Maridajes imposibles

Some tastings are remembered for what you drink and others for how they make you feel. Maridajes imposibles, an evening born in Logroño, backs the second path: bringing together wine, tapas, music and art in a single sensory experience.

A tasting that goes beyond the glass

The concept starts from a simple, very Riojan idea: wine is not enjoyed alone, but in company and with all the senses switched on. In an intimate, carefully curated space, the session combines the five channels through which we perceive pleasure: taste, smell, sight, hearing and touch. The result is an evening designed to be savoured slowly, without rush.

Wineries and tapas from Logroño

The core is the wines of the wineries of the Riojan capital, accompanied by local tapas chosen to converse with each glass. Logroño has one of the most renowned tapas traditions in the country, so the ground is fertile: each mouthful seeks its wine, and each wine, its mouthful.

• Wines from Logroño wineries, with styles ranging from fresh white to aged red.
• Tapas from the city, selected to enhance acidity, fruit or tannins as the case may be.
• An artistic offering that wraps around the tasting and gives it rhythm.

Why it works so well

When the flavour of a good wine crosses paths with a melody or a visual stimulus, the enjoyment is amplified. It is not magic: our brain processes those pleasures in nearby areas, and the sum of them all makes the experience imprint itself more strongly. That is why a tasting like this is remembered long after the last glass has been emptied.

The value of the local

Events of this kind do something important for the region: they showcase the wineries of the area and the gastronomic and creative talent of the city. Urban wine tourism, the kind lived by wandering the streets and tasting from bar to bar, is one of the most rewarding ways to get closer to wine.

Rioja offers plenty of scope for days like this. If you want to organise your own route and visit producers in the area, check the page of the D.O.Ca. Rioja and choose where to begin your journey.