After a hot, dry summer and an intermittent and sometimes heavy rainy September in much of the Spanish mainland, the arrival of autumn coincides with the final stages of the grape harvest in areas such as the Sonsierra in Rioja, Calatayud and the txakoli regions. In addition to the usual harvest festivals at this time of year, this month's wine events calendar includes vineyard races and hikes, tastings and various wine fairs.
2 October. In Salamanca, the Winelovers wine bar (Íscar Peyra, 5) welcomes Elías López Montero, winemaker and alma mater of Verum in La Mancha and producer of such special wines as Las Tinadas, a classy and complex ungrafted Airén. Elías will present his wines and talk about his experience in South Africa and Patagonia. Time: 20:00 Price: €60 (€35 for members).
3-4 October. The Villamarta theatre in Jerez de la Frontera is the venue for Copa Jerez, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. In addtion to the culinary competition, a forum will be held with speakers such as Luis Gutiérrez, François Chartier, Montse Molina or Pilar Cavero as well as a producers’ showroom. Many restaurants in the city will also join the celebration with a gastronomic route. Tickets from €50
4, 10, 18, 30 and 31 October. The Unión Española de Catadores in Madrid (Lope de Vega, 27) presents the following tastings this month: Rufete wines with Antonio Candelas (4th), Godello from Bierzo with Juanma Ruiz Casado (10th), Gran Reserva 2018 Cava selections with Luis Vida (18th), Bairrada whites with Dani Poveda (30th) and Gran Colegiata Reserva vertical with Manu Fariña (31st). All tastings are at 19:00 and cost €40 each.
5, 14, 19, 21 and 26 October. Wine shop Lavinia in Madrid (Ortega y Gasset, 16) presents a full line-up of tastings this month: mini-vertical of Abadía Retuerta Petit Verdot and Pago Valdebellón with Álvaro Pérez Navazo, director of the Academia del Terruño (5th, 19:00-20:00: 30, €55), the Ortega y Gasset Harvests with more than 40 producers serving their wines outdoors ( 14th, 12:00-20:00, €30), dinner with producer Marqués de Riscal (19th, 21:00-23:00, €55), a walk through Spanish wine (21st, 11:00-12:45, €50) and wines from DO Rioja (26th, 19:00-20:30, €35).
6 October. In a bubbly-filled day, the town of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia near Barcelona hosts Territori Efervescent, a showroom of alternative Catalan sparkling wines with producers such as Ànima Mundi, Anna Serra Cooks, Bufadors Celler, Casa Jou, Celler Cairons, Finca Parera, Enlaire Vins, Esteve i Gibert, Finca La Font de Jui, Joan Rubió de Cal Tiques, L'Enclòs de Peralba, La Salada, Mas Candí, Orda Vins, Pardas and Vinya Lluny. The event will take place at the Cal Feru shop (Diputació, 51-53) in two shifts: the first from 18:00 to 20:00 and the second from 20:00 to 22:00 Price: €20.
6-8 October. Around 20 cava producers, among them Juve y Camps, Rimarts, Sumarroca, Agustí Torelló Mata or Codorníu, will take part on this edition of Cavatast, a three-day event in private and public spaces in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia with food, tastings, artisan products, winery tours and music. Check the programe on the link above for further details.
6 and 20 October. Coinciding with the Semana Negrasteiz crime fiction festival, the wine shop Vinosferia in Vitoria (Rafael Alberti, 24) presents a blind tasting that will be linked to the solving of a crime. Clues will be given and the tasting will end with a snack including ham and cheese. Time: 19:00 Price: € 25
6, 20 and 27 October. La Ruta del Vino store in Santander (Arrabal, 18) presents three tastings this month. The first one will feature Rioja whites (6th, €25), the second one, on the 20th, will be about Pinot Meunier wines (20th, €45) and the third one (27th, €30) will include cheese and wines from different areas of Spain. Time: 20:30 Price: €25 each tasting.
