The April 10, 2019 Event: Grandes Pagos de Espana: get-together with unique single estate wines.

 

The Date and Time:  Wednesday April 10, 2019   4PM to 7:30PM

The Event: Grandes Pagos de Espana: get-together with unique single estate wines.

The Venue: Wine Academy

The Target Audience: variety of guests, mostly consumers with money, some writers and sommeliers.

The Availability/Catalogue: in general, wines are available by consignment or private order. The catalogue was a booklet with a good-sized history of the Estate plus details on the one wine that each had submitted.

The Quote/Background: There are 30 members of the GPDE, and 17 turned out for this event with a variety of salespeople or agency reps.

The Wines: 18 wines were poured (9 whites, 9 reds). Prices are retail.

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Valdespino Fino Inocente Jerez $25.95  [7 yrs on lees]   Azureau

-Gramona III Lustros 2012 Cava Penedes $60   Brix & Mortar Wine Co.

-Belondrade y Lurton 2017 Rueda  No Ontario representative

-Propiedad de Arinzano Gran Vino Blanco Pago de Arinzano 2014 [chardonnay] $100  Mark Anthony

-Finca Valpiedra Reserva 2012 Rioja $46.99  Stem Wine Group

-Pago de Vallegarcia Hipperia 2015 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla  ~30Euros [Bordeaux blend]  No Ontario representative

-Mais Doix Salanques 2016 Priorat $74.95  [G-C-S]  Rogers & Co

-Aalto 2016 Ribera del Duero $85.81   Trialto

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Alvear 3 Miradas Vino de Pueblo 2017 Montilla Moriles $22.95  Family Wine Merchants

-Astobiza 2018 Txakoli de Alava $21.95  [grape: ondarrabi zuri]   Wine Online

-Mustiguillo Finca Calvestra 2017 [grape: merseguera]  No Ontario representative

-Propiedad de Arinzano Hacienda de Arizza 2017 Pago de Arinzano [chardonnay] ~$25  Mark

Anthony

-Chivite Coleccion 125 Blanco 2016 Navarra $70 [chardonnay] Churchill Cellars

-Palacio Quemado La Zarcita 2016 Vino de la Tierra de Extamadura $22.95  Family Wine Merchants

-Enrique Mendoza Estrecho 2015 Alicante $47.95 [monastrell]  LCBO

-Abadia Retuerta Pago Negralada 2015 Vino de la Tierra Castilla y Leon [tempranillo]  $130 Consignment   Halpern

-Bodegas Mauro 2016 Vino de la Tierra Castilla y Leon $67.95  Rogers & Co.

-San Roman 2015 Toro $52  Rogers & Co.

 

The Food: spoons of tortilla, potatoes and eggs; charcuterie boards, cheeses, Armenian sesame-poppy cracker bread; white anchovy open-faced sandwiches.

The Downside: it was very dark, took me more than half an hour for my eyes to adjust.

The Upside: a chance to taste some high-end Spanish estate wines.

The Contact Person: cschatzmann@grandespagos.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 87

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com