Wine tastings in February 2019

Wine activities are starting to pick up in February, with some interesting events, particularly in El Puerto de Santa María in Cádiz, where 20-odd Spanish producers from various wine regions will present their wines at Cuatro Gatos Wine Fest, and in Barcelona, where two natural wine fairs —Vella Terra and Vins Nus— compete for attention. 

We will update this agenda with additional wine events across the country so come back to this page for further updates.

2 February. As part of his winter tastings, sommelier Rafa Rodríguez has invited Alejandro Muchada to talk about Muchada-Léclapart, the white wines he makes alongside Champagne producer David Léclapart in the Sherry Triangle. The tasting will be held at Castillo de Santiago in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Time: 20:00 Price: €40

4 and 11 February. Champagne merchants A la Volé present in Galdakao (Vizcaya) and in Seville a tasting of six grower champagnes at Concesionario Carbizkaia in Galdakao (4th) and at Ford T.Y.S.A. in Seville (11th). Entrance is free but booking is required by writing to this email address: pedrolopez@dos-setenta.com Time: 11:00 - 13:00

5 February. Mostrador de Vila Viniteca in Madrid (General Díaz Porlier, 45) hosts an interesting tasting of sweet wines from Spain with the following brands: Còsmic Essència Carinyena Blanca 2017 (3/8) (Empordà), Lustau Tintilla de Rota Single Cask. Saca 2017 (DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry), Martinet Ranci Dolç (DOQ Priorat), De Muller Ruby Soleado Solera 1904 (Tarragona), La Calandria Niño Perdido Madre N° 3 Casa Valero (Navarra), Valdespino Moscatel Viejísimo Toneles (3/8) (DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry) and Telmo Rodríguez 2007 Colección Vila Viniteca 75 aniversario (DO Málaga). Time: 20:00 Price: €69 (Members: €62). Time: 20:00

6 February. The Unión Española de Catadores in Madrid (Lope de Vega, 27) presents the fifth part of their series about The New Vignerons, which this time will be presented by César Ruiz from merchants La Tintorería. These are the wines: Narupa Vinos, Viñedos do Gabián, César Márquez Pérez, Viñas Serranas, Bodegas Artuke, 4 Monos Viticultores, Bodegas De La Riva, Suertes del Marqués, Sistema Vinari and Diego Magaña Time: 19:00 Price: €35

6 February. Restaurant Korxo in Tarragona (Santa Anna, 6) hosts tonight a tasting of wines from Grandes Pagos de España with five or six different cuvées from the various producers of this national association. The tasting, which includes something to eat, will be directed by winemaker Alain Gómez. Time: 21:00-23:00 Price: €20

7 February. Fintan Kerr, aka Wine Cuentista, presents a tasting of Catalan wines to discover different styles, varieties and areas: Altavins 'Ilercavonia' 2017, La Conreria de Scala Dei 'Les Brugueres' Blanc 2017, Enric Soler 'Improvisació' 2017, Sota els Angels 'Flow' 2015, Alfredo Arribas 'Trossos Vells' 2015 y Pardas 'Negre Franc'. Location: Carrer San Pere Mes Baix 92, Barcelona Time: 19:00.21:30 Price: €30 Other tastings he will be holding this month include the usual International Blind tasting of six wines from around the world (21st Feb) and six classic wines from iconic Italian producers from Piedmont right down to Sicily (28th Feb). If you are interested to join any of these tastings send an email to: fintankerr@winecuentista.com

7 February. Rioja tasting club lomejordelvinoderioja.com launches its 13th season with the new single-vineyard wines of Bodegas Aradón in Alcanadre (Rioja Oriental), a long-time grape growing area where the cooperative is just about the only producer making wine. Winemaker Cristina Alesanco has managed to do a selection of vineyards and grapes to produce four new wines in small tanks and concrete eggs. Where: Hotel Gran Vía in Logroño. Time: 20:30

7 February. The Aula 'Pedro Vivanco' de Cultura del Vino at the University of La Rioja opens its cycle of activities for 2019 with the conference (in Spanish) Drinking and living together. Wine, ritual and society, presented by Javier Sanz Esteban, communicator of history topics. The conference will address issues such as wine in the classical world (Greece and Rome); the only advertising campaign in history in which a Pope appeared; or why more masses were celebrated in the USA during the Dry Law. Where: Sala de Grados Hall of Edificio Quintiliano (Calle La Cigüeña, 60, Logroño) Time: 19:00 Free entrance.

