Government Wine Cellar

The United Kingdom's Government Wine Cellar (GWC) provides wine "to support the work of Government Hospitality". It was founded in 1908 and since 1922 has been housed in a 60 square foot cellar of Lancaster House.

The cellar is managed day to day by the Government Butler and is overseen by the head of Government Hospitality coming under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Office. It was previously stocked on the advice of the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine but is now stocked according to recommendations from a specialist committee of Masters of Wine, chaired by a former diplomat.[1] The committee meets two or three times a year in the cellar, around a table carved from an elm tree that blew down in St James's Park in around 1830. The role of the committee is to taste the wines, make recommendations for new purchases to keep the cellar stocked, and to sell a portion on the open market to fund the restocking process. They also grade the wines and offer serving suggestions.[1] Aside from the committee and the Government Butler, access to the cellar is strictly limited to Permanent Secretaries and Ministers.[2][3]

The wine is served according to a complex system. Ministers are asked to give their preferences when they take office. Food being served at the banquet or function is usually factored in. National sensitivities and customs are also considered – for example when there is a Chinese delegation vintages from 1988 are used as '8' is considered a lucky number in China.[4]

The cellar is estimated to contain around 39,000 bottles of wine and spirits estimated at a value of over £2 million. This includes wines from Château Lafite, Cheval Blanc, Cos d’Estournel, Mouton Rothschild and Le Pin. It had previously held over seventeen different types of Champagne including a magnum of Champagne Krug 1964 and still holds such valuable spirits as an 1878 Grand Fins Bois Cognac and 1931 Quinta do Noval Port. English and Welsh wines are estimated to make up 44% of all those served in 2016, including Nyetimber’s demi-sec. The Foreign Office have stated that the most the cellar has ever spent on a single bottle of wine is £100.[5][1]

See also

Government Art Collection

References

  1. 1 2 3 "National treasures: Inside the UK Government's Cellar". Decanter. 2013-05-10. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  2. ↑ "Government Wine Cellar". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  3. ↑ Manel, Jon (2011-05-14). "Secrets of the government's £2m wine cellar - BBC News". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  4. ↑ "Government to auction off most expensive vintage wines". Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  5. ↑ "Government wine cellar: Consumption down by a third - BBC News". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
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