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Tower Bridge glints in the sunlight. The Thames is sparkling in the heat and echoing the hum of a regatta and the final few vuvuzelas of The World Cup. The Mayor is somewhere nearby in the heart of London and we are in the thick of it, pitched out like the world’s greatest picnic to celebrate the greatness of Rioja. It may sound unusual to imagine a festival of tapas in the heart of London with oodles of stalls, chefs, wineries and partygoers soaking up the sunny atmosphere. But this year was the best festival yet. Wine is a massive part of Tapas Fantasticas and this year the enthusiasm from visitors and stallholders was infectious – matching their tipples with the terrific nibbles on offer, exchanging tips and recommendations, blogging, tweeting, sipping, munching and laughing in the hot sunshine. Spain beat Chile in their World Cup match which boosted the mood from “delighted” to “frenzy” in the space of a single goal. Vamos!
I met so many foodies, wine-lovers and fans of Rioja in my wine seminars as well as strolling around the event and signing books. The cooking demonstrations I hosted with José Pizarro, the godfather of Spanish food here in Britain, offered standing room only – we fed the crowd, we matched wine to their mood and then we munched the world’s greatest Jamon and took a moment to soak up the day. Taking over the heart of London armed only with some tapas, a few bottles of wine and some genuine enthusiasm left José and I hungry for just one thing – more Tapas Fantasticas next year. Let’s rock.
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