A brand new wine festival is heading to London this weekend (July 19-20), celebrating 100 years of Rioja. Bringing Spanish vibes to Hackney Wick, you’ll have the opportunity to try 50 different wines – from rich reds to delicate whites and rosés, there’ll be something to suit every mood or palate.
Journey through the past, present and future of Spain’s leading wine region, an incredible heritage that began with its official creation in 1925. Expect expert-led masterclasses and live chef demonstrations, as well as considered food and wine pairings, music and entertainment. A proper Spanish celebration, naturally.
Hosted by TV presenter and award-winning wine expert Olly Smith, with appearances from esteemed chefs José Pizarro and Omar Allibhoy, the festival not only celebrates a century of world-class winemaking, but festival-goers will also have a chance to meet the winemakers themselves during intimate panel tastings and sessions.
At 2.15pm on both days, José Pizarro—the man behind several acclaimed UK restaurants—will be cooking up tasty tapas dishes, followed by Omar Allibhoy, founder of Tapas Revolution, stirring up the perfect paella at 5.15pm. While these chefs take to the stage to showcase their skills, Olly Smith will be armed with a perfect Rioja wine pairing for each dish they create.
There’ll be plenty of street food vendors on site too, all serving up their own bespoke, pintxo-style dishes – each with a recommended wine pairing, of course.
All of the wines will be available to purchase as either 50ml samples, or by the glass or bottle. While tickets to Rioja’s Wine Weekender are free, we recommend splashing out for the £10 ticket, which includes £12 worth of wine tokens, redeemable against any of the wine samples.
When and where is Rioja’s wine festival taking place?
Rioja’s wine festival will take over Hackney Bridge for the weekend, the canalside spot boasting a beer garden the size of three(!) football pitches. The address is Units 1-28, Echo Building, East Bay Lane, London, E15 2SJ and the nearest station is Hackney Wick.
There will be two sessions each day (Saturday July 19 and Sunday July 20): 11:30am–3:30pm and 4:30pm–8:30pm.
Where can I purchase tickets to Rioja’s wine festival?
Tickets are available here, starting from the free ‘Explorer Passes’, with options to include wine samples or add on additional masterclass tickets. You can even double your money with 2for1 passes for Sunday’s sessions, including £24 worth of wine tokens for just £10.