What else do you really need?  Music, got it.  A fork for food, yes. And Navarra wines. All good.

D.O. Navarra continues with its Guitar and Fork series following on its success last year.There will be four concerts and dinner paired with Navarra wines.

Is this region the coolest?  Oh, and there’s candelight, so this is a date night for sure.

On February 25, Charles Lazarus will grace guests with romantic pop such as “Save me from you”.   This will be followed, on March 10^th with musicians dressed as chefs, and they will interpret songs that diners ask for. This could become quite hilarious.

On March 24, Maspaké presents a repertoire of multiple musical styles, and on April 21^st, Essence Flamen K will delight the audience with his own style of music that is inspired by flamenco.

These are just some of the upcoming Guitar and Fork diner events happening in Navarra.  Do you see now why we think you should visit?

Forget the 12 days of Christmas.  Those are over. But D.O. Navarra continues in the spirit with a special tasting of wines by 12 of the region’s finest wineries in the city of Bilbao.

The dynamic speaker, President of DO Navarra, Pilar García-Granero, will lead a tasting of the wines under a seminar titled “Pink and much more.”

Following this tasting will be a special wine exhibit in the Medieval city of Olite.  The twelve wineries participating are:

- Bodegas Malon Echaide

- Bodegas Irache

- Quality Alex.Viñedos

- Bodega Inurrieta

- Aroa Wineries

- Bodegas Alconde

- Bodegas Camilo Castilla

- Bodegas Marco Real

- Bodegas Beramendi

- Bodegas Castillo de Monjardin

- Foothills Montejurra

- Bodegas Chivite

Attendees can sample wines before buying a tasting kit composed of a crystal glass, a bag and a guide book, for only 10 Euros.

All we’re saying is —– Navarra is happening, people!  You are going to have to go visit eventually just to be a part of it all !

Game on!  But don’t forget the gourmet food and wine.  This is how they roll in Navarra. The Glutton Club and Restaurant Ni Neu of San Sebastian have teamed together to present some pretty succulent dishes along with wines from Navarra—with a board game where the chips are bottles of wine!

Contestants will include fifty students from the University of Deusto, who will be divided into groups to meet challenges on the board.  The more they know about culture and wine knowledge, the better off they will be!

These tasty dishes by Mikel Gallo will all be a part of the fun:

Potato salad with prawns
Creamy rice with squid
Entrécula beef fillet with crushed nuts
French toast with homemade ice cream

And of course, the fruity, delicious wines of D.O. Navarra.

May the best man or woman win!

(Are you noticing how much fun Navarra has with wine?)

We like this kind of never-ending cycle. What is not to love about listening to music while sipping on great wines?

Navarra is once again at the forefront of wine-related activities in Spain. There is always something going on in Navarra, and the region’s wines are always flowing.

This time, Navarra’s famous rosado wines will be poured at the Palace of Madrid on February 4th for the premier Festival on Independent Music and Wine Culture:  the Enofestival.

The Festival brings together relevant artists’ independent music and Navarra’s wine culture.

Expected guests reach 1500 in number – and all are welcome to enjoy the fresh and fruity rosados of D.O. Navarra. (well, anyone of legal drinking age)

Musical presentations will be given by: Nacho Vegas, Christina Rosenvinge, The New Raemon, The Right Ons, Wolves Black, Tachenko and more, and guests will listen while sipping on the Navarra wines.

Navarra rose wines are made mostly from Grenache grapes, but recently, wineries–in its commitment to innovation and development–have added new varieties to get other shades of pink : Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
and Tempranillo.

I think we need festivals of this sort in the U.S.  Thanks, Navarra, for the idea!

It’s not aqua, it’s not violet, it’s not black – the color of fashion is still pink, and after sipping on a glass of Navarra’s world famous rosado, we believe it!

The latest and hottest rosado event, Madrid Fusion, will gather more than a hundred professionals from around the world on February 26^th in
Madrid.  The president of the Regulatory Council of the DO Navarra, Pilar García-Barn, will offer a wine tasting titled :  ”Think in Pink: pink is in
fashion” which will showcase the famous rosado wines of Navarra.

Tastings of Navarra’s red and sweet wines will also be offered in other programs at Madrid Fusion. Stand
49 will be the place to go to wet your whistle.

Gourmet Reyno will also be on hand, and peppers and artichokes—all natural, wonderful products from Navarra, will also be showcased. Navarran  Koldo Rodero of Rodero Restaurant (Pamplona)
and Angel Regueiro Enekorri Restaurant (Pamplona) will offer a presentation on winter vegetables such as artichokes and how you can pair them with rosé wines.

