THE Theatre in Chipping Norton is renowned for its Christmas pantomimes, award-winning shows and famous patrons.

Now the Theatre will be known for its wine. Well maybe not its own wine, but Neil Phillips, the wine tipster, will spend the night of May 17th unravelling the secrets of complex wine. 

It’s about “making wine make sense,” he said while sipping a bright Chenin Blanc at The Punter pub on Oxford's Osney Island.

He has just come back from a Portuguese wine tasting and enthuses about a Niepoort Douro red while apologizing about his purple teeth.

They are not as bad as he thinks, and I hardly notice as he tells me how he got “into” wine.

Neil started a long way away from wine, with a dissertation on deprivation, swotting  “Urban Studies” in Sheffield. 

“I went to Sheffield for the punk rock. There were some great bands there.”

Sitting in front of me, looking a bit dashing in a suit, he’s a far cry from punk rock, or even garage grunge.

He adds: “It all started with a Chardonnay blind tasting. I got them all wrong, but found it fascinating how different they are.”

As a result of the blind tasting he now has clients from Perrier Jouët to G. H. Mumm.  While you might not recognize the name, you might have heard his caramel voice on the radio or leading master classes at “Taste London.”

Or if you like your horse racing he has gained acclaim for his racing tips. Although quite a few have “drink” related names that any good oenophile would appreciate.

His talk in Chippy promises to be more of an experience than lecture.

Neil laughs, “It’s Friday night, let’s have some fun!”

The evening will start with a Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV to loosen everyone up.

From there you will be asked to grab a couple of glasses and head into the theatre.

Pay attention because he will be offering the best ways to get your money’s worth on the wine you buy and who can ignore that in these economic times.

He will cover every thing from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to English Bacchus Dry provided by Brightwell Vineyard’s Bob Nielsen.

Don’t worry, the reds aren’t forgotten. He has a special treat from Bordeaux that is worth the ticket price alone. 

Join the Chippy set and have a bit of fun, book your tickets here - http://www.chippingnortontheatre.co.uk/index.php?p=whatson&id=1932

• Today (Thursday, May 2) Oddbins in Little Clarendon Street, Oxford, is having a showdown, two Italian wines versus two Greek wines starting at 4pm. It is free, so judge for yourself.