We are now in Summer 2023, its time to tell you once again on the wines of my dear Spain, As said, this goes back from my beginnings ,and I still go for them everywhere, Therefore, will try the monumental task of telling you about my favorites anecdotes and news of Spanish wines and hope to continue this series as my others with your blessing and likes. Here it is ,again coming back at you my wines news of Spain XV. Of course post No 15 or the non Romans, Hope you enjoy the post as I.
Spain had 4,078 wineries in 2022, 112 fewer than in 2008, according to data from the National Statistics Institute analyzed by the Spanish Wine Market Observatory. Castilla y León is the autonomous community with the most wine-making companies (603), followed closely by Catalonia (597). At some distance is Galicia with 415, Castilla-La Mancha with 391, the Basque Country with 387, La Rioja with 332 and Andalusia with 311 as of January 1, 2022.
The first Spanish wine tasting and knowledge contest organized by Bodegas Ramón Bilbao already has its winner, who will receive a cash prize of 8,000 euros and will be able to make his own wine in the 2023 vintage. The sommelier Alberto Ruffoni, the first Spanish Wine Master in Spain with his well-spun description of the Mas Doix 1902 Priorat red wine !, one of those that he had previously had to taste blindly in the previous test. But the exhibition, which he did with the mastery of someone who is used to dealing with customers in a restaurant and the talent of someone who has already stepped on other podiums for blindly matching wines (he was the winner in 2022, along with his partner Boris Olivas, from the Tasting by Pairs of Vila Viniteca), distanced it from its competitors, all of them wine professionals in different positions and activities. He is a taster and communicator trained in Anthropology, Advertising, Marketing of Lugo and Sommelier, and is currently studying the Diploma of the well-known Wine and Spirits Education Trust. He has extensive experience as a sommelier and wine manager in renowned establishments in Madrid and has worked for six years as a taster for Grupo Peñín. After the Spanish, the finals of the United Kingdom (July 3), the Dominican Republic (July 5) and Colombia (July 18) will be held, places where Ramón Bilbao is present. And according to a statement from the winery, a grand international final is expected between the winners of each country. Spanish Wine Master is a project that arises within the scope of the Spanish Wine Academy, created in 2017 to promote international knowledge of Spanish wine, in which more than 5,000 wine professionals have already participated through online training, getting to know more than two hundred wines from different Spanish regions, Webpage: https://bodegasramonbilbao.com/es-es/noticias/
In an active commitment to promote a wine culture based on moderation and health, Bodegas Emilio Moro, a family winery with a rich history that spans more than a century, has joined the Fundación para la Investigación del Vino and Nutrition (FIVIN). This consolidated wine-producing entity, recognized both in Spain and abroad, mainly in the Ribera del Duero, continues its work in defense of a moderate and responsible consumption of wine as an essential component of a healthy and balanced diet. With a total of 11 references on the market, eight of which belong to the D.O. Ribera del Duero and three to the D.O. El Bierzo, the winery has a wide presence in more than 70 countries and continues to grow, achieving excellent ratings from the most prestigious specialized publications in the world. The roots of the winery go back to 1891, the year of birth of Don Emilio Moro, who was the first generation of the family in Pesquera de Duero, in Valladolid, a privileged place in the Ribera de Duero surrounded by vineyards. The love for wine was instilled by Emilio Moro in his son, and he, in turn, transmitted it to his children. Currently, it is the third generation that takes charge of the winery, which has some 300 hectares of its own vineyard. Webpage : https://www.emiliomoro.com/en/
Despite the fact that Champagne has more name, fame and history than Spanish cava, the reality is that in recent years it has copied a nomenclature that had never been used in French wine and that has been imported from Spanish cava. To do this, we must understand that there are different categories depending on what is known as dosage. This process is the last thing that is done to the wine before being corked and consists of adding a small amount of wine in which a little sugar is dissolved. With this, it is possible to start the second fermentation of the wine, which will be responsible for giving that carbonic point, and is the one that then produces the different categories of Champagne depending on the dosage, being distributed between sweet, semi-dry, dry, extradry and brut.
Sweet: more than 50 grams of sugar per liter.
Semi-dry: between 32 and 50 grams of sugar per liter.
Dry: between 17 and 32 grams of sugar per liter.
Extra dry: between 12 and 17 grams of sugar per liter.
Brut: less than 12 grams per liter.
However, what France has imported not at the appellation of origin level, but in certain wineries is a term that Cava has used for years and that had not been used in France to date, since they had their own concept that, however, it may be less understandable for a general public. It is what in Cava is known as ‘brut nature’, that is, a cava to which no sugar is added and whose second fermentation starts with the residual sugar that the wine had. came. Therefore, a drier wine is obtained than the ones mentioned above and with much less intervention, respecting the wine’s qualities as much as possible. This concept has been used in Cava for many years, but it had not been applied in France, since in Champagne referred to it as ‘zero dosage’, that is, that no type of sugar is added to the wine and that means that the wine has a maximum of between zero and three grams of sugar per liter and must always be original from the first wine bottled, never added. Brut Nature indeed has been used in France recently, we have taste it but not the same as original brut Champagne, we are not takers !
