Rioja Masterclass with Simon Woods

Spain’s most famous wine region could arguably stake a claim to being the world’s most popular one too – it’s a rare wine drinker who hasn’t been wooed by the charms of Rioja. And while we’re big fans of the good everyday bottles – what we think of as Wednesday night, sausage-and-mash gluggers – we thought it was time for another tasting to show what happens when the producers pull all the stops out.

Because this is a place with a magnificent heritage, a magnificent terroir – or to be more accurate several magnificent terroirs – and a magnificent array of grape varieties.

So join us as we explore the higher reaches of Rioja, and look at the many expressions of its wines. There’ll be traditional wines, there’ll be modern ones. There’ll be wines made from a variety of grapes, there’ll be ones made from just one. There’ll be young wines, there’ll be older wines. There'll be blends from across the region, but there'll also be examples of  the recently-introduced 'Viñedo Singular' - single vineyard wines. And in among the delicious reds, there’ll be at least one of the undersung white wines.

We’ll be trying at least eight wines with an average price of over £25 – and there’ll be some Manchego to nibble on the side.

It’s a great opportunity to see what makes a great wine region great, and we look forward to sharing these treasures with you.