Guiness Book of World Record Spanish Wine Tasting Event!

On Friday, September 15th, at 9pm, oenophiles will be traveling to Aranda del Duero in the center of Spain to participate in the effort to break the Guinness World Record for the largest wine tasting in the world! Four renowned Bodegas from the Ribera del Duero region will submit their wines as part of this historical event. The featured bodegas and wines are:

• BODEGA ABADIA RETUERTA, 2003 Selección Especial
• CAMPOS GÓTICOS, 2003 Crianza
• BODEGAS FELIX CALLEJO, 2005 Callejo 2005 (with 4 months in barrel)
• MOSAICO DE BACO, 2004 Mosaico de Baco (in young oak)

Now, if you’re anything like me, you may be scratching your head trying to remember all those “great” ideas you had as a child that you swore would make it into the Guinness Book. My personal claim to fame was when my best friend and I thought we could build the highest stack of hockey pucks in the world! Unfortunately, our ingenious idea landed us with a few welts on our heads and a broken crystal ashtray in my friend’s living room.

However, unlike the “brilliant idea my childhood friend and I had, Don Carlos, the owner of La Bodega Historica, hatched an ingenious and quite ambitious project in 2004 to break the record for the largest wine tasting event in the world, which was last recorded in 1986 in San Francisco, California. Don’s intention is pretty clear; he wants to fill a bull ring with 4500 wine lovers. Complete with entertainment and traditional cuisine, Don has done just about everything he can think of to lure in thousands to the event.

According to his website, the objectives of this event are fourfold:

• To further both the culture and knowledge of wine to people of all ages in a very clear and simple manner.
• To promote the responsible consumption of wine among the younger generation
• To create an innovative presentation of a leisure activity that is also deeply woven into the culture and tradition of wine.
• To further promote Spanish wine on both a national and international level

Granted, at it’s very root this is an enormous publicity stunt, but then again, what Guinness World Record isn’t? As long as 4500 people have a great time, everyone tastes some fantastic wine and history is made, what more can a girl ask for? Plus, I suspect that this event will at the very least, bring some great attention to the region, while giving Spain just one more thing to gloat about when talking to expats!

And don’t forget to check back here so that we can inform you on the final number of tasters!

-Gabriella Opaz