Newsletter February 2026
Dear Members,
A very warm (and slightly belated!) Happy New Year to you all 🍾 I hope 2026 has started well and that your glasses have never been empty for too long.
We’re delighted to tell you that our 2026 programme of events is now live on the website and promises a wonderful mix of tastings, locations, and wines. Highlights include a sparkling wine tasting from Spain — it’s been a few years since we last explored Cava, so bubbles will once again be firmly on the agenda.
We also have two bodega presentations to look forward to: one later this month featuring wines from the DO Montsant, and another in September with a much-anticipated evening dedicated to wines from the DO Rioja. In addition, we’re reviving the Regional Grape Variety Challenge, last held a few years ago. The big question is: who will be crowned champion this year and take home the coveted trophy?
Our AGM was held on 16 January at MR Hotels in Dénia, where we reviewed last year’s tastings and elected your new committee. Neville Richardson presented a review of what was a highly successful year and warmly thanked the committee members who are stepping down: Mike Granville (Treasurer), John Sloggie (Webmaster), and Sara Richardson (Tasting Registrar). All three will be a hard act to follow, and we thank them sincerely for their dedication and hard work.
I was then honoured to be elected as your new President, and my first task was a very enjoyable one — to thank Neville for the outstanding job he has done over the past two years. Under his leadership, membership has grown from 93 at the beginning of 2024 to a very healthy 144 this year, while also becoming more diverse in nationality, age, and region. At the AGM, we agreed to set our sights on reaching 160 members during 2026.
At the end of the AGM, two of our newer members, Steve and Helen Houssant, very kindly offered to organise a shared taxi or minibus for members travelling from the JalĂłn, Calpe, and Benissa areas. If this would be of interest to you, please email me at helen_granville@outlook.com, and I will happily pass your details on to Helen and Steve. Many thanks to them both for such a thoughtful and generous initiative.
The AGM minutes will be posted on the website within the next week or so.
Following the AGM, 56 members and guests enjoyed a relaxed and sociable tasting at the hotel’s Punta Negra Restaurant, featuring the highest-scoring wines of 2024 as voted by CBWS members. This is our traditional start to a new year by revisiting the standout wines from the previous one. We were also delighted to welcome two new members, Andrew and Renate Paszkowski, and two guests, Denise Masters and Ray Lee, who have since joined the society — a very warm welcome to you all.
This was very much an evening focused on enjoyment, conversation, and great company rather than scoring, and the full report is available on the website.
Our next tasting takes place on 19 February at Restaurante Los Amigos, Jávea, hosted by Tim Fawle, with guest speaker Albert Jané of Acústic Cellars (DO Montsant). Albert is a highly respected figure in Montsant, known for his “acoustic” (unplugged) style, minimal intervention, and old vines. We’ll enjoy a welcome cava at 19:30, followed by dinner at 20:00. The cost is €50 for members and €60 for guests.
Welcome tapa
ENTRANTES para cp[artir
Gambas al ajillo
Capaccio de ternera con virutas de foie
Verduras de tempura con salsa romesco
PRINCIPAL A ELIGIR
Lenguado a la planca con verduras
or
Entrecot a la brasa con patas lux, salsa pimienta y verduras a la planca
or
Vegetarian option
POSTRE
Huevo de chocolate casero rellenos de mousse de chocolate
Please book directly on the CBWS website or via the link below. Our maximum capacity for this event is 64. Booking is now open and will close at midday on 14 February, after which no more bookings can be made and there will be no refunds for cancellations.
A gentle reminder that our dress code for tastings is smart casual — no jeans, and jackets are optional.
Looking ahead, on 19 March at Javea Golf Club Fergus & Joan Fitzpatrick will present “Exploring Garnacha”. Then on 16 April, Tony & Gro Salter will host what promises to be a lively and entertaining evening titled “My Favourite Wine”, where five newer members will present their chosen wines. Each table will vote for their Best Presenter and Best Wine of the Evening, with surprises in store for the winners.
A number of members have asked me whether we could run an informal workshop session covering our wine scoring methods. This could serve both as an introduction for newer members and a refresher for longer standing members. This could benefit member of CBWS. We only ever serve wines which are good or better, so any score below 65 should be an absolute exception.
Neville revised our scoring system a few years ago based loosely on the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust (WSET) system of assessing wines. As many of you will know Neville holds a WSET Diploma (Level 4) and he has agreed to run this workshop for us. You can see find more information on the WSET system here. Please email me at president@cbws.eu if you would be interested in attending such a session.
Finally, a reminder that the annual membership subscription of €30 per person was due by 31 December 2025. Anyone who has not renewed by 30 January will automatically be removed from the membership list, so please do renew if you haven’t already.
We’re very much looking forward to an interesting, enjoyable, and wine-filled year ahead, and hope to see you at many of our events.
Helen