The harvest has already started in Serra Gaúcha and so have the special tourist attractions of the season. At the head office of Vinícola Aurora, in addition to the guided tour and the traditional wine and sparkling wine tastings that take place throughout the year, the company will promote the Wine and Olive Oil Tasting course paired with breads and pastas.
The limited editions will take place this Saturday (14th) and on January 21st and February 11th, always at 9 am, at the cooperative’s headquarters, in Bento Gonçalves. Entries must be made through the Wine Locals website, and the price per person is R$ 100.
Taught by the olive oil sommelier Maria Beatriz Dal Pont and by the Aurora wine sommelier Alexander Machado Martins, the workshop lasts about three hours.
During the experience, participants will take a guided tour of the winery, including an explanation of the winemaking process, and will learn about extra virgin olive oil, its attributes and the myths surrounding it, such as acidity, first pressing and pressing the cold, as well as developing the tasting technique. They will also practice pairing, appreciating the Chilean olive oil and the four wines from the Aurora Pequenas Partilhas line, in addition to tasting the Aurora Procedências Chardonnay sparkling wine.
The tourist attraction had its first edition in 2017, the same year that the Chilean olive oil Pequenas Partilhas Notáveis de América was launched. In 2020, Aurora also launched the Spanish Small Shares Notables Iberian on the market.
The extra virgin olive oils were incorporated into the Aurora Pequenas Partilhas line, which, since 2015, has offered consumers four wines from emblematic varieties of South American countries (Brazil – Cabernet Franc; Uruguay – Tannat; Chile – Carmenère; and Argentina – Malbec).
“The public has the opportunity to learn more about the olive oil manufacturing process, how it is tasted and harmonized. It is a very interesting course, as we are promoting the culture of olive oil and demystifying some issues. Let’s give a quick overview, but with consistent and technical information. It’s really cool, because people can combine knowledge and tasting about these two wonderful products, which have been with us since the dawn of humanity. Olive oil and wine are two very important civilizing elements not only in Brazil, but all over the world”, explains the sommelière.
A national reference in the olive growing segment, Maria Beatriz Dal Pont is an olive oil taster and sommelière for the Italian International Olive Oil Agency (IRVEA), being the first olive oil sommelière in Rio Grande do Sul.
Harvest: tourism in all Aurora units
In addition to the Wine and Olive Oil Tasting course, other tourist attractions are offered by Vinícola Aurora, throughout the year, at the Bento Gonçalves, Vale dos Vinhedos and Pinto Bandeira units, in the Serra Gaúcha.
Each location has its particularities. In the matrix, the tourist finds the history and the entire trajectory of the 1,100 cooperative families, in addition to the product lines produced by the winery. At Vale dos Vinhedos, special experiences are offered in a more intimate space with personalized service. In Pinto Bandeira, the visitor can discover where it all begins, the vineyard. The options range from the traditional tour, through thematic tastings to the walk and picnic among the vineyards.
Wine and Oil Tasting Course
When: this Saturday (14th) and on January 21st and February 11th, always at 9 am
Duration: about 3 hours
Where: Vinícola Aurora headquarters (Rua Olavo Bilac, 500 – Cidade Alta), in Bento Gonçalves
Speakers: Maria Beatriz Dal Pont (olive oil sommelier) and Alexander Machado Martins (wine sommelier)
Price: BRL 100 per person
Registration: Wine Locals (https://www.wine-locals.com/passeios/harmonizacao-de-vinhos-e-azeites-na-vinicola-aurora-bento-goncalves). limited vacancies
More information: by phone (54) 3455 2095 or WhatsApp (54) 9 9134 5916
