Further to this weeks topic, the people from Wines of Rioja are sponsoring a fantastic summertime event on the 27th and 28th of June. TAPAS FANTASTICAS is a celebration of the great wines of Rioja in harmony with some brilliant Tapas produced by some of London’s best Spanish chefs.
Free Spanish food and wine festival, Tapas Fantasticas, returns to London for three days from Friday 25th - Sunday 27th June, 12:00 – 18:00 (20:00 on Friday).
Summer officially begins in London as Tapas Fantasticas returns to the city, courtesy of Wines from Rioja and this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with a new, central location plus an extra day of festival fun!
Now in its third year, the popular, free festival which celebrates Rioja wine and Spanish tapas, invites you to come and taste a spectacular variety of red, white and rosé wines from some of Rioja’s most famous vineyards as you make your way around the vibrant wine and tapas stalls. Savour a diverse selection of tapas from both London’s finest Spanish restaurants and tapas chefs from the home of Rioja, who will be flying in for the weekend to cook up an authentic taste of the region.
Due to the huge popularity of last year’s event, which saw over 10,000 food and wine lovers descend on Brick Lane, Tapas Fantasticas is moving to a new, more central venue this year, confirmed as Potters Fields Park, by Tower Bridge. For the first time in its three year history, Tapas Fantasticas will now run over three days from Friday 25th June to Sunday 27th June, meaning lucky workers in local offices can start the weekend early with a glass of Rioja and a spot of tapas during their lunch break or after work.
New activity for 2010 includes live cookery demonstrations by famed Spanish chef José Pizarro, formerly from Borough Market’s Brindisa restaurant. Visitors can also sign up for wine tasting seminars with renowned wine experts Olly Smith and Susy Atkins to learn more about Rioja and discover what tickles their taste buds. A festival for all the family, there will be plenty more to entertain, including live Spanish music and a shaded area especially for children, where they can colour in grapes and create a huge, colourful paper vine along the Thames - perfect for keeping little ones amused and immersed in the festival!
Visitors will receive four complimentary tokens which can be exchanged for samples of top class Rioja wines when they buy a wine glass on entering the festival. Visitors can also purchase tapas dishes and glasses of wine from all exhibiting restaurants and wineries throughout the day.
So get down to Tapas Fantasticas to enjoy all the best things from Rioja!
Key Event Information
Location:
Find Tapas Fantasticas in Potters Fields Park, on the South bank of the Thames between Tower Bridge and City Hall (entry behind City Hall, accessed from the More London development)
Address:
Tooley Street, /The Queenswalk, Southward, SE1 2AA
Nearest tube stations:
London Bridge or Tower Hill
Dates:
Friday 25th June - Sunday 27th June
Timings:
Friday: 12:00 – 20:00
Saturday 12:00 – 18:00
Sunday: 12.00 – 18:00
Price:
FREE ENTRY PURCHASE A WINE GLASS FOR £2 AND GET 4 TOKENS TO SAMPLE 4 DIFFERENT WINES (Tapas and wine by the glass also available for purchase)
Wine seminars places cost £10 per person (max. 60 people per seminar). Tickets and further information available from www.winesfromrioja.co.uk/tapasfantasticas
Rioja Wine
The Spanish wine region of Rioja is one of the most famous in the world, producing exceptional red, white and rosé wines in both modern easy-drinking and traditional food-friendly styles. Combining the best of old world expertise with a contemporary, forward thinking approach, Rioja has a wine for everyone!
Wineries at Tapas Fantasticas
This year, 40 Rioja wineries will be exhibiting at Tapas Fantasticas, providing you with the opportunity to sample and purchase a wide range of Rioja wines.
The following wineries from Rioja will be exhibiting:
Altos de Rioja
Baigorri
Baron de Ley
Berberana
Beronia
Bilbaínas
Biurko Gorri
Campo Viejo
Carlos Serres
Corral
Criadores de Rioja
Cvne
Dinastia Vivanco
Domeco de Jarauta
El Coto de Rioja
Eridano
Finca Manzanos
Finca Valdeguinea
Gran Familia
Grupo Faustino
Labastida
Landaluce
Luis Cañas
Marqués de Cáceres
Marqués de la Concordia
Marqués de Murrieta
Marqués del Atrio
Muriel
Navajas
Ondarre
Paternina
Patrocinio
Santiago Ijalba
Solar Viejo
Taron
Valdemar
Valenciso
Vallemayor
Vaza
Rioja wine tasting seminars
There will be four Rioja wine tasting seminars on each day of Tapas Fantasticas hosted by wine experts Olly Smith and Susy Atkins. They will take you on a thirty minute journey through the senses with lively and fun tips to help you discover what tickles your own taste buds and dispel any fears around what to look for when tasting wine. Learn which white, red and rosé Rioja wines you enjoy most and what will complement your choice of food.
Tickets cost £10 per 30 minute session and include five sample glasses of wine. They are bookable in advance via the website – www.winesfromrioja.co.uk/tapasfantasticas
Olly Smith – Friday 25th and Saturday 26th June
Ex comedian and actor, Olly brings a lively and humorous but highly educated approach to wine tasting. He is drinks columnist for The Mail on Sunday’s LIVE Magazine as well as writing for the online publication www.thewinegang.com. He has graced our screens on numerous occasions on shows such as Iron Chef (Channel 4), Great Food Live (UKTV), Taste (Sky) and Saturday Kitchen (BBC). Catch him while you can!
Seminar times:
Friday –13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 19:00
Saturday – 12:30, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00
Susy Atkins – Sunday 27th June
Susy’s fun and relaxed approach together with incredible expertise immediately demystifies the art of wine tasting. She writes a weekly wine column for the Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine and is also wine editor of delicious magazine. Susy is familiar to many wine and food lovers as a regular wine expert and presenter on Saturday Kitchen (BBC1), as well as being the author of ten modern, down-to-earth books about drinks; including the best-selling, fun pocket-book Girls' Guide to Wine. Don’t pass up this chance of a lesson from such a lively expert!
Sunday seminar times – 12:30, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00
Tapas
The home of Rioja is comprised of many towns, each with their own distinct charm. Tapas bars line the streets each offering their speciality dishes. Two of Rioja’s best tapas bars are flying over to cook their famed delights in at this year’s festival.
Additionally, London’s vibrant collection of Spanish restaurants, known to many across the capital for their varied menus and the best authentic cuisine outside of Spain, will go back to their roots this weekend and serve an impressive collection of modern and traditional tapas.
So relax, take your time as you sample the delights – do it like the Spanish and go pincho hopping! A taste of Rioja, one tapa, move on to the next…
Restaurants participating in Tapas Fantasticas 2010 are:
Barcelona Tapas Bar y Restaurant - http://www.barcelona-tapas.com/
Brindisa Tapas Kitchens - http://www.brindisa.com/
Camino - http://www.camino.uk.com/
Cigala - http://www.cigala.co.uk/
El Cantara - http://www.elcantara.co.uk/
El Faro - http://www.el-faro.co.uk/
Ibérica - http://www.ibericalondon.com/
Pinchito Tapas - http://www.pinchito.co.uk/
Plus the following restaurants from Spain:
En Ascuas
La Gota de Vino
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