Category: Events

After Recent Wine Tasting!

Dear Colin,
Many thanks for a very interesting tasting.  Most enjoyable.
I doubt if all your detailed wine wisdom will stick, it was quite a lot to take in, but I’ll try to retain some.
Again, many thanks and we are looking forward enormously to Thursday*.
Alistair and Sybille
*Refers to imminent Musical Dinner with Paired Wines at Restaurante Dgust, Moraira, 9th Feb. 2017. Music from Claire Marie www.clairemarie.es ; wines from Bodegas Dominio de la Vega, San Antonio.

Two very special events coming up!

Below, firstly, we have the details of a truly excellent three day, two night, Short Break in Yecla, Murcia, SE Spain – essentially we are talking sheer luxury here! Please read on!

Secondly, details of an imminent (that’s 9th Feb!) dinner with paired wine and wonderful music – where we have just 4 places available, to fill the excellent Restaurante Dgust, Moraira, Alicante.

  1. I’d like to  also confirm that the price of the Short Break in Yecla, whilst it may sound a little steep initially, does represent excellent value for money and includes, well everything!:
All travel
High quality lunch*, dinner, bed and breakfast for each of the three days (except breakfast on the first day, of course)
Two nights in luxury accommodation
The cost of the tour and tasting at each of the four bodegas visited
Plus the fun, prize draw and prize quiz on the return journey!

*To give you an example, the lunch and tour at Barahonda (take a look at their restaurant!) is 38€!

By all means  visit the websites of the hotel http://casaboquera.es/ and the bodegas:

http://barahonda.com/en/   http://www.bodegascastano.com/en/   http://www.bodegaslapurisima.com/en/

Where you’ll be able to see the quality of the accommodation, their wines and restaurants and probably the usual cost of a tour and tasting (ours is discounted and will have more wines to taste than is usual!).

 

I’m delighted to announce a fantastic Short Break for those who love fine wine, excellent cuisine and boutique hotel luxury! Weds. May 3rd – Fri. 5th May 2017 I will be taking a small group, 20 maximum, to the brand new luxury boutique hotel Casa Boquera, Yecla, where the resident chef is Michelin Starred and the ambiance is that of a Country House – in a vineyard!

Dinner Bed and Breakfast will be Hotel Casa Boquera. There is a private garden with swimming pool and beautiful views across the surrounding vineyards. Time to enjoy the rooms, garden and surroundings is built into the programme.

We will tour, taste and lunch at: Bodegas Casa Boquera; Bodegas Barahonda; Bodegas Castaño. Plus we will tour and taste at Bodegas La Purísima – the four leading wineries of this, one of the best and most pro-active DOs in Spain.

My friends at all of these bodegas, and indeed the hotel, have kindly offered my group generous discounts – thus we will all benefit from unique prices that will not be repeated!

The basic price of this Short Break is 395€.

Casa Boquera has three different categories of room, though all are luxurious. The differences are essentially the size of the room and terrace, and the view (except for the one Gran Suite room, please see below). The price above includes the Reserva Category, of which there are 4 rooms only.

The Gran Reserva Category has 5 rooms available, for this room there will be a supplementary cost per person of 30€.

There is also one only Grand Suite available which boasts: the top, private floor; a suite; and a jacuzzi! For this rather spectacular room there is a supplement of 55€ per person.

Needless to say we will also have ample time to buy wines to bring home with us at each of the bodegas visited – I’m sure I’ll also be able to arrange a discount or two on these wines, which will be as inexpensive as you can buy anyway, as they are direct from the bodega!

With limited numbers and with different categories of rooms I’ll have to take reservations on a first come, first served basis – I’m sure you understand!

Whilst initial reservation will be by e-mail, or please call me on 629 388 159, I will also need to collect a deposit, as soon as possible.

Please Note:

1. Unfortunately the option of single occupancy will not be available for this Short Break.

2. Rooms can be large double beds or two single beds.

3. It may be possible for three to share a double room (an extra single bed would be provided) – there would be a supplement payable of 30€/per night for this.

4. Insurance is not included, you are recommended to make your own insurance arrangements.

Finally, for now at least – you may be interested to know that Katherine, joint owner of Casa Boquera, will be my guest on the Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine Programme, Total FM 91.8 & online www.totalfm.es, on Sunday 26th February, from 18:00 – 20:00 hrs, when we’ll be chatting about the project and tasting some wines! Any questions during the programme – please text me on 629 388 159.

So – over to you! Please contact me as soon as possible to reserve, stating your room category preference, and your phone numbers. If your room preference is already subscribed, I will add you to the list, subject to your willingness to change, in order to retain your place. I will then reply to advise and ask if you’re willing to change.

Thanks for your time – I can’t wait for this Short Break and I hope you can join me!


2. On Thursday 9th Feb Claire and I are presenting a wonderful evening of Classical Music, Pop Opera and Flute Favourites, with an excellent four-course dinner, each course being paired with a different wine – we have Cava, White Wine; Red Wine and a scrumptious very unusual Dessert Wine. If you’ve been to Restaurante Dgust, you’ll know the excellent standard of this leading Moraira restaurant – if you haven’t been, well you are in for a treat!

