A visit to the beautiful Priorat wine region of Spain

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For those of you who are not familar with Priorat, as I wasn’t previous to my move to Spain, Priorat is one of only two designated origins that qualify to use the term DOCa/ DOQ, Spanish Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) (Denominació d’Origen Qualificada (DOQ) in Catalan).  Priorat’s DOCa/DOQ is considered to be the highest qualification level for a wine region according to Spanish wine regulations, alongside Rioja DOCa. What this means is that wine producers are technically held to a higher standard of quality than those in the rest of Spain.  However, this is not to say that there aren’t other regions of Spain that make amazing wine. This is simply a qualification method within the European Union.

Priorat is a terraced, hilly wine region near the city of Tarragona, Spain, south of Barcelona.  It is characterized by its unique terroir of black slate and quartz soil known as Llicorella. To get a better idea of the Priorat region, please see the map below.

Map of Priorat Region

Map of Priorat Region

The Priorat region is famous for its Cariñena and Garnacha (Grenache) grape varieties.  However, wine producers are also allowed to use Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz (Syrah), among other varieties.  Four white varieties are also authorized: Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, and Chenin.

Interestingly enough, compared to the over 600 wineries in the La Rioja DOCa, the Priorat DOCa/DOQ has approximately 96 wineries and produces only 1% of what La Rioja does each year. This is due primarily to the challenging conditions of the land, the soil, and the weather, which together work to cause extremely low yields.  In order to properly grow and cultivate grapes on this difficult land, true, honest dedication is required. Most wine producers give up and leave to seek more fertile land; those that stay behind, like the owners of the three vineyards we visited, live the life of vignerons and eat, live, drink, and breathe life into this region.

We visited three vineyards during our two-day visit to the Priorat region: Agnés de Cervera, Cellers Capafons -Osso, and finally Celler Burgos Porta. Each of the three wineries was distinct in its own way.

Agnes de Cervera- La Solana Vineyards

Agnés de Cervera- La Solana Vineyards

Agnés de Cervera, which is located in El Molar, is a medium- large winery; once the project of Osborne, it is now run by a family.  Its well-known winemaker Fran Vernet makes top quality red wines such as Lytos and Kalos.  Agnés de Cervera is located in the southwestern part of Priorat.  I fell in love with the Kalos 2009 wine and had to take home some of this beauty-in-a-bottle!

Celler Capafons -Osso Oasis

Celler Capafons -Osso Oasis

The second winery on our tour was Cellers Capafons-Osso, located near the town of Falset.  Cellars Capafons-Osso’s owner and winermaker, Francesc Xavier Capafons, provided us with a five-hour-long tour through the two wine regions of Montsant and Priorat.  The tour included a stop at a natural water source hidden in the mountain to save us from the extreme heat.  It also included a great explanation from a viticultural standpoint concerning the land, the plants, and the vines. This ended with a tasting of eight wines, including some amazing ones with ratings of over 90 points,  at a tasting room in the owner’s own traditional style home.

Cellers Capafons-Osso’s red wine Mas de Masos was an incredible one, and one that I would recommend trying. The winery also produces a Garnacha Blanca, a white Garnacha (Grenache) called Auseta, that I found easy to drink and fresh.  I decided to take the Auseta 2010 home with me.

The third winery that we visited was Celler Burgos Porta, in Poboleda.  Salvador Burgos, part-owner, vigneron, and winemaker, gave us a great tour and tasting of the wines which he and his wife and partner, Conxita Porta, produce.  They market their delicious wines under the name Massinen, and all are rated over 90 points. Check out our visit below.

(While the tour is in Spanish, I have summarized it below.)

In this video, Salvador talks about how, while Spain is second in production of wine worldwide behind France, it is one of least wine-consuming of the wine-producing countries in the world.  He then moves on to discuss the type of terroir, the slate and quartz soil known as Llicorella, which we all were able to feel in our wine tasting. We also talked about “Poda en Verde,” green pruning, which refers to removing canes before they have hardened, and which is done to better control production.  At the end, Salvador speaks of his favorite tool as a winemaker, a tool which allows him to push down the cap in the fermentation tanks to help extract color and aromas from the grapes.

