An Evening With The Liberator // Thursday 16th October 2025 // VG Tasting Room
- Available
- Backordered, shipping soon
If you're a regular at Vino Towers, you may well be familiar with The Liberator. If you're unfamiliar, this is the best opportunity to acquaint yourself with the plucky Cape crusader, Rick. The alter ego of Richard Kelley MW.
Over the past 25 years, Richard has become one of the most respected authorities on South African wine in the UK and beyond. Between 1995 and 2002, he lived and worked in the Cape, witnessing the renaissance of the post-apartheid wine industry. Throughout this fruitful period, he established a healthy rapport with the great and the good of the local wine scene, affording him access to their distinguished cellars.
Here are a few words of explanation from our protagonist, Rick:
"Some say that The Liberator conjures up images of a disguised, cloaked superhero, charging around the Winelands rescuing bottles in distress. But I’m no Superman. I’m just plain Rick; a Cape crusader perhaps, but one where cloaks are exchanged for a rather tatty Harris Tweed jacket and any superhuman powers are substituted by a supposedly blessed palate.
On my regular jaunts around the Cape, I’m often confounded by the number of great wines that are resigned to a tragic fate of being blended away or disposed of in bulk. It might be an occasional experimental batch, or possibly an interesting off-cut from some proud winemaker’s latest premium release. Whatever their provenance, it’s my mission as The Liberator to procure these precious vinous orphans and consign them to a better home.
Inevitably, each wine discovered by The Liberator comes with its own story; a tale of its untimely existence. You’ll find that every release has its testimony recounted, in bottle and on screen, as a unique and evocative Episode.
Expect the unexpected …"
Thursday 16th October 2025
7pm - 9pm
Vino Gusto
27 Hatter Street
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 1NE
- Tickets cancelled up to 72 hours before the event are refundable to Vino Gusto store credit only. The credit sits on your customer account to be used against a future event or any products at Vino Gusto. Store credit can be used in store or online.
- Tickets cancelled within 72 hours of the event are non-refundable.
- Please arrive at 18:50 for a 19:00 start. The tastings usually last for around two hours.
- No physical ticket required, just bring a copy of your order confirmation (on a phone is fine).
- Please confirm when booking if you have any allergies or dietary requirements. Please note that our cheese & wine tastings cannot be tailored to accommodate strict vegetarian diets due to the nature of our presentation.
- Strictly no under 18's.
- We adore our wonky old building. All we regret is that the staircase to our first floor WC and tasting room is not forgiving and as such rules us out from being accessible. Sorry for the inconvenience it may cause.
- Please note that we kindly ask attendees not to wear strong aftershave or perfume for the event. This sounds like a silly request, but we try and keep our tasting room as a controlled environment so that only the wine fumes invade our nostrils.
