Wine tastings - February 2015

Wine events are starting to pick up in February. Music, acrobatic wine-based cocktails and a high altitude tasting are set to keep wine punters entertained, but the two most interesting events of the month will take place in Madrid and Barcelona. 

In the Catalan city, José Peñin will lead a tasting with some of the top scoring wines in his guide -Pingus, Artadi El Carretil or L’Ermita are just three of them. Meanwhile in Madrid, Enofusión will offer a chance to discover new wines at the numerous tastings available during the three-day fair. Come back to this page for further updates throughout the month.

31 January - 15 February. Over 400 restaurants, cocktail bars, cooking schools, gourmet shops, clothes stores, cultural organisations, art galleries and museums in Madrid take place in Gastrofestival 2015, an event aimed at promoting the city’s gastronomy. There are around 300 activities on offer set to please all tastes and pockets —Tapas and Rioja wine for €6, jazz concert with cheese and sherry pairing (€20); wine and chocolate tasting (€35); a wine versus beer dining experience (€55) and even an edible hats workshop (€40). Check the programme.

2, 3 y 4 February. Enofusión wine fair is open to both trade and wine enthusiasts with plenty of opportunities to discover and taste wines both at the producers’ stands as well as at the free Enobar tasting area, seminars and master classes held at the Palacio Municipal de Congresos in Madrid (Avda. Capital de España s/n). The list of events includes interesting sessions like the Manzanilla tasting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the appellation; Pedro Ximénez from Montilla-Moriles, Château L’Angélus or a vertical tasting of Colección Vivanco 4 Varietales from Rioja. Tickets cost €35 and are available at Enofusión registration counter and allow access to both the producers’ stands and the Enobar. Master tastings cost €20 each.

3 February. Wine and music go hand in hand in a series of tastings that will be held at Teatros del Canal in Madrid along with retailer Bodegas Santa Cecilia up until June 2015. The tasting will commence with Ossian Blanco Fermentado en Barrica (VT Castilla) followed by Finca Sandoval (Manchuela), Macán —one of the wines in Benjamin Rothschild & Vega Sicilia’s new venture in Rioja—, and Lustau Pedro Ximénez San Emilio. In charge of the music are saxophone quartet Octavia. Location: Teatros del Canal, Cea Bermúdez 1, Centro Danza Canal (Sala 1). Tickets are on sale here. Price: €60. Time: 8pm Special 20% discount for the first 50 buyers.

3 February. The Gastronomic Museum in Barcelona (Diagonal, 322), which opened its doors recently, is focused on spreading Catalan gastronomy. On this occasion, they have  planned a tasting with Catalan embutidos (pork sausages) like sobrasada, longaniza, secallona and bull blanco y negro and wines from the region including Missenyora Blanco (Costers del Segre); Cava Agustí Torelló Mata Brut Reserva; Pardas Sumoll Rosado (Penedès); Herencia Altés Joven (Terra Alta) and Tití Noguerals (Priorat). Time: 7:30pm Price: €27 (discounts applicable to Friends of the Gastronomic Museum). Bookings on +34 931 298 132

5 February. Bodega Santa Cecilia in Madrid organises an advanced sweet wine course, a little known category for many wine enthusiasts. Six wines will be available for tasting: Gramona Gewürtztraminer 2010/2011 icewine (Spain); Southbrook icewine 2005 (Canada); Château de l’École Sauternes 2009 (France); Furmint Dry Mandolas 2011 (Hungary); Tokaji Château Megyer Aszu 3 Puttonyos (Hungary); Fernando de Castilla Pedro Ximénez (Spain). The tasting will be held at the store's tastings area on Blasco de Garay, 7. Booking is necessary: Price: €35 members - €40 non members.

5 February. Platea is a trendy gastronomic space in the centre of Madrid (Calle de Goya 5-7) which holds regular gigs and DJs. Today it is the turn of  The Winemakers, an eighties rock band which includes a sommelier and a DJ. Wine journalist Juancho Asenjo will play "bottled" music before and after the concert as he suggests wines to try and drink. His wine selection for this event is Orube Crianza (Rioja); Valdubón Roble (Ribera del Duero); Vionta (Rías Baixas); Fray Germán (Rueda); Elyssia Rosé (Cava) and sparkling Mía Moscato. The first to arrive will get a chance to share the stage with the band. The concert is free and starts at 8pm.

