Champagne Masterclass and Tours 2025 - Portrait Gallery Restaurant

The Art of Champagne, Masterclass and Tour – A Celebration for Love

This Valentine’s weekend spend an exclusive morning at the National Portrait Gallery and The Portrait Restaurant celebrating love and romance.

Begin your morning with an exclusive out-of-hours guided tour of the Gallery by Senior Storyteller, Daniel Hausherr, focusing on tales of great romances that feature in the Gallery’s Collection.

After the tour, head upstairs to The Portrait Restaurant for a Champagne Masterclass hosted by Martin Dibben, Searcys’ Master of Champagne.

The tasting will include five Champagnes, created with love by houses that are connected by their shared dedication to winemaking. These include Maison Perrier-Jouët, Maison Canard-Duchêne and Maison Laurent-Perrier. Champagne symbolises love, purity and celebration making it the perfect pairing for Valentine’s celebration.

£85 per person. 15th February, 9:50am – 11.50am.

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The Art of Champagne, Masterclass and Tour – International Royalty

Begin your morning with an exclusive out-of-hours, guided tour of the gallery by Daniel Hausherr, Senior Storyteller, focusing on some of our portraits containing royalty from around the world within the gallery’s paintings.

This will be followed by a Champagne tasting from Searcys Head of Champagne in the Portrait restaurant. Champagne, the sparkling wine from France’s Champagne region, has long been associated with royalty and luxury. Its effervescence and elegance made it the drink of choice for queens, kings, emperors, and tsars. The tradition began in the 17th century when French kings were crowned in Reims, near the Champagne vineyards, and celebrated with the local wine.

Champagne’s association with royalty continues today, with its presence at state banquets, royal weddings, and other prestigious events, making it a timeless emblem of celebration and sophistication. Enjoy five cuvées that have associations with Royalty from past and current centuries.

£85 per person. 3rd May, 9:50am – 11.50am.

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The Art of Champagne Masterclass and Tour – Women of Influence

Begin your morning with an exclusive out-of-hours, guided tour of the gallery by Daniel Hausherr, Senior Storyteller, focusing on some extraordinary women who have had significant influence on the world past and present.

This will be followed by a Champagne tasting from Searcys Head of Champagne in the Portrait restaurant looking at women both past and present who have had great influence on the development of Champagne.

Enjoy five Cuvées that are associated with women from over three centuries from Veuve Cliquot, who created the first vintage and rosé wine to Charlene Drappier, who today champions the sustainability of Champagne production with some of their cuvée created from historic grapes.

£85 per person. 14th June, 9:50am – 11.50am.

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Icons of Britain – Sparking Wine Masterclass and Tour

Begin your morning with an exclusive out-of-hours guided tour of the Gallery by Senior Storyteller, Daniel Hausherr. Discover iconic sitters and artists in the Collection who have shaped Britain’s culture and history across music, politics, science and more.

After the tour, head to The Portrait Restaurant for a Masterclass hosted by Martin Dibben, Searcys’ Master of Champagne, to sample some of the best English sparkling wines.

English sparkling wine has a rich history, with the first vines planted by the Romans and later revived in the 20th Century. Today, we celebrate exceptional producers like Gusbourne, who planted their first vines in Kent in 2004; Bolney Wine Estate, established in Sussex in 1972; and Louis Pommery, a newer venture blending French expertise with English terroir.

These wineries have elevated English sparkling wine to international acclaim, offering a delightful array of flavours and styles to enjoy.

£85 per person. 2nd August, 9:50am – 11.50am.

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