8 February. Monvinic Store in Barcelona (Diputació, 251) organizes a tasting of Galician wines with producers Xico de Madin (Couto Mixto), Bernardo Estévez, Xose Manuel Lourido and Nacho González (La Perdida) Time: 16:00- 20:00 Price: €5 Call this number for further information +34 934874002

Until 10 February. Over 400 restaurants, cocktail bars, cooking schools, gourmet shops, cultural centres, art galleries and museums in Madrid will take part in Gastrofestival 2019, an event aimed at promoting the city's gastronomy. There will be very few opportunities to take part in wine-related events. Check the programme!

10-11 February. Natural wine fairs seem to be like London red buses: you have no natural wine fairs in a year and suddenly two appear at the same time. Vella Terra food and wine festival in Barcelona hosts its fourth edition in Barcelona with the presence of over 120 small growers from Cataluña (Alfredo Arribas, Clos Lentiscus, Celler Pardas, Celler Mas Candí, Cosmic Vinyaters, Escoda Sanahuja, Loxarel, Recaredo…), and other Spanish regions (As Furnias, Orly Lumbreras, Sistema Vinari, Fernando Angulo, La del Terreno, Esencia Rural, MicroBio Wines), Italy (Bera Vittorio & Figli, Azienda Agricola Montesissa Emilio, Denavolo, Dos Tierras…), France (Le Mas de la Lune, Chateau Lafitte, Vignoble Bolliet Alexis, Oiseau Rebelle…), Austria (Meinklang) and Portugal (Quinta da Palmirinha). As well as the fair, Vella Terra has prepared several other activities during the week(Orange Asian Fusion Night, tasting and dinner with the wines of Stefano Bellotti, tasting of bubbly, dinner with old vintages and a dinner party to end the fair). Further information on the link above. Opening hours: 12:00-20:00 Price: €15 Location: Estació del Nord.

10-11 February. A new edition of Vins Nus, a natural wine fair in Barcelona,  will be held at Nau Bostik (Ferran Turné 1-11) in the district of La Sagrera. This edition, held over two days and open to trade and wine lovers, will host over 50 small winegrowers from Catalonia, Galicia, Castile, Andalucía, Valencia, Roussillon, Jura, Auvergne, Loire, Languedoc and the Rhône. Opening hours: 11 February: 10.00-20.00 (€10). 12 February:10.00-18.00 (€5 or free with Sunday’s glass and bracelet). Prices include a list of producers and a professional tasting glass. Tickets are not sold in advance, but at the door on the day.

12 February. Bar and restaurant La Tavina in Logroño (Laurel, 2) hosts a tasting with Valenciso in which the Rioja producer is due to present five wines paired with five dishes made at the restaurant. Time: 20:30-23:30 Bookings on +34 941 102300

From 12 February. The Rioja Alavesa Wine & Food Campus organises more than 30 courses to broaden the knowledge of professionals or people who want to enter the world of wine. Workshops range from tips to generate interest in wine to a course for tourists guides or English for wine producers. Timetables and prices vary according to the activity.

15 February. Lluís Romero, linguist and sommelier, presents his book Els millors vins dolços de Catalunya, a traditional style in the area but which is often ignored in the world of wine. The presentation will take place in Can Ramis, in the Barcelona town of Sant Celoni, and will be followed by a free tasting and dinner. Bookings on +34 678889808

16 February. In a relaxed and fun atmosphere, Cuatro Gatos Wine Fest returns to host a party with two dozen Spanish producers and their wines: Quinta Milú, Almaroja, Verónica Ortega, Primitivo Collantes, Juan Piñero, Lagar de Sabariz, Cota45/De La Riva/Luis Pérez, Mayetería Sanluqueña, Entre os Ríos, Barco del Corneta, Viña La Callejuela, Coto de Gomariz-Viños de Encostas, Forlong, Península Viticultores and 4OJOS Wines, among others. Other producers who are unable to attend the party like Albamar, Casa Castillo, Suertes del Marqués and Clos Lentiscus will have their wines to taste. This edition, open as always to anyone who enjoys wine, will take place in Hacienda El Pinar, in El Puerto de Santa María, a coastal town in the Sherry Triangle. Time: 11:00. Price: €22, €28 at the gate (Includes a wine glass plus food served by restaurant Aponiente (3 Michelin stars).

