If you live in Valencia and you love wine, you are in luck. The coming months are packed with plans to spend an autumn amongst wineries and vineyards
We already told you: It is harvesting time. Now the autumn has rapidly spread colouring the fields in a way that inspires nostalgic memories and late afternoon walks. Farmers go to great lengths to collect the bunches of grapes, celebrating the stepping of grapes and preparing the wine produced this year. A historical ritual of century tradition. If you are a wine lover, you will probably also be in love with its diligent production process that irremediably affects the taste. Thankfully the wineries have decided to open their doors, show their core and share their work with the recipients. The wine tourism activities do not stop there, they also offer walk and drive tours. However, we will always have the classic places where we can taste the best varieties of the world without too much effort, barely raising the glass and surrender to hedonism. If you are a wine lover, get ready for the romance. There you have five proposals for these coming months, if you live in Valencia, you will instantly fall in love.
Road to the wine harvests
The best way to start this journey is to head towards the unknown. The Wine Bus leaves every Saturday from Valencia, more specifically from calle Xàtiva to two wineries located in Utiel-Requena. The wineries also organise a guided tour that lasts all day long, from 9am untill 5pm. While the second visit can be replaced by a wine tasting, what is certain is that there will be a wine and food pairing in a restaurant that offers a local dish menu. The price for the whole outing is 70 euros for adults and 50 euros for children (up to 12 years old), which includes travel insurance and a tour guide throughout the whole day. In addition to this, next Saturday, the 30th of September, there will be a special activity for those who want to take part in the stepping of the grape in the winery of Vera de Estenas. You will have to hurry to get a seat though!
Italian-style tasting
Luckily, Valencia is a city where the tradition of the traditional wine houses remains, but it also pave their way to the new Wine Stores which offer a more modern ambience. Earlier this year Tintorera Winery was opening its doors in La Patacona. A lush space that combines the concept of shop and restaurant specialised in wine, with more than 250 recommendations from all around the world. However, the Italian wines are their speciality, thanks to the Sky Wine distributor. Over the course of the year, there are numerous events to familiarise the amateurs with the varieties from the neighbouring country. This Wednesday, the 27th of September, the limelight will be in the Italian red wine grape (lambrusco) from the famous firm Bodegas Ceci that will be the responsible of the tasting and the wine and food pairing dinner (25 euros per person).
Is wine art?
In the wake of new establishments dedicated to wine, there are original proposals, for example Galería Espacio 40. A new concept which combines art with gastronomy, specifically with wine that arrives this weekend to the neighborhood of Ruzafa. The establishment goes further than a mere art gallery, but it is not a wine tasting bar either. Curiously it escapes from the guests that just want to drink in a social environment, in pursuit of “club members predisposed to have fun while learning, not only drinking, and the same happens with art “, according to one of its promoters, Rosa Go. Regarding wines, Espacio 40 have made a selection of Chilean wines including bottles such as Sauvignon Blanc from Leyda Valley, Garcés Silva, Syrah Alto los Toros, Martino or the best Carignan of Chile 2011, but without forgetting the Valencian wines. Exhibitions, courses and presentations of wineries and gourmet products for all its partners.
Pedal Routes between the vineyards
Perhaps the wine-growing region of Fontanars dels Alforins is less known than that of Utiel-Requena, but this does not affect its great quality, not even with the long-established tradition of the producers attached to the Appellation of Origin D.O. of Valencia. In order to get the public used with the richness of these vineyards, the tour operator have got their act together. The Tourism area of the Mancomunitat de Municipis de la Vall d’Albaida has established a series of bicycle routes throughout the whole region, with up to six different routes that you can download from their website. Additionally, for BTT or mountain bike lovers, the centre of Massis del Caroig has two routes that depart from Moixent and have a more difficult elevated ratio, with up to 63 kilometers of route. An itinerary that also allows you to admire the beautiful vineyard scenery, only altered by the farmer’s houses.
Quick learning
Have you heard about Fierro? It is a restaurant with just one table, that has changed the concept of serving a small group of guest diners, sometimes they don’t know each other, and also hosts the training courses of Tándem Gastronómico. Many of them deal about the world of wine. On the 2nd of October, at 7pm, a continuation of the German wine induction course will take place, something that took place months ago with Dan Gill, a wine expert in small producers in Spain, Germany, Burgundy and Champagne. Following that, at the end of the month, on the 30th, the Introductory Course to Wine and Wine Tasting by the sommelier Eva Pizarro will start and continue during the next five consecutive Mondays. A unique opportunity to learn how to enjoy a bottle of wine, and even encourage you to produce it.