The Road to Riojca

The last village wine tasting was Weird and Wonderful and very successful, with a full house at Benenden School enjoying a broad spread of strange grapes and unusual bottles from uncharted regions.The New Zealand Gruner Veltliner and the Calabrian Guardavalle vied for attention with the Turkish Kalecik Karasi and Apostolos Thymiopoulos’s excellent Greek Xinomavro, all accompanied by a very fine coq au vin.  

For our next tasting, all in aid of charity, we’ll be heading back to a more traditional heartland, that of Rioja in northern Spain, but even with this tried-and-trusted crowd- pleaser we’ll be adding an extra layer of interest. Luis Marculeta, the UK representative for the long-established Rioja Vega from Navarre, will take us through a full range of the region’s styles, from fresh, new-breed whites to oaky, old style reds, via all ages and variations in between - and a sticky to finish. It promises to be a great night, with Spanish meats and cheeses included.  The tasting is on Friday 29 November, at the Iden Green Pavilion, with tickets at £15, to include drinks on arrival, eight tasting wines and food.Tickets, from the community shop, are limited to 42 and likely to sell quickly.