Wine tastings in April 2017

During the first fortnight of April, just before the Easter holidays, wine events and multitudinous tastings pile up such as the Vigneron Fair in Santiago, Vitis Vinifera in Barcelona —which this year coincides  with the 20th anniversary of organizer Cuvée 3000, or Vinofest in Pamplona. Priorat is the place to be on the second fortnight, with Falset’s Wine Fair and Tast amb Llops,  two events which are increasingly drawing international wine lovers. The usual wine bars and stores —places which care about wine culture every month— are also here. Remember to come back here to check our agenda —we updated it frequently throughout the month.

1 April. The third Vigneron Fair in Santiago de Compostela (Galicia) will have the presence of 15 emerging and talented Spanish producers such as Laura Lorenzo (Daterra Viticultores), Iria Otero (Sacabeiras), Natalia Canal and Pablo Bermúdez (Cabana das Bolboretas), Diego Diéguez (Cume do Avia), José Crusat (Adega Entre Os Ríos), Fernando de Santiago (Finca Millara), Sandra Bravo (Sierra de Toloño) and Xabier Sanz (Viña Zorzal), among others. As well as tasting their wines and talking to the producers, participants will be able to purchase bottles, listen to live music and discover the bites served at the foodtrucks. Location: Edificio Cinc at Cidade da Cultura. Time: 16:00 - 23:00 Price: €25 two people (€ 15 individual ticket) Tel. +34 665 940 180

1 April. Sherry’s Regulatory Body presents an introductory session to the wines of Bodegas Williams & Humbert and a tasting led by winemaker Paola Medina in Jerez. The following wines will be tasted: Fino Pando, Canasta Cream, Don Zoilo Oloroso 12 años, Don Zoilo Amontillado 12 años, Dry Sack Solera Especial 15 años (medium) and Don Zoilo PX 12 años. Time: 12:00-14:00 Price: €12 Inscription and bookings on +34 956 332050 ext3

1 April. The Alcalá Wine Fair will be held today at this town’s Plaza de Cervantes near Madrid with the aim of promoting the wines of the region. There will be tastings with producers from the DO and a blind tasting competition. Time: 12:00-16:00 and from 18:00-21:00 Price: €6 for a glass and five tickets.

1-30 April. The Empordà region holds a new edition of Vivid, with a month full of  wine tourism activities such as a hike among vines in Capmany, tastings and dinners, winery tours, exhibitions and various workshops. Prices vary based on the chosen activities, which are held in numerous villages around Empordà.

2 April. The group of producers in Inkordia and their Taberna de Vinos Liberados (Freed Wines Tavern) present in Madrid (Mercado de Vallehermoso) their Spring Party with wines from the following bodegas: Rubor Viticultores, Sexto Elemento, Cume do Avia, Uva de Vida, Esencia Rural, Bodegas Garay, MicroBio Wines and Mas l’Altet. Time: 12:00 - 17:00

3 April. Over 110 national and international producers will be present at the ninth edition of Vitis Vinifera in Barcelona. It is organised by distributor Cuvée 3000 on its 20th anniversary. Some of the Spanish bodegas at the tasting are Terroir Al Limit, Escoda Sanahuja, Colosía, Tricó, Daterra, Fedellos, Verónica Ortega, Artadi, Mas Candí, Chateau Paquita, Casa Castillo, Dominio del Urogallo, Microbio Wines, Clos Lentiscus, La del Terreno, Gómez Cruzado and many more. Location: Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (Plaça de les Arts, 1). Time: 12:00 - 20:00 Price: €5 early-bird tickets (€7 € at the door) A Gabriel Glas glass is included in the price.

3 April. The Verema Experience arrives at Hotel Puente Romano in Marbella here over 50 Spanish producers and distributors will present their wines. There will be a tasting of Vardon Kennett, Torres’ new cava, led by expert Jordi Melendo. Inscription is free but a €5 glass deposit is requested and will be reimbursed after the event. Time: 12:00 - 21:00

3 April. Guía Peñín gathers a small selection of their Best Wines from Spain (90 points or more) and Top Value Wines (3, 4 or 5 stars) according to their 2017 Guide in an event in Bilbao which is also open to the general public. Location: Sociedad Bilbaína (Navarra, 1) Time: 17:00 - 20:00 Price: €15

3 and 4 April. Ferrol, one of the cities with the highest wine consumption levels in Spain, hosts the tenth edition of Fevino Ferrol, a professional fair organized by  Fernando Yáñez which is set to gather around 200 producers from leading appellations in Spain. There will be awards for Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate taster for Spain and other countries and wine regions, who will present his new book and will lead a tasting with some of the wines made by the producers who appear in the book; winemakers Álvaro Palacios (who will lead another tasting) and Marisol Bueno; the Vivanco Museum for Wine Culture, the Michelin Guide and the Army's Catering School. Location: Herrerías building, Naval Construction Museum, Exponav.