17 February. Producer Alta Alella (Camí Baix de Tiana), based just outside Barcelona, hosts a pruning workshop at their Vallcirera estate led by Jaume Basses and Jordi Pinto, members of the Alta Alella vineyard team, who will share their knowledge and experience. This activity will be followed by a lunch with seasonal produce cooked in the traditional way by chef Joan Quer (Can Cabús) and paired with wines from the winery. Time: 10:00 – 12:30 Price: €20 Information and bookings: +34 628 624 182

18 February. The Peñín Guide hosts its first Salón Selección in Málaga where they will present a selection of the Best Wines from Spain (90 points or higher) and the Best Value Wines (3, 4 or 5 stars) according to the 2019 Guide. Price: €30

18 February. The fifth edition of Salón de Vinos Radicales (Radical Wines Show) will be held in Madrid (Hortaleza, 63) with the presence of producers such as Alemany i Corrio, Alfredo Arribas, Alta Alella, Altolandón, Ànima Negra, Dominio do Bibei, Edetària, El Escocés Volante, Exopto, Itsasmendi or MacRobert & Canals among others. Time: 16:00 - 21:00. 

18-23 February. The picturesque village of Ollauri, near Haro (La Rioja), hosts its 20th Ollauri Wine Week, with several wine-related conferences during the week and a wine fair on the last day when ten producers from the vicinity present their wines: Beronia, Gómez Cruzado, Abel Mendoza, Martínez Palacios, Conde de los Andes, Marqués de Terán, Bodega Lanzaga, Valenciso, Barbarot, Ojuel and the olive oils of local producer El Alberque. A tour of the village is also scheduled plus a special menu in the village's tavern. Time: 11:30 - 14:30 Price of the tasting: €10

19 February. Raül Bobet, who makes the wines Castell d'Encús in the Pyrenees will today be at Umami Gijón (Avda. Rufo Rendueles, 8) to present his project and wines: Ekam 2013, Taleia 2017, Acusp 2017, Quest 2016, Majjan 2018 and Ferrer Bobet Vinyes Velles 2016 (Priorat). Time: 20:00 Price: €18

20 February. Sommelier Nika Shevela, the founder of The Wine Alphabet in Barcelona, hosts a tasting in English called “B for Bulles, or Champagne & Other Stories” with six wines that will include Pét Nat, a variety of French Crémants made in the traditional method, some grower Champagnes and a sweet surprise. All of the wines will be paired with local French delicacies and will pay close attention to pairing options. The tasting will take place at Caskadia Wines in Barcelona (Carrer de Sant Vicenç, 33). Time: 19:00 – 22:00 Price: 30 €

21 February. Luis Vicente Elías, a doctor in Philosophy (his speciality is Anthropology) by the University of Barcelona, presents a seminar titled ‘Wine as cultural heritage’ at the Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino (ICVV) in Logroño. Time: 11:30, Salón de Actos de La Grajera. Entrance is free.

21 February. As part of her Winetime tastings, WSET tutor Jeni Wilson from Vinclass hosts a tasting of wines from the southern Rhône. The event will be held at La Pícara in Aranda de Duero (Santa María, 2). Time: 20:30-22:00 Price: €20 Bookings on +34 947 559616

21-23 February. The city of Seville hosts the first edition of Los Grandes Nombres del Vino Español (The Great Names of Spanish Wine) with three days of lectures and tastings with the director general of Tempos Vega Sicilia, Antonio Menéndez; Carlos Falcó, owner of Marqués de Griñón Family Estates, and director general Eugenio Suñer; Mariano García, owner of Bodegas Mauro; Antonio Flores and Victoria González-Gordon from Tío Pepe, and Jaume Gramona and Toni Pérez from Gramona. Activities will be held at Taberna de Albardero and Seville’s Catering School. Price: €600 (yes, with two zeros!)

21-23 February. The Experiencia Verema in Valencia starts this year with a tasting called “Spain, land of white” with wines from Torres, Belondrade, Ossian, Rafael Palacios and Mar de Frades among other producers followed by the Verema 2018 Awards Ceremony. As well as a blind wine sting competition, there will be several tastings on Friday and Saturday: Legaris, Pago de Carraovejas, a selection of wines from the D.O. Ribera del Duero, Dehesa de los Canónigos, Jean León, Luis Pérez and Bodegas Taylor’s, among others. As well as tastings, over 80 producers will offer their wines at Hotel Balneario Las Arenas in Valencia. Entrance tickets: €10 € (€5 in advance) Tastings: €60

