Wine tastings in March 2017

The wine fair season starts to pick up on March. One of the largest is set to take place in Durango (Basque Country) with over 40 producers from across the country, plus Simplemente Vinho featuring producers from Portugal and the Natural Wine Fair in Barcelona. Additionally, there are plenty more tastings and we will update this list over the course of the month so come back to this agenda to plan your wine leisure in Spain.

27 February - 4 March. Ollauri (La Rioja) celebrates its 17th Wine Week with a series of talks during weekdays with topics such as reduction in wine, vermouth, rules about wine production and social media and wine. On March 4th, several Rioja wineries will present their wines at a tasting in the village town hall: Abel Mendoza, Cía de Vinos Telmo Rodríguez, Conde de los Andes, Concejo de Ollauri, Valenciso, Marqués de Terán, Beronia, Martínez Palacios, Castillo de Cuzcurrita, Gómez Cruzado and the artisan oils of Almazara El Alberque. The talks are free and will take place at 20:00 whereas the wine tasting on Saturday will be between 11:30 and 14:30. Price: €10.

1 March. Guillermo Cruz, head sommelier at Basque restaurant Mugaritz (2 Michelin stars), will lead a tasting in Essencia (Zabaleta, 42) in San Sebastián in which he will evoke some of his most exciting wine trips aided by some great wines from those regions. Food will be served after the tasting. Price: €90  Time: 19:15

2, 9, 16 and 23 March. As Valladolid hosts this year’s edition of the Concours Mundial de Bruxelles, the city has organized a set of free tastings for the general public with wines from the five Denominations of Origin in the province —Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro, Cigales and Tierra de León— paired with various gourmet products such as ham, charcuterie, cheese and smoked fish.  The tastings will be held in the Del Val Market. Time: 19:00-20:30

2 March - 23 April. The exhibition 'Inspired by Wine. Masters of Contemporary Engraving' with 60 works of art belonging to the Vivanco Family's itinerant exhibition, will be on show at the Museum of Naval Construction (Exponav) in Ferrol, Galicia. Visitors will be able to contemplate wine-related works by 19 artists such as Picasso, Warhol, Tapies, Dalí or Miró, among others. The proceeds of the exhibition will be donated to the local charity Cocina Económica in Ferrol. Tickets: €2

3 March. The store TomeVinos Centro in Zaragoza organizes a blind tasting of Garnachas led by owner Michael Cooper. Among the six reds of the tasting there will be some “very well know” ones. Time: 20:30 Price: €8 per person with a 10% discount on any purchases of Garnachas.

4 and 5 March. Simplesmente... Vinho started in Portugal as an alternative and independent wine fair with small producers from Portugal and Galicia (plus some from Rioja and Ribera) and after four editions, it added a new location in Barcelona. Among the 20-odd producers that will travel to Simplesmente... Vinho BCN 2017 are Quinta do Infantado (Douro), Luis Pato (Bairrada) y Luis Seabra (Minho y Douro). Four Barcelona restaurants will provide the food during the event, which will be held in Nau Bostik (Ferran Turné, 11), and there will also be live music and a pop-up shop to purchase the wines of the tasting. Price: €15 per glass/day and €20 for two days. Meals cost €5 per plate. Opening hours: Saturday from 15:00 to 20:00.

5 March. Producer Alta Alella organizes a theatre performance tour of the children's story El Raïm Inquiet (The restless grape bunch) in which actress Cristina Peralta plays different characters who help explain how wine is made. The tour includes a visit to the winery and vineyards in Alella (Barcelona) and ends in the Wine Tourism Centre, where children take part in a comparative tasting of musts and play games supervised by sommelier-guide Mauri Gall. As the children play, the parents will have a chance to taste Alta Alella’s wines and cavas. Time: 11:00 Price: €5

6 March. The Experiencia Verema comes to Palma de Mallorca’s Sala Magna del Pueblo Español where over 25 producers and distributors will present their wines after an initial tasting presented by Bodegas Torres. Participation in this event is free but a €5 deposit is requested. Time: 12:00 - 21:00

8 March. During the month of March, Bodega Urbana in Bilbao has transformed its store and restaurant (Gran Vía, 66) into a huge camellias garden which will host a tasting led by winemaker Ana Martín to celebrate Women's Day with five Rias Baixas wines made by women. The wines on the tasting are: Enxebre 2015 by Andrea Oblenza, Santiago Ruiz 2015 by Luisa Freire, Dávila 2015 by Cristina Mantilla, Don Pedro Sotomayor 2016 by Katia Álvarez and Corisca 2015 by Natalia Rodríguez. Time: 19:30 Price: €20 Inscriptions on +34 94 4416181

