Saturday 12 April 2014

11.4.14 Vinos de España, una Pasion

Jerez is sharing its great passion for wine with the rest of Spain. The European City of Wine designation is the perfect excuse for winemakers, sommeliers, restaurateurs, members of the wine trade and consumers to seize the slightest opportunity to celebrate wine’s very existence, and especially those of Jerez, host of many of this year’s best wine events.

Alongside the many public and institutional events – The Gala of European Cities of Wine, the Iberoamerican Wine Forum, Sherry Festival, the Annual Horse Fair, Vinoble... there is the privately organised event “Vinos de España, una Pasion”, which yesterday transformed the cloisters of the church of San Domingo into a veritable wine tasting Heaven.

A scene at the tasting (Foto Diario Jerez)
Around 50 bodegas from 20 Spanish Denominaciones de Origen made available some 200 wines. Juan Martin Hidalgo of Bodegas Hidalgo turned a dream into reality by organising a large range of Spanish wineries from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro, Priorato, Mentrida, Penedes, Bierzo, Mallorca, Madrid, Extremadura, Castilla and many more – not forgetting Jerez and Vinos de la Tierra de Cadiz, all unified in the spirit of making excellent wine.

The event attracted many more participants than it could cope with at the Hidalgo bodegas, so Martin Hidalgo asked the Council for larger premises. Sherry was represented by Hidalgo, Lustau, Sanchez Romate and Fernando de Castilla along with 4 Vinos de la Tierra de Cadiz. According to the Mayor, Maria Jose Garcia Pelayo, Jerez is now putting itself back on the map, the city is in fashion again thanks to its wine, and the brand is recovering.


The other bodegas present were impressed and hope that more such events can be arranged.  They were delighted to be face to face with the consumer, and recognised that however good Spanish wines might be, they have a lot to learn in selling them. They were, however impressed with Sherry and the place it comes from. Aren't we all?!

No comments:

Post a Comment