This video was created to focus on the wonderfully authentic visit to Celler Burgos Portia of Poboleda, Priorat, Spain near Tarragona. Salvador, the owner and Conxita, his partner and wife have created an authentic experience full of passion and knowledge for their beautiful poppy covered vineyards and winery. They have great wines,under the name Massinen, all over 90+ pts. I ,personally, took home a bottle of the 2006 Mas Sinén Negre, which for me had the freshness of the Llicorella soil and well-rounded beautiful fresh fruit of the Garnacha, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Mas Sinén, Celler Burgos Porta Winery in Poboleda, Priorat

Finca Mas Sinén, Celler Burgos Porta Winery in Poboleda, DOQ Priorat

Priorat, while not as well-known a region in the world as La Rioja for producing wines, it is a region with enormous potential. Most of the wineries are small family owned wineries that are run by either one or two people who wear many hats, such as the owner/vigneron/winemakers of Celler Burgos-Porta and Cellers Capafons-Osso.  The wines they are producing are just now reaching the UK and US markets and are worth an enormous amount of attention. If you haven’t tried a Priorat or Monserrat region wine, please, go out and try these incredible wines.

If you are in the Barcelona area and are able to spare a day or two, it is well worth the trip south about an hour and half to visit these amazing vineyards and landscapes. I can’t wait to go back! Cheers! Prost! Salud! To your health!

For more information all these wines visit them at:

Agnés de Cervera:http://www.agnesdecervera.com or call for a reservation: +34 977 054 851

Celler Capafons-Osso: http://www.capafons-osso.com/ or call for a private reservation in English at +34 654 519 385

Celler Burgos-Porta: http://www.massinen.com/celler_burgos_porta.html or call for a reservation in English at +34 696 094 509

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Leaving Bodegas La Emperatriz to start a life in Willamette Valley, Oregon

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Last week was my last week at Bodegas La Emperatriz in Rioja Alta, Spain. I am now preparing to leave Europe and move to the North Willamette Valley of Oregon. The Willamette Valley is located South, South West of Portland, Oregon and is well known for their award winning Pinot Noirs.

For more information on Willamette Valley, please visit: http://willamettewines.com/ where they have some great maps of the wineries in the region. They are also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/willamettewines

For information on what is going on in this area and an interactive trip planner, visit: http://www.oregonwinecountry.org/whats/index.php

Plantation of a Vineyard in La Rioja, Spain

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Springtime is finally here, as of today, May 2, 2012, Finca La Emperatriz is a buzz with the sounds of the tractors preparing the land for the next generation of vines that will create future wine for Bodegas La Emperatriz in the years to come.

Today, Bodegas La Emperatriz has planted six hectares (14.82 acres) of new vines in the Finca La Emperatriz Estate located in Rioja Alta. There will be three hectares or 7. 42 acres of Maturana Tinta de Navarrete and another 3 hectares of Tempranillo rootstock. There will be approximately 3,077 vines per hectare planted today. The process of planting a vineyard generally starts in La Rioja in spring. Due to the recent and much needed rain showers, the land was already soft and easy to plough.

At Finca La Emperatriz, the land is ploughed or turned up with a tractor. Once this is completed, the land is ready for the second tractor carrying behind it a 2 seater machine that allows a person to hand place the rootstock into the rotating machine to place it in the ground. Once this is done, then two wheels on each side of the rootstock bring the dirt together and bury the rootstock. The rootstock with the grafted area sticks out of the ground so that the vine can start to take root and grow.

Below you will see the video that shows how it was done today.

Maturana Tinta de Navarrete is a one of the new varieties approved by the Control Board of the Rioja Designation of Origin in May 2009. Maturana Tinta is a native Riojan variety that was rescued from extinction by research done by the University of La Rioja and the Center of Investigation and Agrarian Development (CIDA-Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario). Maturana Tinta is known for its small compact clusters of small berries. It has a high color intensity and anthocyanin content with high acidity and medium alcohol content. While a common grape used for blending, it can also be made into a mono-varietal wine that is a dark purple color with typical varietal aromas of black berries, green pepper (pyrazines), licorice, balsamic and spice notes. Due to its notable acidity it provides a very well-structured mouth and persistence. It is also this characteristic that makes this an ideal wine to be aged.

