Since 2024 we have gathered around a bottle engineers, scientists, enthusiasts, winemakers, storytellers. We are not sommeliers (with a few exceptions!). We are curious minds. And for us every wine is an expedition into a land, a story, a vintage that will not return.
On 26 June the Wine Cup poured its second six. Three seeds — France, Italy and Germany — faced three wildcards drawn in May: Portugal, the US and Austria. A form guide to all six contenders — with France, the US and Germany advancing.
by Wine Club
Wine Cup 2026 · June 2026
Round I: six whites, three duels
The opening quarter-finals: three seeded European classics against three Southern-Hemisphere wildcards, drawn live in May. The form guide to every glass.
by Wine Club
Terroir & Identity · May 2026
Alta Langa: the rising star of Italian bubbles
High above the hills that gave the world Barolo, a quieter revolution in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The story of Italy's first metodo classico, reborn at altitude.
by Wine Club
The Club · Who we are
A quiet fellowship of curious minds.
We don't chase ratings, nor the shelves of luxury cellars. Yet we appreciate quality and we seek conversations that begin with a cork and end hours later.
The Wine Club was founded in 2024 with a simple idea: bring people together through wine. What began as a shared curiosity among colleagues has evolved into a space where bottles become conversations, and conversations become connections.
Wine is never just what's in the glass. It carries the imprint of its soil, the intent and the stories of those who crafted it, and the perspective of those who taste it. Each bottle opens a dialogue between regions, styles, and people.
«A bottle of wine is a place, a story, and a point of view best understood when shared.»
By sharing wines and ideas, we build something cumulative: a sharper palate, a broader understanding, and a network of individuals connected by a common sensibility.
72
Active Members
28
Regions Explored
22
Events since 2024
378
Bottles Opened
Why come on board
i.
A monthly flagship experience
Around one curated event per month, often hosted at EUMETSAT. Structured tastings of 6–7 wines, carefully paired with food prepared by Chef Eddy, and concluded with a final raffle. Signature moments include Hallowine (Wine & Crime, 31 October) and the sparkling Grand Finale with Tombola in December.
ii.
Informal tastings, on the house
Smaller, spontaneous gatherings built around interesting bottles as they become available, always with thoughtfully paired finger food.
iii.
Direct access to producers and salons
Selected trips to wine fairs and vineyards. An opportunity to engage directly with winemakers and experience wines in their place of origin.
iv.
Exposure to exceptional bottles
Access to wines that are rarely opened casually — including Barbaresco and Bordeaux in the €130–€140 range. The focus is not prestige alone, but calibration of taste.
v.
A platform to curate your own tasting
Members are encouraged to propose and lead tastings. This has proven to be one of the most effective ways to discover new regions and unexpected producers.
vi.
Limited edition bottles
Priority access to the club's annual release, produced in collaboration with Tenuta La Meridiana. Each edition features a custom label and a distinct identity, with members benefiting from preferential conditions and early access.
Membership 2026
Ready to join us?
The annual membership fee for 2026 is €40. It covers administrative costs and grants access to all members-only tastings, trips, and the limited edition release.
Scan the QR code with your banking app to pre-fill the SEPA transfer. Alternatively, use the details shown on the right.
Themed tastings with food pairings, guest sommeliers, cellar visits, and wine fairs. Each experience designed to explore wine from a different angle. Members only — with partners and selected guests welcome to join.
Sold Out
15
Jul
Whites · Wine Cup
Wine Cup 2026: The Final
Three wines, one champion. The semifinal survivors meet for the last pour of the tournament: Vins Condrieu · Les Cercles d'Or 2023 for France, Pieropan · Soave Classico La Rocca DOC 2020 for Italy, and Salwey · Sieben Winter 2016 for Germany. Guiding us through the final flight is our friend and sommelier Andrea Biagiotti. We then celebrate the champion with an exceptional bottle of bubbles — Champagne Jean Vesselle "Œil de Perdrix" Brut — and close the evening with a grand raffle: every member takes home a chance at the bottles that made the tournament, with one entry for each Wine Cup evening attended.
Six survivors, three blind duels: Condrieu over Château Olivier in an all-French affair, Italy past the US, and Germany over South Africa. France, Italy and Germany take the last three seats at the final table.
