Private Wine Tasting Nights at Quince, Tugun

There's a particular kind of night that's hard to beat: a small group, a handful of really good bottles, a board of cheese and charcuterie in front of you, and someone who knows the wines walking you through them. No restaurant noise, no rushing, no quiz at the end. That's the idea behind a private wine tasting at Quince, and it's something we love hosting in our little Tugun cellar.

Whether you're marking a birthday, planning a hens, treating a work team or simply rounding up a group of friends who like to drink well, here's how it works and why it tends to become the part of the night everyone talks about afterwards.

What a tasting night actually looks like

Picture a relaxed, guided walk through a small selection of wines, poured and talked through one at a time. We pull together a line-up that spans both natural and low-intervention bottles and well-made classics, so there's range and contrast across the glasses rather than five versions of the same thing. You taste, you compare, you work out what you actually like, and you pick up a bit of the why along the way.

Alongside the wine sits cheese and charcuterie, matched to the bottles so each glass has a partner on the board. That pairing is half the fun, and it's where a lot of the lightbulb moments happen, when a wine that seemed merely nice suddenly comes alive next to the right cheese. If you want to read up beforehand, our guide to wine and cheese pairing made simple covers the one principle that really matters.

Led by Raf, with zero snobbery

Owner Rafael, Raf to everyone who comes in, hosts the tastings himself. He tastes everything the shop sells, and he's the opposite of precious about it. Expect plain language, honest opinions and plenty of room for questions, including the ones people are usually too shy to ask.

This is learning without the lecture. If half your group are confident wine drinkers and the other half don't know an orange wine from a rosé, that's perfect, because everyone leaves knowing a little more and nobody feels caught out. The goal is a good night first and an education second, even if the education sneaks in regardless.

Why the cellar setting is special

There's something about tasting wine surrounded by the wine itself. Our Tugun cellar is small and lived-in, shelves of bottles within arm's reach, the cheese counter just there. It feels less like an event space and more like being let into someone's very good pantry for the evening.

That intimacy is the point. A private tasting means it's just your group, at your pace, with the room to yourselves. It's a warmer, more personal setting than a big function room, and it suits the kind of night where conversation matters as much as what's in the glass.

Who it's perfect for

A private tasting flexes to fit all sorts of occasions. A few that come up often:

• Birthdays and celebrations. A milestone, a long-overdue catch-up, or just an excuse to do something a bit different.
• Hens and group celebrations. Relaxed, a little fancy, and a lovely change from the usual.
• Work teams and clients. A team treat, a client thank-you or a casual end-of-project celebration. Pairs naturally with our corporate and events side if you want to fold gifting in too.
• Clubs and groups. Book clubs, social clubs, neighbours, a group of mates who've been meaning to organise something.

If you're not sure whether your idea fits, it probably does. The easiest thing is to tell us what you're picturing and we'll shape the night around it.

A taste of the cellar to take home

The bottles you fall for on the night don't have to stay at the shop. Most people walk out with a favourite or two, and the full range is there whenever you want to revisit it, from the whole cellar to the more characterful natural wines that tend to spark the most conversation. A tasting is a great low-pressure way to find your next house bottle, or a gift for someone who's fussy about wine.

How to book or enquire

Every group is different, so rather than a fixed package we like to tailor the night to your numbers, your occasion and what you're hoping to get out of it. Get in touch and we'll talk you through the options and put together something that suits.

• Call the shop on 0406 802 323 to chat it through with us directly.
• Send an enquiry via our contact page, or have a look at the events and corporate page for the broader rundown.

You'll find us at Shop 5, 570 Gold Coast Hwy, Tugun, inside Cornerstone Stores, about five minutes from the airport. Gather your people, pick a date, and leave the wine, the cheese and the talking to us. It's our favourite way to spend an evening, and we suspect it'll become one of yours.