Wine tasting with Wines from Spain

I spent a few relaxing hours last seek at the Spanish 2013 Food & Wine Fair evening by special invite and as the guest of Wines from Spain.

When I go to buy wine I usually head straight for the French selection because that is what I know best followed by Italian wines. This is primarily because I, and I suspect a lot of people forget about the bounty of wine from Spain.

Recently I was scrolling down on Twitter and there was a quick competition to win 2 tickets to the Wine and Food from Spain 2013 evening being held in the City (of London) at the Old Billingsgate fish market (this market has now moved premises to further east - 04:00 fish market is an experience like no other !)

Anyway, I searched for the correct answer to the qualifying question, entered and a few hours later was told that I had just been 'piped to the post' and missed winning the tickets! Thanks anyway I replied and added that I wold love to accompany the winner if they didn't have anyone to go with. The next day I got a tweet from the winner saying 'you shall go to the ball!' And the ticket was duly received in the post!! Yay!

Upon arrival we were ushered into the Cava room and invited to taste what we wanted from an impressive row of Spanish Cava. Off to a good start then !

 

At 18:00 doors at the far end of the room opened and we were presented with a room full of tables of the finest and vast selection of wine producers and tapas that Spain had to offer.

Perspex tables of canapés lined the middle if the room and off we went, sipping and nibbling as we made our way to the other end of the room.

 

I tasted wines from producers I had never heard of, from all over the country as well as better known ones such as Gonzalez Byass, Cordoniu, Campo Viejio to name but a few.

The range of tapas was equally impressive and essential to soak up all that wine coming from some of London's best Spanish restaurants. It was lovely to see Omar Abilhoy from Tapas Revolution again

and to meet (and taste) offerings such as the extremely thinly sliced jamon from Tozino , so delicious with thinly sliced bagels and a glass of dry sherry

 

or the chorizo from Deli of Spain who offered a spreadable chorizo containing potato!!

Just as a postscript I thought I would mention that the Old Billingsgate market building was near Monument underground station, so named after the monument to the Great Fire of London 1666.

All of the years I have lived in London I had not been to the Monument before. I must say blogging has taken me to all sorts of new and interesting places!

The Monument just around the corner from Old Billingsgate fish market

Very tall and imposing - 202' high.