Venue
EUMETSAT Campus · 18 attendees
26
Jun
Whites · Wine Cup · Concluded
Wine Cup 2026: Quarter Finals Round 2
Six whites, three parallel duels: France over Portugal, the US past Italy, and Germany over Austria. Three more nations booked their place in the semi-finals — and the bracket is now complete.
Venue
EUMETSAT Campus · Sold out · 25 seats
18
Jun
Whites · Wine Cup · Concluded
Wine Cup 2026: Quarter Finals Round 1
Six whites, three parallel duels: France over Argentina, Italy over Chile, and South Africa past Spain. The first three nations booked their place in the semi-finals.
Venue
EUMETSAT Campus · Sold out · 25 seats
20
May
Whites & Sparkling · Concluded
French and German whites & Piemontese bubbles
A tasting across latitudes: a selection of white wines from France and Germany set in conversation with a few Alta Langa from Piemonte. Lesser-known labels that deserve more than a footnote.
Venue
EUMETSAT Campus · 30 attendees
16
Apr
Themed tasting · Concluded
The soul of Abruzzo: seven wines between mountain and sea
From Pecorino to Villa Gemma Riserva, a deep dive into the region's identity with Davide Castellazzi guiding the lineup. De Fermo, Masciarelli, Emidio Pepe, Cornacchia — a portrait of contrasts. Food pairing by Chef Eddy.
Venue
EUMETSAT Campus · 34 attendees
12
Mar
Masterclass · Concluded
Bordeaux, Grand Cru: three estates, three philosophies
Stepping up the quality ladder with Léoville Poyferré, Château Kirwan Margaux, and Château Clinet Pomerol. A fil rouge from the Left Bank to the Right, presented by Jeff, Julie and Vanessa. A small French indulgence to close.
Venue
EUMETSAT Campus · 25 attendees
12
Feb
Themed tasting · Concluded
Mapping Bordeaux: six appellations, one evening
A return to one of the most iconic wine regions of the world, guided by Jeff Tambouez, Julie Charbonnier and Vanessa Neumann. Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Graves, Côtes de Bourg, Cérons — and one surprise bottle from another French icon. Full buffet by Chef Eddy.
Venue
EUMETSAT Campus · 32 attendees
Our marketplace
The Vinoteque: bottles hand-picked.
Custom limited-edition bottles, top-voted wines from our tastings, and a curated selection of exclusive releases from selected producers.
Shipping included on every bottle
Free pick-up at EUMETSAT
First Edition
Piemonte · Italy
First Dance
Wine Club × Tenuta La Meridiana · 2024
2 bottles available
€16
Top-Voted
95JS95JA
Margaux · France
Château Kirwan 2019
3ème Grand Cru Classé · 2019
Last bottle · 1 available
€42
Curated Selection
97JS93WA
Patagonia · Argentina
Mainqué Chardonnay
Bodega Chacra · 2024
Last bottle · 1 available
€48
Curated Selection
96DESC
Aconcagua Costa · Chile
Special Cuvée Chardonnay
Montes Alpha · 2023
Last bottle · 1 available
€16
Curated Selection
94TA93JS
Sold Out
Castilla y León · Spain
Ossian Verdejo
Ossian Vides y Vinos · 2022
Sold out
€28
Curated Selection
96JS
Dão · Portugal
Vinhas Velhas Branco
António Madeira · 2023
2 bottles available
€28
Curated Selection
95WS
Etna · Italy
Calderara Sottana Etna Bianco
Tenuta delle Terre Nere · 2024
2 bottles available
€38
Curated Selection
95FAL95JS
Südsteiermark · Austria
Grassnitzberg Riff Sauvignon Blanc
Familienweingut Tement · 2022
2 bottles available
€34
No bottles in this category just yet — check back soon.
Critics' scores — key
The gold medallions on each bottle highlight the most significant scores awarded by leading wine critics (out of 100).
JS James Suckling
WA Wine Advocate (Robert Parker)
WS Wine Spectator
JA Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux)
FAL Falstaff
TA Tim Atkin MW
DESC Descorchados
The Journal · June 2026 issue
Cover story · Wine Cup 2026
Round II: six whites, three duels
On 26 June the Wine Cup poured its second six. With France, Italy and South Africa already through, three more seeds — France, Italy and Germany — met three wildcards drawn live in May: Portugal, the US and Austria. A form guide to every contender, from a Rhône legend and a Sicilian volcano to an Austrian coral reef — with France, the US and Germany booking the last semi-final places.
by Wine ClubRead the article →
Archive
Wine Cup 2026June 2026
Round I: six whites, three duels
The opening quarter-finals: three seeded European classics against three Southern-Hemisphere wildcards. A form guide to the castles, old vines and small obsessions behind each glass.
