Wine Masters Class: Old Vines Spain, Argentina, Southern Portugal and Madeira

The future of Spanish wine lies in its history. Ambitious winemakers are heading off to the hinterlands in search of old vines. We visit Toro where red wines are made from Tinta de Toro (a local version of Tempranillo) are making fame. Then to Bierzo where between the hills and lush river valleys red wine is made of the Mencia variety. We also visit Jumilla in the south of the country near Valencia, where red wines are made from old Monastrell vines. And last but not least our journey ends at Tenerife, where some of the oldest vines of Spain can be found. Altitude is key in Argentina. Except for the Patagonia region, most vineyards in Argentina are situated on 600 to 2000 meters above sea level and located close to the Andes mountains. Of course, we will highlight the most famous wine area Mendoza and the Malbec grape, which was brought from France around 1850 and has adapted greatly on the terroirs of this country. In our experiment we sniff, and swirl. We explain why some wines need to breathe. We start on a unique island in the Atlantic Ocean, which gives its name to one of the world's great fortified wines; Madeira. The 4 styles of the quality spectrum get their names from the white wine grape used in them: Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey aka Malvasia, and in this order, they range from dry to sweet. On the mainland we visit unique appellations near the capital city of Lisbon and then on to a huge rural wine region known as Alentejo, where white and red wine are blends of local and international grape varieties. Wine Masters Class will help you achieve your (WSET) Wine and Sommelier certificates.