Napa Wine-Domestically Produced Iberian Varietal Wines - Tasting and Seminar for Consumers

Discover What North American Winegrowers are
Creating from Native Spanish and Portuguese Grapes 

TAPAS* is pleased to announce the most extensive tasting of domestically produced Iberian varietal wines ever offered in America. Take the nearest “Spanish Trail” to COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts, 500 First Street, Napa, CA to attend the TAPAS events on August 8 & 9, 2008. 

This two-day Fiesta includes informative seminars and features walk-around tastings of wines made from grape varieties indigenous to Spain and Portugal that are now cultivated in America. These new and delightful domestic wines originate in Arizona, California, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, and range from crisp, refreshing whites, through big full-bodied reds, to elegant port style wines. This is a unique opportunity to sample wines from more than 40 participating wineries and learn about varieties like Tempranillo, Albariño, Garnacha, Graciano, Mourvedre, Touriga, Verdejo, Bastardo and more. 

On Saturday, August 9^th, the public events begin at 1:00 pm with informative consumer oriented seminars on Iberian varieties and the wine styles being created by TAPAS members.  From 2:00 to 3:30 PM consumers will have an opportunity to taste wines produced by TAPAS members in America from these indigenous Spanish and Portuguese winegrapes in a delightful walk-around tasting where they may chat with the TAPAS growers and producers. Visit our website for ticket information.  

Randall Grahm, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Santa Cruz CA, says “While known as a Rhône Ranger, I have felt a passion for all things Iberian ever since writing Don Quijones: Man of Garnacha for one of our earlier newsletters. Growing wines such as Albariño, Loureiro and Trexiadura at Bonny Doon is a great adventure, discovering a new world of superlative flavor, complexity and finesse.”   

Consumers interested in receiving updates and special benefits (details forthcoming) from TAPAS are also invited to join the newly-formed Sancho Panza Society at no charge.  For more information, please email SanchoPanza@cox.net . 

*Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society (TAPAS) is a trade association comprised of over sixty members, whose mission is: “To promote Tempranillo and other varietal wine grapes native to the Iberian Peninsula and wines produced from them in North America.”   See http://www.tapasociety.org/ .