Wine tastings for January 2015

With Christmas celebrations left behind, austerity seems to be the order of the day in terms of wine tastings in Spain. We are gradually updating the agenda as the month progresses —and as retailers and restaurateurs update their calendars and organize wine events. For the time being, these are some of the main events for winelovers in Spain throughout January.

2 - 4 January. “Sounds of Wine” is a musical composition where melodies, arrangements and rhythms are wine-related, get transformed with sound effects and are intertwined with audiovisual projections —the result is an innovative show which will be premiered in Actual’15 Festival in Logroño. Glasses, bottles, barrels, tanks, presses, porron jars, vine leaves and even shoots serve as instruments to produce different sounds which are adapted, altered and transformed to create a landscape of wine sounds. Location: Espacio Lagares, Time: 7pm Tickets from €5

3 and 4 January. The Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture in Briones (La Rioja) holds a wine tasting course on Saturday 3rd where attendants will learn how to pair, store, serve and purchase wines on special occasions such as Christmas. On Sunday 4th, visitors will be able to enjoy a singular tour of the Museum, where they will find out some unique facts about the most relevant pieces in the collection. The tour will end with a debate led by Miguel Ángel Muro, author of the book The Chalice of Letters (El Cáliz de Letras, edited by Fundación Vivanco) where Vivanco Reserva 2008 will be served along with a pintxo.

6 January. The arrival of The Three Wise Men —a festive day in Spain— coincides with the opening of inscriptions for the Vila Viniteca Tasting Contest in Pairs which will take place at Madrid’s Casino on 8 March. The competition is open to worldwide trade professionals and wine aficionados —the couple who gets most wines right will take home €20,000. Inscriptions start at midnight on Vila Viniteca online store and will be done on a first come first served basis. Price: €100

9 January. For those who still have some shopping left to do, Lavinia wine stores holds a night flea market at its premises in Ortega y Gasset 16 in Madrid. Time: 7pm Price: €10 (10%  in points for members of Lavinia club). Additionally, from January 10 to February 7, Lavinia offers over 100 wines at reduced prices, with discounts ranging from 10% to 40%.

10 January. The Tasting Academy at the appellation DO Jerez-Sherry holds a Beginners Course to Sherry Wines. During the two-hour session, attendants will learn the basics about viticulture, production and aging of Sherry wines and will taste the main types of Sherry wines. Booking is necessary on +34 956 33 20 50 or via email on vinjerez@sherry.org. Time: 12-2pm. Price: € 12

12 January. Ricardo Pérez, one of the prime movers of the Bierzo region in northwestern Spain along with his uncle Álvaro Palacios, presents a vertical tasting of Corullón, a highly regarded wine which comes from old vineyards farmed biodynamically on steep slopes at high altitude. Attendants will enjoy a rare chance to taste the following vintages: 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The tasting costs €25 and booking is necessary as spaces are limited. Location: Viñoteca Bagos (Michelena, 20, Pontevedra, Galicia) Time: 9pm Bookings: +34 986 85 24 60

15, 22 and 29 January. Hacienda Zorita is a group of wineries spread across several Spanish appellations. Their restaurant in Madrid is called Warehouse (Lagasca, 148) and this month organizes weekly tastings of the group’s wines and other products from its organic farm. Attendants will taste three wines paired with sheep’s and goat’s cheeses, olive oil and bread. Tastings are led by the group’s brand ambassador Jaime Boville and last for one and a half hours. It costs €15 although diners get a free invitation.

16 and 17 January. If the idea of learning more about wine sounds interesting and was part of your New Year’s resolutions, the WSET 1 course organized by The Wine Studio in Madrid on 16 and 17 January could be a good starting point. During the two-day course in Spanish, students have a chance to taste wines from areas such as Champagne, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Chianti or Rioja and learn to describe their aromas and flavours. On the last day, candidates who pass the 30-question test will obtain the WSET Level 1 Award issued by the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, one of the world’s most prestigious bodies in terms of wine education. Price: €225

17 January. Bodegas Franco-Españolas -makers of classic brands Rioja Bordón and Diamante- organises a red Rioja wine tasting course for beginners at the winery's headquarters in the centre of Logroño (Cabo Noval, 2). The course includes a one-hour lesson, course material, a tasting session and a visit to the winery. The cost of the activity is €25 per person. Bookings and further information are available at this telephone number: +941 25 12 90. Time: 11am

17 January. Coinciding with the popular San Antón festival, the coastal Basque town of Getaria presents the new txakoli vintage in the appellation. Just under 20 wineries will open over 1,000 bottles of wine which can be accompanied by typical local products such as tuna and anchovies. The tasting is free and will take place throughout the day. Location: Frontón de Getaria (Sahatsaga, 13)

19 January. Wine retailer Tierra Nuestra in Huelva (southwestern Andalucía) celebrates its 15th anniversary with a spectacular tasting that includes wines made by 50 leading Spanish wineries such as Vega Sicilia, Grupo Eguren, Raúl Pérez, Pingus, Telmo Rodríguez or Alvear, among others. The event will take place at Hostería la Rábida (Manguara complex) in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) and tickets cost a mere 10 €. Definitely worth the trip. Information and bookings on +34 945 276 488

