What better way to while away a Sunday afternoon than an immersive tasting tour of Spanish and Portuguese wine, hosted by Dilek Caner MW.
Explore a wide range of wines from two neighboring countries with a rich wine-making heritage. Come together with fellow wine enthusiasts, relax, eat, drink, and feel free to ask our MW any questions you have.
For those that enjoy learning as much as they do tasting, this is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the region’s major varieties and appellations, and to compare them side by side.
What’s on offer
How it works
What wines you can taste
The most challenging (and fun!) aspect of organizing a tasting like this is curating the wines and making it an experience where people can find a variety of great wines. Some of the wines are available in very small quantities in Dallas, some are strictly allocated, and some are just hard to discover because they are under the radar.
Varieties: Sumoll Blanc and Sumoll Negre
Location: Classified as Spain. The grapes are sourced from Penedès.
Refreshing Pet-Nat, made by Methode Ancestral at 1,050 ft above sea level in Penedes.Sumoll Blanc is a native white grape of Catalonia with the potential to produce high quality wines with crisp acidity and a lingering minerality. Due to the challenges in growing it, it is rarely found even at its birthplace.Sumoll Negre, is also a native of Catalonia, and is used in Cava, as well as a few other Catalonia DOs.
Variety: Loureiro
Location: Lima sub-region of Vinho Verde DO
The Loureiro variety is native to the Lima sub-region of Vinho Verde and Ameal comes from there. This is a particularly bright expression of the variety. The grapes were hand-picked and pressed in whole berries. After a cool, slow fermentation it was rested on lees for 7 months. Very good balance with its fresh, bright fruit and the creaminess coming from the lees aging.
Variety: Alvarinho
Location: Minho sub-region of Vinho Verde DO
Alvarinho is the major variety used in most Vinho Verde and Aveleda is one of the most respected and classic producers in the region.
Variety: Moll (a.k.a. Prensal)
Location: Binissalem-Mallorca DO in Mallorca Island
From the native variety of Moll of Mallorca, this wine comes from vines planted in the 1950s. Native yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks and large French oak barrels. Small production.Citrus, floral, fennel, white peach notes. Medium bodied and remarkable purity in finish.
Variety: Tempranillo
Location: Classified as Spain. The grapes are sourced from Navarra.
Varieties: 60% Garnacha, 40% Cariñena
Location: Terra Alta DO in Catalonia
Floral and full of just-ripe red and black cherry notes. There is a slight sparkle that adds to the freshness. A one-of-a-kind, amazingly fresh wine, especially for the summer.
Variety: Garnacha
Location: Valencia DO
While the grapes come from the sunny Valencia, the heat is moderated by a 2,300 ft altitude. The short aging in old French barrique gives it a softness without obvious oak flavors.
Varieties: 70% Grenache, 25% Carignan, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Location:Priorat DOCa in Catalonia
A fuller and fruitier style of Priorat, showing intense ripeness, and an incredible value as a Priorat for $14 a full glass.
Varieties: Grenache, Carignan and Syrah
Location: Montsant DO in Catalonia
Montsant is the DO that almost circles around the Priorat DO. Its wines are similar to Priorat's, although generally with more softness. This one is a round and fleshy style and is deliciously affordable.
Varieties: Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira
Location: Alentejano Vinho Regional
Varieties: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Sousão and old vineyards field blend
Location: Douro DO
Mature, round tannins, ripe red and black fruit notes. Think of this as a dry Port.
Variety: Bobal
Location: Finca Terrerazo Vino de Pago is in the region of Valencia.
Bobal is a deeply colored red grape, mostly known for the wines of Utiel-Requena.Vino de Pago is one of the highest classifications in Spain, given only to producers with exceptionally high quality and international acclaim.This Bobal comes from Vino de Pago Finca Terrerazo and is considered to be one of the best expressions of the variety.
Variety: Tinta de Toro
Location: Toro DO
This is the fruitier style of Numanthia, one of Toro DO's stars with its Numanthia and Termanthia labels. It is a great value in its quality to price ratio.
Varieties: 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo, 2% Garnacha
Location: Rioja DOCa, Reserva level.
Murrieta is one of the traditional producers of Rioja that delivers great quality in all its price levels. Wine Spectator is spot-on in calling this one of the top wine values.
Grapes are sourced from Murrieta's Ygay Estate: 300 hectares of vineyards surrounding the winery in the southernmost point of Rioja Alta with mainly calcareous-clay soils. Altitude ranges from 320 to 485 meters.
The wine is aged for 21 months in 225-litre American oak barrels.
Varieties: 84% Tempranillo and 16% Mazuelo
Location: Rioja Alta sub-region of Rioja DOCa, Gran Reserva level.
Castillo Ygay is Murrieta's flagship wine and has worldwide recognition among wine enthusiasts. It is made from the best grapes sourced from La Plana, a 40-hectare (98-acre) vineyard, planted in 1950 and located at 485 meters above sea level, in the highest area of Ygay State, Murrieta's 300-hectare estate in Rioja Alta.
The Tempranillo is aged for 28 months in 225-litre American oak barrels and the Mazuelo is aged for 28 months in 225-litre French oak barrels.
Variety: Tempranillo
Location: Rioja DOCa, from the Sonsierra area of the Rioja Alta sub-region.
Macán is a joint project between Vega Sicilia and Rothschild. The super low-yielding (28 hl/ha) vines are in the Rioja Alta sub-region, at an altitude of about 1,500 ft.
Varieties: 94% Tempranillo, 6% Merlot
Location: Ribera del Duero DO.
Valbuena is aged for a total of 5 years between barrel and bottle and hence the name Valbuena 5. Vega Sicilia calls Valbuena 5 its "purest expression of red wine:.
Along with Unico, this is one of the most acclaimed wines of Ribera del Duero.
Complete the form below to reserve your spot! We ask that you reserve and buy your card in advance so that we have it ready for you when you arrive.