as they move around the building from one location to the next.  At various points there will be a pause for an appropriate piece of music sung by Purcell Club members which may date from 16^th to 21^st centuries.  The finale will be a short piece played on the Abbey’s magnificent organ. 

 Before the tour we have arranged an optional Champagne Afternoon Tea for members of the party.  This will start at 5.00 pm and will take place at a venue within the Abbey. The tour itself will start promptly at 6.45 pm and finish at 9.15 pm. 

Places on the tour are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. The cost will be GBP 75.00 per person including the champagne tea or GBP 45.00 without.   

We hope that you will be able to join us.   

Stephanie Shepherd 
EAZ Events Co-ordinator

Note: members joining the pre-festival tour to Champagne are scheduled to return to London on Friday 25th May in good time for this event.  Those taking part in the Irish Delights tour are not due to return until 27th.

The Purcell Club has expressly asked us to make members aware that much of the Abbey floor and steps are uneven and that some areas may be dimly lit, there will be several places on the tour where flights of steps need to be negotiated.   While the main parts of the Abbey are accessible by wheelchair, several of the building's most notable historic features, which form a significant part of this special tour, cannot be viewed other than on foot. Anyone who is confined to a wheelchair should be aware that they would miss seeing the unique Cosmati Pavement, St Edward the Confessor's Shrine, and various chapels including that of Henry VII with its glorious fan-vaulted roof. One wheelchair is available but must be booked.