Wine tastings in January 2019

With the Christmas festivities almost behind us —Spaniards celebrate the Three Wise Men Day on the 6th—, January begins in an austere mood in terms of wine tastings with few events scheduled for the first fortnight of the month. Please come back to this page for further updates —we will add new tastings as they are announced.

2 -6 January. A great deal of the music on the stage of Festival Actual in Logroño will be paired with wine and tapas thanks to the participation of places such as Bodegas Franco-Españolas and Wine Fandango with artists like Mr Kilombo, Tulsa, Joan Serrat, Nuria Graham, Los Vinagres o Bigott. Price: free entry to Wine Fandango and from €10 at Franco-Españolas.

9 January. The opening of inscriptions for the 12th Vila Viniteca Tasting Contest in Pairs has been pushed forward a few days from its traditional date on January 6th (a festive day in Spain). The contest, which this year is set to take place in Madrid on March 24th, is open to worldwide trade professionals and wine aficionados with a €30,000 prize for the winners. Inscriptions cost €200 per couple and must be done (quickly) on the Vila Viniteca online store from 10:00. Tickets fly so be sure to log in on the dot if you want to grab a space.

12 January. As part of his winter tasting, sommelier Rafa Rodríguez has invited brothers Pepe and Paco Blanco (Callejuela), winegrowers in Sanlúcar, to talk about the wines they make from their 28 hectares of vines in the Sherry Triangle. The tasting will take place at Hotel Guadalquivir (Calzada de la Duquesa Isabel, 20) in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Time: 12:00 Price: €40

16 January. Barcelona Wine Experiences presents a tasting in English with six wines from northern Italy, a large area with regions like Veneto, Soave, Valpolicella, Trentino-Alto Adige, Barolo or Barbera, among others and a great variety of climates and varieties. The tasting will be led by Jaume Pamies and will take place at Bodega Maestrazgo (Sant Pere mes Baix, 90) in Barcelona. Time: 19:00-21:00 Price: €30

17 January. Lavinia (Ortega y Gasset, 16) in Madrid presents a masterclass to help attendees to differentiate between cavas, champagnes and sparkling wines and the different types of grapes, ageing and ways of making them. Time: 19:00-21:00. Price: €45

18 January. Wine store El Buen Gusto Vinos in Valladolid (Manuel Silvela, 2) has invited the winemaker of Finca Villacreces in Ribera del Duero to present a tasting of some of the wines that group Artevino makes in this region as well as in Rueda and Rioja: Pruno, Finca Villacreces, Nebro, Izadi El Regalo, Orben Malpuesto and Vetus Celsus. Time: 20: 00 Price: €25 Further information and bookings on +34 983 377 199

18 and 24 de January. Vináliti Tasting school in Málaga (Salinas, 3) hosts a blind tasting of wines made in the 50N parallel, on the surviving line for vineyards. There will be wines made from different varieties, styles and histories behind them. Further information via email at info@vinaliti.es

21 and 28 January. Champagne merchants A la Volé present in Madrid and Murcia a tasting to discover Champagne with six grower champagnes. The tasting on the 21st in Madrid will be held at Almoauto Alcorcón whereas in Murcia the tasting will take place on January 28th at Arcomóvil Espinardo. Both are free but booking is required. To get a seat, send an email to pedrolopez@dos-setenta.com 

23 January. The Rhône Valley is famous for its red wines, but as well as Hermitage and Châteauneuf-du-Pape there are other areas worth exploring. El Mostrador del Vila Viniteca in Madrid (General Díaz Porlier, 45) suggests a tour of the region with a tasting of the following wines: Chave Hermitage 2000, Domaine Gramenon Vie On y Est 2016, Domaine Romaneaux Saint-Joseph 2014, Domaine Georges Vernay Chailles De L'Enfer Condrieu 2017, Jaboulet Hermitage Chevalier de Stérimberg 2010, Rotem & Mounir Saouma Châteauneuf-du-Pape Magis 2013 and Tardieu-Laurent Saint-Péray Vignes Vieilles Blanc 2016. Time: 20:00-22:00 Price: €65

24 January. Wine store Entrevins in Valencia (Calle Paz, 7) presents a tasting of champagnes made by Maison Pierre Paillard in Bouzy, where they work mostly with pinot noir. The following Grand Crus will be available at the tasting: Les Parcelles XIII, Les Mottelettes 2013, Les Maillerettes 2013 and Les Terres roses XIV. Time: 21:00 Price: €39

