On 22 May, the Station District is travelling to New York to celebrate the first ‘Rioja Railway Wine Experience’, a meeting to showcase the winemaking philosophy and the great wines of five of the most important wineries in La Rioja and the Spanish wine scene: Bodegas Gómez Cruzado, La Rioja Alta, S.A., Bodegas Bilbaínas Viña Pomal, Bodegas Muga and Bodegas RODA.
The setting chosen for the celebration of this new event is the High Line, an iconic area located in the district of Manhattan. It is an elevated section of the East Side Line of the now-extinct New York Central Railroad. The choice of venue is a nod to the Haro railway station, where the famous Barrio de la Estación gradually came about with the construction of major wineries in the mid-nineteenth century.
The Rioja Railway Wine Experience will include some significant milestones. An exclusive historical master tasting for top-level American journalists and tasters will be led by Pedro Ballesteros MW, the first Spanish Master of Wine, who will provide a tour of the century-old history of the district and its wines. The five wineries have also organised a Grand Tasting targeting both wine industry professionals and a top gourmet audience. In total, more than 600 attendees are going to enjoy some of the best wines in La Rioja along with various tapas specially created for the occasion by leading US chefs.
This initiative reflects the international focus of the Station District wineries, promoting their historical and cultural value as the cradle of Rioja wine and as one of the top wine tourism destinations in the world, unique in its concentration of century-old wineries. On this first occasion, Rioja Railway Wine Experience will link the philosophy, culture, tradition and recognised quality of the wines made in this historic La Rioja district and New York City, providing a late nineteenth century ambiance with a 1920s look. It is undoubtedly a unique occasion for all lovers of wine and Spanish culture in the United States, a key market for Rioja Wine where a large percentage of visitors to our wine region come from.
Rioja Railway Wine Experience will also have a charitable facet. Thirty per cent of the revenues from tickets will go to the James Beard Foundation, the key culinary NGO in the United States, known for its annual James Beard awards. The purpose of the US foundation is to create programmes to improve food and sustainability, guided by values such as respect, transparency, diversity, sustainability and equality.
