Events

We organise three main types of Event for our customers.

1. Boursot's Wine Collection has Underground Vaulted Cellars under its Ardres shop where you can entertain your friends or clients. A talk or a wine tasting can be arranged here if you wish and most customer preferences can be catered for easily enough.

   Local cheeses, patés, salads and French bread can be provided if you wish to complement the wines with some light food.

   The capacity of the cellar is 25 people, depending on event format, and costs are remarkably low, starting at the equivalent of £5 per head. Please call or e-mail Boursot's to discuss your requirements.

   
   Boursot's Wine Collection Vaulted Cellars

2. Your group can receive a Talk on wine or a Tasting either in the UK or at the venue where you may be staying locally in France. With Guy Boursot's many years of experience, you may be guaranteed an entertaining yet informative presentation (see Testimonials on the Speaker Page). For an estimate, or simply to discuss possibilities, please contact Guy Boursot.
   
   Tasting at a house in Kent for 22 people

3. Boursot's Wine Collection hosts Gourmet Lunches and Dinners for its customers. These are held (in English) in various well reputed restaurants in the Pas de Calais area and winemakers or principals are invited to come and talk about their wines. These Lunches and Dinners have been acclaimed as being really enjoyable and of superb value.
   
   Paul Bouchard explaining some finer points at Atlantic Dinner 2007

Forthcoming Events

This list will fill out during the year as speakers, venues and dates come together, so do come back and check regularly.

Please contact us to book now for any of our events below. All our customer lunches and dinners are of course held in English. Vegetarian and alternative food options can also be provided, as long as we receive notice at the time of booking. Please contact us on ardres@boursot.co.uk or on +33 321 36 81 46 to book for any of our events below. If a guest speaker is unable to attend, we will endeavour to find another speaker and if none is available, Guy Boursot will present the talk.

Saturday 28th January: Boursot's "Blues Buster" Gourmet Dinner: Les Trois Mousquetaires, Aire-sur-la Lys

January is when most of us need a bit of cheering up. So, on the weekend of the 28th we will be hosting a thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable day in the cosy surroundings of the newly purchased and refurbished Three Musketeers. This hotel is now back on top form; we have hosted a couple of dinners here ourselves or for other groups and have been excited by the quality of cuisine from David Wojtkowiak who, among other accolades used to chef at the (new) Berkeley hotel in London – a fine reference indeed!

This event will be a little different! During the Saturday afternoon, David Wojtkowiak will host (in English of course!) a cookery masterclass whilst Guy Boursot will host a wine masterclass which will incorporate a small tasting. All this will be held within the hotel.

That evening, the theme for the dinner looks as if it will be along the lines of "Food and Wine Matching – does it matter?". The 4 course dinner served with 6 wines will be at the all-inclusive price of 74€ (about £62) and the classes will be charged separately, details of which will be available soon.

This is expected to be a popular event and we urge you to book early, as inevitably spaces are limited. The various aspects of this event are being pulled together but if you are interested in principle, I suggest you tell us as soon as possible so that we can pencil down your name. If you wish to come simply for the dinner, that’s no problem.

Saturday 17th March: "Grand Cru Champagne" presented by Benoit Marguet at Hotel Château Tilques, Saint-Omer

We are very pleased to tell you that the charismatic and highly respected Benoit Marguet of the Grand Cru producer and grower Champagne Marguet in Ambonnay will be our guest speaker this evening. He will talk about the current developments in Champagne and will answer any questions you may have. Benoit is a proud defender of the concept of "terroir" which defines the various differences between so many wines around the world. Growers in Champagne are enjoying something of a resurgence at the moment and Benoit will tell you how and why they are now leading the way in the Champagne area.

This will be an evening to remember, comparing several different styles of champagne over dinner and being led by a true champagne professional.

We have blocked off a number of bedrooms at the 4 star Hotel Chateau Tilques for this dinner, so please let us know if you would like to stay so we can allocate you a room at our advantageous rate of 159€ per double room with breakfasts included.

The price for the four course dinner is just 89€ (about £75 at today’s rate).

Saturday 28th April: "Wine" presented by Filip Verheyden at Hotel Atlantic, Wimereux

A beautiful and major new wine book has recently been published and indeed, we have our stocks available for you to buy through this link.

"Tong" (the Flemish for Tongue) has for a while been producing quarterly publications about wine. With its articles written by wine professionals, whether they be winemakers or masters of wine, I have found it to be a source of useful and interesting information. What is refreshing is that this "magazine" (for lack of a better word) is written and edited in a no-nonsense and impartial style: without any of the gush and sensation that adorns more "popular" wine magazines. As a matter of policy, it also carries no advertising, which helps to reinforce my view that this is a serious publication that can stand on its own two feet .

Tong has recently produced its first book called "Wine" (!) which will guide everyone, whether novice or professional. I believe that this 288 page book is a must-buy for anyone who has an interest in wine, and that at just £26, it also offers super value. Chapters include: What does good wine taste like? How do I choose wine from a supermarket shelf? Further chapters contain more in-depth knowledge: How to combine wine with food? What is the vine like? How does climate influence a wine's taste? What really happens in a winery? And much more.

Filip Verheyden is co-author and publisher of Tong and he will be our guest presenter this evening. With his outspoken attitude towards wine (and food), you should find this evening both refreshing and illuminating.

Tickets for this Gourmet Dinner are 89€ (around £77) per person to include a bubbly reception, a five course dinner and five more wines. And of course some top discussion! We have blocked off rooms at the Atlantic and there are also plenty of other hotel rooms within easy walking distance.

Please call or e-mail for tickets.

Saturday 12th May: Gourmet Dinner – details to be arranged

Saturday 8th July: Mid-Summer Lunch presented by master brewer Christophe Noyon at a venue to be announced

Our mid-Summer lunch is always popular but this year our Lunch is intended to be slightly different – each course will be served with a different beer! If you are interested by how beer is made, brewer Christophe Noyon has adopted a Grand Cru wine approach to his micro-brewery situated at Tardinghen close to the Cap Blanc Nez – which is always worth visiting and his website can be found here. His range of six beers has been much acclaimed and, even, exported to England!

That afternoon, the bi-annual La Fête de la Belle Roze takes place in the centre of Ardres – the feast that celebrates the saving of Ardres from the Spaniards in the 16th century. It is an event that is full of colour and more will be written about this here in due course.

Saturday 13th October: Anniversary Gourmet Dinner – details to be arranged

Saturday 17th November: Gourmet Dinner – details to be arranged

Sunday 16th December: Ardres’ Christmas Market and Boursot’s Christmas Lunch