25 January. Wine merchant Vinicia  in Lleida (Humbert Torres, 19) has invited  Dominik Huber, winemaker and owner of Terroir Al Límit, to present the wines that he makes in Priorat. Time: 21:00 Price: €20 Bookings on +34 973 247554

25 January. The Asociación de Amigos de la Vid y el Vino hosts at its headquarters in Alcobendas (Francisco Largo Caballero, 44 Agrupación PSOE) a tasting of six Port wines from the 2011 vintage, arguably the best of this century so far, comparable to the legendary 1963 and 1945 vintages: Ramos Pinto 2011 vintage port, Taylor's 2011 vintage port, Graham's 2011 vintage port, Niepoort 2011 Bioma Vinha Velha port, Warre's 2011 vintage port and Quinta do Noval 2011 vintage port. Time: 19:00 Price: €55 (members €45)

26 January. Restaurant Los Patios de Beatas (Beatas, 43) in Málaga presents a  tasting of wines made in various regions of Spain: Finca Viña (Ribeiro), 6 Cepas (Rioja), Demencia (Bierzo), Contino Reserva (Rioja) and Pago Carraovejas Reserva (Ribera del Duero). A lunch will be served after the tasting. Time: 13:30 Price of the tasting: €20Bookings on +34 952 210350

26 January. Bodega Bentomiz in Sayalonga (Málaga) offers a gourmet dinner with five dishes and wine and the band Aire Flamenco playing live. Time:19:45 - 23:00 Price: €65 €. Bookings on +34 951 386 706

28 January. Sommelier Luis Garcia de la Navarra presents at the UEC (Lope de Vega, 27) in Madrid a selection of wines released in 2018 for the first time. Pinot Noir Cerrogallina, Abadía del Poblet, Tesalia from Cádiz, the new Pago de Familia Torres in Ribera del Duero as well as wines of Montecillo, Valdemar and  Jesús Madrazo, all of them in Rioja, will be among the wines on the tasting. Time: 19:00 Price: €35

28-30 January. As part of Enofusión 2019, a side trade meeting which is part of Madrid Fusión, there will be tastings of wines from Bordeaux, sherries according to Michelin-starred restaurant El Corral de la Morería, Familia Torres or Raúl Pérez and Rodrigo Méndez, among others. As well as the tastings, there will be activities like TopWineSpain (The Best Wines from Spain according to wine critic Carlos Delgado) The novelty this year is Enovisión, a space for debate about sommelierie, wine tourism, wine pairings, wines by the glass, new ways of selling wine with participants such as Isabelle Brunet (Monvinic), Francisco Javier Saludes (Vinoteca Tierra), Rayco Fernández (Buena Uva, Puro Rofe, Innoble), Almudena Alberca MW, Armando Guerra, Ferran Centelles (ElBulliLab y JancisRobinson.com), Pilar de Haya (Lavinia), Adelf Morales (Topik Barcelona), Lalo Antón (Artevino) or Richi Arambarri (Vintae), among others. Check the full program on the link above.

29 January. At their store on Príncipe de Vergara 211 in Madrid, Enoteca Barolo presents a tasting of Swiss cheese with sparkling wines that includes the following wines: Ca del Bosco Cuveé Prestige Brut (DOCG Franciacorta), Aquelarre Vino Espumoso Brut (Constantina Sotelo), Zusslin Cremant d’Alsace Brut Zero, Llopart Original Subirats (DO Cava) and Champagne Paul Bara Rosé. Salvador Valero (Bon Fromage, Mercado de Chamartín) is responsible for the pairing. Time: 20:30 Price: €45

31 January. Bodega Santa Cecilia in Madrid (Blasco de Garay, 74) has invited Toni Sarrión, manager of Mustiguillo and president of Grandes Pagos de España, to present a tasting of some of the wines of this association featuring  producers who make terroir-driven wines. The wines in the tasting are: Hacienda Arínzano, Finca Valpiedra,  Abadia Retuerta Selección Especial, Finca Terrerazo, Fillaboa and Gramona III Lustros. Time: 19:00-20:30 Price: €25

31 January. For the ninth consecutive year, La Ruta del Vino (Arrabal, 18) in Santander organizes a duel Ribera del Duero vs Rioja, a tasting where surprises are not unusual. Time: 20:45 Price: €30 Inscriptions on +34 942 216503

31 January. Chef Carles Tejedor will prepare in Barcelona a dinner paired with five wines set to be tasted blind. The wines will be presented and explained by Vila Viniteca sommeliers. Where: Hotel Sofia (Plaça de Pius XII, 4). Time: 21:00 Price: €60