Tempranillo is the most widely planted variety in Spain and in la Rioja, where it is used due to its proven ability to age. In La Rioja, It is the wine region’s best known grape. It occupies more than 75% of the region’s vineyards and it is very versatile variety that has a good balance of alcohol content, color and acidity, and an honest, smooth, fruity mouth feel that turns velvety as it ages. Tempranillo is found as the predominant grape variety used in Crianzas and Reservas of La Rioja.

Logroño, La Rioja, named Gastronomic Capital of Spain 2012

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The Famous Mushrooms from Calle Laurel

Gastronomic Capital of Spain is sponsored by the Federación Española de Hosterlería (FEHR), Spanish Federation of Hospitality, and Federación Española de Periodistas y Escritores de Turismo (FEPET), Spanish Federation of Journalist and Tourism Writers. The FEHR and FEPET created this Capital in order to promote Spanish gastronomy at a national and international level, as an attractive form of tourism in Spain.

According to the Spanish Secretary General of Tourism, in Spain, there are over 59.2 million people who visited the country in 2010, five million of which came solely for gastronomic reasons. So how does it work? Each year a city is nominated as the “Capital Española de la Gastronomía (CEG), Gastronomic Capital of Spain, which lasts from the January 1 to December 31.

La Rioja was chosen due to its leadership in Spain to market its land, wine and active tourism not only nationally but internationally. It was able to take their successful model of ecotourism to gastronomic tourism.Logrono- Gastronomic Capital of Spain 2012

Logroño, the capital, is situated in the heart of La Rioja. Oenologically (in regards to wine) La Rioja is divided into three different regions, Rioja Alta, North West of Logroño; Rioja Alavesa, the Basque wine region, North of Logroño; and Rioja Baja, South East of Logroño. Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa are well known in the wine industry, whereas Rioja Baja, which also produces wine, is primarily known for excellent agricultural products that are also under a Designation of Origin – DO similar to the wine which is under a Qualified Designation of Origin—DOCa. These DOs are a regulatory classification system used to control and ensure the quality of products of these regions in wine as well as food. Combining these quality agricultural products along with quality wine and the already established culinary culture of La Rioja, optimally makes La Rioja a prime candidate for being selected as the Gastronomic Capital of Spain.

In La Rioja, there are over 510 restaurants and 2,180 bars (that also serve food-tapas) that all share the drive and desire to continue to make La Rioja a gastronomic destination now and in the future. For these reasons and more, Logrono, La Rioja was selected as Gastronomic Capital of Spain.

Speaking from personal experience, Logroño, the city in which I live, is wonderful. I have never been a place in the world that lives, eats and breathes this concept more. Every day there is an event that demonstrates this, such as tonight, for example, I am attending a tasting that is sponsored by La Rioja, a regional newspaper, called “Lo Mejor del Vino de Rioja Cata,” The best wine of La Rioja wine tasting, which is open not only to people in the industry but also the general public. This event is held every month to highlight one Riojan winery of the region and allow everyone to try their wines with the owner and winemaker. A few weeks ago, there was a Tapas Week as part of this Gastronomic capital initiative where all the bars in Logroño served their special tapa ( small bite) with wine for a special price. There are also two streets dedicated to Tapa hopping, which is the same concept as bar hopping, except you literally go bar to bar in these two streets, Calle San Juan and Calle Laurel, and devour the beautifully tasty tapas that are specific to each bar with a wonderful Riojan wine.

What more can you ask for? If it were up to me, Logroño would be named Gastronomic Capital of the World, and this coming from someone who has lived in a lot of places. Though Peruvian and Thai food would be my next choice!

Working on a Vineyard

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Finca La Emperatriz

I work in Rioja Alta for a winery called Bodegas La Emperatriz. Bodegas La Emperatriz is a beautiful winery located in the border of Rioja Alta between Santo Domingo de la Calzada and Haro. As it is outside of Logroño, it takes about 35-45 minutes to drive out there but the drive out there is beautiful and every day I pass two storks that have made their home on the top of an old smoke stack right outside of Najera.