4 April. The DO Binissalem presents the wines of 11 of its bodegas at the Sant Francesc Cloister in Palma de Mallorca. Time: 19:30 - 22:00 Price: €5 for the glass. €1 of each ticket goes to the local Food Bank.

5 April. The Spanish Tasters Union UEC (Lope de Vega, 27) in Madrid has prepared a tasting of emerging wines from Valencia made by producers such as Antonio Arraez, Daniel J. Belda or Toni Sarrión at Pago El Terrerrazo who are working with little-known varieties such as Verdil, Merseguera or red Mandó. The tasting will be led by Juanma Ruiz Casado and will include wines from all of the producers mentioned above as well as Enguera, Vegamar, Clos de la Vall, Costera Alta or Celler del Roure. Time: 19:00 Price: € 35 (€ 20 for members)

5 April. The Mostrador de Vila Viniteca in Madrid General Díaz Porlier, 45) organizes a tasting with the new wave wines from Ribera del Duero, made by dynamic young (and not so young) producers who look for fresh alternatives to the wines of the nineties and the first years of the 21st century. The following wines will be tasted: Venta Las Vacas 2014, PSI 2014, Preludio de Sei Solo 2014, Garmón 2014, Vizcarra Torralvo Gran Reserva 2001, Dominio de Es Viñas Viejas de Soria 2014 and Domino del Águila Reserva 2014. Time: 20:00-22:00 Price: €39 (Special price for members: €36)

6 April. Santander wine merchant La Ruta del Vino (Arrabal, 18) presents a vertical tasting of Astrales (DO Ribera del Duero) going from 2004 up to 2014. Further information and bookings on +34 94 2216503

6 April. Iberico products from Guijuelo and Jabugo and wine are the main attractions in tonight’s paired dinner at Enotoca Barolo (Príncipe de Vergara 211, Madrid. Hams, sausages and lomos will be matched with Champagne, Cava, reds from Ribera del Duero, fortified wines and a sweet surprise for the caramelized torrija dessert. The tasting will be led by sommelier Félix Lanz. Time: 20:30  Price: €45. Further information on +34 91 745 1927

7 April.  Ricardo Pérez Palacios, biodynamic expert and owner, along with his uncle Álvaro Palacios, of Descendientes de J. Palacios in Bierzo, travels today to Valladolid to present the following wines at wine store El Buen Gusto (Manuel Silvela, 2): Pétalos 2015, Corullón 2014, Moncerbal 2014, Las Lamas 2014 and Corullón 2000. Time: 20:00 Price: €25 Further information and bookings on +34 983 377 199

7-8 April. The sixth edition of Vinofest, Navarra's wine festival, takes place in Pamplona with 29 producers based in this DO who will present their wines at the city’s Baluarte Congress Centre. Times: Friday 18:00 - 21:00 and Saturday 11:30-14:30 and 18:00-21:00 Price: €6 which includes a free wine glass. Vinofest continues on the weekend starting April 8th at the wineries, with various activities for visitors.

8, 22 and 29 April. Bodega Santa Cecilia has organized several tastings of islands wines at their stores in Madrid. All of them will include tapas: El Grifo Seco (Lanzarote) with Nardín anchovies kebab; Gallinas y Focas (Mallorca) with Guijuelo Ibérico black pudding; Chiaramonte Rosso Firriato (Sicily) with vitello tonnato; Aidani (Santorini) with razor shells and Madeira Fina Médium Rich (Madeira) with Valdeon cheese. Check times on the previous link. Price: €25 (€20 members)

11 April. Espai Penedès (Muntaner, 21) in Barcelona presents a tasting of Rieslings from various regions in Germany, France, Austria, Australia or Penedès which will be paired with five different kinds of foie. Time: 20:00-22:00 Price: €23 non members (€19 members)

