TAPAS Grand Tasting, Ft Mason Center, San Francisco Tempranillo Advocates Producers and Amigos Society

TAPAS* is pleased to announce that the most extensive annual tasting of domestically produced Spanish and Portuguese varietal wines in North America will take place this year at the Fort Mason Conference Center, Landmark Building A, San Francisco, CA.  This special event can be reached by municipal transit lines. 

From 2:00 to 4:30 pm on Sunday, June 14, 2009, consumers will have an opportunity to taste wines produced by TAPAS members from grape varieties indigenous to Spain and Portugal that are now cultivated in America, in a casual walk-around setting where they may chat with the TAPAS growers and producers.  These new and delightful domestic wines originate in Arizona, California, and Oregon, and range from crisp, refreshing whites, through big full-bodied reds, to elegant port style wines. Chef Marco Rauch will tantalize your palate with "The World's Most Delicious Paella" to accompany the wines. Additional food will be provided by The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and the Spanish Table, Berkeley.  This is a unique opportunity to sample wines from over 35 participating wineries and learn about varieties like Tempranillo, Albariño, Garnacha, Graciano, Mourvedre, Touriga, Verdejo, Bastardo and more.  Many of our members are limited-production, boutique wineries whose wines are not generally available in stores.  

The consumer tasting also features a silent auction of special wines and winery tours donated by our members.  Proceeds from the auction benefit the Schmahl Science Workshop, which provides science education for grades K-12 for school districts throughout the Bay Area.  You can learn more about SSW at http://www.schmahlscience.org . 

Tickets are $35 at http://tapas2009.eventbrite.com/ ($45 at the door).  For additional information, please contact Heidi Stine, TAPAS Adjunct, at (480) 330-3766 or hlstine@cox.net . For directions to the Fort Mason Center, visit www.fortmason.org .

 TAPAS President Jeff Stai, Twisted Oak Winery, Murphys CA, says “We're excited to be able to create an event where consumers can branch out beyond the common varietals and discover a new world of flavors. Come join us and have a Spanish Inspiration!”

 *Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society (TAPAS) is a trade association comprised of approximately eighty 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 www.tapasociety.org .