Government Wine Cellar facts for kids
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The Government Wine Cellar (GWC) is a special collection of wine and spirits. It helps the United Kingdom's government host important guests and events. This cellar started in 1908. Since 1922, it has been kept in a cellar at Lancaster House in London. The cellar holds about 39,000 bottles of wine and spirits. These are worth more than £2 million!
Contents
What is the Government Wine Cellar?
The Government Wine Cellar provides drinks for official government events. These events are part of the UK's hospitality work. This means welcoming leaders and visitors from other countries. It also includes hosting special dinners and receptions.
Who Looks After the Cellar?
The Government Butler manages the cellar every day. The head of Government Hospitality oversees it. This person works for the Foreign Office, which handles the UK's relationships with other countries.
How Wines Were Chosen Before 2010
A group called the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee used to choose the wines. This committee met a few times a year inside the cellar. They sat around a table made from an elm tree. This tree fell in St James's Park around 1830.
The committee's job was to taste wines. They recommended new wines to buy for the cellar. They also sold some wines to help pay for new ones. They even suggested which wines to serve with different foods. This committee was stopped in 2010.
How Wines Are Chosen Now
Since 2010, a special committee helps choose the wines. This group is made up of Masters of Wine. These are experts who have passed a very difficult wine exam. A former diplomat leads this committee.
Only a few people can go into the cellar. These include the Government Butler. Also, very senior government officials like Permanent Secretaries and Ministers can enter.
How Wines Are Served
The cellar has a careful system for serving wine. When ministers start their jobs, they share their wine preferences. The food being served at an event is also important.
The cellar also considers national traditions and customs. For example, if a Chinese group is visiting, they might serve wines from 1988. This is because the number '8' is considered lucky in China.
What's Inside the Cellar?
The cellar holds many famous wines. These include wines from Château Lafite, Cheval Blanc, Cos d’Estournel, Mouton Rothschild, and Le Pin.
It used to have over seventeen types of Champagne. This included a large bottle (magnum) of Champagne Krug 1964. The cellar also has valuable spirits. These include an 1878 Grand Fins Bois Cognac and a 1931 Quinta do Noval Port.
In 2016, about 44% of the wines served were English and Welsh. This included a wine called Nyetimber’s demi-sec. The Foreign Office has said that the most they have ever spent on one bottle of wine is £100.
See also
- Government Art Collection
- Government Brokers
