Deciding to do something different, I popped along to one of the regular Wine and Tapas evenings hosted by Tom and Sarah at their mansion on the edge of town.
Tom (the cork) and Sarah (the galley) host regular wine and tapas evenings, not only in their own home but also at many other venues in the area. They even offer a pick-up and drop-off service from selected points in Nerja.
Anyway, upon arrival, the first order of the day is a glass of cava….nice start…followed by introductions to the rest of the guests. On this occasion it was a nice mixed bunch, including Mr and Mrs Dog Groomer, Computer Man, Mrs Restaurant, Bar Man and half a dozen more besides. It was a nice evening, to start with anyway, so we spent most of it outside. When it did cloud over, and a few spots of rain began to fall, it was no problem because we just adjourned to the shelter of the casa and continued our eating and drinking.
Tom and Sarah, under the banner of ‘Vinos Sebastian’, distribute wines from various private Spanish bodegas to bars, restaurants and private individuals all over the place. Apart from being an enjoyable evening in its own rite, it is also an opportunity for those in the trade or private individuals to sample a variety of, perhaps, lesser known, but top quality wines or to be introduced to a new wine. Even order or buy a few bottles….or cases!.
While Sarah provides a steady supply of delicious munchies, carefully selected to complement the various wines, Tom pulls the corks and explains a little bit about the wines and the various grapes used. They even provide a tapas menu and a wine list so you drool over what is yet to come.
The tapas menu on this occasion was:
Smoked Quails Eggs and Garlic
Mango wrapped with Jamón Serrano
Special Mini Prawn Cocktails
Asparagus and Smoked Fish Balls served with Tartar Sauce
Little tarts
Fresh Salmon on Lemon Grass Skewers with Sour Cream and Dill
Chicken Liver Parfait with Sally’s Marmalade
Roasted Med Veg with Fresh Mozarella and Pesto
Chicken Breasts stuffed with Blue Cheese and served with a Spinach Purée
Miniature Filet Mignons with a Béarnaise Sauce
Rosti served with Pork Fillet and Spicy Plum Compote
Manchego Cheese Platter with Fresh Figs
We started off on the white wines, these being Cañada Mazan Tardana 2006 (very dry) and Sybarus Tardana Crianza.
Rosé was next, with Cañada Mazan Bobal and Vegalfaro Rosado.
The reds were Vegalfaro Mad en Barrica (light, dry), Casa Angel Mad en Barrica 5 Grapes ( a bit more fruity), Sybarus Cabernet (fruity, full-bodied, long-end) and then a special treat, Provechon Reserva, a limited edition wine. Excellent.
The dessert wine was Bobal Dulce.
This was a great way to spend a couple of hours…..and learn a few things along the way….and at €20 per head it is exceptionally good value.
Tom and Sarah, by the way, also organise and cater for weddings, private parties and just about any other sort of occasion you can think of. If you fancy attending one of their regular wine and tapas evenings then give them a call on: 635 556 177 or 635 580 299.