5,12,19 and 26 February. Wine can be fun and entertaining. If you are reading this, you already know that but Bodegas Franco-Españolas, one of the historic names in Rioja, is trying to spread the word with a series of acrobatic cocktail making workshops throughout the month. Mixer Julius Flair, from Flair Toxic Bar Tenders, will teach different cocktail techniques, how to prepare three wine-based cocktails and simple acrobatics to surprise any guest at home or pretend you are Tom Cruise behind the bar in the film Cocktail. Workshops will take place at the winery in Logroño (Cabo Noval, 2) at 7:30pm. Price: €20. Bookings on +34 941 25 12 90

7 February. Casa del Vino in Tenerife (Canary Islands) will hold “the highest wine tasting in Spain” to promote the regions wines and the area where they are produced. The experience starts at Teide Mountain cable car base station where two wines will be tasted —white and sparkling. Glass in hand, participants will ride on the cable car all the way up to the top station to enjoy views of the Teide Mountain shadow and sunset, where a glass of bubbly will be served. Once back at the base station, there will be a presentation of Tenerife wines plus a final tasting —this time it will be a red and a sweet wine. Booking is required. Time: 3:30-8:30pm Price: €65

12 February. Wine retailer Enoteca Barolo in Madrid holds a tasting with cheese made by small producers from Asturias, in northern Spain. The tasting will be accompanied by a selection of wines from several regions and will be led by Salvador Valero, who has the  Bon Fromage shop at the Chamartín Market in Madrid. The following cheeses and wines will be available:  Besos del Rey (Cow’s raw milk) paired with Felluga Pinot Grigio 2013 (DOC Colli Orientalli del Friuli); Geo de Lazana (Cow’s raw milk) paired with Picos de Cabariezo roble 2010 (V.T. Liébana); Vare de cabra (Goat’s raw milk) with Casa de Los Frailes 1771 2011 (D.O. Valencia); Cueva del Pregondón (Blue cheese, cow’s raw milk) with Casona Micaela 2013 (V.T. Costa de Cantabria); Teyedu (Cabrales, cow’s raw milk) with Lamiable Demi-sec Grand Cru (AOC Champagne);  Gamoneu de Puerto (cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk) with Niepoort Ruby Dum (D.O. Oporto) and Casin (Cow’s raw milk) with Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez (D.O. Jerez). Location: Príncipe de Vergara, 211. Time: 20:30 Price: €40. Bookings on + 34 917 451 927

12 February. Amontillados are the result of combining biological and oxidative maturation, therefore obtaining wines with a great deal of concentration and complexity which are very versatile in gastronomy. The Spanish Union of Tasters or Unión Española de Catadores (Lope de Vega, 27, Madrid) have organized an Amontillado VORS Tasting, a category which indicates that the average age of the blend is at least 30 years old. The wines to be tasted come from respected wineries in the Sherry Triangle region such as González Byass, Barbadillo, Herederos de Argüeso, Tradición, Osborne, Hidalgo-La Gitana and Sánchez Romate. Bookings on telephone number +34 914 293 477. Time: 7pm Price: €25 for UEC members and €40 for non members.

13 February. Highly praised abroad, sherry is a great unknown in Spain despite its heritage, variety and unbeatable prices. To put a small remedy to this situation, Alicante retailer Tiza y Flor (Cesar Elguezábal, 31) holds a sherry wine tasting with all available styles present: Finos, Manzanillas, Amontillados, Palos Cortados, Olorosos, Medium, Cream and Pedro Ximénez. A selection of cheeses supplied by La Cave a Fromage will be available after the tasting. Time: 8-10:30pm Price: €25 Bookings on +34 965 14 20 03

