Wine tastings in January 2023

With the Christmas festivities not yet behind us —Spaniards celebrate the Three Wise Men Day on the 6th—, January begins quietly 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 published.

9 January. The Sommeliers Association of Navarra presents a tasting of Portuguese wines led by Amanda Navarro, sommelier at Terras de Portugal. Time: 19:00 Price: €50. The event will be held at Hotel Don Carlos in Huarte, on the outskirts of Pamplona. Registrations must be made by email at the following email address before January 5: actividades@sumilleresdenavarra.com 

10 January. Once again, the Vila Viniteca wine tasting in pairs competition is back, and this year it will be held at the Casino in Madrid on 12 March. Anyone hoping to grab one of the coveted seats in the competition, which offers €40,000 in prizes, will have to sign up on 11 January from 10:00 a.m. Remember that places usually sell out in a matter of minutes!

16 January. Wine bar La Vinya del Senyor in Santa María del Mar square, dowtown Barcelona, hosts Sommelier Invitado, with the presence of renowned sommeliers who present their selection of bottles by the glass. Today Paz Levinson, chief sommelier at group Anne-Sophie Pic, with several fine dining restaurants in France, will be there. Time: 17:00 - 22:00 Price: varies according to the wine you drink. Attendance to the session is free of charge, as it is not a closed tasting.

17 January. The Hotel and Catering School of Leioa (Bizkaia) hosts a paired tasting of sherry wines with Bodegas Tradición with the following products: Fino, Amontillado VORS, Palo Cortado VORS, Oloroso VORS, Cream VORS and PX VORS. The tasting will be conducted by cellar master Carlos Mateos and technical director Eduardo Davis. After the tasting a lunch will be served prepared by the students. Time: 13:45 Price: €60 Reservations by phone +34 946 012446

18 January. Bodegas Bal Minuta is a family project with vineyards planted at up to 1300 m elevation in the heart of the Aragonese Pyrenees. Its promoters, Pilar Gracia and Ernest Guasch, will be today at Amontillado Wine Bar in Zaragoza (C/ Hermanos García Mercadal LC5) to present a paired tasting of their wines with several dishes: Vino de Las Nieves Pinto Noir 2021 and crunchy Thai salmon, Viña Balen Garnacha 2019 and eggplant cannelloni, mushrooms and thyme bechamel, Manelmia Brut Nature 2020 and deer ragout stew to finish with Manelmia Ancestral Method and Nieu Liqueur Wine 2022 with mango pie. Time: Price: €43 Reservations via email at comunicacion@amontilladovinos.com

19, 25 and 26 January. Wine store Lavinia in Madrid (Ortega y Gasset, 16) starts the year with a tasting of wines from around the world (Time: 19:00 - 21:00 Price: €54.99) and continues with a masterclass about Piedmont conducted by Juancho Asenjo on January 25 (Time: 19:00 - 21:00 Price: € 70) and a paired dinner with wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero at Lavinia Wine Bar on the 26th. Time: 14:00 - 15:30 Price: €65

19, 23 and 31 January. In its shop at Calle Príncipe de Vergara 211 in Madrid  Enoteca Barolo starts the year with a paired tasting of smoked salmon with white wines from around the world (Clos du Bourg Sec 2018 Domaine Huet, Vouvray; Chateau Guiraud 2019, Bordeaux Sec; Lirondo 2021; Pierre Frick Pur Vin Sec 2020, Alsace and Colli di Lapio Alexandròs 2019, Greco di Tufo) followed by tasting of Rinaldi wines, led by Juancho Asenjo, with three vintages from the Brunate and Tre Tine vineyards. The last tasting this month will focus on a selection of wines from Volnay in Burgundy. Time: 20:30 Price: €60, €125 and €65 respectively.

19 and 26 January. In addition to all the activities for members, Pilar Cruces, from Lust for Wine, presents this month an open session on two different dates and venues. Called "Great little Spanish appellations", it will take place on the 19th at La Pícara Gastroteca (C. Sta. María, 2, Aranda de Duero) and on the 26th at Sala Lust for Wine (Plaza Alonso Martínez, 7A Oficina 57 Burgos). Time: 20:30 Price: €45 and €35 respectively. More information and bookings by phone +34 638 661 408

23 January. The Association of Sommeliers in Navarra presents a tasting of Viñas Vivas, a group of artisan producers who will be in town to introduce their wines. They are Carlos Rodríguez (Abba Solleria, Ribeira Sacra), Arkaitz Larrazabal (Gure Ahaleginak, Txakoli Bizkaia), Carlos Lorenzo (Adega do Demo, Ribeiro), Alberto Pedron (Bodegas Sentencia, Requena Valencia), Bryan McRobert (Laventura wines, Rioja), Esteban Celemin (Toro), Jordi Raventòs (Clos del Guarans, Penedès), Luis Moya (LMT Wines, Navarra) and Bernardo Ortega (DO La Mancha). Time: 19:00 Price: €50. The tasting will be held at Hotel Don Carlos in Huarte, on the outskirts of Pamplona. Inscriptions via email before January 19th: actividades@sumilleresdenavarra.com 

24 January. The wine education centre Artean Wines presents a tasting of Pinot Noir wines at Espacio Pangea in Bilbao (Plaza Indautxu) led by Agustín Trapero, sommelier and beverage director at Four Seasons Hotel in Madrid. Time: 18:30 - 20:30 Price: €75

24 January. Carlos Echapresto, sommelier at Venta Moncalvillo in La Rioja, will be today at Coalla Gijón (Avda. Rufo García Rendueles, 8) presenting his   Moncalvillo Meadery meads, made from honey collected on beehives across various places in La Rioja. Time: 10:00. To book a spot, send an email to eventos@coalla.es

25, 26 and 31 January. The Unión Española de Catadores in Madrid (Lope de Vega, 27) presents three activities this month. The first, on the 25th, is a tasting conducted by Ricardo Velasco, winemaker at Valtravieso, who will present their wines from Ribera del Duero, but also their new "Viñedos Olvidados" with wines from Arlanza y Jumilla. On the 26th, Andrés Proensa presents a selection of 2022 premieres with wines like como Secreto 3 2016 de Viña Mayor, Pagos de Anguix Prado Lobo 2017, Viña Albina Selección 120 Aniversario 2010, Valenciso Cemento 2018, Clos de Gallur 2019 de Vicente Gandía, Pirene 2020 de Familia Torres and Gran Colegiata Original 80 Aniversario 2016. Finally, on the 31st, the tasting will focus on Maremma di Toscana and its Vermentino wines. Time: 19:00 Cost of each tasting: €35  (€20 members) 

30 January. The wine bar Winelovers in Salamanca (C/ Íscar Peyra, 5) hosts a tasting club where producers and other wine professionals are invited to share their wines and knowledge. The guest on this occasion is Armando Guerra, owner of the famous Taberna der Guerrita and agitator at Bodegas Barbadillo in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Time: 20:00 Price: €60 (€35 for club members). Information and bookings on +34 676 401 492

30 January. The 7th Salón de los Vinos Generosos, Dulces y Fortificados takes place today in Madrid, at hotel Princesa Plaza, with two dozen producers such as Sacristía AB, Williams & Humbert, Toro Albalá, Pérez Barquero, Osborne, Tradición, Barbadillo, Málaga Virgen or the traditional tostado wines of Ribeiro in the DO's stand. Time: 12:00-15:00 and 17:00-21:00