On Tuesday 21st October, President Alena welcomed East Markham WI members and visitors to Wine Tasting with Waitrose and introduced Josh and Carol, wine and cheese specialists from the Newark branch, who led an engaging and informative evening.
They guided the group through six wines and two cheeses carefully selected for tasting. The wines included a white from Portugal, a rosé from France’s Languedoc region, a sparkling red Shiraz from Australia, a Malbec from Argentina, and two non-alcoholic wines – a sparkling rosé from Spain and a red blend from California. All were priced at under £10.00. The chosen cheeses were a creamy French Brie and a Snowdonia Vintage Cheddar.
Josh explained the origin, grape variety, and production method for each wine, highlighting the flavours and aromas to expect. Members were encouraged to taste each wine before and after sampling the paired cheese to notice any changes in flavour. Josh and Carol circulated among the tables, chatting with guests and answering questions throughout the evening.
The evening concluded with a well-supported raffle, and Janette gave a warm vote of thanks to Josh and Carol for their expertise and enthusiasm. She remarked that the event was a perfect example of a modern WI – friendly, inclusive, and fun, while still honouring WI traditions and community spirit. Josh and Carol thanked everyone for their warm welcome before introducing two new Waitrose sharing platters, one Classic and one Vegetarian, for members to sample.
The WI’s Poppy Project was installed at the War Memorial on Friday 31st October in preparation for Remembrance Sunday. President Alena laid a wreath at the ceremony, and the committee thanked everyone who contributed handmade poppies, John Usher for his help erecting the display, and Absolute Koi (Rockley) for donating the Tommy figure that complemented it beautifully.
At the following meeting on Tuesday 18th November, members discussed WI business and signed up for the upcoming Christmas Party. The guest speaker was Cathy from Cathy’s Chocolate and Cakes, who gave another enjoyable and deliciously informative demonstration. On Saturday 13th December, when the Christmas Tree lights are switched on, the WI will be running a Children’s Bran Tub in the Village Hall – a little festive fun for the youngest visitors.
Visitors (£6.00) and new members are warmly welcomed at monthly meetings, held at 7.15pm on the third Tuesday of each month at East Markham Village Hall. Pro-rata membership rates apply for those joining in November.
For more information, contact 07802 225999 or 07971 291883.