14 February. Lapuebla de Labarca celebrates Uztaberri Eguna (New Vintage Day, in Basque), when local wineries and txokos (private bars) open their doors to visitors coming to this Rioja Alavesa village to taste wines from the new 2014 vintage as well as local artisan products such as  arrope (a sweet product derived from the must), olives, oil, balsamic vinegar and ring-shaped pastries or rosquillas. Visitors will also get a chance to take part in the Wine Bottle Uncorking Contest as well as in wine therapy and oil therapy workshops. The 11th edition of Uztaberri Eguna will be presented by Karra Elejalde and Manuel Manquiña, two well-known Spanish actors. The fiesta starts from 11am. Tickets cost €6 

14-15 February. Thirteen wineries will present their new vintages during Haro's Wine Carnival which takes place at the cloister of Hotel Los Agustinos (San Agustín, 2) in the Rioja town. The wineries on show are: Gómez Cruzado, Bilbaínas, Carlos Serres, CVNE, Florentino de Lecanda, Ibaiondo, La Rioja Alta, Martínez Lacuesta, Muga, López Heredia Viña Tondonia, Ramón Bilbao, Roda, Virgen de la Vega Sociedad Cooperativa and Rioja Santiago. Guests at the show, which will be performed by Perfordance, must wear costumes inspired in the hippy Flower Power movement. Tickets cost €12 and can be purchased on Atrápalo and La Rioja Tourism office in Logroño. Time: 8:30-10:30

17 February. Eulogio Pomares is the owner and winemaker at Zárate, a winery which pioneered Albariño in Rías Baixas (Galicia). For this occasion, he has selected several vintages of his wines, such as El Palomar 2003 and 2013 o Tras da Viña 2004 and 2011, which will be served at Kabuki Wellington restaurant in Madrid pairing the Japanese-Mediterranean dishes prepared by chef Ricardo Sanz (one Michelin star). Address: Hotel Wellington, Velázquez 6. Time: 9pm  Price: €129. Booking is necessary.

20 February. Retail chain TomeVinos holds a paired dinner at its store in Ortega y Gasset, 61 in Madrid with the following wines: Viñas del Vero Selección Gewürztraminer 2013 (D.O. Somontano), Martín Códax 2013 (D.O. Rías Baixas),  Finca Constancia “Parcela 12” 2011 (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla), Verum Roble 2011 ( Vino de la tierra de Castilla), LAN D-12 2011 (D.O.Ca. Rioja), Inspiración Valdemar Selección 2011 (D.O.Ca. Rioja), Beronia Tempranillo de Elaboración Especial 2011(D.O.Ca. Rioja), Arnegui Reserva 2010 (D.O.Ca. Rioja) and Conde de Valdemar  Reserva 2007 (D.O.C. Rioja). Time: 10pm. Access is free but booking is required on  +34 91 170 4244 or via email on barriosalamanca@tomevinos.com

20-21 February. The first Verema Experience of the year takes place in Valencia. Over 80 wineries and distributors will present their wines following the inaugural tasting led by Arzuaga Navarro (DO Ribera del Duero). On Saturday there will be guided tastings with wines from Bodegas Luis Cañas, Laurent Perrier, Valenciso, Juvé y Caps, Mas Martinet and González Byass. Participants will also have a chance to attend a dinner and final grand tasting led by Pedro Ballesteros MW with 15 wines from well known Rioja wineries such as Bodegas Muga, Roda, Marqués de Riscal, La Rioja Alta and Remírez de Ganuza. Free entrance to the fair but tastings cost €55 (€35 for members); Dinner: €100. Location: Hotel Balneario Las Arenas GL (Carrer d'Eugènia Viñes, 22-24). Time: 12-9pm

23 February. Vila Viniteca invites José Peñín and Carlos González, current director of the Peñín Guide, to its Barcelona headquarters (Agullers, 7) to lead a tasting of the highest rated wines in the veteran Spanish manual. It will be a unique opportunity to try some of the greatest wines in the country such as Contador 2012 (DOCa Rioja); Pazo Señoráns Selección de añada  2007; Casta Diva Reserva Real 2002 (DO Alicante); La Bota de Palo Cortado Viejísimo Bota GF (nº51) (DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry); Gramona Enoteca Brut 2000 (DO Cava); Pingus 2012 (DO Ribera del Duero); L’Ermita 2007 (DOQ Priorat) and Artadi El Carretil 2012 (DOCa Rioja). Tickets on sale at the Vila Viniteca website. Price: €195 (Members of El Club: €175) Time: 8:30-10:30pm

