The immersive education program developed by Spain’s “Grands Crus” goes beyond traditional wine study to explore the full impact of history, science, geography, language, and people.
(San Francisco, California) September 16, 2024 — Grandes Pagos de España (GPE) is the leading Spanish association of 34 prestigious single-estate vineyards known as the “Grands Crus of Spain.” This groundbreaking workshop, which innovatively teaches about Spanish terroir by examining GPE single-estate vineyards and considering history, culture, geography, climate, and people, will be previewed by trade and media at the San Francisco Wine School on September 26, 2024, with a 1.5-hour educational session and a 1.5-hour tasting of the prestigious GPE Wines. This is not just a tasting event but a fantastic opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Spanish terroir. The Terroir Workshop will be offered at the San Francisco Wine School for the first time on Saturday and Sunday, November 3-4, 2024. This will be the Bay Area’s most extensive tasting of Grandes Pagos wines ever.
RSVP
GPE Terroir Workshop Preview & Tasting
Thursday, September 26, 2024
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
San Francisco Wine School
Onsite Instruction by David Glancy, MS, CWE
Virtual presentations by Winemaker Bibi Garcia of Cortijo Los Aguilares and Winemaker Isabel Salgado of Fillaboa
The Terroir Workshop is a global education program that goes beyond traditional wine study to present terroir culture on a new level. The program includes eight to ten hours of comprehensive coursework, classroom study, and tastings, focusing 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 and the influence of people, history, culture, geography, and climate. Students will receive a pre-read digital study guide and comprehensive profiles of GPE wineries to assist with their immersion into Spanish pago and terroir culture. Classes will be in-person, including dynamic presentations and testing to reinforce learning. The tastings will be a critical component, and as part of the exclusive curriculum, students will taste a wide selection of wine from GPE member wineries. The November Terroir Workshop costs $495. Scholarship applications are available, covering 60-100% tuition for anyone looking to advance their career in wine or hospitality. The scholarship application deadline is September 30.
“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 its 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.”
Launched in 2023, the Terroir Workshop series is a global education program providing comprehensive coursework for consumers and trade led by top Spanish wine experts. Last year’s in-person workshops were launched in Miami, Los Angeles, and Mexico City. Under the guidance of GPE’s growing education team, 2024-2025 workshops are planned for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Dallas, Mexico City, London, and Tokyo.
About Grandes Pagos de España
Founded in 2000, Grandes Pagos de España is a non-profit association of thirty-four prestigious wineries across Spain. Membership in Grandes Pagos de España is based on rigorous selection criteria for viticulture and winemaking excellence on the level of a pago. This delineated vineyard 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 launched The Terroir Workshop by Grandes Pagos de España in 2023. To learn more about Grandes Pagos de España and The Terroir Workshop, contact Emily Hardin-Lombardi (emily@gregoryvine.com) or Claire Martin (claire@gregoryvine.com).