22 February. Belén and Iván Sanz, winemaker and manager of Dehesa de los Canónigos, a historic estate in Ribera del Duero, present at El Buen Gusto in Valladolid (Manuel Silvela, 2) a tasting that includes the first vintage of their white Albillo 2017 as well as Quinta Generación 2017, Crianza 2015, Solideo 2014, Gran Reserva 2001 and Reserva 1998, the first vintage made by Belén Sanz. Time: 20: 00 Price: €25 Bookings on +34 983 377 199

22 February. Los Amigos de la Vid y el Vino in Alcobendas present their Bubble Party, a chance to learn about the different ways of producing sparkling wines and taste a wide range of bubbly from all over the world beyond Champagne and Cava: Bride Valley Vineyard Brut Reserve 2014 (Dorset, England), Bott-Geyl Cremant (Alsace), Château Fosse-Sèche il etait un fois… Brut nature (Loire), Coleta Navazos Reserva Extra Brut 2014 (Penedès), Cosmic Les Fades del Granit Garnatxa Roja 2017 (Empordà), Domaine de l'Ecu La Divina (Loire), Brundlmayer Brut Rosé (Kamptal, Austria), Pepe Raventós Ancestral Xarel.lo 2015 (Penedès), Sicus Cru Marí 2009 (Penedès) and Klein Constantia Méthod Cap Classique Brut 13 (Constantia, South Africa). Time: 19:00. C/ Francisco Largo Caballero, 44 (Agrupación PSOE, Alcobendas, Madrid). Price: Members (€20); non members €25

23 February. Japan has a modest winemaking tradition dating back to the Meiji period when in 1874 the Emperor authorized the creation of a winery. Jorge Orte (Grape Bebop) has gathered a great deal of information on the history of wine in this country to present a seminar on wine in Japan. He will talk about the wine market and culture in Japan, the main producing regions and grape varieties and the natural and human factors that affect the style of each region. In addition, there will be a tasting of nine wines made with the following varieties: Koshu (white, native to Japan), Kerner (white), Delaware (white, hybrid), Campbell Early (red, vinified in rosé), Pinot Noir, Muscat Bailey A (red, native to Japan), Merlot and a coupage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The tasting will take place at the Hotel Palafox in Zaragoza (Marqués Casa Jiménez, s/n). Time: 10:00-13:00 Price: €120 + VAT

27 February. This month’s activities in Enoteca Barolo in Madrid (Príncipe de Vergara, 211) finish with a sushi and wine dinner led by Naomi Uemura. The line-up of wines includes Klima Ligas Roditis 2017 (Grecia), Edelgraben Gruner Vetliner 2016 (Austria), Chartron Montmorin 2015 Rullly (Francia), Vadio Bairrada 2015 (Portugal), Viña de Martín Os Pasás 2016 DO Ribeiro (España) and Braqueto D´Acqui Braida (Italia). Time: 20:30 Price: €45 Bookings on +34 917 451 927

28 February. At their Dinners with the Producer, wine merchant Lavinia in Madrid (Ortega y Gasset, 16) has invited Marc Isart and Juan Díaz Bulnes to present Bernabeleva and the wines they make in their 35 hectares of vineyard north of Madrid, mostly with Garnacha, Albillo, Moscatel de Grano Menudo and the red Morenillo. The tasting will be accompanied by a dinner prepared by the chef at Lavinia. Time: 21:00 Price: €70

28 February. Bodega Santa Cecilia in Madrid  (Blasco de Garay, 74) has invited Antonio Moral, winemaker at Aalto, who will present a tasting of three Aalto and Aalto PS vintages (2006, 2009 and 2012) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Ribera del Duero winery. Time: 19:00-20:30 Price: €45 Bookings on +34 91 4455283.

28 February. In celebration of Andalusia Day, Bodegas Bentomiz in Sayalonga (Málaga) hosts a night of jazz with Pablo Carmona on piano and Bernardo Parrilla on saxophone and a five-course gourmet dinner with wine. Reservations on +34 951 386 706 or WhatsApp +34 643 255 387 Time 19:45 Price: €65

28 February. Xavier Roig, sommelier at restaurant Cal Feru in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (Diputació, 51) near Barcelona presents a tasting of Empordà wines, an appellation with 2,000 hectares of vineyards bordering north with the Pyrenees and east with the Mediterranean sea. It's an informal tasting to chat and share opinions. Time: 20:00 - 21:30 Further information and bookings on +34 93 8910163.

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