Unforgettable Wine Experience at Bodegas Mendoza, winery in Alfàs del Pi (Alicante)

It’s April, It’s springtime and we’ve had a great time at the unforgettable wine event held every year in Bodegas Mendoza Winery, in Alfàs del Pi (Alicante), held during 3 days (2nd, 3rd & 4th April ‘2015).

It’s the 4th edition, and after having such a good time last year, we repeated.

What’s it all about?

It’s an event for all #winelovers where you are able to taste up to 8 wines while you attend different side-events such as Oil tasting, Organic Farming workshop or an express wine tasting initiating course. All these events are held continuously during the 3 days from 9:30 to 4p.m.

All just for 10€ and you take the wine glass home as a gift!

 

 

The wines

 

 

We tasted the brand new Monastrell Finesse 2013, a very special fine wine made from what Pepe Mendoza calls Magic Vineyards.

It’s a fine wine, very easy to drink made of Monastrell grape variety, but very fluid and fresh, something original for this kind of grapes which usually are full-bodied and 14-15% alcoholic wines (this one has just 12,5% alcohol).

What I think: if you like standard Rioja wines you’ll love this one.

 

 

 

These are the 8 wines we tasted (better in this order, from minor to major intensity):

– Chardonnay 2014 (white)
– Merlot-Monastrell (red, 12 months aged in barrel)
– Magical Vineyards -Monastrell Finesse (red, new one)
– Cabernet Sauvignon – Monastrell (red, 12 months aged in barrel)
– Shiraz (red, 15 months aged in barrel)
– Cabernet Sauvignon – Shiraz (red, 15 months aged in barrel)
– Santa Rosa (red, 2011) (91 points by Robert Parker, which means “excellent wine”)
– Dolç de Mendoza (sweet red )

NOTE: Monastrell grape variety is also known as Mourvedre

 

The Workshops / Stands

Organic Farming Workshop: they explained how they grow & love their vineyards with organic farming so as to elaborate their Organic Wines with the maximum respect possible for nature by avoiding the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

 

Sweet Passion: Chocolate tasting by Chocolates Valor, where you taste a sweet wine (Dolç de Mendoza) with Chocolate, a very special one made with Dark Chocolate and the very well-known wine Santa Rosa.

 

Organic Ice-cream: this so so so sweet stand by Palacio Ice-creams was another island in paradise. They make home-made organic ice-creams in a traditional way using the best ingredients. Once you try these ice-creams you think: “What the hell are they selling me in the supermarket?” Lol 🙂

Incredible flavours: “Pear & Sweet Wine” (dolç de Mendoza), “Almond & Mistela” (sweet white wine), “Turrón” (Xmas sweet), Orange, … You have to try them all.

 

Express wine tasting course: held every 30 minutes by Somm, you were introduced to the wine-tasting world by knowing the 3 main steps: Sight – Nose – Taste.

Very interesting if you are a newbie in wine-tasting.

 

…and other activities such as a Barrel manufaturing show, Olive Oil tasting, a Wine-related bookshop, a workshop to understand differences between wines made from grapevines grown in Sandy soils vs Stony soils (different terroir-> different flavours), another one to see the differences between wines aged in 225 litre barrels. vs 500 litre Foudre barrels.

If you want to see it all, you’ll need all the morning! 🙂

Hungry?

We had a cheeseboard (served by La Despensa de Andrés) and some local food such as Rice dishes (Paella & arròs) and other sandwiches all served by “Xato Restaurant” (All prices are around 5 € per dish).

A special mention to the Wasabi Cheese from La Despensa de Andrés, and the Meatballs & the Rice from Xato Restaurant.

And also had a very special Ice cream in the Helados Palacio stand!
Sadly, all good things come to an end, but the best way to remember this great time is to take some bottles home!

What’s your experience? Did you come, too? Share with us your experience, please!

See you soon. Cheers! 🙂