9 March. Wine store Majuelos Singulares in Valladolid (San Ignacio, 9) has prepared a tasting of Italian wines with the following bottles: Bera Vittorio Moscato d’Asti 2012 (Piedmont), Biancospino 2014 (Tuscany), Occhipinti SP68 2015 (Sicily), Pettirosso 2014 (Tuscany), Fonterenza Brunelli di Montalcino 2011 (Tuscany) and Roagna Barbera d’Alba 2009 (Piedmont). Time: 20:30 Price: €18 Inscriptions and information on +34 983 370974

10 March. Wine store Jovani Vins (Comte Borrell, 30) in Barcelona hosts a tasting of cheese and Priorat wines with Clos Mogador, Exclamació, L’Home Tranquil and Olbia. Time: 19:45 Price: €30

10 March. Valladolid wine store El Buen Gusto Vinos (Manuel Silvela, 2) presents a tasting with Galo López Cristóbal, owner and winemaker of Bodegas López Cristobal in Ribera de Duero. Three current vintages will be tasted along with three old ones to see the evolution of Tempranillo after more than 10 years resting in the bottle. Time: 20:00 Price: €20 Further information and bookings on +34 983 377 199

12 March. Vins Nus Natural Wine Fair holds a new edition in Barcelona with the presence of around 40 producers, mostly from Spain and France, plus live music, artisan food and live cooking. Location: Sala Utopia 126, in Poblenou (Cristobal de Moura, 126) Opening hours: 10:00-20:00 Price: TBC

13 March. Ismael Gozalo, owner of MicroBio Wines and maker of natural wines in the Nieva region in Segovia, presents at Umami Gijón (Av. Rufo Rendueles, 8) a tasting of his wines Issé 2016, Sin Nombre 2014, Siete Juntos Syrah 2014, Rufian Rufete 2015, La Banda del Argílico and Verdejo Ancestral. Time: 20:00 Price: €30

15 March. Óscar Soneira, who runs the blog Hemoglovinum, presents a blind tasting with 10 wines and music at Verema i Collita in Barcelona (Plaça Joanic, 3). According to Óscar, it will be an evening of fun, seriousness and surprises. Time: 19:00 Price: €15

15 March. Wine store Lavinia in Madrid (Ortega y Gasset, 16) hosts a dinner with Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle, owner of Bodegas Artadi, the winery which abandoned the DOCa Rioja at the end of 2015 and which makes renowned wines such as El Pisón or El Carretil. During the evening, there will be a chance to taste Artadi’s wines paired with the dishes that Lavinia’s chef has expressly prepared for the occasion. Time: 21:00 Price: €55

16 March. Bodega Santa Cecilia (Nuñez de Balboa, 103) in Madrid presents a tasting of legendary Dom Pérignon Champagnes, with the following wines: Dom Pérignon Blanc 2006, Dom Pérignon Rosé 2004 and Dom Pérignon Plenitud 2 1998. The tasting will be led by Moët Hennessy’s brand ambassador. Time: 19:00 - 21:00 Price: €35 (Members €30)

16 March.  Gonzalez Byass' winemaker at large and master blender, Antonio Flores, will travel to the Unión Española de Catadores in Madrid (Lope de Vega, 27) to present a tasting of  Vintage Palos Cortados (1975, 1978, 1982 and 1987)  preceded by two more Palos Cortados made by this Sherry House: Leonor and Apóstoles. Time: 19:00 Price: €40 (€25 members).

17 March. Wine store La Mercería in Boadilla del Monte (Avenida Siglo XXI) near Madrid has invited José Ramón Urtasun, partner of Fernando Remírez de Ganuza, to present a tasting with the following wines made by this respected Rioja Alavesa producer: Erre Punto Tinto, Remírez de Ganuza Blanco, Fincas de Ganuza, Remírez de Ganuza Reserva and Trasnocho. Time: 20:00 Price: €23 Inscriptions on +34 637 852 998

18 March. Wine store Belostikale in Bilbao has invited Juan Carlos Sancha, professor at the University of La Rioja and owner of five hectares of organic vineyards in the Navecilla valley. He will present the following wines: Ad Libitum Tempranillo Blanco; Ad Libitum Maturana Blanca; Ad Libitum Maturana Tinta; Ad Libitum Monastel Riojana; Peña El Gato Garnacha Centenaria and Peña el Gato Natural without added sulfites. Some snacks will also be available after the tasting. Bookings on +34 94 679 38 51 Price: €20 Time: 19:00