12 April. The store Jovani & Vins in Barcelona (Comte Borrell, 28) hosts a tasting with six blue cheeses and three white wines. Time: 19:45 Price: € 19 (members €18)

13 April. Maestrazgo Wine Club is an initiative by Fintan Kerr, writer of the blog Wine Cuentista, in which a group of wine lovers gather in Barcelona to take part in varied wine tastings covering all sorts of wine styles and types. This month’s sessions, which are always in English, include a blind tasting (6 April), Australian wines (20 April) and an Antipodean tasting with wines from New Zealand such as Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Neudorf Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2011, Palliser Estate Pinot Noir 2014, Burn Cottage Pinot Noir 2011 and Te Mata Bullnose Syrah 2013. Time: 19:00-21:00 Price: €30 Further information on fintankerr@winecuentista.com

14 and 15 April. The town hall of Elciego (Rioja Alavesa) hosts a wine seminar  this Easter with a couple of tastings of Garnacha (14 April) and Albariño wines (15 April). Location: Tasting room at the Casa de los Maestros. Time: 12:00 Price: from €6 per person. Bookings at Elciego Tourist Office or on +34 945 606632

15 April. The town of Poboleda in Catalonia's Priorat organizes a wine and food festival. The atmosphere is relaxed, aimed at families and groups of friends. The following producers have confirmed their participation in Poboleda Vins 2017: Celler Burgos Porta,  Genium Celler, Celler Hidalgo Albert, Celler Jordi Domènech, Celler Mas d’en Just, Celler Perinet, Celler Tane Vins, Celler Terres de Vidalba, Celler Crivellé i Valls and Celler Mussons. Location: Social Club La Closa in Poboleda. Time: 10:30 - 14:30 Price: €6

15 April. Passió de Vilalba is a religious fiesta which is held annually in the Catalan village of Vilalba, in the DO Terra Alta. Wine has traditionally been linked to the region as well as to Christian ceremonies and plays an important part in the celebrations. For the past nine years, organizers at Patronato de la Passió have been making wine in the old fashioned way, with amphorae, as it was the custom during Roman times and likely to be in a similar style to the wine drank by Jesus Christ in the last supper. Wines from the latest vintage stored in amphorae will be opened on the day so the public can try the result and compare it to the rest of the village wines, under the DO Terra Alta category. Some of those wines are made by local producers such as Celler Xavier Clua, Vins del Tros, Covilalba, Ecovitres i Bernaví as well as this year’s guest producer Caralluna de Montgrí from DO Empordà. Time: 11:00 Price: €15

19 April. Laura Lorenzo, the heart and sound behind Daterra Viticultores in Ribeira Sacra, will leave his vineyards for one day to lead a tasting at Essencia Wine Bar in San Sebastián (Zabaleta, 42) with her very personal, terror-driven  village and single-vineyard wines. Time: 19:15 Price: €55 Bookings on +34 943 326 915

19-23 April. The DO Montilla-Moriles organizes its Annual Wine Tasting in Córdoba (Plaza de Colón s/n). This five-day event brings together 27 producers and over 300 wines and vinegars, along with a dozen restaurants from the province.

20 April. Wine store Lavinia in Madrid (Ortega y Gasset, 16) holds a dinner with Eduardo Ojeda, technical director of Grupo Estévez and member of Equipo Navazos, a specialist sherry négociant and partly responsible for the wave of interest in the wines of the Sherry Triangle in recent times. Diners will be able to taste various wines made by Grupo Estévez and listen to the explanations of Eduardo Ojeda. The wines will be paired with a menu prepared by Lavinia chef Antonio García. Time: 21:00 Price: €55

20 April. Primitivo Collantes, owner of the eponymous winery in Chiclana, will visit Taberna Palo Cortado in Madrid (Unión, 8) to present his wines and his vision of the Sherry Triangle. The tasting will finish with a tapas tasting. Time:  20:30 Price: €40 Bookings on +34 636724970

20 April. As Valladolid hosts the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, wine merchant Vinoval has invited 25 producers from various regions to present their wines. Names such as Dominio de Atauta, Naia, Caraballas, Casal de Armán, Valdesil, Domino do Bibei, Muga, Gómez Cruzado, Atteca, Gramona, Enrique Mendoza, Pérez Barquero and Tierras de Portugal, among others, will be there along with distributors like La Cava de Pyrene and Alma Vinos Únicos. The organisers’ own wine projects, called Vinos Sinceros and Veintisiete, will be presented on the day. As well as tastings, participants will have the chance to enjoy the show Vaconvino mixing music, theatre, poetry and performance. Location: Sala Multiusos LAVA (Paseo Zorrilla, 101). Time: 12:00-15:00 and 17:00-21:00 Entrance is free but you must request an invitation on +34 983 406212 or at Vinoval (Santiago López González, 24) in Valladolid.

