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
Plans approved for huge new purpose-built ice arena and events space in Trafford
Emily Sergeant
Plans for a new purpose-built ice arena and event space at TraffordCity have officially been approved this week.
Marking what is said to be a ‘major milestone’ for Greater Manchester‘s leisure and sports offering, the new 3,000-capacity TraffordCity Arena approved by Trafford Council will feature state‑of‑the‑art ice skating and ice hockey facilities, and a flexible event space designed to host a wide range of entertainment and community activities.
According to plans, Planet Ice is set to be the new venue’s ‘anchor tenant’ and it will become one of the brand’s largest venues in the UK.
Located on the former Soccer Dome site, adjacent to The Snow Centre, Trafford Golf Centre, David Lloyd, Fives Soccer, iFLY, and The Padel Club, this new arena is predicted to further strengthen Trafford‘s position as the UK’s leading leisure destination.
The new arena will offer year-round ice activities, lessons, and staking sessions, alongside premium hospitality experiences like family dining, bars, leisure, and VIP areas.
But on top of the that, the new venue has been ‘designed with versatility in mind’, so it will also host concerts, screenings, and a range of immersive experiences, all with the hope of creating a ‘dynamic’ destination for visitors.
The project is being developed by ICITIES in partnership with Peel Waters – the latter of which has cleared the site to enable future leisure developments.
The new arena is expected to deliver ‘significant’ economic benefits to the region, developers are saying, by contributing both construction roles during the build phase and the more than 50 permanent operational jobs once it opens – including in hospitality, event management, and leisure services.
Plans have been approved for a huge new purpose-built ice arena and events space in Trafford / Credit: April Walker | Joao Viegas (via Unsplash)
Due to the increasing popularity of ice sports, Trafford Council believes the new arena will bring a significant number of new visitors annually to the region, boosting the local visitor economy, driving further investment into the area, and also benefit surrounding businesses and leisure attractions too.
“As Planet Ice enters its 30th year, we’re delighted to see planning permission granted for this landmark project,” explained Heath Rhodes, who is the Chief Operations Manager at Planet Ice.
“Demand for ice facilities in the North West continues to grow, and this arena will help meet that need while delivering first class amenities for visitors.
Peel Waters has confirmed that contractors for the project will be announced very soon, with construction even expected to begin as early as spring 2026 and an estimated build time of around 12-15 months.
Featured Image – ICITIES & AEW Architects
News
Police appeal for information after two people die in light aircraft crash in Rochdale
Emily Sergeant
Two people are confirmed to have died following a light aircraft crash into an area of farmland in Rochdale.
Emergency services responded to reports that an aircraft had crashed in a farmland area of Littleborough in Rochdale shortly after 11am yesterday (3 February 2026), and upon arrival at the scene, the bodies of two men were recovered – before they were, sadly, pronounced dead.
The plane had taken off earlier in the morning from Birmingham, and it is believed that it was a Cirrus light aircraft.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), there wasn’t anyone else onboard the plane, and there are no reported injuries on the ground either.
Police are also ‘additionally exploring’ the deployment of a parachute prior to the crash.
GMP is working in conjunction with colleagues in other emergency services – including the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), which arrived on the scene yesterday evening to begin conducting their own investigation – and a cordon remains in place around the area as all investigators continue with their enquiries.
National Grid also attended the scene to support the response and help make the area safe, however it has been confirmed there should be no disruption to electricity supply.
A public appeal for information and witnesses has now been issued, with Chief Superintendent Danny Inglis, from GMP’s Rochdale district, explaining: “This is a devastating incident where two people have lost their lives and our thoughts are with their families and friends.
“We have been working closely with emergency service colleagues and partner agencies throughout the day to establish the full circumstances. There will be an enhanced presence as officers and investigators comprehensively survey the area and ensure all available evidence is recovered.
Georgina Pellant -
5th October 2022 
