Wine Tasting - Quiz Night

Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria. Thursday 05-February-2026.

Another visit to Bassenthwaite Lake Station (BLS) for their monthly wine tasting. As usual we went for the winter break deal (dinner, bed and breakfast) at The Pheasant as we were not going to be driving home afterwards, that’s for sure!

This time, rather than have a theme, it was a quiz night with most of the wines presented blind.

We started with a glass of sparkling but could we identify what it was? Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, English sparkling or Cremant? As it turned out, it was a Cremant though, judging by the show of hands, people’s guesses were pretty random.

Next it was a wine blind tasting of four wines where we had to guess the hemisphere, continent, country, main group and price within 50p. Mary and I generally worked on guessing the main grape and working backwards from that.

The second round was a number of general wine questions which we did alright on.

The third round was our suggestion. At a previous tasting we had suggested a Call My Bluff round. A white wine was presented and three people were volunteered to read out a description of the wine. The crowd then had to guess which of the three descriptions was the correct one. Then the same again for a red wine.

Next a round of general wine questions followed by a number of literary and film quotes relating to wine. With no clues or hints it was a complete stab in the dark and I think hardly anyone guessed correctly

The final round was three glasses of the same wine, a Rioja, but three different qualities (and vintages): a Crianza 2021, a Reserva 2020 and a Gran riserva 2018. We had to guess the price and points were awarded for how close we were. 

No tasting notes as we didn’t know what we were drinking (apart from the last three). Fortunately BLS provided us with tasting notes at the end:

Wine Name and Details Supplier and Price 

• Tasting Notes

1. Bouvet Ladubay Saumur Cremant Brut, % Majestic £14.50

• A Loire Valley sparkling wine (primarily Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay) known for being a crisp, refreshing, and affordable alternative to Champagne. It features fine, persistent bubbles with tasting notes of green apple, citrus, white peach, honeydew melon, and distinct toasted brioche.

2. The Ned Pinot Grigio, % Majestic, £11.50

• A distinct, aromatic, and textured wine from Marlborough, New Zealand, recognized by its pale salmon-pink hue derivedfrom skin contact. It features ripe orchard fruit, white peach, nectarine, and floral notes with a creamy, rich palate. This dry, "lush" style is often described as having a crisp, refreshing finish with hints of spice.

3. Le Pierrier Sancerre 2024, 13.5% Lakeland Vintners, £27

• A crisp, aromatic, and mineral-driven 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. It features high-toned aromas of gooseberry, citrus, andwhite flowers, with a palate of green apple, grapefruit, and limestone minerality. This biodynamically produced, unoaked wine has a bright, textured and long finish.

4. Dancing Flame Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2023, 14% Lakeland Vintners, £15

• An elegant, Chilean red from the Leyda Valley, offering intense aromas of blackberries, fresh raspberries, and cherries. Aged in French oak,it features a smooth, medium-bodied palate with soft tannins, earthy nuances, and a persistent, fruity finish, often described as a vibrant and well-balanced option.

5. Chateau Corbin St Emilion 2021, 14% Lakeland Vintners, £20

• Château Corbin 2021 is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé (Bordeaux) featuring a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Known forits elegant, fresh style, this vintage displays red fruit, violet, and peppery notes with a fine, airy palate. It is highly regarded for its value and refinement.

6. Daniel Dampt Chablis 2023, 12.5% Lakeland Vintners  £20

• A beautiful, floral white flowerbouquet, the palate is quite opulent, pure and clean with notes of green apple and a tangycitrus acidity

7. Two Hands Tenacity Shiraz, Australia Majestic £16.50

• A full-bodied, rich, and velvety Australian red, showcasing intense dark fruit flavours like plum, blackberry, and dark cherry. Sourcedfrom old vines in McLaren Vale and Barossa, it offers notes of chocolate, spice, and pepper with soft, fine-grained tannins and a long finish.

8. Cune Rioja Crianza 2021 Majestic £12

• A bright, ruby-red colour and a fragrant, fruit-forward nose of red berries, vanilla, and spice,balanced palate with smooth tannins, moderate acidity, and a lasting finish featuring cherries and liquorice.

9. Cune Rioja Reserva 2020 Majestic £15

• An intense, deep ruby red wine offering a complex, traditional Rioja profile. It features rich aromas of bramble and autumn fruit, complemented by vanilla and warm spice from oak aging. The palate is smooth and balanced with notes of cherry, plum, and tobacco, finishing with soft, structured tannins

10. Cune Rioja Gran Reserva 2018 Majestic £20

• A classic, elegant Rioja blend (primarily Tempranillo) showing intense dark cherry colour, complex aromas of black fruits, vanilla, and spice,with a full-bodied, smooth palate featuring fine, polished tannins. It is aged for 2+ years in oak and 3+ years in bottle, often showing notes of leather and tobacco.

The scoring was done on an honour system, you marked your own sheet not like in a pub quiz where you swap with the table next to you. We did OK, we came second. We did well on the tastings and questions but were let down by our lack of knowledge of current prices!