Rioja Wine & Tapas Fedtival L.A.

On May 21st my wife and I attended the Rioja Wine and Tapas Festival in Los Angeles Union Station. What a treat! We got to see old friends and meet up with many of the distinguished winemakers of the Rioja Wine region in Spain's "Napa Valley" although in my mind and heart it far surpasses anything in California, although, "little brother is getting better! Rioja has been at it since before Roman times, so you could say they have been getting a lot of practice.

Anyway, there were enough wine and tapas to attract a crowd of hundreds if not close to a thousand or more wine lovers and foodies and then some. The layout in the old stations ticketing area was just barely large enough to contain all of the wine presenters and tapas stations present. The usual "Titans" were there in all of their "Bacchanalian glory"; Bodegas like; Montecillo, Faustino, Marques de Caceres, Muga, Muriel, Valdemar, Marques de Riscal,  Ramon Bilbao and more.

I was pleased to make acquaintance with some new bodegas to California, although in no way new on the Rioja scene, as a matter of fact, to our great pleasure we met Francisco Javier Martinez Blanco, director of Bodegas Corral with its Don Jacobo line of Rioja whites and reds. This bodega has been making wines since 1898, I hope to visit them on our next trip to Rioja.  Also a pleasure to meet  the folks presenting another new one to California, Pata Negra, These Rioja tempranillos and tempranillo blends are more of the pride of Spain to be experienced.

And speaking of Pata Negra, the Tapas stations were going "full Flamenco"  with cheeses, & charcutrie galore! One of them handing out free flowing Jamon Serrano and Jamon Iberico
like it was going out of style!

There were close to a dozen paellas going on while one was treated to the product of the spit-roasted pig over open coals. We attended the VIP opening session and by the afternoon, it seemed the flood gates just burst open as it then became standing room only.

For those of you who would like to attend next years event and not miss out on this special "Rioja Grand Tour in Los Angeles"  please follow my blog to get the best deals on wine, not miss the latest postings and join in on the "Juerga"!