20 April. Restaurant Los Cabezudos in Zaragoza (Antonio Agustín, 12) presents a journey with the wines of Grupo Pesquera commented by Alejandro Fernández, one of the driving forces of Ribera del Duero, and his daughter Olga. The wines will be paired with a six-course menu prepared by the restaurant. Time: 21:00 Price: €60

21 April. Wine store Vinicia in Lleida (Humbert Torres, 19) has invited Francesc Ferrer, owner and winemaker at Cellers Frisch to talk about his seven interpretations of Vernatxa, as Garnacha Blanca is called in the Terra Alta region where this producer is based. Time: 21:00 Price: €20 (members €15) Further information and bookings on +34 973 247554

22 April. Producers in Moradillo de Roa (Burgos) have organized a presentation and tasting of wines from the Canary Islands led by sommelier Sara González Martín (La Garnacha de Sara). The event will take place at the town’s multi-purpose room and will be followed by a dinner. Time: 19:30 Price: €17 Information and bookings on +34 639 457 000 

22 April. The Fundació Hospital Clínic in Barcelona and Outlook Wine have joined forces to host the first Sensorial Experience in aid of charity Proyecto Pulmón (Lung Project), with speakers such as sommeliers Josep Roca, Ferran Centelles, Christophe Brunet, artists like Marta Bonet or Lucrecia and comedians Carles Xuriguera and Fel Faixedas. Each of them will talk about a wine linking it to a musical piece and a work of art in an exercise that aims to bring together the emotions of wine and art. There will be a buffet-tasting with the wines and gourmet products of the producers who are taking part in the project. Location: Hotel Plaza Catalonia in Barcelona. Time: 9:00-15:00 Price: €59

22 April. Up to 37 small producers will get together at MicroVi, an event that will take place in L’Arboçar in Avinyonet del Penedès, where participants will have a chance to taste wines from across Catalunya such as Castell de Pujades, Can Rafols deis Caus, Cava Avinyó, Escoda Pallejà, Mas Candí, Maria Rigol Ordi, Mas Comptal or Serralada de la Marina,among others as well as those from guest producers across the border in Roussillon. Time: 11:00-15:00 and 17:30-22:00 Price: €15 which includes sample tastings at all the stands, a glass and a €2 discount for the purchase of any one bottle from the producers. There will also be children's activities and five food stands. In case of bad weather the event will be held in Can Rafols dels Caus)

22 April. Wine store Collado in the town of Pueblo Nuevo (Cádiz) has programmed a visit to sherry producer Díez Mérito in Jerez followed by a tasting paired with some bites. The coach to Jerez is included in the price. Time: 10:00 Precio: €17 Information and bookings on +34 956 79 60 46

23 April. To mark the International Book Day, wine museum and restaurant Villa-Lucía in Laguardia (Álava) hosts a literary tasting with readings of renowned local fable writer Félix María de Samaniego. Five wines paired with slow food bites will be served during the activity and a 45-year-old wine from Bodegas Solar de Samaniego will also be uncorked . Time: 10:00-18:00 Price: €98 with the meal and  €75 € without. Bookings on +34 945 600 032 

25 April. After the good reception they had last year in Barcelona Vinos Off the Record travels to Madrid (Hilarión Eslava, 36) to hold a tasting with the presence of producers like Xurxo Alba (Albamar), Verónica Ortega, Beatriz Herranz (Barco del Corneta), Roberto Olivan (Tentenublo), Olivier Rivière, Sílice Viticultores, Sota els Angels, Arrayán, Mario Rovira (Akilia), Goyo García Viadero or Julia Casado (La del Terreno), among others. Time: 11:00-20:00

27 April. The Fundación para la Cultura del Vino host a technical workshop about the challenges in viticulture with debates and talks about climate evolution, forecasts for the wine sector, strategies against climate change or harvest estimations based on new artificial vision technologies, among others. The event will be held at Hotel Courtyard Marriott (Princesa 40) in Madrid.Time: 08:45 - 19:00 Price: €220 (€180 before 7 April. Students €46)

27 April. A wine tasting for a good cause: 13 Rioja producers -Abel Mendoza, Barón de Ley, Cvne, Finca Allende, Gómez Cruzado, Marqués de Murrieta, Pujanza, Remirez de Ganuza, Roda, Sierra Cantabria, Telmo Rodriguez, Valenciso and Viñedos del Contino- will be today at Círculo Logroñés (Duquesa de la Victoria, 10, Logroño) in support of Kaipacha, a charity committed to raise funds to build a hospital for disabled people in Za'atairi refugee camp in Jordan. Time: 18:00-21:30 Donation: €30. 

