Events – Page 47 – Colin Harkness on Wine

SUCCESSFUL WINE TASTING AT LAS REJAS GOLF CLUB, BENIDORM

Some of the happy wine tasters at Las Rejas Golf Club, Benidorm!

In the foreground one of the Bodegas Castaño wines enjoyed by international tasters recently at Las Rejas Golf Club, Benidorm. In the background some of the Dutch and Spanish clients who got to know wines from Bodegas Castaño, DO Yecla and sister bodega, Bodegas Sierra Salinas, DO Alicante.

A lovely day for golfers to play a round of golf and then retuire to the clubhouse to learn a little about the quality of the wine produced in South East Spain. All tasters bought wine after the event, discounted of course and our hosts, the Las Rejas Golf management team, Elisa and Emilio, looked after our needs very professionally.

This was the first such event at Las Rejas, more are expected in the coming Autumn. They will be open to members and non-members alike, but places are limited however so watch this space for dates etc and be sure to reserve early!

Wine Tasting, Fine Dining and Classical and Contemporary Music!

Our next Wine Tasting with Fine Dining and Beautiful Music will be held at Restaurante Vall de Cavall, in the beautiful countryside just outside Gata de Gorgos on Thursday 8th July, starting at 20:00 hrs.

The delicious Dolce Divas - elegance and stunningly beautiful classical and romantic chill music!

The delicious Dolce Divas, Claire Post Soprano and Flute and Kirsty Orr Piano will be charming us all evening whilst we enjoy a super 5-course dinner accompanied by the excellent wines of bodegas Luis Alegre, DOCa. La Rioja!

Please call me on 629 388 159 to reserve your place – seats are limited so please call sooner rather than later to ensure your place for another of our superb evenings where we celebrate some of the finer things in life!

BAY RADIO WINE RECOMMENDATION

Bay Radio Presenters, Noelle and Bob, taste the wine recommendation!

Pork In Cider:

We wouldn’t go far wrong with a super, dry cider from Asturias to match this dish – I love them! However it’s a wine we need, and I think a white one with some body to match the light meat of the pork and a touch of apple flavour in there as well to go along with the cider and apple in the dish.

The white wine grape variety Macabeo often gives crisp green apple aromas and flavours, but a stainless steel fermented one with no oak ageing may be a little too fresh for this dish. So look for a Macabeo that has been either fermented in barrel, or has had a few months ageing in oak – or both!

Over six months in oak would be too much I think as there’s the risk that the variety’s natural acidity would be too neutralised to cope with the rich creamy sauce. Two to four months in oak barricas would be just right.

Salud!

SUCCESSFUL TASTING AT BODEGAS COLLECTION WORLD, MORAIRA

When invited to present a wine tasting at Moraira’s new wine merchants, Bodega Collection World, I accepted with alacrity! Jorge, the owner, is the ex-sommelier of the Michelin Starred Restaurante Girasol, which closed recently.

Jorge knows his wines so it was sure to be a super collection in his shop and therefore a pleasure to present to the full-house of tasters, most of whom dined afterwards as well in the attached Salamandra Restaurant.

We tasted a white wine from Rueda, a super rosado wuth some oak ageing (quite rare these days) from Jumilla, a top Rioja crianza red (which restored many people’s faith in Rioja), a young, meaty red VdlT wine with good ageing potential, and finally a delicious dessert wine at on 10% abv!

If you would like to organise a wine tasting for your group/business, please contact me. Also please keep your eye on this site for more wine tastings!