Old Smoke Stack with Storks

As I work in marketing, it is my job to work in Social Media, Media Planning, Market Planning and Analysis, Product Management, Advertising, Public Relations…name it, I do it. Interestingly enough, I was brought on initially to work in Exportation. I work with customers overseas and as the orders come in, I process them and work with our production team and make sure we get the orders out on time and with the appropriate paperwork. Sometimes, the paperwork can be demanding and extremely time consuming, leaving very little time to do any marketing but that is what makes it fun. I really do enjoy the changes in rhythm. I am never doing the same thing every day.

Some days, I go out in the vineyards or to the winery and take pictures that we can later use for our customers or for marketing purposes. I also get a chance to work in the vineyard and in the laboratory with the head winemaker and vigneron. I really enjoy my work and love this region. I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to work.

One day, I was out in the vineyard and thought it might be nice to share with you the annual growth cycle of grapevines here at Finca La Emperatriz.  In general, it begins with the pruning at the end of February which leads to the beginning of bud break and culminates with leaf fall in autumn followed by winter dormancy.  I will explain the process as we go and perhaps I can share a thing or two with you.

If you have any questions, please let me know at sacreddropseeker@gmail.com. Thanks for joining me today at the Sacred Drop Channel.

So how is Pisco made?

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Grapes are harvested and destemmed and pressed then go through the alcoholic fermentation stage for a period of approximately 18 days. This juice produces a low-alcohol-content wine at roughly 8% to 10% ABV.

On to distillation. Peruvian pisco is distilled in gas-heated copper pot kettle stills, just like brandy, cognac or single malt production. The fermented grape low-alcohol-content wine results in a white spirit collected at its body from 38% ABV to 43% ABV.

Once distilled, it is then reposed. To achieve the final product, Peruvian pisco is not aged.  Rather,  it sits in repose for a minimum of three months in glass, stainless steel or copper tubs, or pisco jars–botijas, (never wooden barrels) that do not deprive it of its natural properties.

The last step is bottling. In Peru, nothing, not even water, is added to the final production of pisco.   The alcohol proof when the spirit comes off the still is the proof it is bottled at. The pisco must be untainted and directly bottled.

(Thank you, Discoverpisco.com  [http://discoverpisco.com/what-is-pisco]

Next week we will be showing you how to make a Pisco Sour! Stay tuned!

Soon to come, a video on how Pisco is made with tour


Wondering how to taste Pisco? Video follow-up

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Thanks for your patience! Here is the long awaited first video of my Pisco Series!

Today I tasted two types of the four main types Pisco:

Pure Pisco: Viñas de Oro, 2009 Quebranta Variety

Mosto Verde Pisco- Tres Generaciones, 2010 Quebranta Variety

Both of these are Peruvian Piscos and you could use the Pure Pisco for Pisco Sour. Stay tuned to more in my four-part Pisco series.

Ica, the land of Pisco, by the way, what is Pisco?

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So I thought that since I am half Peruvian and studying wine, I would spend my hard-earned money and visit the wine region of Peru. This area is known as Ica.

Ica is a city that is known for two things: Pisco and the 8.0 magnitude earthquake of 1997.  Ica is located about 4.5 hours south of Lima, Peru, by bus, and it has incredible dry weather that is like summer all year long. It was founded in 1563 by the Spanish, who brought with them vines to plant in this new land.

Ica has about 250,000 people and is home to about 10 wineries (of which I was able to find, this is open to correction). In order to try the wines and Piscos of the region, I had the chance to visit  two industrial wineries: Vista Alegre winery, Tacama Winery, and one traditional winery, El Catador winery.Some say that the word pisco comes from the Quechan word ‘pisqu’, which was the name of a bird found in the Ica valley region of Peru.

Pisco is similar to the Spanish Orujo, a distilled wine made into a liquor of 38 to 43% alcohol (ABV), and it is a very strong spirit.  It is usually colorless or a yellow, amber color that can be classified as a brandy or what I feel it more similar to, aguardiente.  I felt at times I was breathing fire because of how strong this drink taken straight was.

There are 4 types of Pisco:

  • Puro (Pure), made from a single variety of grape, mostly Quebranta, although Mollar or Common Black can be used; however, no blending between varieties is accepted (“pure” pisco should contain only one variety of grape). I would call this the fire-breathing version. This is what is used to make the well-known Pisco Sour drink.
  • Aromáticas (Aromatic), made from Muscat or Muscat-derived grape varieties, and also from Albilla, Italia, and Torontel grape varieties; once again, the pisco should only contain one variety of grape in any production lot. Some are more aromatic than others.
  • Mosto Verde (Green Must), distilled from partially fermented must, this must be distilled before the fermentation process has completely transformed sugars into alcohol. This can be a bit smoother on the palate than the previous two.
  • Acholado (Half-breed), blended from the must of several varieties of grape. It is also quite strong and used to make Pisco Sour.

