A huge wine and fizz festival will land in Manchester this weekend, bringing over 100 different styles of vino to one of the city’s most iconic venues.
Taking over the newly-reopened New Century concert hall at NOMA, for just £15 a ticket wine lovers can spend three hours sampling as much (or as little) wine and fizz as they like.
With a fine selection of new and old world wines, natural and biodynamic varieties, and some of the city’s best and brightest wine experts on hand to tell you more (if you so wish), it sounds like a veritable wine lover’s paradise.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Celebrating local independent retailers from the north west, the ticket doesn’t just cover unlimited wine sampling opportunities either.
As part of the £15 ticket price, some wine retailers will be serving up specially matched grazing food. You’ll also be able to take part in tutored tastings, flower arranging and painting sessions, peruse market stalls, grab a glass at the wine bar and enjoy live music throughout.
You can find the full free wine masterclass schedule below:
Friday 7 October
6pm-9pm
Bah Florals – Flower Arranging Workshop Join local florist Bah Florals to create some beautiful bouquets for you to take home and enjoy!
6:30pm-7:00pm Cork Of The North – Tutored Wine Tasting Taste through a selection of tip-top wines, with expert commentary from Cork of the North’s head honcho Marc Hough. Cork of the North’s award winning wine tastings are relaxed and informal, and are just as entertaining as they are educational’.
7:30pm-8:00pm
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Italy Abroad – ‘Extreme Italian wines”
There isn’t a universally accepted definition of extreme wines but these could be defined as “heroic” wines, wines obtained thanks to the fatigue, the sweat, the persistence of small, passionate winemakers, produced in little knows, geographically impervious areas, tiny patches of land retaken from the mountains, in between rocks, or the sea’.
Saturday 8 October
2pm-5pm and 6pm-9pm
Cork and Canvas: Painting Workshop Popup ‘sip and paint’ providers Cork and Canvas Cork and Canvas will be bringing their paints and brushes for you to learn how to paint the perfect sunset whilst enjoying beautiful wines. What could be better?
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2:30-3:00pm Cork Of The North – ‘Taste through a selection of tip-top wines, with expert commentary from Cork of the North’s head honcho Marc Hough. Cork of the North’s award-winning wine tastings are relaxed and informal, and are just as entertaining as they are educational’.
6:30pm-7:00pm
Italy Abroad – ‘Shades of Montepulciano. Montepulciano is a fantastic grape, the dream grape of every winemaker, it has all it is needed to make great wines, still it is often the cheapest wine on the shelf; it lacks the reputation it deserves. The Montepulciano grape is grown in the centre of Italy and it is the main grape of the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC and DOCG Colline Teramane, because of its characteristics it is used in many blends and appellations’.
Feature image – Supplied / The Manc Eats
News
Man who stabbed beloved gran to death sentenced to hospital order
Daisy Jackson
The man who stabbed Michelle Hodgkinson to death in broad daylight in Tameside has been sentenced to a hospital order.
Paul Hughes, 30, was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court today after his arrest on 3 June 2023 on suspicion of murder.
He was deemed too mentally unwell to stand trial – at the time of Michelle’s murder he was suffering from a schizophrenic attack at the time of the incident and still is suffering from Schizophrenia.
On 2 June 2023, Hughes brought a four-pack of kitchen knives, boarded a tram to Droylsden and headed to a canal path, where he appeared to be ‘lying in wait’ for someone to walk past him.
Tragically, that person was Michelle Hodgkinson, who walked past on her way to meet her mother.
She was followed, attacked from behind and stabbed multiple times.
The attack was captured on dashcam footage and several witnesses came forward to police with statements.
The court heart this week that despite being unwell, Hughes carefully planned the attack.
Hughes bought a pack of kitchen knives and waited down a canal path before he stabbed a stranger, a 51-year-old woman, on 2 June 2023.
Michelle died at the scene on Edge Lane despite the best efforts of passers-by who tried to give her first aid, and the emergency services.
Detective Chief Inspector Danny Lee of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Michelle’s death has left a void in her family, and nothing will fix the pain they are feeling. I hope that they can gain some form of closure and justice from the sentence passed today.
“I’d like to thank the members of the public who rushed to Michelle’s side and the first responders, both paramedics and response police officers who also attended the scene to give CPR in an attempt to give her the best possible chance of life.
“It is a moment to recognise, however, the devastation knife crime causes in our communities. Across Greater Manchester, officers and staff are working hard to fight, prevent and reduce this type of crime.
In a previous tribute to Michelle Hodgkinson, her family have said: “Everyone who knows Michelle are still in utter shock at the attack she endured and how horrific her last moments were.
“Our Shelly B was the most amazing, loving, selfless and funny daughter, mother, mother-in-law, sister, auntie and most recently a nanna. It was a privilege to have been known and loved by her. She loved helping people in her community and was known for volunteering as an appropriate adult, her charity work and loved creating hampers to make people smile.
“She would be there for anyone and the day she was taken from us, she was doing just that – walking to meet her mum to take her shopping and to go for a coffee.
“Our family and friends are heartbroken. In one moment our world has crumbled and will never be the same. We will support each other, and we thank and appreciate the love and support shown by our family and friends. Please hold your loved ones close, tell them you love them and make memories.
“Words cannot describe how much she will be missed. Our biggest cheerleader, our confidant, our rock – she will never be forgotten. We love you to the moon and back!
10 ‘high-risk’ Manchester football fans arrested following recent violent disorder
Emily Sergeant
Several arrests have been made this week following an incident of violent disorder linked to a football match a few months back.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Specialist Operations branch were joined by colleagues from across the force – including those in Challenger teams – as they conducted several arrests around Greater Manchester this past Wednesday (13 December) in relation to violent disorder that recently took place.
The violent disorder in question occurred the day before Manchester United and faced FC Twente in the Champions League back in September.
Prior to the match, police say it is believed that a targeted and organised large-scale fight took place in the Lower Broughton area of Salford, all before the group of supporters then headed towards Manchester city centre.
As a result, 10 supporters – who are men aged between 20 and 64, and police say are suspected to be “high-risk” – are now in custody for questioning as investigations continue.
#ARREST | Earlier today we arrested 10 suspects in relation to violence that occurred the day before a game involving Manchester United and FC Twente.
Violence of any sort, whether it’s linked to football or not, will not be tolerated.
On top of this, when officers entered two properties on their search mission, two separate cannabis farms were found, and this meant that a 36-year-old woman was also subsequently arrested on suspicion of cultivation.
With the Manchester Derby now only days away, GMP says these arrests are a reminder that violence of any sort, whether it’s linked to football or not, “will not be tolerated” in our region.
Speaking ahead of the massive Premier League clash this weekend, Chief Superintendent Colette Rose, from GMP’s Specialist Operations division, commented: “With another big fixture coming this weekend, we want to send a strong message and reassurance that our specialised officers will be deployed to ensure you remain safe and peace is maintained, so you can enjoy the game.
Georgina Pellant -
5th October 2022 