As with all Navarra events, there is lots more going on – seminars with crab, scallops and black olives … activities, music…..  and it is
all in honor of Pink.  Still obsessed, and loving every single sip of it.

N. It stands for nice, narly (as in rad, good), notorious, no-nonsense, and Navarra wine.

And the Navarra D.O. is passing out stickers with the swirled N logo from the Navarra wine region for free in
Spain.  I know, I know, we aren’t there.  But.. if you happen to go …. Just email info@navarrawine.com, provide an
address, and the sticker will be delivered to you for free!

These fun stickers are not sold anywhere, but we’ll try to get them to send a stash to the U.S. –  stay tuned!   You can show your love of good, Spanish wine, right on your car window!

N also stands for naturally delicious, by the way …..

You don’t have to take classes to enjoy wine!  Just sipping on it is plenty enough for some folks.  But others get curious, and when the “wine bug” hits you and you want to know more, it is good to know there are places that come to the rescue.  In Navarra, too.  Here is what is going on in the Navarra D.O. for people who want to become wine smarties:

One thousand folks have already participated in special wine classes in Navarra, Spain.  The Navarra Wine School is now open for new sessions!  From novices to the wine knowledgeable,
there is something for everyone:

Introduction to Knowledge of Wine:
Tuesday,January 10 to February 14.

Tasting with Knowledge classes:
How white wines evolve over time. February 21

We always wonder if white wines age well, or better with barrel aging, or … To resolve doubts, wine tastings will be
conducted of different brands, different oak aging, different vintages, and the class will draw their own conclusions.

Red versus red Garnacha Tempranillo. February 28.
Each grape variety has its particular expression in terms of its terroir, the
way the winery produces it, the conditions of the vintage, and so on. But the
comparison will allow us to place in context the variety—nuances, common
features and differences. Tasted will be a selection of red wines from Garnacha
and Tempranillo.

Comparing vintages: 2005 versus 2008. March 6th.
These are two very different vintages and harvests: 2005 and 2008 was typically
warm and cold can be cataloged. The results mark a lot of climatic influence
both the characteristics of the grapes harvested and in the profile of the
wines produced.

Young red wine carbonic maceration versus traditional production. March 13.
The two most common methods to produce red wines have their supporters and
detractors. Out of fashion is carbonic maceration.  This class briefly reviews the techniques of
each system and tests wine characteristics.

The new pink 2011 has arrived. March 20.
A good time to try our new pink and think of spring: fresh from the cellars and
ready to captivate wine lovers. Surely the new pink will surprise–full of
freshness, joy and seductive aromas.

Advanced tasting techniques. March 27.
For those who have already jumped into the wine tasting pool and want to
further advance and experiment with advanced techiniques. The tastings will
take a look at major wine flavors and sensations, their interactions, the
balances. Working with solutions of different compounds and even some flaws.
Test your palate!

Food and Wine Pairing. Level: with knowledge.
Meat and cheese tasting   January 13 and February 24.
Pairing wine and chocolate. January 27 and March 9.
Cocktails with wine. February 10 and March 23.

Cheers!

We wish you Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year in 2012, celebrated with loved ones and, of course, your favorite Navarra wines!

These days, we celebrate Christmas and bid farewell to the year with one celebration after the other. In many of these celebrations, we invite friends and family into our own homes. We create a menu fit for this festive season, and prepare our wine selection. It is this latter detail that we will discuss in this post: how to get as much enjoyment as possible out of each glass of wine.

Many have had the experience of drinking the same wine in different conditions, finding the wine to taste rather different in each instance. There are many conditions that may make the each experience different. First of all, no doubt, it is very important that the company is adequate. If the environment is friendly and we feel comfortable and relaxed, we perceive our wine in a more positive way. But, there is one detail that can ruin our enjoyment of the wine, and that is the glassware chosen for the occasion.

A good, clean glass will surely strengthen the wine. Here are some suggestions for how to enjoy the wine you have chosen for your celebrations with the most appropriate glassware:

1. Use clear crystal or glassware that is clean and in good condition. Use a little detergent and dry the glasses well, but beware of rags that may leave behind lint, or worse, a lingering odor.

2. Versatile glassware. It is ideal to have four types of wine glasses: a sparkling wine glass (flute), a glass for drinking young wines (7-10 fluid ounce capacity), a glass for aged wines (12-14 fluid ounce capacity), and a cup for sweet wines, such as a sherry glass.

3. The glass should stand tall, with a long stem and a broad, tulip-shaped cup.

4. Avoid cups that are striped or streaked from use.

 Adapted, with thanks, from http://www.tupropioestilodevino.com