About Us

Our Tutors

Jimmy Smith (Owner & Head Tutor)

Visit our video blog to see the school & meet Jimmy

"The team all are so keen and I'm sure that is in no small part to your enthusiasm in teaching. Thanks again for what has been an invaluable training but also team building excersise with these core staff who now have a real connection." (Andrew Lundy, Vino Wines WSET Advanced Course, March '10)

Jimmy has been working within the wine industry for 10 years with the past 4 years as a WSET-qualified tutor and assessor. In the past two years alone (2007-2009) he has educated over 650 students through the WSET Intermediate and Advanced certificates. In addition to these more formal qualifications Jimmy has held hundreds of informal and corporate tastings across the UK focusing on the learning and enjoyment of wine, whisky and beer.

Its the all-important infectious enthusiasm and passion for the world of wine that enables Jimmy to communicate to his audience without the use of confusing (& boring!) technical facts often detailed in wine tastings. For feedback comments on Jimmy's tastings please scroll to the bottom of the page.

Jimmy says,

"At West London Wine School we teach people about wine by concentrating on the flavours and aromas of the wines. We focus on the taste profile of each wine explaining the characteristics of the grape variety, the climate, and the winemaking, and show you with maps and photos where they came from and how they are made. We explain why they taste like they do and ask and listen to what you think about the wines. Its all about a taste trial and error through tasting and learning."

The evenings are, above all, fun & entertaining with a relaxed atmosphere - no previous wine tasting experience is required. The best & most enjoyable way to learn about wine is comparing the tastes of different wines side-by-side. We take this to another level with our Sherry & Tapas tastings, where we explore the principles of matching food & wine with practical demonstrations of how different food elements combine with differing styles of wine.

Jimmy says,

"This is where the fun is at in wine tasting. Experimenting by matching different foods with various wines opens a whole new exciting element to the world of wine and its so important to have a basic knowledge. Just as a fantastic wine and food match can enhance the taste of both the food and the wine, visa versa can happen too - if you get it wrong it can really ruin a dish and a wine no matter on how good either are. That's where we come in."

Quentin Sadler

Quentin has been a wine educator since 1995 and continues to get a thrill from introducing people to new and exciting wines, broadening their horizons and surprising their palates. Above all he believes that great wine always has a story and the wine educator’s job is to tell those stories. Prior to that he enjoyed a career in the wine trade, managing wine shops, selling to the trade, hotels and restaurants, buying, marketing and a great deal of tasting. Quentin passionately believes that wine is nowhere near as complicated as some people fear and delights in explaining it to interested people.

He has been a regular judge at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine competition and the South African Michelangelo International Wine Awards. Quentin is a member of The Association of Wine Educators, a member of The Circle of Wine Writers, an Associate of The Institute of Wines & Spirits, a member of FIJEV and a Wine & Spirit Education Trust Recommended Tutor.

Ginny Malan

Ginny has been in the wine industry for 6 years. After working in several Majestic wine stores, and subsequently moving on to the world of sales, Ginny soon realised her strength and passion lay in passing on her knowledge, and "de-mystifying the world of wine" to others.

In the UK we have the advantage of having easy access to almost every style of wine produced in all parts of the world. This also means that it is almost impossible for the average consumer to know about even a small percentage of these wines. This leads to embarrassment in a restaurant, or a wine shop, and the eventual resorting to brands, or recognisable grape varieties.

Imparting even a little information and knowledge to others gives them so much more confidence in social situations, especially when there is a perceived expectation of choosing the correct wine to match with a certain type of food. It gives others the opportunity to experiment with other styles and grape varieties without worrying unnecessarily about making a terrible mistake in their choice of wine.Drinking wine should be all about pleasure and fun, not embarrassment or feeling uncomfortable.

Ginny is a regular judge at the International Wine and Spirit Competition and has judged for the International Wine Challenge. She is a member of the Association of Wine Educators and is a qualified Educator for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

The West London Wine School

Our 8 week courses offer an opportunity to focus week by week on a region, understanding the wines using our learn-by-taste principals. Our 4 week courses offer a more detailed look at a topic (e.g. New/Old world wines), country or grape variety. In all of our courses we talk about aromas, tastes, and flavours rather than technical winemaking details. This is the best format for those looking to learn a wee bit more about the wonderful world of wine.

As we do not sell wine - we can show you where to buy the best wines locally and at the best prices - there is no pressure and no sales pitch at the tastings, you just relax and enjoy the presentation and the wine! We work closely with local independent wine merchants to bring you the best tasting & most interesting wines they have to offer. (Often with discounts exclusive to the West London Wine School which you can take advantage of!).

