Planeta Vino - Spanish Wine Tasting in Madrid

English language wine tasting school giving a fascinating introduction into the world of Spanish wine. A variety of classes on offer, from beginners classes to sessions aimed at the wine connoisseur.

As someone who knows very little about wine (the house red will normally do me), I was excited about being invited to a wine tasting session at Planeta Vino.

Planeta Vino is based in a classy part of central Madrid, on a very attractive tree-lined avenue. I had been expecting something more akin to a cocktail party and so was surprised by the rather formal seating arrangements.

However, the 'class' itself was pleasantly informal while still very informative, with our teacher Mary O'Connor pitching the class at just the right level - going right back to basics without being insulting our intelligence.

To make the tasting session a fair representation of what Spanish wine has to offer (Spain's wine scene is dominated by reds), we were treated to five different red wines (of varying prices) and a single white.

Mary gave us a rundown on where the wines come from, a little history of wine in Spain and some tips on how to taste wine properly.

Planeta Vino offers all sorts of classes. Introductory courses, classes dedicated to a particular wine region and special 'wine and cheese matching' classes are among those on offer.

With the cost of opening a bottle of wine the same for two or twenty, the price of a session costs the same no matter how many people are present. This means that a class of 15 people will work out quite cheaply, while a class of two or three will come out a bit pricey (though still a lot cheaper than in the US or UK).

So did Planeta Vino change my approach to drinking wine? The next day I ordered a glass of the house wine in a bar, realized it tasted nowhere near as good as what I had been drinking the night before, and went and asked for the wine list! Seems like you can teach an old dog new tricks!