We Brits may be suffering a crisis of confidence at the moment, but there is one aspect of life in which Britain, or at least its capital, can claim to be a world leader. Nowhere is better than London for the opportunities it offers to taste and learn about wine.

The two dozen or so merchants’ tastings that constitute Burgundy Week in January offer such an array of the most sought-after wines in the world that leading wine commentators from Asia and even France travel to London to take their places at the tasting tables.

But this is just one small feature of a typical year’s wine-tasting activity in London. Most days there are several different wine events, by no means all featured in the official diary of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association — as I know to my cost when trying to decide between clashing commitments. (Yes, it’s tough being a London-based wine writer.) Last week, for instance, the diary informed me that, on Monday, two wine-importing companies were separately showing off their wares with portfolio tastings. Meanwhile, Wines of Chile was running a competition for sommeliers.