Our guests come by themselves, in couples, and in larger groups, everybody is welcome. It is also a great way to meet people with the same interest in tasting & learning about wine.

The West London Wine School area covers areas to the west and south-west of London; from Kensington, Chelsea and Fulham to Chiswick, Hammersmith, Richmond and Wimbledon and into the home county of Surrey including Kingston, Twickenham, Hampton, Cobham and Weybridge. We currently have one venue situated in Fulham with excellent transport links from all across London and Surrey (via Clapham Junction).

All of our Evening Tastings (7pm - 9pm) include minimum 6 wines, a small amount of tasting food, comprehensive tasting notes on the selected wines, plus a tutored tasting - with Digital projection equipment & DVDs/Maps/Slides. Professional ISO tasting glasses are also provided.

Customer feedback on recent:

8-Week Wine Courses:

"Really enjoyable!" (Polly, 6th April)

"The course has made me understand what I like and dislike and I have become 'adventurous' with trying new regions of the world" (Louise, 6th April)

"An excellent introduction which provides a solid foundation into the basics of wine including regions, production and most importantly tasting. Excellent value and the opportunity to find some really great wines that I would never have bought but now form a staple part of my new wine cellar. Jimmy presented in an informal manner which allows you to learn about wine whilst making new friends over some fantastic wines." (Llywd, 6th April)

"Really enjoyable course. I now feel more confident to try different wines." (Justine, 6th April)

"I would definately recommend WLWS - a gift voucher would make a great present." (Annabel, 6th April)

"We've had a wonderful time and it's a great introduction to the 'world of wines' for the novice who used to spend £4-6 - well done Jimmy I'm now a more expensive alcoholic!" (Sara, 6th April)

To view all our 8-week wine courses visit here

4-Week Wine Courses:

"Really enjoyed it!" (Jasmine 11th March)

"Jimmy is an excellent teacher - passionate, knows his stuff and never makes you feel like a beginner - thank you!" (Vicky 11th March)

"The 4-week wine course was a very good introduction to the world of wine... easy to follow and understand... and above all the wines were delicious!!! All in all a great opportunity to learn about wine and to meet other people." (Ramona 11th March)

"I took the course as an introduction to wine tasting and was blown away by the quality and usefulness of the knowledge given. Thanks - will come again!" (Janna 11th March

To view all our 4-week wine courses visit here

Saturday Introduction to Wine Courses:

"Excellent course that has given me confidence to talk about and choose wine" (Jeanette, March 20th 2010)

"I am struggling to remember a more pleasant Saturday afternoon - nope, I can't. Brilliant, thanks Jimmy!" (Martin, March 20th 2010)

"Fantastic intro to wines, thoroughly enjoyable. Feel qualified to choose and enjoy wines on a much more informal and sophisticated level. Fantastic." (Oliver, March 20th 2010)

"Thought the informality was fabulous - very accessible, very enjoyable - perfect for novices like myself. Keep up the good wine!" (Lisa, March 20th 2010)

"I took a course about 3 years ago from someone studying to be a 'master' of wine - yours was better; very thorough and I highly recommend it - even if you've done a course before!" (Jenn Sproul, March 20th 2010)

"We were a mixed bunch, from those who know and love their wine to those who wanted a fun weekend activity, but it doesn't seem to make a difference, as Jimmy regales us with nuggets of info, which sees us all scribbling on our splattered tasting sheets!" (TNT magazine, March 8th 2010)

To view all of our Saturday Introduction to Wine courses visit here

Customer Feedback on Corporate Events

"Really enjoying the course and look forward to the Champagne finale next week" (Steve Moss, Billington Course Tasting)

"Just a note to thank you for hosting a very enjoyable event at Lancing last night. It was enjoyed by all and we were able to raise over £250 for HRW. I really liked the format of the event and the way in which you imparted your knowledge." (Scott Greenhaugh, Lancing College Tasting)

"The course has been absolutely fabulous – you make things really interesting and explain it all really well. I wish the course was longer! Wednesday’s one was interesting because of the food matching – I would have liked to have done more of that really. Very clever!" (Polly Russell-Jones, Billington Course Tasting)

"Jimmy well done your enthusiasm and passion is really rubbing off on our people" (Ron Booker, Wine Rack Regional Manager)

“I've wanted to do a Wine Tasting for ages, I loved it. I think you're very good at it... I was on a course today and told everyone about it” (Jo Norris Private Tasting 27/02/10)

For further Information on Corporate & Private tastings visit here

All of our courses are available as gifts, or just leave it open by buying one of our gift vouchers from £20.

Enjoy browsing the web site, I'm sure I'll be welcoming you to a Wine Tasting soon!

Jimmy