Roger organised Pam’s retirement party in Reigate, Surrey, after she finished 30 years of teaching, inviting sixteen guests made up of colleagues from school, close friends and family who had shared a big part of that journey with her. The group was too large for the house, so Roger hired a small private function room at a local venue, which gave everyone enough space to relax without losing that close, personal feel.
He kept the wine simple and classic, asking for four reds and four whites and leaving the exact choices to Jonny, explaining that Pam trusted good wine but was never fussy about labels or regions. Alongside the tasting, LazeeGraze charcuterie boards were ordered to sit across the tables, giving people something generous to share while they worked through the wines.
We arrived early to set up the glassware and tasting mats so the room was ready before guests fully settled in, and once everyone had a first glass in hand, Jonny explained how the evening would run and made it clear there were no right or wrong answers. With a group of sixteen, the tasting moved in rounds, giving people time to talk properly between pours rather than feeling rushed.
Before the night, Roger had quietly asked Jonny to include a toast without turning it into a formal speech, as he wanted to mark Pam’s 30 years in a way that felt natural. Midway through the evening, between two tasting rounds, Jonny paused briefly, raised his glass and acknowledged the milestone, which opened the door for colleagues to share stories from classrooms, staff rooms and school trips that had everyone laughing and a few people discreetly wiping their eyes.
The reds carried the second half of the evening, and the Rioja quickly became the favourite around the tables, with several guests commenting on how well it worked with the charcuterie and how easy it was to keep going back for another small pour.
A few days later, Roger ordered a full case of the Rioja as an additional gift for Pam so she could open bottles throughout her first year of retirement, and two of her colleagues asked about booking their own Wine Night In after seeing how well a retirement party wine tasting in Reigate had worked for a group of that size.
Find out more about hosting your own wine tasting in Reigate.
