Wine tastings in September 2022

The absence of rain and the extreme heat this summer have favoured an early harvest in most of Spain, to the point that many areas began to cut grapes on the earliest dates in their history. On the more leisurely side of wine, and after two years in which the virus prevented the celebration of popular events, the traditional grape harvest festivals and tastings in the usual establishments are back.

2-24 September. The Taberna der Guerrita tastings programme, a summer classic for wine lovers, continues this month in Sanlúcar de Barrameda with Manuel Guerra and his stories in the tavern as well as his work of arrumbador in a bodega (2nd, 20: 00), Javier Carmona, of the Yerbagüena restaurant ( 3rd), nomadic action at La Tana in Granada (17th, 12:00), Nicholas Thorpe and his personal cellar (23rd, 20:00) and a delirious session with the Sanlúcar painter Garikoitz Cuevas, Pablo Gutiérrez and Armando Guerra (24th, 20:00). Price: €60 Further information and bookings on +34 697 826 096.

3 September. The winery Territorio Luthier presents a concert with Hugo Kant Live, artist, composer and multi-instrumentalist from Marseille (France) on its terrace at Paraje La Rastrilla (Aranda de Duero). In addition to music, there will be wines by the glass and bottles of Territorio Luthier and the culinary delights of @elmajuelowinetruck. Time: 20:00. Free entry More information on +34 644 707 782

3 September. Producer Viñátigo in La Guancha (Tenerife) hosts a masterclass to taste 10 Canary Islands grape varieties and wines. The event includes a visit to the winery, followed by a sampling of wines and tapas made from local produce. Time: 11:00 - 15:00 Price: €49.

3 September. Producers in Ábalos, La Rioja (Abeica, Alonso González, Eduardo Garrido, Fernández Eguiluz, Viña Eguiluz, Puelles, Real Divisa, Ruiz del Portal, Solabal and Solana de Ramírez) present the 25th Open Door Day with cultural tours, grape stomping in an ancient outdoor press, a presentation about the area’s traditional rock-excavated presses led by historian Salvador Velilla, tastings, music, tourist train and lunch. Time: From 11:00

3-4 September. For anyone wishing to experience the grape harvest, Familia Torres offers three activities at the Mas La Plana estate in the Penedès. "From the vine to the glass" is a sensory experience to identify different varieties, including a tasting of these grapes, in both fruit and wine, followed by a meal in the winery's restaurant; The "harvest dinner", served in the garden of El Celleret restaurant, paired with wines and accompanied by the music of DJ John Jacobsen, and the "family picnic and harvest", an experience to discover how a traditional harvest is done, followed by a picnic with bread with tomato, charcuterie and artisan cheeses, wine and a visit to the winery. A shuttle bus will be available from Barcelona for the harvest dinner. Prices: from €35 More information and bookings at reservas@torres.es. 

3-18 September. Jerez’s Harvest Festival or Fiesta de la Vendimia is dedicated to the nearby town of Chiclana and starts with the foot-treading of the grapes at 
the town’s cathedral (20:00). Throughout the first half of the month there will be numerous wine-related activities including an exhibition and tastings at the Santo Domingo Cloisters, a blind wine tasting in teams competition, guided tours of cooper houses like Antonio Páez Lobato and Huberto Domecq, a photographic exhibition called “From the Vineyard to the Plate”, open doors at some bodegas in Jerez, a children’s venencia contest and tastings at some of the region’s leading wineries.

4, 10, 18 and 25 September. The Verema Solidaria is an initiative born in 2016 to fight against poverty and social exclusion in Catalonia launched by grape grower Rubén Parera (Celler Parera) after his experiences working with immigrants who had no access to the most basic resources. Since then, various fundraising activities are held. This month’s are three charity harvests at Can Morral del Molí near Martorell (4th), Celler Altavins in Terra Alta (10th), Finca Parera in Sant Llorenç d'Hortons (18th) and Can Palopa in the Collserola mountains (25th). The price of each of these activities is €40.