6 and 21 October. Di-Vi Muntaner wine shop in Barcelona (Muntaner, 92) presents this month a tasting of five natural wines in two sessions: Flow Blanco (Empordá), Plana d'en Jan (Penedés), NuNu natural (Terra Alta), Matraqueta (Montsant) and Caminos de Aliste (Zamora). Time: 19:00 Price: €35 Book your spot via WhatsApp on +34 677845661
7-8 October. Bizkaiko Txakolina presents Txakolina & Musika, an event with music, food and txakoli that will take place in Mendibile Park in Leioa (Bizkaia). There will be wine tastings with Iratxe Rementería, from Remenetxe restaurant, and Jose Mari Agirre and Nerea Cuenco from Mendibile Jauregia. Price of each tasting: €9
8, 17, 19 and 29 October. Wine training centre Lust for Wine in Burgos (Plaza Alonso Martínez, 7A Office 57) presents its programme of wine events this month starting on the 8th with a blind tasting of national reds in its Burgos venue (11:00-14:00, €30). On the 17th, Pilar Cruces presents "Te leo un Vino" in Música y Deportes at Paseo del Espolón, 16 (19:30, €8), while on the 19th she will conduct a presentation on the Loire, also in the Lust for Wine venue. On the 28th she will be at La Pícara Gastroteca in Aranda de Duero (C. Sta. María, 2) with a blind tasting of national wines (20:30, €35). Discounts for club members. More information and bookings on +34 638 661 408.
9-11 October. San Sebastian Gastronomika is essentially a cooking congress, but the organisers also leave a small area for tastings on the 9th. This year's edition will feature: Jean Leon, which celebrates its 60th anniversary with a tasting of its top wines led by Mireia Torres, director of the winery, and sommelier Sergi Castro (11:30 - 12: 30), Great Rueda wine, fine dining and origin with Pedro Ballesteros MW and Santiago Mora, director of the Rueda DO (14:00 - 15:30), Wines of Tenerife with Carlos Delgado (16:30 - 19:30) and diversity of climates and soils in the Canary Islands with Jonatan García, technical director of Suertes del Marqués and Tamerán (18:30-19:30). Price: 50 € per tasting On the same day, the Gueridón de Oro will be awarded to Jancis Robinson in San Sebastián for her lifetime contribution to wine.
9, 19 and 25 October. Enoteca Barolo in Madrid (Príncipe de Vergara, 211) hosts three tastings this month. In the first one, Juancho Asenjo will present seven red wines from Sicily ( 9th, €60), Juanma Ruiz Casado will present a tasting of six wines in magnum such as Alión 2017, Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco 2018 or Champagne Ruinart Rosé (19th, €65) while on the 25th participants will be able to enjoy a pairing of Peruvian dishes cooked by restaurant Pucará (€60). Time: 20:30-22:30 Reservations by phone: +34 91 745 1927
9, 23 and 24 October. The Association of Navarra Sommeliers has invited Paco Berciano, owner of Vinoteca El Lagar in Burgos and co-owner of Alma Vinos Únicos, to present a tasting of 10 wines from Burgundy, with three whites and seven reds. A tasting of wines from South Africa and New Zealand is planned for the 23rd and 24th led by Juancho Asenjo. The activity will be followed by dinner, which must be booked in advance at a cost of €30 per person. Place: Hotel Don Carlos, in Pamplona. Time: 19:00-21:30 Registration (40 € both days) before 20 October.
14 October. The Corbí family celebrates the end of the grape harvest at their estate in Las Hoces del Río Cabriel (Valencia) with music, Clos Cor Ví wines and live cooking from Oba and Cañitas Maite, two of the most innovative restaurants in southeast Spain from their headquarters in Casas Ibáñez. For those attending, there will be a shuttle bus from Valencia. Time: 19:00 - 24:00 Price: €130
14 and 21 October. Wine store Vin La Vie Vinos in Madrid (Ibiza market, stand 8) presents this month two tastings with Rioja flavour. The first is a mini-vertical of Viña Tondonia red vintages 2001, 2004 and 2009 (14th, €45) and the second is a tasting of three wines from centenarian bodegas in Rioja: Castillo de Ygay 2011, La Rioja Alta 890 2010 and Viña Tondonia Blanco 2011 (21st, €75). Time: 19:00. Further information on +34 690827856
16 and 23 October. This month, the Verema Experience takes place in two different cities. The first will be in Madrid, at Hotel Mandarín Oriental Ritz, with the chance to taste sparkling, sweet and generoso wines. On the 17th the event moves to Alicante (Hotel Alicante Golf) with the presence of around 20 wineries and regulatory councils. Opening hours: 12:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 21:00. Price: €25 online and €30 at the door.