The Invivo X, SJP wines of the actress Sarah Jessica Parker, star of the series ‘Sex and the City’, land in Spain Specifically, the American actress has been collaborating with the New Zealand winery Invivo Wines since 2019 in the production of her line of wines, with which she has produced, to date, a Sauvignon Blanc and another rosé, Sud de France Rosé.Since its launch in 2019, Invivo X, SJP has become the most awarded ‘celebrity’ wine brand, as which has received more than 60 awards and 13 gold medals, among which the three 90 points awarded by ‘Wine Spectator’ in its first three vintages (2019-2021) stand out. Webpage : https://invivoxsjp.com/
The Grenaches du Monde international competition distinguishes its best wines in New York for the past 2023 edition, A total of 11 Double Gold medals, 199 Gold o medals and 76 Silver medals have been awarded in this eleventh edition, among more than 800 Grenache wines. This emblematic competition has been over the years an unmissable event for lovers of wine and Garnacha, as this special edition confirms. The 286 award-winning wines illustrate the quality of the variety and reflect the terroirs where Grenache is grown, In 2013, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Roussillon (CIVR) organized the first competition dedicated to this quality grape variety. The “Grenaches du Monde” contest was born in Roussillon, but quickly visited the main European production areas: in 2016 it was held in Aragon (Spain), in 2017 in Sardinia (Italy) and in 2018 in Catalonia (Spain). In 2021, the contest was held in 4 Garnacha capitals: Cebreros in Spain, Châteauneuf du Pape and Perpignan in France, and Ascoli Piceno in Italy. In 2022 in Navarra (Spain). This year, 2023 the contest has been held in New York (USA), where it has been a resounding success. Webpage : https://www.grenachesdumonde.com/en/
Finca Sandoval Aurora 2021. DO Manchuela The old white grape vines that grow mixed with red bobal ones in their vineyards to make the first house white: another version of those whites from the southeast, in this case delicate, round, with notes almond, apricot and white flowers. Made with marisancho, albilla de Manchuela, tortosina, trepadell and macabeo grapes,
Palacios Remondo Finca La Montesa 2019. DOC Rioja La Montesa is the most affordable of its great Garnachas: ruby red, lively red fruits, floral aromas, very fine tannins from limestone soils. No oak , It goes well even with blue fish.
Astobiza 2021. DO Arabako Txakolina Contains 90% ondarrabi zuri and 10% ondarrabi zuri zerratia (they can also call them courbu blanc and petit courbu). The current chacolí has changed a lot, with more maturity along with its acidity, more body, and many citrus and white fruit. The chacolí has changed, yes !
Telmo Rodríguez Gago 2018. DO Toro In 2018 the vintage was rather fresh, and the result is excellent with this wine loaded with black fruit (blueberries), and with good aging potential,
Viña Real Crianza 2019. DOC Rioja one of the great classic Rioja wineries, CVNE, This is a tempranillo (90%, with other grapes) raised in the traditional way, still tannic because it is young, but very tasty, full of black fruit, blueberries and blackberries, made for a good roast. And no, oak is not its main protagonist.
From the readers in Spain, you can get these wines at La Enoteca Lavinia Calle José Ortega y Gasset 16 (Madrid). Tel: 91 426 06 04. The one I have visited several times is this one, You can find your local wine merchant, Webpage : https://www.lavinia.com/es-es/tiendas/ortega-gasset
And if not to be onesided, other wine shops in Madrid with the first two have purchase there too.
Bodegas Santa Cecilia at calle Blasco de Garay, 74.https://www.santacecilia.es/santa-cecilia/tiendas-de-vino-madrid
Reserva y cata at calle Conde de Xiquena, 13 https://www.reservaycata.com/
Enoteca Barolo at calle Príncipe de Vergara, 11 https://enotecabarolo.com/
La tintorería at calle Gurtubay, 4 https://latintoreriavinoteca.com/
The DOCa Rioja Regulatory Council, approved the harvest regulations for the DOC Rioja 2023-2024 campaign, In the plenary session held June 23rd , the regulations have been approved with 90% yield for red grapes or 5850 kg per hectare and 100% yield for white grapes or 9000 kg per hectare,
The region of Castilla La Mancha does not anticipate “a great harvest” this year,2023 something that it sees as “positive for sales”, but it will still be somewhat higher than expected thanks to the rains that fell in May.
The Bodega Delgado Zuleta winery increases capital worth almost 2 million to finance its strategic plan, considered to be the oldest winery in Marco de Jerez. It has its international expansion plan already present in 40 countries on all continents. Many awards for its Goyesco vermus and Goyesco Ambar based on manzanilla and amontillado respectively, and manzanilla Entusiastica, the monovarietals under flower veil Tarabilla muscatel and Gallipato pedro ximenez as well as the exclusive manzanilla Cuestecilla, the iconic manzanilla La Goya with awards of 97 by Wine Advocate magazine as well as VORS Quo Vadi or the 93+ of amontillado VOS Viejo Zuleta, Webpage : https://www.delgadozuleta.com/
There you go folks, another wonderful post on my dear Spanish wines, Hoping for a long lasting memories of my dearSpain and its wine news, An area already shining for several years, and getting better me think, Again,hope you enjoy the new series of wines news of Spain XV as I
And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 