The first winery from the prestigious Spanish wine region Ribera del Duero has just joined the Tasting IN virtual tastings marketplace. And it comes from the historic Bodegas Balbas. This means we now have virtual wine tastings from three of the world’s most respected wine growing areas in Spain and coincidentally all of them have a special place in my heart. The first place I ever lived in Spain was in Valladolid, right on the borders of the Ribera del Duero wine growing region and it was there that I first tried Morcilla (Spanish Black Pudding with Rice) with a glass of Crianza. I can still savour the taste today. Ribera del Duero was also the first place I experienced a wine tasting. I visited Peñafiel, made famous by Protos, and was treated to a tasting in a tiny bodega set in the rocks of the village. What an amazing wine and what an experience.
After living in Valladolid I ventured even further south from my native Yorkshire in the UK and landed in Jerez de la Frontera and discovered there was so much more to sherry than a Christmas tipple. The multitude of bodegas and tabancos serve up delightful wines from dry finos through to sweet Pedro Jimenez. All of which can be savoured in ancient tabancos like San Pablo where wine can be tasted direct from the barrel or via wine tastings at Gonzalez Byass or smaller more intimate bodegas such as La Tradición.
After some time back in the UK, passing through Scotland, I found myself in perhaps the worlds most famous wine region, La Rioja. If you’re not lucky enough to be able to visit this privileged land of endless vineyards, nestled amongst mountains and valleys then fear not. Browse through the excellent wine tastings on offer and try them at home. Choose the virtual wine tasting on the Tasting IN platform and the winery will ship the wines direct to your house. Once the wines arrive on your doorstep then simply organise a convenient time to try the wines with the wine producer and connect via a video conferencing platform such as Zoom or Stripe. It couldn’t be easier. Keep your eyes open over the coming weeks for new virtual tastings. Written by Danny Bolger (Tasting In Co-Founder)
