Dining out puts our senses on high alert. We anticipate an experience different from our everyday culinary routine from the moment we make the reservation. When we arrive at the restaurant we notice the table and the way the plates, napkin, cutlery and glassware are arranged around it. We smell the aromas coming from the kitchen and hear the murmur of diners at the other tables. We peruse the menu, discuss our food and drink choices with the others around the table and wait for the food to arrive.
And then we enjoy the sight of the food on our plate, the aromas and finally the texture and taste of our choice.
But what would happen if you were unable to see what you are eating? The Eguren Ugarte blind dinner and wine tasting experience explores diners’ curiosity as they navigate a tasting menu and wine pairing while wearing blindfolds.
The experience starts with a welcoming glass of wine. The guests then take a guided tour of the winery, an amazing experience in itself through the 2000 square meters of underground caves where the Eguren Ugarte wines are cellared.
The dinner takes place in one of the caves. Once the guests are seated, they familiarize themselves with the plates, cutlery and glassware in front of them. Then comes the moment of truth. Each person puts on a blindfold and, as each wine and dish is served, they try to identify them using only their senses of smell and taste.
Immediately conversations at each table turn lively about what each person is feeling, smelling and tasting.
Throughout the meal, live classical music adds to the emotion of the experience.
To top off the evening, guests dance to music with a DJ.
Eguren Ugarte provides a bus from Logroño to and from the winery. A more romantic option, however, is to spend the night after the evening’s festivities in the cozy on-premise hotel with views of vineyards and the spectacular Sierra Cantabria mountain range.
Eguren Ugarte received a regional Best Of Wine Tourism award for Accommodation in 2010 but there’s much more going on there. Explore the company’s wide range of wine tourism activities at:
Bodega/Hotel/Restaurante Eguren Ugarte
Highway a-24, Km. 61
01309 Laguardia (Páganos)
Tel. +34 945 60 07 66
Eguren Ugarte Blind Dinner on Vimeo
Text by Tom Perry, Inside Rioja
Photo credits: Bodegas Eguren Ugarte.
Learn more about Bilbao-Rioja Great Wine Capitals