It’s with a great deal of enthusiasm that I head towards the Waitrose Cookery School on the Finchley Road, as one makes ones way out of London.

 Not only are the wines that this thoroughbred of supermarketry stock interesting wines that are varied and chosen with great care, the company is starting to create initiatives that are making others look enviously in their direction.

 I’m interested to hear more about their policy of promoting wines that lack a foil wrapper. This will surely save a lot of money, a lot of carbon in a part of the winemaking process that has always seemed, to me, to be an overblown piece of self-advertising (no doubt I’ll hear about somebody who collects the seals and think this move will kill off their hobby).

 I’ve had a sneak peek at the various wines on show. and feel they are displaying a confidence with their choices. This visit will tell me if I speak sooth or speak rubbish. 

 The main strapline of this tasting appears to be the promotion of ‘Sustainable Solutions’, and surely this is a move we can all get behind. The number of producers I’ve met recently who have justifiably bemoaned climate change demonstrates that this is an area that can lead the winemakers of the world into a new phase of production, and at the moment I still believe we’ve only just entered the tunnel that will lead us towards this new options and opprtunities.

 In the accompanying bumf I receive, various members of the Waitrose Family tell me what I’m to look out for and how this will help. Enough of the yakking, let’s get through the door and see if what they're offerings are still worth having.

 It was so easy to find because it’s above a huge Waitrose, and then follow the sign for the ‘Cookery School’. In moments, one enters and then it’s up the steep stairs. I really need a stuntman for this part of the job!

 Inside, the venue is prepared as a pour-it-yourself event. I like these when I want to get about quickly and not lose time in conversation (very unsociable I know and I must apologise). The amount of space is great because there is a lot of room to write down  detailed remarks that are so helpful afterwards. I  also like the provision of a clipboard. This means that I won’t have to cling to a table like a drunken sailor whilst juggling glass, pen, computer, notebook and bag. 

 I’d been at an earlier tasting, and didn’t want to go against form, so I stayed in the white and fizz zone, only veering towards the reds at the very end when there was time to spare.  

 It’s funny, but while a lot of the wines I tried were good, they just didn’t excite, and I found this disappointing because the wines of Waitrose are usually first rate and enjoyable. I do think their range of Champagne is worth noting because there is so much choice that anybody can dip their toe in.