VA -- La Vuelta a Espana Wine Tasting Series

The race will be the 72nd edition of the Vuelta a España and will be the final Grand Tour of the 2017 cycling season. The race is scheduled to start in Nîmes, France and finishes in Madrid. It will be the first time the race has started in France and only the third time it has started outside of Spain.

Stages 7-11: We will taste wines from the regions the cyclists pass through Utiel Requena, Manchuela, La Mancha, Jumilla, Yecla, and Alicante.

Utiel Requena is located west of Valencia and is Spain’s largest wine region on the east coast. Like many regions in Spain, Utiel Requena’s driving force in the economy is the producing and exportation of wine. Utiel Requena is known for their native grape Bobal; a red wine grape that makes up 90% of all vines in the region.

Similar to Utiel Requena, the economy of La Mancha is supported by the wine industry. In fact, La Mancha is the largest continuous vine growing region in the world with over 300 wineries and 22,000 grape growers.

Manchuela, the third region the riders will be biking through in the La Vuelta a Espana use to actually be a part of La Mancha. However, in 1982 they wanted to be their own D.O. and separated. They are known to be a red wine dominated region that specializes in young wines.

In the 19th century, a plague hit Europe which destroyed many vineyards. However, Jumilla escaped the effects of the Phylloxera plague which resulted in their economic status and viticulture to skyrocket. France came to Jumilla in order to buy wine. Another Spanish region to not feel the full effect of the plague was Yecla. Yecla is Spain’s smallest region, located in southeastern Spain. Many of their vines did not suffer during the Phylloxera plague and they became known for their fortified wines, high alcohol content, as well as their high quality and value as wines. They were granted their own appellation in 1975 and 85% of all wines are exported.

Alicante is the last region in the stages 7-11 and claimed fame in the wine industry in the 15th century. Alicante is a major port city and wine export center. It is rumored that France’s kind Louis XIV would only buy wines from Alicante and refused wine from another other country or region.

What to Expect:

This event is aimed to host a select gathering of like-minded wine and food lovers who are eager to share wine, stories, laughter, and friendship. We welcome you whether you are an entry-level wine drinker or a well-traveled wine connoisseur. The wines we will sample are carefully hand selected by our premier wine buying team. Please, consider joining us in the midst of a busy week to unwind and take a break from the routines of your normal day to sample some amazing wines while listening to an incredibly well-informed speaker about regions and varietals you may not yet have visited or tasted.

No additional charges or hidden costs once a ticket is reserved.