9 September. The town of Montemayor (Córdoba) prepares Europe's largest pasera where visitors will discover the process of drying the Pedro Ximénez grapes in the sun and the artisan production of wine. Additionally, there will be workshops for adults and children, music, bicycle trips along the vineyard, wine and jazz at Alvear and open doors at some of the wineries in Montilla-Moriles. Location: Montemayor Fair Center.

9-11 September. Three wineries in the Uribe area of Bizkaia -Magalarte Zamudio, Magalarte Lezama and Gorka Izagirre- present a handful of activities as part of Mahasti Artean. Visitors can choose between a comedy show in the vineyards, a magic act and picnic in the vineyard, music under the stars, walking and tasting in the vineyard, yoga and a DJ session. Price: €15 each activity

10 September. One of the most popular activities of Festival Terrer Priorat is the Harvest & Wine Festival in Poboleda that takes place in this Catalan town with a recreation of a harvest as it was done in the old days, with mules and transport carts, followed by a breakfast fro the whole community. From 11:00 the village wineries open their doors to visitors and there will also be street tastings of wines from the DOQ Priorat, an artisan market and castellers (human towers).

15 September. The Wine Studio in Madrid (Marqués de la Ensenada, 16) has invited our editor, Amaya Cervera, to present a tasting of txakolis representing the new trends and styles that are being made in the three appellations of the the Basque Country. Time: 18:00 Price: €60 Send an email to book your seat to administracion@thewinestudio.es

15, 21, 28 and 29 September. Lavinia wine bar in Madrid (Ortega y Gasset, 16) presents this month four activities of interest for wine lovers: tasting of whites from France (15th, 19:00, €55), tasting of new releases from Rioja and Ribera (21st, 19:00, €50), dinner with  producer Martínez Lacuesta from Rioja (21st, 21:00, €70) and lunch paired with Old and New World wines (29th, 14:00, €65).

17 y 18 September. The Terraza El Capricho at the Goya Theatre in Madrid (Sepúlveda, 3) hosts The Wine Experience, a festival to delve into the world of wine with tastings, snacks, live music and wines of various national and international varieties. Times: 12:00 - 16:30 and from 17:30 to 22:00 (17th) and 12:00-20:00 (18th). Tickets from €15.

18 September. Rioja Alavesa hosts its 27th Harvest Festival in the village of Lantziego with wine tastings, music, pelota matches, children’s activities and a popular lunch for everyone who wants to join. There will be a shuttle service from Bilbao and Vitoria at certain times. Time: From 11:00

21 September. Restaurant Pura Cepa in Murcia (Plaza Cristo del Rescate 8) hosts a red wine blind tasting with wines from the 2020 vintage made in the region. The tasting will be conducted by sommeliers Juan Francisco Carmona and J.A. Cabeza. Time: 21:00 Price: €40.

21-25 September. The Fuensaldaña Castle in Valladolid hosts the Blacklladolid literature and wine festival, with Luis Gutiérrez, Ferran Centelles, Amaya Arzuaga, Cristina Forner, Santiago Rivas, Almudena Alberca and César Saldaña on the wine side and writers such as María Oruña, Santiago Posteguillo, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Dolores Redondo and Julia Navarro. Tickets: €9  individual or vouchers for the whole festival for €39.

22 and 29 September. Enoteca Barolo in Madrid (Príncipe de Vergara, 211) presents two tastings this month. The first one will be about wines from Puligny-Montrachet, probably the most prestigious village for Chardonnay whites in the world (22nd, €70) while the second one will be a tasting of cheese from different parts of Spain led by Guillermina Sánchez and paired by wine explained by Juanma Ruiz Casado (29th, €55). Time: 20:30

23 September. Rías Baixas Wine Route presents its Harvest Tasting in Pazo de Mugartegui, in Pontevedra. This activity will be conducted by sommelier Nacho Costoya. Guests will be able to taste various types of grapes, musts and wines from the DO Rías Baixas paired with fish and seafood. Time: 20:00 Price: €10 Bookings on +34 902 504 500

