I survived day one, and my head hasn’t yet exploded. After being accepted into the Spanish wine education classes, I was very excited and then slightly nervous. I hadn’t had any formal wine training in the past and didn’t really know what to expect. The amount of information included in the packets was slightly overwhelming to an average wine lover. I worried about everything, would I spit correctly? Would I use the correct pronunciation for Spanish wine region? Most of all, would I look like an amateur in a room full of professionals?

As soon as I arrived, my fears were eased. The room was an interesting mix of locals looking to learn more about Spanish wine, and Javier was excited to share his knowledge and passion for the country and wine. After a quick lesson on the history of Spain in 90 minutes or less, we started with the first few regions, Rías Baixas and Galicia & The Basque Country, concluding with a sampling of four Albariño wines. My favorites were the Fillaboa and Vionta Albariños. Both very good, but very different. I’ll post my tasting notes of the course later.

The afternoon took us on a trip to Aragón, Navarra, Murcia and Castilla y León, concluding with samples of wine from Ribera del Duero in Castilla y León and Somontano in Aragón. Here I found the Baron de Magana and Magana Calchetas an interesting story of father and son. The father is the producer of Baron de Magana, a blend of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Tempranillo. While the son produces the Magana Calchetas, a Merlot based wine with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. After tasting, I enjoyed the Magana Calchetas.

The final tasting took us to Ribera del Duero in Castilla y León. Here we tasted one Verdejo and three Tempranillo based wines. The last wine of the day presented a surprise for us…..it was over the hill. It was no longer good.

Day one was exciting, and I picked up lots of helpful bits of knowledge and it wasn’t as overwhelming as I thought it might be. For example, when in doubt the soil is likely limestone. I guess everything is a little more fun when you are tasting wines. I’m eager to sample some of the wines discussed in the class and look for the characteristics familiar with the region. I have a little more reviewing tonight of soils, climate and Denominaciones de Origen….there is a test at the end of the three days.