22 March. Sushi chef Naumi Uemura will be at Enoteca Barolo (Príncipe de Vergara, 211) in Madrid to prepare and present, along with Juanma Ruiz Casado, a paired sushi dinner with the following wines: Pavón Puerto Fino, Luis Caballero (DO Jérez), Champagne Geoffroy Expression Brut, Roussanne Les Vignes d’à Côté 2013 (IGP Collines Rhodaniennes), Perill Blanc. Clos Lentiscus (DO Penedès), Rietsch Pinot Noir 2015 (Alsace) and Henriques & Henriques Single Harvest 1998 (Madeira). Bookings on +34 917 451 927 Time: 20:30 Price: €45

22 March. Restaurant Pura Cepa Murcia (Plaza Cristo del Rescate, 8) presents a tasting and dinner focused on Monastrell wines sourced from various wine regions and producers. Time: 21:00 Price: €30 Bookings on +34 968 217 397

22 March. Espai Penedès in Barcelona (Muntaner, 21) presents a tasting-cum-talk with TV3’s Italy and the Vatican correspondent Viçenc Lozano, who will give insights into the secrets and recent scandals in the Vatican while participants taste four Holy See-linked wines including De Muller mass wine, Castelli Romani a sparkling white wine, Pignoletto Pasito from Emilia Romagna and Cónclave, a wine from Mendoza in Argentina made in honor of Pope Francis. Time: 20:00 Price: €19

23 March. 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 an international blind tasting focused on judging quality (16 March), a tasting of six wines from Catalan producer Can Rafols del Caus and a tasting of Tuscan wines (30 March). Tickets must be bought in advance and are not sold on the premises of Wine Cuentista (Carrer San Pere Mes Baix, 90) Time: 19:00-21:00 Price: €30 Further information on fintankerr@winecuentista.com 

24 March. The Asociación de Amigos de la Vid y el Vino in Alcobendas (Largo Caballero, 44) near Madrid hosts a tasting of Cabernet Sauvignons from California with the following wines: Araujo Altagracia 2012 (Napa Valley), Shafer One Pont Five 2011 (Stags Leap District, Napa Valley), Ridge Monte Bello 2013 (Santa Cruz Mountains), Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow 2003 (Napa Valley) and Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 (Napa Valley). Time: 19:00 Price: €55  (€45 members). Further information and tickets on +34 669 404 169

24 March. Mariano Taberner, owner of Bodega Cueva located in Requena, will be at Wine Attack Madrid (Limón, 30), a new spot devoted to wine, to present his new vintages which will be paired with some dishes prepared for the occasion. There will be special prices on the Cueva wines sold on the day; additionally, the first 50 friends to confirm their presence at the tasting will receive a bottle of Marianer, a craft beer made by Mariano Taberner from Bobal.  Time: 20:30 The tasting is free but booking a place is required on +34 910 560 241

25 March. Over 40 wineries will gather in the Basque town of Durango during Durango Ardo Saltsan, a wine and fine food festival with deli products such as black garlic, marinated free-range chicken, cheese, anchovies, coffee etc. This year’s theme in Durango Ardo Saltsan is Grilled Cooking, with live shows and tastings as well as stands manned by producers from across the country such as Agrícola Labastida, Artevino, Bohigas, Dehesa Valdelaguna, Itsasmendi, Malaparte, Mendraka, Torelló, Recaredo, Toro Albalá or Ximénez Spínola among others. Entrance to the fair, which takes place in Landako Gunea, costs €15 and includes a glass. Time: 11:00 - 15:00 and 17:00 - 21:00

26 March. The places to take part in Vila Viniteca's annual Tasting in Pairs Competition were sold out in less than half an hour, but there is a chance to be at the tasting to see which couple takes the €30,000 prize. Between the classifying stage and the fina, the public can taste the wines served by over 50 producers at the Casino in Madrid (Alcalá, 15) as well as craft cheese at lunchtime. Time: 11:00 - 19:00 Price: €15

26 March. Vináliti Tasting School in Málaga organizes a visit to the winery that Federico Schatz owns in Serranía de Ronda, where this German-born producer with impeccable Andalusian accent grown three hectares of organic vineyards planted mostly with French (and a couple of German) varieties. As well as the visit, there will be a tasting with some nibbles to eat. Time: 12:00 Price: €30 (€25 for members). Further information and bookings on +34 952 218906

