Jul 23 2024
10 Participants from China Complete the Spanish Wine Educator Course
The participants attended masterclasses and tastings led by Madrid and then traveled around Spain visiting different wineries and learning about winemaking
The 4th edition of the Spanish Wine Educator course recently came to an end, and this was the first time the program was organized specifically for wine educators from China, of which there were ten. They had previously completed the Spanish Wine Specialist course back home.
Interest in Spanish wine in China is clearly on the rise there. In 2022, 212 students took part in the Trader course and 80 in the Spanish Wine Specialist course, and in 2023, 472 completed the Trader course and 68 the Spanish Wine Specialist course.
The participants enjoyed a series of masterclasses, tastings, and winery visits throughout Spain, organized by Foods and Wines from Spain.
The Program Begins
The program began on June 24th, when all of the participants had arrived in Madrid, at The Wine Studio School, where they received a warm welcome.
They enjoyed several presentations, including one on Spanish wines in 2024, where they tasted wines from several DOs, such as DOCa Rioja, Rías Baixas DO, Ribera del Duero DO, and Bizkaiko Txakolina DO. They learned about local varieties and sustainability in DOCa Rioja and had a lunch and wine tasting focused on sherries led by a sommelier and featuring wines from Jerez-Xérès-Sherry y Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda DO and Cádiz VdT.
The following day, they learned about and taste several wonderful wines as part of a presentation on the diversity of Spanish sparkling wines, trying those of Cava DO -including Cava de Paraje Calificado special wines- and Corpinnat.
The topic then shifted to iconic Spanish wines, and they tried those of wineries like Barbadillo (Jerez-Xérès-Sherry y Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda DO), Dominio de Pingus (Ribera del Duero DO), Mas Doix (Priorat DOCa), Marqués de Murriata (DOCa Rioja), and Pazo de Señorans (Rías Baixas DO).
In the afternoon, they attended several presentations from producers, about Mediterranean wines, biodynamic farming, and regenerative viticulture.
The next day, on June 26th, they started with a talk on Spain’s Atlantic Wines, which involved tastings of a wide range, from Lanzarote DO and Ribeira Sacra DO to Valle de la Orotava DO. This was followed with a class on the Ebro Valley River & the Pyrenees, which featured an excellent selection from Rioja DOCa, Navarra DO, and Valdejalón VdT.
The afternoon session involved more presentations by producers, this time about Continental Spain, site expression in DOCa Rioja, site expression in La Sonsierra, DOCa Rioja, and the recovery of abandoned pre-phylloxera vines in Jumilla DO.
Winery Visits
On day 4, the group of participants from China headed out to visit wineries and learn about their wines first-hand.
First they toured Bodega Marañones (Vinos de Madrid DO), known for its wines made with Garnacha Tinta and Albillo Real, and after lunch they headed to Bodega Félix Lorenzo Cachazo (Rueda DO), a family winery run by the 5th generation
On day 5, the group visited Garmón Continental, a new project in the Duero River Valley and known for its Tempranillo wines, and Vega Sicilia wineries, one of the healthiest and most profitable Spanish wines groups today, both in Ribera del Duero DO.
Discovering the wines of Aragón
The program also included a discovery trip to Aragón.
The participants headed on July 1st to Somontano PDO for a tasting organized by the regulatory council. They learned about the region’s history, innovation, personality and style and the 15 grape varieties used in is wines.
This was followed by a visit to the Enate winery and museum, to see its library and art gallery and learn more about its winemaking practices, which use avant-garde techniques.
This was followed by a trip to Bodega SOMMOS, considered one of the most modern in the region due to its elegant, honest wines made using gravity to move the grapes and the wine, instead of traditional pumps. It was also named “One of the top ten architectural wonders of the wine world” by The Drinks Business.
The next day the group discovered Campo de Borja DO, land of Garnacha wines. They spent the morning at the first winery in the region to make wines 100% from Garnacha grapes, Bodegas Aragonesas. These grapes have been grown in the area since 1145, and the winery is known for its low-yielding 100-year-old vines.