Terroir & IdentityMay 2026
Alta Langa: the rising star of Italian bubbles
High above the hills that gave the world Barolo, a quieter revolution in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: the story of Italy's first metodo classico, reborn at altitude.
Terroir & IdentityApril 2026
Abruzzo uncovered: the Adriatic coast's best-kept secret
Between the Gran Sasso massif and the sea, a region long dismissed as Italy's workhorse is quietly producing some of the country's most distinctive wines.
Market & LuxuryMarch 2026
The Bordeaux paradox: luxury in an age of decline
Pétrus, Lafite, Cheval Blanc: the wines that command the highest prices in the world. And the strategy behind their silence, as the market around them shrinks.
Terroir & GeographyFebruary 2026
Reading Bordeaux: a map of sixty appellations
Left Bank, Right Bank, and everything in between. A primer on the soils, grapes, and styles that define the world's most studied wine region.
Event Booking
Reserve your seat
20 May 2026 · Darmstadt, EUMETSAT Campus · 18:00
Choose your option
Scan to pay · SEPA Transfer
Participation to this event is €18 per person. Scan the QR code with your banking app to confirm your seat, or use the details below.
Beneficiary
EUMETSAT STAFF ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE
IBAN
DE72 5088 0050 0190 0845 00
Amount
€ 18,00
Reference
Event 20 May — [Your Name]
Once payment is received, your seat will be confirmed by email. For any question, contact the Treasurer.
Wine Cup 2026
Tournament board
Three rounds · Twelve wines · One champion
Twelve wines, four evenings, three rounds. The wildcard pairings were drawn live on the evening of 20 May — Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Portugal, US and Austria now face their seeded opponents (Australia and New Zealand remain under consideration, should we find a sufficient variety of quality wines at a reasonable shipping cost). Six wines move to the semis; three to the final; one is crowned. The board updates after every evening.
🇮🇹ItalyTenuta delle Terre Nere · Calderara Sottana Etna Bianco 2024
vs
🇺🇸USAu Bon Climat · Hildegard Estate 2023
Winner: 🇺🇸 US · Au Bon Climat
Match 6
🇩🇪GermanySalwey · Sieben Winter 2016
vs
🇦🇹AustriaTement · Ried Grassnitzberg Riff Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Winner: 🇩🇪 Germany · Salwey Sieben Winter
Round 3·10 July 2026
Semi Finals
Completed
Blind draw — the semi-finals were poured blind: the pairings were drawn in secret and the glasses came unlabelled. Only after the last vote was counted were the three duels revealed. France, Italy and Germany move on to the final table.
† Italy advanced with Pieropan La Rocca 2020. The 2022 poured in Round I is sold out across every retailer we could source — the 2020 is the same wine, same standard.
Round 4·15 July 2026
The Finals
Upcoming
🇫🇷FranceVins Condrieu · Les Cercles d'Or 2023
🇮🇹ItalyPieropan · Soave Classico La Rocca DOC 2020
🇩🇪GermanySalwey · Sieben Winter 2016
Champion
to be crowned
+ Champagne Jean Vesselle "Œil de Perdrix" Brut
Three nations, three glasses, one crown — guided by our friend and sommelier Andrea Biagiotti, and closed with a grand raffle: one entry for every Wine Cup evening attended.
The board will be updated after each evening with the wines on the table and the nations advancing to the next round.
Event report
Event report
The results
The lineup
✽ Special mentionBest of the evening
And to close
Limited edition · Wine Club × Tenuta La Meridiana
Reserve your bottle
Scan to pay · SEPA Transfer
Scan the QR code with your banking app to place your order, or use the bank details below.
Beneficiary
EUMETSAT STAFF ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE
IBAN
DE72 5088 0050 0190 0845 00
Amount
€ 16,00
Reference
First Dance — [Your Name]
Next steps: once your payment is received, you will be contacted by email with the delivery details and estimated arrival. Shipping is included, or collect your bottle in person at EUMETSAT.