(Thank you, Wikipedia!)

Stay tuned, I will be uploading a video on my visit to the region as well as how to properly taste Pisco.


The wine harvest has begun in Rioja Alta

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In this video, you can see at a winery located in Rioja Alta, how they have started the harvest of the white grapes and doing an analysis of the grape must to check the sugar and therefore the alcohol content of the soon to be wine.  The sugar content is measured using a handheld refractometer.  When held to the light, you can see the approximate Brix of sugar that will give a predictive amount of Alcohol once this must has undergone fermentation. This is also judged and monitored by the Consejo Regulador in order to qualify each and every batch that comes into the winery. They are there measuring the amount of grapes in kilos per hectare and then qualifying it based on the Brix level.

The grapes that mature fastest tend to be the white grapes and therefore, the harvest generally begins with the white grapes and within a few days, the red grapes depending on their maturity and location will be picked next.

These grapes will be pressed first, the first pressing, a light pressing that will release the first juice will be set aside to be made into a higher quality wine and the second pressing will be used for the the next best wine.  This is common practice in most all wineries.

 

Welcome to the Sacred Drop Channel!

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“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.”  – Thoreau

Sacred Drop Channel is a forum of two-way communication to better understand and demystify the world of wine. This is a place where you can ask anything about wine and find an answer to it. It is also a place where you can join me on my travels around the world and experience the culture behind wine. Join me as I begin my travels through La Rioja, Spain, and let me show you what the world of wine is all about, starting in this famous wine area.

My dream has always been to work in the wine industry. Yet it was only recently that I took the first steps to make this dream a reality.

Join me on my travels as I study, taste, and demystify these sacred drops and the fascinating culture behind wine.

Have you ever wondered if you could plant a grape seed and from it, a vine would grow?

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Normally, this is something that as curious children we do with seeds.  In fact, I believe my father has some grape vines outside his home that were planted in this exact way.

Yes, technically, you can grow a vine out of a grape seed; however, the grape produced will be different from the grape you consumed in order to obtain the seed. As two parents produce a child that is a blend of both, the same thing would happen here with the seed being the child.

Grapevines are grown from vine grafts. The primary reason for this is is due to the Phylloxera outbreak that originally started in France in 1863 and later spread throughout Europe. Because of this, French enologists and viticulturists came to La Rioja to plant vineyards, initiating the wine industry in La Rioja. However in the late 1890s, Phylloxera had crossed the Pyrenees and invaded this grape-growing region as well.

Phylloxera, originally native to eastern North America, is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide. Phylloxera was introduced to Europe when avid botanists in Victorian England collected and imported specimens of American vines in the 1850s. Because Phylloxera is native to North America, the native grape species there are at least partially resistant. By contrast, the European wine grape Vitis vinifera is very susceptible to the insect. These almost microscopic, pale yellow, sap-sucking insects, related to aphids, feed on the roots and leaves of grapevines. Phylloxera attacks only the roots.  After employing numerous other methods to try to kill and exterminate this “bicho” (insect), viticulturists found it was simply a better solution to live with it than to struggle to find a solution to kill it.

This is where the idea of using grafts of an American vine began.

Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together.  In most cases, one plant is selected for its roots; this plant is called the stock, or rootstock. The other plant is selected for its stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits; this plant is called the scion. The scion contains the desired genes to be duplicated in future production by the stock/scion plant.

In the case of Phylloxera, the solution was grafting a Vitis vinifera scion onto the roots of a resistant Vitis American native species (Vitis Riparia, Vitis Rupestris or Vitis Berlandieri), as you can see in the two images below. Afterward this graft is usually covered in wax to seal the graft. These are then sold, and viticulturists will then plant these rootstocks in the ground—and this is where today’s European grapes come from.