Owing to cancellations we have four places left for this splendid gala night – the cost for this event is just 39€!

Also whilst there, you will be the first to hear of the next such night in March, and therefore have the option to reserve there and then, as places will again been limited.

Sorry this has been a bit of a read –  but I think it’s worth the effort!

If any of the above is of interest to you, please let me know asap – you can reply by e-mail, or please call me on (00 34) 629 388 159.

Short Break – Yecla Like You’ve Never Done It Before!

I’m delighted to announce a fantastic Short Break for those who love fine wine, excellent cuisine and boutique hotel luxury . . . . .

 

I’m delighted to announce a fantastic Short Break for those who love fine wine, excellent cuisine and boutique hotel luxury! Weds. May 3rd – Fri. 5th May 2017 I will be taking a small group, 20 maximum, to the brand new luxury boutique hotel Casa Boquera, Yecla, where the resident chef is Michelin Starred and the ambiance is that of a Country House – in a vineyard!

Dinner Bed and Breakfast will be Hotel Casa Boquera. There is a private garden with swimming pool and beautiful views across the surrounding vineyards. Time to enjoy the rooms, garden and surroundings is built into the programme.

We will tour, taste and lunch at: Bodegas Casa Boquera; Bodegas Barahonda; Bodegas Castaño. Plus we will tour and taste at Bodegas La Purísima – the four leading wineries of this, one of the best and most pro-active DOs in Spain.

My friends at all of these bodegas, and indeed the hotel, have kindly offered my group generous discounts – thus we will all benefit from unique prices that will not be repeated!

The basic price of this Short Break is 395€.

Casa Boquera has three different categories of room, though all are luxurious. The differences are essentially the size of the room and terrace, and the view (except for the one Gran Suite room, please see below). The price above includes the Reserva Category, of which there are 4 rooms only.

The Gran Reserva Category has 5 rooms available, for this room there will be a supplementary cost per person of 30€.

There is also one only Grand Suite available which boasts: the top, private floor; a suite; and a jacuzzi! For this rather spectacular room there is a supplement of 55€ per person.

Needless to say we will also have ample time to buy wines to bring home with us at each of the bodegas visited – I’m sure I’ll also be able to arrange a discount or two on these wines, which will be as inexpensive as you can buy anyway, as they are direct from the bodega!

With limited numbers and with different categories of rooms I’ll have to take reservations on a first come, first served basis – I’m sure you understand!

Whilst initial reservation will be by e-mail, or please call me on 629 388 159, I will also need to collect a deposit, as soon as possible.

Please Note:

1. Unfortunately the option of single occupancy will not be available for this Short Break.

2. Rooms can be large double beds or two single beds.

3. It may be possible for three to share a double room (an extra single bed would be provided) – there would be a supplement payable of 30€/per night for this.

4. Insurance is not included, you are recommended to make your own insurance arrangements.

Finally, for now at least – you may be interested to know that Katherine, joint owner of Casa Boquera, will be my guest on the Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine Programme, Total FM 91.8 & online www.totalfm.es, on Sunday 26th February, from 18:00 – 20:00 hrs, when we’ll be chatting about the project and tasting some wines! Any questions during the programme – please text me on 629 388 159.

So – over to you! Please contact me as soon as possible to reserve, stating your room category preference, and your phone numbers. If your room preference is already subscribed, I will add you to the list, subject to your willingness to change, in order to retain your place. I will then reply to advise and ask if you’re willing to change.

Thanks for your time – I can’t wait for this Short Break and I hope you can join me!

Saludos,

Colin

Wine Events in November & December!

almansa_logo15

  1. Details of price (it won’t be expensive, for sure) and time are not yet available, but I’d advise putting this date in your diary now! Friday 18th November I’m co-hosting (with the excellent Nicola Thornton, founder of Spanish Palate wine distributors) a tasting for the launch of the new line of wines called Botas de Barro. These wines will be stocked exclusively in the north Costa Blanca area at Bodegas Leopoldo’s Vinali, in Ondara. Please watch this space for more details!

2. The following night, Saturday 19th November, at Javea Arenal’s Restaurante I-Sushi I will be presenting a wine pairing event, with music, where Japanese Cuisine meets Spanish Wine!

claire-with-shoes

Claire-Marie (www.clairemarie.es) will be singing and playing the flute during an excellent evening where we will be tasting five Japanese dishes, hot and cold, each paired with a selected Spanish Wine! Starts 19:30 hrs.

Amazing value for such a night out – just 25€!

Please e-mail colin@colinharknessonwine.com to reserve our places, as soon as you can – it’s gonna be busy!

3. In Moraira centre the new Gourmet Wine and Deli La Lluna is the venue for a Fine Wine and Gourmet nibbles night that I’ll be presenting on Thursday 1st December. We start at 19:30 hrs and we’ll be enjoying 5 quality wines with a selection of different gourmet tastes, spotlighting that which is available in  the shop – you are sure to find some great ideas for Christmas presents! The cost is just 10€! At the time of writing we are over half-full, please don’t delay in reserving – colin@colinharknessonwine.com