Immersive education program developed by Spain’s “Grand Crus” goes beyond traditional wine study to explore the full impact of history, science, geography, language and people
(Madrid, Spain) March 13, 2023 – Grandes Pagos de España (GPE), the leading Spanish association of 36 renowned single estate vineyards known as the “Grands Crus of Spain,” has launched The Terroir Workshop by Grandes Pagos de España, a global education program that goes beyond traditional wine study to present terroir culture on a whole new level. The program will debut in the U.S. and Mexico with comprehensive coursework designed for consumers and trade led by top Wine Ambassadors. Classroom study and tasting will focus on the foremost Spanish “pagos,” a single vineyard designation equivalent to the term “cru” reserved for exceptional viticultural sites. Membership in Grandes Pagos is based on a rigorous and independent selection process that values the importance of quality viticulture and winemaking together with the influence of people, history, culture, geography and climate.
“Spain has one of the most dynamic and historic wine cultures in the world, which reflects many influences often overlooked by wine education that prioritizes varieties and geography. This can be to the detriment of a more holistic definition of terroir,” says Toni Sarrión, President of Grandes Pagos de España. “The term pago is at the heart of who we are as an organization and what we hope to communicate through our education program. Each of our wineries has a singular identity based on their unique geography, culture, history and perhaps most significantly, the people behind the wines today. Working with top educators worldwide, we will explore the profound complexity of Spanish wine from a perspective that places the highest value on terroir and human achievement.”
The Terroir Workshop by Grandes Pagos de España will launch in Miami, Los Angeles and Mexico as of August 2023, with additional locations worldwide to be announced. Classes will be led by notable Spanish wine experts, including: Alessandra Esteves, Founder of Florida Wine Academy in Miami; Monica Marin DipWSET in Los Angeles; and Sandra Fernández Gaytán, of SFG Estrategias in Mexico. Each educator will cover eight regions of Spain (Green Spain, Meseta North, Ebro River Valley, Catalonia, Mediterranean, Meseta Central, South and the Islands) with instruction to encompass the impact of history, culture, geography, climate and people on terroir.
Each GPE Wine Ambassador will share a common syllabus and will determine the length of the coursework over one or two days, estimated at eight to ten hours of guided education and tasting. Students will receive a pre-read digital study guide. Additionally, students will receive comprehensive profiles of GPE wineries to guide their immersion into Spanish pago and terroir culture. Classes will be held in person and will include a combination of dynamic presentations and testing to reinforce learning. Tasting will be a critical component, and as part of the exclusive curriculum, students will taste a wide selection of pagos from GPE member wineries. Students who successfully finish the course will receive a certificate of completion. For more information about upcoming classes, and to be notified of new course locations, please contact info@GrandesPagos.com.
To learn more about Grandes Pagos de España and The Terroir Workshop click here.
About Grandes Pagos de España
Founded in 2000, Grandes Pagos de España is a non-profit association of thirty-six prestigious wineries across Spain. Membership in Grandes Pagos is based on rigorous selection criteria for viticulture and winemaking excellence on the level of a pago, a delineated vineyard that is the ultimate terroir designation in Spain. Grandes Pagos de España aims to defend the unique, terroir-driven personality of single-estate wines, to uphold and promote the ethos of Spanish winemaking, and to produce wines of excellence in harmony with the soil, nature and climate of each vineyard. The organization has just launched The Terroir Workshop by Grandes Pagos de España (currently available in the U.S. and Mexico) to explore Spanish terroir in the context of history, science, geography, language and people. Click here for more information about Grandes Pagos de España or email info@grandespagos.com.
