The first two days of the IWC were quite tough. Day 3, yesterday, was a bit easier, and I had enough energy to go out to play football last night. And this evening, after day 4, I felt much less tired, and we went out to see some friends for dinner.

In a strange way, tasting lots of wines is a bit like exercise. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Today was a particularly fun day of judging, but then again, yesterday was fun too. I’ve yet to have a difficult panel.

There are some perks that help the day pass more easily. In the morning you can look forward to a really good lunch. We are fed at Searcy’s, the restaurant in the Barbican centre. It’s superb, and the food we have is just fantastic. Two courses, with simple, seasonal ingredients, beautifully prepared. Today was poached egg on asparagus, followed by pan fried corey on a bed of new potatoes with pureed peas and butter sauce.

Then, at the end of the day’s tasting, it is time to be sociable with colleagues over a beer – the deliciously more-ish Coopers Sparkling is the IWC beer of choice, although this evening there was also some St Austell Proper Job (delightfully fresh and hoppy).