27 March. The Association of Small Family Producers in Rioja, known as Bodegas Familiares de Rioja, present their new vintages to the general public in a tasting that will take place at Logroño' s Riojaforum. Over 20 wineries, including Castillo de Sajazarra, Paco García, Viña Ijalba, Juan Carlos Sancha, Honorio Rubio, Tobía, La Emperatriz, Hacienda El Ternero and Gómez Cruzado among others, are expected to present their new vintages. This showroom is open to the general public and is preceded by a professional tasting of Rioja Village Wines  led by sommelier Juancho Asenjo. Time: 19:00-21:00 Price: €10

27 March. Wine merchant Barcelonavinos has pulled out all the stops with an event featuring almost 50 producers of singular wines at Camp Nou in Barcelona. Some of the producers at the event include Ferrer Bobet (Priorat), Jordi Miró (Terra Alta), Vins Inquiets (Montsant), Celler Roura (Alella), Vinos Terribles (Rueda y Ribera del Duero), Olivier Rivière (Rioja), Viña Zorzal (Navarra), Luis Pérez (Jerez), Cota 45 (Cádiz), Bodegas Ponce (Manchuela), Bernabé Navarro (Alicante), 4 Monos (Madrid), Alfredo Maestro (Castilla y León), Rodrigo Méndez (Rías Baixas), Bernardo Estévez (Ribeiro), Ibizkus (Ibiza), Ata Rangi (Nueva Zelanda) or Bouza (Uruguay), among many others. Time: 16:00-20:30 Price: €100

27 March. Does the taste and appreciation of wines change based on the type of glass they are served? This month's event in Monvínic (Diputació, 249) in Barcelona will be a good opportunity to answer this question as there will be three wines and a whisky (Donnhöff Nahe Felsenberg Riesling 2014, Egly Ouriet Champagne Grand Cru Tradition, Clos Martinet Priorat 2014 and Bowmore Islay 15 Years Malt Whisky) served in different Riedel glasses. Time: 20:00 Price: €55

27 March. Verme and distributor Terras de Portugal ha ve joined forces to organize Portugal Decanta, with the presence of over 50 producers from the neighbouring country such as Adega Viuva Gomes (Colares), Henriques & Henriques, Heredade do Esporao (Alentejo), Quinta da Pellada (Dao), Quinta de Soalheiro (Vinho Verde), Quinta do Vale Meao (Douro/Porto) or José Maria da Fonseca (Setubal), coming from 12 different appellations. As well as the tasting tables, there will be various workshops with a chance to taste and compare styles. Location: Westin Hotel in Madrid. Time: 12:00-21:00 Price: €5 online y €10 at the gate. 

29 March. On Wednesdays, Bar Birlibirloque in Valencia (Calle de la Paz, 7) usually welcomes a winemaker who visits the bar to talk about his/her winery and wines. Today it is the turn of Rafael Cambra, a small winegrower from inland Valencia whose vineyards lie at 700 meters above sea level and are planted mostly with Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Time: 20:15-21:30 The tasting is free but bookings are necessary on +34 96 064 4459

29 March. Wine merchant Tiza y Flor in Alicante (César Elguezábal, 31) has invited Ramón Parera, from Celler Pardas in Penedès to present his wines made from Xarel.lo and Sumoll. He will also talk about music --Parera owns one of the most important record collections in Spain. Time: 19:00 Price: €15 (free with purchases)

30 March. The fourth edition of Vinos de España, una Pasión, (Wines from Spain, a Passion) organized by sherry producer Emilio Hidalgo in Seville (Casa de los Bucarrelli) will gather a great deal of Spanish wineries which make wines in different styles and regions such as Algueira, Tricó, La Rioja Alta, Pujanza, Rimarts, Mas d’en Gil, Yuste, Urium, Viña Zorzal, Descendientes J. Palacios, or Alonso del Hierro, among others. Time: 11:30 - 19:30 Price: €25

30 March. Francesc Grimalt, owner and winemaker of 4Kilos, presents a tasting of his Majorcan wines at Vila Viniteca in Barcelona (Agullers, 7) with the following wines: 12Volts 2015, 4Kilos 2013, 4Kilos 2014, Grimalt Caballero 2012, Grimalt Caballero 2013, Motor America 2015 and Gallinas y Focas 2014 Time: 20:00 - 22:00 Price: €39