27 April. Beatriz Osorio, sommelier at Bodega Urbana in Bilbao (Gran Vía, 66),  presents a tasting of five wines paired with five hamburgers made by Black Label Bilbao. The wines on show will be Tocat de l’Ala Blanc 2014 (DO Empordà), Fino César (DO Jerez), Lágrima Real 2010 (DO Cava), Bastión de la Luna 2015 (DO Rías Baixas) and Parotet 2013 (DO Valencia) Time: 20:00 Price: €35. Bookings on +34 944416181

28 April - 19 May. Celler de L’Aspic (Miquel Barceló 31) in Falset (Tarragona) organizes a series of dinners and tastings with producers such as Sara Pérez (Venus La Universal, 28 April), Sandra Doix (Mas Doix, 29 April), Ricard Rofes (Scala Dei, 29 April), Marta Rovira (Mas d’En Gil, 30 April), Alfredo Arribas (1 May), Michael Wohr (Egon Müller, May), Lluis Prats (Gramona, 5 May) and Ester Nin and Salvador Battle (Nin i Ortiz & Cosmic Vinyaters, 19 May). Time: 13:30 and 20:30. Further information on +34 977 831 246

29 April. Cava producer Codorniu hosts in Sant Sadurní the 150th anniversary of the birth of architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch with a one-off opening of its Modernist Tower where the Raventós family lived until the 1980s and which is part of Codorníu, whose buildings are part of Spain’s Artistic Heritage since 1976. Visitors will be able to enjoy a lunch at the Tower paired with cavas Reina Maria Cristina Blanc de Noirs Brut Reserva and Gran Codorniu Pinot Noir Vintage Brut. Time: 13:00 Price: from €22 (€18 for children over eight years old)

29 April - 1 May. The Priorat regions have prepared a wealth of wine activities this weekend. The first event starts at Castillo de Falset at 19.00 with a tasting of white wines from 40 producers based on DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant, followed by a festival of Cariñena wines from Porrera and the Nit de les Garnatxes, at Celler de Capçanes. The main events of the weekend are Tast amp Llops (29 April) at Plaza de Dalt in Gratallops with 11 producers from the village such as Álvaro Palacios, Clos Figueras, Fredi Torres, Clos Mogador, Vall Llach oe Sara i René Viticultors and guest producers from Bierzo, Penedès, Conca de Barberá, Priorat and Côte Rotie and the Fira del Vi de Falset, with guided tastings, concerts, dinners with producers, musical aperitifs, the super-hip food trucks and even a kids area.

29 de abril. Under the slogan “Cooking films” the island of Menorca hosts a cycle of cinema and gastronomy with films and documentaries followed by dinners with dishes related to film story. Today it is the turn of the documentary Priorat, by David Fernández de Castro. Participants will later enjoy a meal with dishes and wines from this Catalan region. Location: Sa Vinoteca in Es Mercadal Time: 20:00 Bookings on +34 615 145019

29 April - 1 May. The Feira do Viño do Ribeiro celebrates a new edition in Ribadavia (Ourense) with a programme including sports activities, wine & cooking workshops, magic shows, winery tours, live music, and a guided tour of the future Galicia Wine Museum and the Castle of Ribadavia. At the stands, visitors can taste wines made by 42 regional producers and vignerons such as Viña Costeira, Val de Souto, Ramón do Casar, Alter or Pazo do Mar among many others as well as taking part in tastings led by local sommeliers. Time: 11:00-22:00

30 April. The town of Sequeros hosts the second DOP Salamanca Spring Tasting. The programme includes a tasting of wines from the region, children's activities, a pincho and wine route, a photographic gymkhana, a piano concert and a popular dance. Hours: 11:30 - 23:00 Price: € 3