Bodegas Roda carries out large-scale vertical tasting in the city of Shangai

The Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai recently hosted one of the largest vertical tastings ever to be witnessed in the Chinese city focusing on different vintages of the same wine. The event, organised by Juerui – the distributor for Bodegas Roda wines in China – gave those attending the chance to taste up to thirteen vintages of the RODA I wine, made by the bodega under QDO Rioja.

The tasting was led by Bodegas Roda’s Managing Director, Agustín Santolaya, who guided the public through every vintage of the wine sold by Roda I to date, from 1992 to 2005. Agustín Santolaya advised those attending to try to see the wines as a kind of “time in a bottle”, in order to be able to appreciate the unique climatological conditions of each individual vintage from the thirteen-year winemaking period.

The event brought together more than a hundred Chinese wine and hospitality sector professionals, including sommeliers and managers of some of the most important restaurants and hotels in Shanghai. The tasting also boasted the presence of Cui Minghua, Minister for the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office in Shanghai, as well as Almudena Castañal, Vice-consul at the Spanish Consulate in Shanghai.

Wines from Spain

In addition to the RODA I vertical wine tasting, the event also hosted a tasting of the first vintage of ‘Corimbo’, a wine made by the same bodega under Ribera del Duero, as well as olive oils DAURO and AUBOCASSA.

Spanish wine exports to China have significantly increased over the last two years, multiplying sales four-fold by value in 2010 in comparison to 2009. Most exports are, however, non-DO bulk wine.