Tapas Fantasticas 2009 Manchester. Rioja

Rioja is one of the most famous and recognised wine names 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.

This year, 13 Rioja wineries from Spain will be exhibiting at Tapas Fantasticas, Manchester, providing you with the opportunity to sample and purchase a wide range of Rioja wines.

The following wineries from Rioja will be exhibiting over the weekend:

Baron de Ley www.barondeley.com	Barón de Ley is a bodega created by a small group of Rioja wine experts. The wine it produces reflects the unique characteristics and personality of the terroir.
Bodegas Altanza www.bodegasaltanza.com	Classic and new age Riojas can be found under the brand Lealtanza, all recognisable by a consistency both in image and in the balance and elegance of the wine.
Bodegas Covila
Bodegas Ontañón www.ontanon.es	Bodegas Ontañón is an artisan winery which represents, through the expression of the artist Miguel Angel Sainz, the mythology and the culture of wine.
Bodegas Vallemayor www.vallemayor.com	Vallemayor, based at Fuenmayor in the Rioja Alta, is a small bodega producing an impressive range dedicated to quality and value. The 35ha estate, predominantly Tempranillo, is owned by the Perez Foncea family.
Campo Viejo www.campoviejowines.co.uk	The No.1 Rioja brand in the UK uses a gentle winemaking approach where grapes are moved by gravity to ensure smooth, harmonious wines.
Consejo de la Alta
El Coto de Rioja www.elcoto.com	El Coto de Rioja started in 1970 as a group of Rioja wine lover´s personal project to create a style of wine which enhance the virtues of the land, the grape variety and the ageing of Rioja wine.
Faustino www.grupofaustino.es	Grupo Faustino has achieved the most outstanding list of prizes in international wine tastings. With 758 hectares of its own vineyards, it is virtually self-sufficient in producing all its Gran Reserva and Reserva wines.
Marqués de Cáceres www.marquesdecaceres.com	Marqués de Cáceres offers customers excellent wines which develop gradually at their own pace so as to reach optimum finesse and elegance.
Marqués de Murrieta www.marquesdemurrieta.com	Marqués de Murrieta is one of the oldest and most respected names in the region making 'classic' Rioja style wines with long aging in barrel to give concentration and longevity.
Berberana www.berberana.com	Berberana is not only one of the oldest wineries in La Rioja but also Spain’s best-selling brand worldwide.
Viña Ijalba	Innovative Viña Ijalba was the very first organically certified estate in La Rioja (1994). The vines are planted on abandoned opencast mines where the thin, stony soils ensure that yields are kept low and the quality of the fruit is high. The estate was also the first to make a single varietal Rioja from the graciano grape in 1995.
Bodegas Covila	Covila is a modern and progressive bodega situated in the Alavesa region of La Rioja. The 400 hectares of vineyards produce wines which are truly indicative of the region, from fruity young wines through to the subtle, refined flavours of the Crianza and Reserva with their perfect wood-fruit balance.
Consejo de la Alta	Formed in 1990 by the amalgamation of two prestigious old estates - Cenicero and El Cortijo- the state of the art winery was built in 1992 with a unique system to extract maximum colour and body from the grapes which come from its own old vine vineyards.

	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.



	Ex comedian and actor, Olly brings a lively and humorous but highly educated approach to wine tasting. He is drinks columnist for Sainsbury’s Magazine and Men’s Health magazines and writes his own monthly email bulletin Hot Bottle as well as writing for the online publication www.thewinegang.com. He has graced our screens on numerous occasions on shows such as Richard & Judy (Channel 4), Great Food Live (UKTV), Taste (Sky) and Saturday Kitchen (BBC). Catch him while you can! Times: 12pm, 1.30pm, 3pm, 4.30pm



	Susy’s fun and relaxed approach together with incredible expertise immediately demystifies the art of wine tasting. She writes a regular weekly 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! Times: 12pm, 1.30pm, 3pm, 4.30pm

	Secure your free place and the time of your choice by booking now, tapasseminar@phippspr.co.uk