20 January. Luis Gutiérrez, wine taster for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate in Spain, Chile and Argentina opens the door to his private cellar, leading us down an exceptional journey through some of the great vineyards in France, Germany, Italy and Portugal. The tasting will include Edmon Vatan Sancerre Clos de la Neoré 2007 (Loire); François et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières 2004 (Burgundy); Ganevat Vin Jaune 2002 (Jura); Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques 2005 (Burgundy); Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo “Cannubi San Lorenzo-Ravera” 2007 (Piamonte); Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph Vieilles Vignes 2007 (Rhône); Niepoort Porto Vintage 1991 (Porto) y Hermann Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese 2001 (Nahe). Location: El Mostrador de Vila Viniteca, General Díaz Porlier 45, Madrid. Time: 8-10pm Price: €95 (Special price for Club Members: €85)

22 January. Lovers of natural wines have a chance to taste the singular wines of Fabio Bartomeu, an Italian producer who is based in southeastern Madrid where he makes artisan wines without any added sulphur. Vinos Ambiz is the name of his winery. Six wines will be tasted: three whites from the 2014 vintage straight from the winery's bottle rack (Airén de Carabaña, Albillo de Gredos made in amphorae and Doré de Gredos); a Sauvignon Blanc which has been in contact with the lees; a Garnacha and a Tempranillo. The event will take place at Le Petit Bistrot (Príncipe de Vergara 210, Madrid) at 8:30pm. 

22 January. Cosechero wines, typical from Rioja, are young fruity, red wines which are easy to drink and highly affordable. Retailer TomeVinos in the Alcobendas area of Madrid (Paseo de la Chopera, 194) organizes a tasting with nine of these wines, including some whites and rosés. Time: 7:30pm. Bookings: +34 91 490 4052 Price: €6 per person.

26 January. The Empordà Renaissance is the title of the masterclass led by Anna Espelt, owner of Celler Espelt, one of the leading wineries in this dynamic Catalan region, which has considerably leapt forward in terms of quality over the last few years. These are the wines that will be tasted: Martí Faixó Empordà Perafita Picapoll 2014; Espelt Empordà Ladoner Roig 2013; La Vinyeta Empordà Microvi Carinyena blanca 2013; Mas d’en Guilla Empordà Vinya del Metge rosado 2014; Can Sais Empordà Selecció 2011; Vinya d’Olivardots Empordà Samsó Pissarra 2007; Perelada Empordà Aires de Garbet 2012; Martí Fabra Empordà Masia Carreras 2010; Espelt Empordà Comabruna 2011; Martí Fabra Empordà Muscat Masia Pairal; Celler Cooperatiu d’Espolla Empordà Garnatxa Solera and Mas Estela Empordà Just. Location: Monvínic (Diputació, 249, Barcelona) Time: 8pm Price: €45. Bookings: +34 932 726 187

26 January. "Wine and biodynamics" is the subject winemaker David Sampedro (DSG Vineyards) has chosen to explain the projects he is involved in Rioja, Navarra, Sierra de Salamanca, Galicia and Valencia under a common denominator: native varieties and minimal intervention in the vineyard. The tasting will take place at Vintage Bar (Ramiro de Maeztu, 5) in Vitoria and includes wines from all these regions, such as the rare Rufete red and white from Sierra de Salamanca. Spaces are limited so booking is necessary on +34 635 70 42 38 Time: 8pm Price: €25

27 January - 1 February. La Candelera Wine & Cava Fair in Molins de Rei (Barcelona) will welcome the appellation Terra Alta as its guest this year. There will be plenty of wine events during the last week of the month such as cava and other wines paired with cod or caviar, tastings and a wine competition in pairs on January 31. Check the programme and details to buy tickets here

28 January. Bodega Urbana in Bilbao (Gran Vía, 66) organises a tasting with wines from the network of Great Wine Capitals in which winemakers Ana Martín and José Hidalgo will explain details about the regions, soil types, varieties and production methods in Bordeaux, Napa, Rioja and Porto. The following wines will be available for tasting: Château Haut-Peyrous 2008 (Graves); Château Clos Haut Peyraguey 2002 (Sauternes); Inquieto 2011 (Douro); Ramos Pinto 2009 LBV (Porto); Peter Fleming Zinfandel 2012 (Napa) and the official Reserva wine of the DOCa Rioja. The tasting costs €30 per person. Bookings on +34 944 416 181 Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm

29 January. Wine retailer Ruta del Vino in Santander (Arrabal, 18) organises a comparative wine tasting of six wines from different regions in France and Spain (3 from each country) and similarly priced. The tasting costs €25 and will take place at 8:45pm For further information, contact +34 942 216 503

30 January. Vila Viniteca presents an interesting cheese tasting based on different types of milk, maturation and rind. There will be a total of 13 cheeses available to taste from countries such as Spain, France, Italy or Ireland, among others. Cheeses will be served with different types of bread, jams, nuts and paired with three wines: Terras Gauda Etiqueta Negra 2012 (DO Rías Baixas); Lustau Amontillado del Puerto González Obregón (DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry) and Trapet Gewürztraminer Sonnenglanz 2008 (AOC Alsace). Address: Agullers 9, Barcelona. Time: 9pm-11pm Booking is necessary. Price: €65 (Club Members: €55)

31 January. if you want to practice wine tourism with children, Alta Alella offers a theatrical tour of the winery based on the children's tale El Raïm Inquiet (The restless bunch)  by Elisenda Guiu, which explains the winemaking process in a fun educational way for the little ones. Time: from 11am. Price: €10 per person. Address: Camí Baix de Tiana, s/n, Alella (Barcelona). Further information and bookings on enoturisme@altaalella.cat and by phone +34 628 624 182

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