An Evening of Wine, Cheese & History at Appleby Castle
Join us for a wonderfully atmospheric evening of carefully selected wines, exceptional regional cheeses, history and live piano music within the magnificent surroundings of Appleby Castle.
The main wine and cheese tasting will take place from 7.00pm until approximately 10.00pm in the Castle’s magnificent 15th-century Great Hall.
Guests will be guided through five distinctive cheeses from Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire, each accompanied by a carefully chosen wine intended to complement its individual character and flavour.
The tasting will be accompanied by artisan breads, crackers, fruit and specially selected accompaniments. Between the pairings, guests will hear some of the fascinating stories connecting wine, food and trade with the long history of Appleby Castle.
Live piano music will add to the atmosphere of an evening taking place within walls that have witnessed nearly six centuries of hospitality, celebration and history.
Begin the Evening with Dinner
Guests may choose to begin their evening with a two-course dinner in the Castle’s intimate 15th-century Dining Room.
Dinner will be served from 5.00pm and will finish at approximately 6.30pm, allowing guests time to move through to the Great Hall before the wine and cheese tasting begins.
Starters
- Homemade seasonal Soup
- King Prawns cooked with garlic
Main Courses
- Tender lamb
- Salmon or Sea Bass
Dinner guests will also receive a complimentary glass of wine with their meal.
Tickets
Wine and Cheese Tasting — £44.95 per person
Includes five selected cheeses, five paired wine tastings, accompaniments, historical presentation and live piano music.
Two-Course Dinner, Wine and Cheese Tasting — £69.95 per person
Includes dinner in the 15th-century Dining Room, a complimentary glass of wine and the complete tasting experience in the Great Hall.
Come for the tasting—or make a complete evening of it with dinner beforehand—and experience fine wine, regional cheese, music and history in one of Cumbria’s most remarkable historic settings.
Appleby Castle — where history is not simply remembered, but experienced.
Cheese & Wine Tasting Menu
Seated in the Great Hall at 7.00pm
Our tasting selection showcases five distinctive cheeses produced in Cumbria, Yorkshire and Lancashire. Each cheese will be accompanied by a specially selected wine chosen to complement its texture, character and flavour.
The tasting will progress from fresh, delicate white wines through to fuller-bodied reds, finishing with the traditional partnership of blue cheese and port.
Eden Valley Brie
Appleby Creamery, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria
Pasteurised cow’s milk. Suitable for vegetarians.
A beautifully balanced local English Brie with a rich, butter-yellow interior surrounded by a delicate white rind. It offers subtle earthy and mushroom flavours, followed by a gently floral and slightly sweet finish.
Accompanied by Chardonnay
A smooth, rounded Chardonnay, offering gentle flavours of ripe apple, citrus and stone fruit. Its soft texture and subtle creaminess complement the buttery character of the Brie, while its fresh acidity balances the richness of the cheese.
Grace’s Goats
Greenfields Dairy, Longridge, Lancashire
Pasteurised goat’s milk. Suitable for vegetarians.
An award-winning semi-hard goat’s cheese with a silky-smooth texture and a fresh, lightly tangy flavour. Delicate lemon notes lead to a subtle mineral finish.
Accompanied by Sauvignon Blanc
A fresh and aromatic Sauvignon Blanc with lively citrus, green apple and delicate herbaceous notes. Its crisp acidity works particularly well with goat’s cheese, enhancing its fresh lemon character while cleansing the palate between each taste.
Eden Flakebridge
Appleby Creamery, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria
Pasteurised cow’s milk. Suitable for vegetarians.
Based upon a classic Red Leicester recipe, Flakebridge is a wonderful local alternative. This hard-pressed cheese has a slightly open texture, with a subtly tangy opening, gentle lemon notes and a rounded, salty and savoury finish.
Accompanied by Rioja
A beautifully balanced Spanish Rioja made principally from the Tempranillo grape. Its flavours of ripe red berries, gentle spice and subtle oak bring out the savoury character of the cheese without overwhelming its more delicate lemon notes.
Mrs Kirkham’s Aنيا Aged Lancashire
Lower Beesley Farm, Goosnargh, Lancashire
Unpasteurised cow’s milk. Not suitable for vegetarians.
A traditional farmhouse Lancashire cheese made by combining curds produced over two days. Bound in buttered muslin and matured for ten months, it develops wonderfully rich, creamy and savoury flavours with a distinctive depth and strength.
Accompanied by Malbec
A rich, deeply coloured Malbec with flavours of dark plum, blackberry and gentle spice. Its generous fruit and smooth tannins stand up well to the strength of the mature Lancashire, while its rounded finish complements the cheese’s creamy texture.
Blue Wensleydale
Wensleydale Creamery, Hawes, Yorkshire
Pasteurised cow’s milk. Suitable for vegetarians.
Steeped in heritage and provenance, Blue Wensleydale represents the original matured style of Wensleydale cheese. Creamy yet crumbly, it has a delicate mellow character followed by a distinctive blue note.
Accompanied by Port
The evening concludes with a rich and warming port, offering flavours of ripe dark fruit, berries and gentle spice. Its natural sweetness provides a wonderful contrast to the salty blue character of the cheese, creating one of the most celebrated and traditional of all cheese and wine pairings.
Served with oatcakes, red onion marmalade and crisp slices of pear, this provides a fitting conclusion to an evening of regional cheese, carefully chosen wine and history at Appleby Castle.
