Rioja Tapas Fantasticas 2011, Southwark

I'm not really one for camping or festivals. I like a good solid roof over my head, and I like to be able to stand up and switch on the lights within my accommodation. The thought of trudging off to the shrubbery with a shovel send shudders down my spine. I do have wellies, but I bought them from Marc Jacobs so I'm not sure they count (not bad for £12 and where else can you find wellies in a last minute panic in Soho?). As for feasting off paper plates and cups, that's all well and good so long as the sun is shining and I'm not paying so much that its costing me an opportunity to eat wagyu beef laced with gold leaf and truffle at The Fat Duck*.

So I'm not often seen at food festivals. However, the sun was shining, and I still haven't booked that trip to Madrid I've been hankering for. So, it was that TPG and I ventured to the foot of Tower Bridge on Saturday for the FREE event, Rioja Tapas Fantasticas.

While taking in the views over the Thames and the Tower of London, we tasted white, rose and red riojas from a large number of wine makers (such as Marques de la Concordia, Marques del Atrio and Vina Salceda), while feasting on thick tortilla rolls (from restaurant Barcelona), a hearty rabbit paella with spinach and asparagus (from Number 22 Restaurant and Casa Catering) and creamy Iberico hams (carved to thin, melt in the mouth perfection by Tozino - a company with experience carving for the likes of Ferran Adria and the Spanish Royal Family).

Taste from the tapas stalls of some of London's Spanish restaurants, such as Barrica, Camino and Paellaria (serving huge pans of inky arroz negra) or try Picota Cheeries which are exclusively grown in the Spain's Jerte Valley and only available from mid June to end of July each year. Fellow blogger and the woman behind Catalan Cooking classes, Rachel McCormack, is also there with her Rachel's Bunuelos stand.

Entry is FREE, and you only pay £3 to purchase a tasting glass and 4 tokens to exchange each for a small (ok, teensy) sample of 4 wines of your choice. (Call me what you will, but the samples could be bigger.) After that, you pay £1 per sample, or you can buy by the glass at good prices - I had a lovely (and big glass of) spicy, vanilla-y Reserva for £3.50. Our food was mostly priced between £3.50 - £6. There are also wine workshops, cooking demonstrations (eg from Jose Pizarro) and Spanish bands.

Tapas Fantastica runs over one weekend in summer each year (look out for it in 2012) and is a low key, hassle free way to have a taste of Spain in London. And it won't cost you the tasting menu at Le Gavroche.

Thanks to Phipps PR for the press pass.

*  Ok, so I'm not sure The Fat Duck does this dish, but you get my drift.

Sud de France Festival: Masterclass at Vinopolis

"Oak is like make-up. You don't want to see it", or so says Charles Metcalfe when discussing his white wines of choice at the Sud de France Festival in London.

Actually, my Australian palate doesn't mind a heavy hand with the oak (although I do go easy on the lipstick). Nevertheless, before the curtain closes on 30th September, here's my quick shout out to wine enthusiasts, francophiles and lovers of all things Mediterranean for the Sud de France Festival. 

Although the Mediterranean sunshine may have largely vanished for the year, this festival promotes the Languedoc - Roussillon region's producers and flavours for all seasons - from the giant cassoulet and wine lunch at Borough Market, to the Sud de France Market with free tastings held in the Duke of York Square, to guided WSET courses. Upcoming events include the WSET course with Frederic Grappe (Dynamic Wines) for an introduction to the organic and biodynamic wines of Languedoc-Roussion (Tuesday 28 September) and the Sud De France Walkabout Tasting at Roberson Wines (Thursday 30 September).

Last week, I was invited to attend a Masterclass at Vinopolis hosted by British wine critic, Charles Metcalfe. After an entertaining and evocative introduction to the region - its food, wine, soil, terrain and culture - Charles gave a room full of wine enthusiasts a tutored tasting to 7 different wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region. We then enjoyed some great regional cheeses and rillettes before the cellar opened up to a tasting of 16 wines from the region.

A big thumbs up for the Domaine De L'Aigle, 2008 (Vin de pays d'Oc, Pinot Noir) - a gorgeous, elegant, soft Pinot which retails for only around £8-£10 at Waitrose - a bargain. I also loved the Paul Mas Mourvedre, 2009 (Vin de pas d'Oc, £8.99 Majestic). If you like rose, my favourite was the Chateau Combebelle (Cerisier, 2009, AOC Saint Chinian) - dry with cherry liqueur (£7-£9). My pick of the whites was the Guillaume Aurele, 2009 (Vin de pays d'Oc, Chardonnay, £6.50 from Heritage Wine) - unoaked, ripe and fresh. For a sweet finish (and if you like Pedro Ximenez), try the Ey Single Vineyard, Vigne D'en Traginer, 2001 AOC Banyuls - a caramel-like Grenache, great for matching with cheese, pudding or chocolate.

The Sud De France Festival runs from 17 - 30 September 2010. See the Sud de France Festival website for details. If you miss it this year, this is definitely one to put in the diary for 2011.