Vinoble is close to my heart. It was one of the first wine shows I attended when I moved to Spain; and personally, I feel it is one of the best wine fairs out there. Unusual in its narrow focus on dessert wines, Vinoble is a rare specimen that attracts those of us who thrive on rare and unique experiences. Where else can you taste Chateau d’yquem next to Canadian apple ice wine (seriously good stuff)? Held every other year in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, it is a wine show like no other. And one particular highlight is the opportunity for a country to gain the spotlight for one year. If you’re following the breadcrumbs, you’ve probably deducted who the 2010 featured country is…oh yes, it’s Portugal!

So when we were contacted by Vinoble, we were elated to have them sponsor a tasting, giving us a sneak peek at 2010′s treasures to be tasted . But we’ve decided to conduct this tasting a bit differently.

Portugal is renowned for its sweet wines, and while we look forward to showcasing all the great treasures that exist in both dry and sweet, we figured it’s a fantastic opportunity to kick off the 2009 EWBC by pouring some of the greatest sweet treats in Iberia. At 5:30 on Friday night, we’ll be opening historic ports, madeiras, sherries, and more, all in the hopes of satiating your sweet tooths! On top of this, it will be considered a kickoff event for Vinoble itself announcing Portugal’s status at this year’s event.

Vinoble is an International Exhibition of Noble[sweet] Wines that in 2010 will take place from the 30th of May to the 2nd of June. It is the only one dedicated to  fortified, dessert and natural sweet wines. It is held every two years in Jerez de la Frontera. These noble wines, complex, special, and always made with great affection and care, never had a global event to showcase themselves despite of being regarded as some of the best wines in the world.  Thus Vinoble was created to become the showcase of these sweet treasures.

Needless to say we are ecstatic to have them, and even more excited to announce that they will also be giving away a free trip to one lucky individual to attend Vinoble 2010. One lucky blogger will be flown to Jerez de la Frontera, put up in a hotel and welcomed to Vinoble, where they will be able to taste some of the finest sweet wines from around the world.

So for now, we welcome Vinoble to the EWBC and hope that you all bring your dessert palates to Portugal; trust me, you’re going to need them!