About this Event
Critically acclaimed wine writer, importer and restaurateur Dan Keeling joins novelist John Niven at Foyles to discuss his new book, Pick Your Bottles: 100 Wines to Change the Way You Drink, and taste some of the wines featured in its pages.
Pick Your Bottles is Dan’s guide to discovering great wines, written with his friends in mind. His secret is simple: the most exciting wines come from growers you’ve never heard of, rather than familiar brands. Every bottle is one you can find now, most for under £50, and each comes with a food pairing and a short story about the people, places and traditions that make it worth seeking out. It’s for anyone who wants to walk into a wine shop and know what to buy.
The book distils the philosophy that made Noble Rot one of the most influential voices in modern wine. Since launching in 2013, it has grown from a magazine into a group of acclaimed London restaurants, building its name on making wine feel less intimidating and more enjoyable — and more connected to food, travel, music and art.
Dan Keeling is a London-based writer, restaurateur and wine merchant. He is the editor and co-founder of Noble Rot magazine and co-owner of three eponymous London restaurants, whose wine lists have won ‘Wine List of the Year’ at both the World Restaurant Awards and the National Restaurant Awards. With Mark Andrew, he runs Keeling Andrew, a wine import company working with some of the world’s most compelling growers, alongside the Shrine to the Vine wine shops. His books include Who’s Afraid of Romanée-Conti? (2024) and Noble Rot: Wine from Another Galaxy, which won the Guild of Food Writers’ Drinks Book Award in 2021. His writing has appeared in FT Weekend and El País. Before wine, he worked in music, signing Coldplay and Lily Allen at Parlophone Records
John Niven is an acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, as well as Noble Rot magazine’s resident agony uncle. His books include The Fathers, O Brother and the savage music-industry satire K*ll Your Friends. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked in the record business, where he met fellow A&R executive Dan Keeling. Expect the conversation to range from finding the best wines for as little as possible to discovering platinum-selling artists back in the day.
The discussion will include a tasting of wines from the book followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.
Event venue & nearby stays
Foyles, 107 Charing Cross Road, London, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.