17, 19, 20, 24 and 26 October. Vila Viniteca presents several tastings this month. In Barcelona there is one with Torelló sparkling wines and international cheeses (L'Illa, 17th, €59) and a selection of Catalan wines (Agullers 7, 20th, €65). In Madrid, producer Javi Revert presents his wines (General Díaz Porlier 45, 17th, €39), Porto vs Madeira (Fernán González 29, 19th, €69), the wines of Louis Jadot (General D. Porlier 45, 24th, €69) and the month concludes with Diego Magaña and his wines (General D. Porlier 45, 26th, €39).
From 18 October. Espacio Vino returns to Madrid until 12 November with a series of activities organised by Interprofesional del Vino de España (OIVE) to bring wine closer to the consumers. Highlights include performances by the comedian Sara Escudero and the actress Sil de Castro, and gigs with Pol 3.14, Alejo Estivel, Mafalda Cardenal and the band Salistre from Cádiz. In addition, there will also be creative workshops such as 'Flowers with wine' or 'Ceramics and wine', blind tastings or showcooking with tortilla, among many others.
20-22 October. This year the Moriles Expo Wine tasting moves to each of the eight participating bodegas and wineries where there will be wine and food stands. Time: 13:00- 19:00 Access is free with prior registration.
21 October. Wine merchants Paco Berciano and Maribé Revilla of Vinoteca El Lagar host their Muestra de Vinos Servidos por Bodegueros, featuring around 50 producers from different wine-growing regions of Spain. Participants will have the opportunity to taste more than 200 Spanish, French and German wines. The show will be held at their warehouse in the Villalonquéjar industrial estate in Burgos (López Bravo, 5 Nave 26). Time: 11:00-14:00 and 17:00-20:00. Price: €10 (waived with purchases of €35 or more).
21 October. For padel tennis fans, 10vcomunicacion and Marco Real, a producer from Navarre, hold the 4th 10V Padel & Wines Tournament at the Ciudad de la Raqueta in Madrid. After the tournament - with male, female and mixed categories - participants will have the chance to taste five Bodegas Marco Real wines served with ibérico appetizers. Companions can join the wine tasting for €15, even if they are not playing. The proceeds will go to help the children and families of the West Syndrome Foundation. To register for the tournament ( €25) contact Victoria Díez at victoria@10vcomunicacion.es
21-22 October. Bodegas Lecea in San Asensio (La Rioja) holds its own grape harvest with a traditional grape treading in the stone lagar of its facilities in the village's winery district, followed on Sunday by the pressing of the grapes in the wine press. Both activities are free of charge. There will also be visits to the 16th century cellars, tasting of Lecea wines, lunch at the winery and a walk through the vineyards. Opening hours: 10:30-19:30 Price: from €5 More information at info@bodegaslecea.com
27-29 October. Tastings, open doors at the wineries, showcookings and live music will be among the activities at Matavendimia, the second DO Jumilla wine and wine tourism fair, to be held in the market square in the town of Jumilla in Murcia.
29 October. A new edition of the Rioja Alavesa Wine Run is being held today in Elciego with three types of entries: two 10 km and 20 km races and a leisurely 10 km hike along vineyard-lined paths and trails that includes stops at several wineries in the village. At the end of the race, a wine and local produce fair will be held. Price: from €18
30 October. La ninth edition of the Salón de las Bodegas del siglo XXI brings together 40 wineries from different origins at the Hotel Intercontinental in Madrid. More details will be published shortly (Paseo de la Castellana, 49). Opening times: 12:00-15:00 and 17:00-22:00
31 October. Bilbao's Artean Wines training centre, presents a wine and history tour to understand the profile and potential of Garnacha with a tasting of eight wines. Venue: Espacio Pangea in Plaza Indautxu. Time: 18:30 - 20:30 Price: €60
Author
Yolanda Ortiz de Arri
A journalist with over 25 years' experience in national and international media. WSET3, wine educator and translator