23 February. The Galician Wine Institute (Instituto Galego do Viño) holds the first edition of Atlante Wine Forum, an event that will gather domestic and international wine professionals in Vigo, northwestern Spain. The list of speakers includes Peter Richards MW, who will explain which wines succeed in the UK, Marc Álvarez, from Albert Adrià's BCN 5.0, who will lead a masterclass about wine in 21st century cocktails or soil expert Claude Bourguignon who will talk about soils in legendary terroirs. The day will be devoted to talks and masterclasses and will end with a round table. Tickets cost €150 per person and can be purchased on +34 902 504 500 Time: 9am - 8pm Location: Sede Afundación de Vigo (Policarpo Sanz, 24)

23-28 February. As part of its 15th Wine Week, the village of Ollauri in Rioja organizes a series of wine-related talks which include one led by Carlos Echapresto, co-owner and sommelier at 1-Michelin star restaurant  Venta Moncalvillo. On Tuesday 24th he will talk about Rioja wine from the Spanish Civil War days to the Transition to Democracy with wines from the different decades available for tasting. Meanwhile, wine enthusiasts visiting the Town Hall on Saturday 28th will get a chance to taste wines by 10 leading Rioja producers such as Abel Mendoza, Valenciso, Cía. de Telmo Rodríguez or Olivier Rivière, among others. Olive oil made in the village will also be available for tasting. Price: €10 Time: 11:30am-2:30pm

24 February. Writer and journalist Jordi Melendo and Armando Guerra, owner of well-known wine bar Taberna der Guerrita in Sanlúcar de Barrameda lead a fascinating Champagne and Sherry wine tasting in which they will talk about chalky soils and yeasts and the numerous similarities between both wine regions. The tasting list includes  champagnes from houses such as Chartogne-Taillet, Larmandier Bernier or Francis Bulard and different sherries styles by Delgado Zuleta, Emilio Hidalgo and Gonzalez Byass among others. The event will take place at Monvínic (Diputació, 249, Barcelona) Bookings on +34 932 726 187 Price: €55 Time: 8pm

25 February. Wine and music share space at Bodega Urbana in Bilbao (Gran Vía, 66) with a tasting of three wines by La Casa Maguila (DO Toro) with names of famous bolero songs -Cachito Mío, Angelitos Negros and the yet unreleased Quizás- accompanied by the music of Patxi González (vocals) and Javier Villa (guitar). The tasting will be led by winery owner Jesús Peña, who will explain his project to create a wine with Toro typicity based on the fruit aromas of Tinta de Toro rather than just tannins and power. Time: 8pm Price: €15 Bookings: info@bodegaurbana.com or +34 944 416 181

26 February. Estación Mencía is a wine and music event which takes place at La Fábrica de la Luz in the northwestern Spanish town of Ponferrada (León). It will be launched today with a tasting of Pilgrim Bierzo wines, by Bodegas Godelia, a tribute to all those pilgrims who cross the region to reach Santiago de Compostela. The wines will be paired with four pinchos to the sounds of Rhythm & Blues played by The Limboos, a band based in Madrid. Price: €18 for sale at Gatopardo Gastrobar (Saturnino Cachon, 14, Ponferrada).

27 February. Vinoquedadas aims to make wine more approachable for young people with a focus on informal tastings. Today's event includes a tasting of 100 single varietal wines at DNorte restaurant in Madrid (Mesonero Romanos, 8) which the best being included in the guide Sin Mala Uva 2015. Time: 9:00 - 11:30pm Price: €15

Do you know of any interesting wine events which are not on this list? Are you a restaurateur or retailer who organises tastings or wine events for the general public? Send us your calendar to info@spanishwinelover.com