As I’ve said before on these pages, what you wear to a tasting is important because you’re likely to spill some wine on it. However, occasionally, the appropriate dress is a raincoat and wellies. Not because it’s going to be “that sort of party” but because it will be outdoors in this washout of a summer!

Tapas Fantasticas took place in mid June in Potters Fields Park next to City Hall in London. It was a celebration of Rioja‘s food and wine, with some music thrown in.Among the people who kindly gave their time for this podcast are Lottie West from Phipps, Yolanda Ortiz from Araex, Natalie LeBoeuf from Finca Nueva, Eduardo Sainz Marotias from Grup Principe de Viana, Vincent Herrando Sales Director of C and D Wines, Clara Canals Sotillo from Campo Viejo and Enrique Torrecilla from Real Rubio.

Real Rubio were featuring their gold-medal-winning Reserva 2007: When you first pour it, this gorgeous cherry red Rioja presents a full black berry smell: redcurrents and other hedgerow fruits. Take it into your mouth and you get almony top-notes, enormous fruit and a long, pleasant finish. The label says it had 24 months in barrel and 12 minths in bottle and I think that it will improve in bottle over the next year or two and taste silkier with a fuller mouth feel.

The morcilla came from Camino.