Booking a wine tasting in Valencia is one of those plans that almost always goes well: it doesn’t matter if you have the trained nose of a sommelier or if you can barely tell a young red from a crianza—the experience will hook you. You can choose from medieval wineries, neighborhood wine bars, and even stand-up comedy nights paired with wine. If you’ve made it this far, it’s because this idea sounds good to you, so here are the 5 best wine tastings in Valencia for you to try yourself or give as a gift to someone special.
El Celler de PROAVA
A wine and cheese tasting in Valencia, yes, but within the walls of a 13th-century medieval wine cellar. El Celler de PROAVA, right in the heart of the Carmen neighborhood, is the city’s oldest winery and is currently offering the Cellerer Experience: a guided tour of the underground cellar that includes a tasting of three local wines paired with a selection of Valencian cheeses, cured meats, and salted fish.
An Idiot’s Guide to Wine
Some tastings combine drinking and eating, and others combine other pleasures: drinking… and laughing. An Idiot’s Guide to Wine is a stand-up show —written by Australian Merrick Watts, the only comedian with WSET Level 3 certification— paired with a tasting of six wine varieties from around the world. It’s probably the most relaxed and least pretentious way you’ll find to learn about wine. And in case you’re wondering: yes, it’s in Spanish.
Bodega Ruzafa
Three generations in the business, since 1945, make for a wine bar with discerning taste. Bodega Ruzafa, in the Ruzafa neighborhood, is both a wine bar and a wine club: a small room, a long table in the center, and shelves packed with bottles. Tastings are held weekly, booked through Groupon, and feature 4, 6, or 8 wines paired with a cheese board, Iberian ham, sun-dried tomato hummus, and other gourmet products, hosted in person by the owner.
EnoValencia
EnoValencia, right in the heart of the city, is one of the most versatile wine bars, and its star offering makes that clear: Wine Tasting and Music, which combines the presentation of four wines with four songs played live and nibbles between glasses. If you prefer something more classic, they also offer Wine Tasting and Pairing (three wines, three tapas), private tastings, and wine courses, all featuring a selection that blends Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese wines.
La Cepa Vieja
On paper, La Cepa Vieja is a restaurant. In practice, with 250 wines on the menu, a climate-controlled cellar, and a sommelier recognized by the D.O. Valencia with the Best Sommelier of the Year award in 2019, it also functions as one of the most serious venues for a wine tasting in Valencia.
As the name suggests, they work with old vines, revived varieties, and small-scale projects. Among their offerings: a wine tasting featuring six wines for comparison, and a Tasting + Dinner with three courses, dessert, and three glasses of wine, all tasted and paired. If you’re serious about wine, this is the place.