23 September. Finca Villacreces in Ribera del Duero celebrantes the arrival of autumn and the harvest with an event at dusk featuring a live gig of the band Wine Notes. Tickets costs €20 and include two glasses of wine –Pruno and Finca Villacreces– and some Iberico products. Bringing a blanket is recommended. Time: 18:00-21:00

23 September. Jordi Luque, Esmeralda García and Santi Rivas will meet today at La Caníbal (Argumosa, 28) in Madrid to present Vinos Libres, the new book written by Luque about "non industrial" wines made by artisans. Arenas de Santyuste, a white made by Esmeralda García, will be served. Time: 18:00

23-24 September. The fifth edition of Ribera del Duero's Great Harvest Festival takes place in Aranda de Duero with the traditional grape treading and tasting of the first must, stands with local wines and music with live performances.

24 September. The DO Campo de Borja presents its Autumn Tastings 2022 at the Veruela Monastery, as part of the event “The four seasons of Garnacha”. The programme includes "Veruela Romántica", a visit of the monastery through the eyes of Romanticism artists, and a tasting of local Garnachas and Pinot Noirs from New Zealand, USA and France. Time: 19:00 

24-25 September. The DO Cariñena holds its 56th Grape Harvest Festival with the actor Antonio Resines as special guest. It will be held in Cariñena (Zaragoza) and the highlight will be the lighting of the Fuente de la Mora, from which thousands of litres of wine will flow throughout the weekend. There will also be a tasting of local wines, live music shows, open day at the Wine Museum and the crushing of the grapes to obtain the first must of the year.

25 de septiembre. Rioja Alavesa Wine Route presents Autumn Walks around Rioja Alavesa, a set of free hikes led by a guide to discover and learn more about the landscape of this region. Hikers today will walk 10km between the villages of Elvillar and Laguardia going through La Uneba, Ysios, La Hoya, Dolmen de la Hechicera and Prao de la Paúl. 

27 September. The Artean Wines training centre in Bilbao has invited Armando Guerra to Espacio Pangea (Plaza Indautxu) for a tour of sherry wines, from base wines to classic crianzas. Time: 18:30-20:30 Price: €70  (60 € members).

Until 25 September. Sixteen wineries in Penedès hold La Verema del Cava with a variety of activities such as concerts among the vineyards, traditional country breakfasts, outdoor trips with bicycles, brunches and lunches among the vines, dinners under the stars, Nordic walking along rural paths and children's activities. The participating wineries are Agustí Torelló Mata, Batllori, Canals & Munné, Carol Vallès, Cava Guilera, Cava Rovellats, Caves Bolet, Caves Vilarnau, Codorníu, Covides, Giró del Gorner, Giró Ribot, Juvé & Camps, Masia Torreblanca, Sumarroca and Vins el Cep. More information about opening times and prices in the link above.

29 September. Vila Viniteca presents a couple of tastings at the end of the month, one of sparkling wines from around the world at its Barcelona headquarters (Valencia, 595) and another at its Madrid shop (Fernán González, 29) where Siscu Martí, winemaker and owner of Ca N'Estruc, will be present. Time: 20:00 to 22:00. Price: €59 and €39 respectively.

29 September. Celler El Tros in Barcelona (Mallorca, 303) presents a tasting of five cheesecakes made by Jon Cake and paired with Sherry. It will be led by sommelier Pilar Asensio. Time: 19:30 Price: €38 

29 September - 19 November. The Hoffman School in Barcelona presents a training course entitled The secrets of wine pairing. During the eight sessions of the course, the basic aspects of oenology will be analysed through tastings pairing different dishes prepared by Hofmann chefs and with the guidance of winemaker Lluís Manel Barba. Time: 19:00-21:30 Price: €980.

30 September - 2 October. The Vintae winery group presents Vintae Wild Wine West, a three-day party organised in San Vicente de la Sonsierra to celebrate wine and friendship in the midst of the grape harvest in Rioja. Participants dress up as trapeze artists, clowns, acrobats, jugglers, jugglers, strongmen or any other circus characters while enjoying concerts, meals, tapas and wine tours around the village. Price: €160