Our principal speaker, Richard More trained as a winemaker and as a wine taster at Université de Bordeaux in the mid 1970's where he spent almost two years totally immersed in wines, analyzing in the laboratory and tasting just about everywhere he could.  After his gruelling apprenticeship in Bordeaux, Richard worked in London for a sherry and burgundy importer at which time he passed the wine-trade exams organised by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, culminating in being a awarded a Diploma with Honours in 1979.

As such, Harrison,Tate’s roots go way back to 1980 under the name of 'Better Tasting Ltd', with Richard More as the principal lecturer. These popular courses were modelled on the world-renown Bordeaux University Wine Tasting degree course and the Diplôme Universitaire de l’Aptitude de la Dégustation des Vins.  This was the first time that folk in the UK were taught how to taste analytically the individual components of a wine, and learn how to recognise consistently wine quality.

The course was an immediate success with enthusiastic amateurs and wine trade professionals alike. Demand grew, and soon an advanced course was being offered, then weekend courses, etc. Better Tasting was "laid down in the cellar" when Richard More left to take up the position of chief wine maker for Sandeman's in Oporto.

After returning to the UK and following a stint as head wine-buyer with a luxury delicatessen in Paris, Richard founded Harrison,Tate in 1997 to offer ENTERTAINING wine events to a broader public, in an easy-to-assimilate format.

Richard is a judge at the annual International Wine Challenge 

Take a look at Richard's good value recommendations on the wine tips page. Wines have rated from the High Street off-licences and supermarkets.  This is totally impartial advice on how to find good value wines.

Whilst Harrison,Tate is able to offer really serious tasters an in-depth knowledge of wine, now the main aim is just to be fun!

Richard devotes many hours to helping others discover and enjoy wines. He is particularly interested in demonstrating how to recognise good quality wines, and realises that guests expect more entertainment than education. When need be, Harrison,Tate employs several other experienced speakers who share our passion for wine entertainment.

Entertaining your guests and colleagues is our sole objective.