According to PR Newswire, Tempranillo, the “king of Rioja grapes” will take center stage during Vibrant Rioja’s 3rd Annual Grand Tasting events on May 2 in San Francisco and May 5 in New York. An exploration of the versatile range of Rioja Tempranillo, these tastings will give press and trade guests the opportunity to sample more than 350 Riojas from 70 importers, the most comprehensive showcase of wines from the region in the United States.
“Our 2011 Grand Tasting’s focus is on Tempranillo, a varietal that is increasingly popular in the U.S. because of its consummate versatility, high quality and pairing ability with a wide range of foods.” Says Pablo Olay, the Vibrant Rioja Campaign Director. “On our first visit to San Francisco and in New York, we are pleased to host seminars that explore the spectrum of style Tempranillo reaches in Rioja.”
The seminars will be led by wine educator Marnie Old, and will feature Cristina Forner, owner of Marques de Caceres, Diego Pinilla,winemaker at Bodegas Bilbainas, and Rafael Vivanco, winemaker of Bodegas Dinastia Vivanco. Providing a local perspective, other panelists will include Earl Jones, founder of TAPAS, the Tempranillo Advocates group in San Francisco, and Paul Grieco, co-owner and Wine Director of Hearth Restaurant and the Terroir Wine Bars in New York.
The Vibrant Rioja campaign will broadcast the invite-only New York Grand Tasting live on the web for the first time ever. Starting May 5 at 10:30am, wine aficionados from all over the world can watch the seminar on www.vibrantrioja.com/riojabuzz. Using the official twitter event hashtag #RiojaBuzz, viewers can also comment and tweet in their questions for the seminar panel. Following the seminar, Wine for All Founder W.R. Tish will continue the live broadcast with interviews of attending winemakers and guests.