Bodegas Mayor de Migueloa in Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa, Spain

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Bodegas Mayor de Migueloa is located in the heart of the 13th century medieval defense village of Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa. Laguardia can be found between  Logroño and Haro. It is a beautiful city that sits high on a rock foundation and provides an incredible view of the Cantabria mountains.

Laguardia has been well known for its underground passages, which were originally built for the storage of food and later for the fermenting of wine. Today, however, only a few wine bodegas still function within the walls of the village. One of these is Posada/Bodegas Mayor de Migueloa, which also has above it an inn (posada) and restaurant with a Michelin rating.

The wine cellar and wine storage is within the hotel walls, beneath the Posada Mayor de Migueloa. This cellar was originally built to be 8 meters deep at the time that the house was built in 1619.  This wine cellar one of the oldest among the Rioja Designation of Origin (DOCa) wine cellars that are still in working condition.

Within the Denominación de Origen Rioja or Rioja Designation of Origin., Bodegas Mayor de Migueloa produces quality Crianza, Reserva y Gran Reserva wines, which are stored underground beneath the inn.

It was a pleasant experience to receive a personal tour with a viticulturalist at the Bodegas Mayor de Migueloa and later to try some wine of the year right before its malo-lactic fermentation and then also to try another after the malo-lactic stage. It was quite the treat! I would definitely recommend visiting this Posada/Bodega. Enjoy!

http://www.mayordemigueloa.com/default_eng.htm for more information.

Espergura or debudding of Vaso and Espaldera style of Vines, La Rioja

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Around the end of April, beginning of May, is the time of year that this is done in vineyards in Spain.  An espergura, or debudding, is the cleaning of the vines; this basically means selecting which shoots to keep and then removing the rest.

In this case, we did this to a vaso-style (goblet)type of vine, a vine that is common in La Rioja.  In this case, this vine was over 50 years old.

In this next video, we did a debudding on a espaldera style of vine.  When you have this style of vine, it is done differently from the vaso style vine as Professor Pedro Balda explains.

Special Thanks to Pedro Balda for showing our class how to properly de-bud these vines

The reason for espergura is to reduce the chance that unwanted shoots take vigor and productivity away from those buds and shoots that were left at pruning time to produce the crop for this year. This is what we did at Finca La Grajera about 8 km from Logroño, Spain.  This vineyard is owned and operated by the Government of La Rioja.  Participating in espergura work was part of my Viticulture course at the University of La Rioja.

Espergura:
Es una limpieza de troncos. Se separan a mano los brotes que surgen en el tronco, y como además se habrán desarrollado plantas espontáneas entre las cepas, se hace una labor al suelo de gradeo.

Bodegas Darien- Darien Winery in La Rioja

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“Best of Wine Tourism 2009 ” Award in architecture

I had the opportunity to visit this beautifully modern Bodega/winery right
outside of Logroño.  Darien Winery is a medium-sized winery with three- to four-year-old vines surrounding the premises, but most of its harvest is done in the Rioja Baja region.  There is also a restaurant with stunning views and a ceramic art collection that contains one of the most important European Traditional Ceramics collections, with art items dating from the 12th to the 20th centuries.

We tried the Darien Selection 2003 red wine, which is composed of the grape varieties: 68% Tempranillo and 32% Mazuelo (Carinena).  It is aged in new French oak barrels, giving it a nicely balanced, slightly porty red wine.  Robert Parker, a well-known enologist, gave this wine 90 points out of 100.  Priced at about 16 Euros, this is a bargain for a wine that ranks up there with some of the best French wines in the market.

Our fun day trip to Hondarribia, ES and Hendaye, FR – June 2011

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When you aren’t sure what to do and looking for something within 2 hours of Logroño, the País Vasco is where you want to go for sun, sand and surf…and lots of great tapas.

Here is what my girls called our version of Sex in the City, since it was just us girls wandering around and enjoying the amazing Txakoli wine of the region, tapas and beaches; we called this trip “Sex in Hondarribia” as a joke!

We also happened upon a wonderful medieval festival in the center of town. If you are in the area, stop by and enjoy this beautiful city with so much to see and do.

Enjoy!

1991 Viña Tondonia, Gran Reserva

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1991 Viña Tondonia, Gran Reserva
Bodega: Lopez de Heredia
D.O./Zona: DOCa Rioja, Rioja Alta
Country: Spain- España
Type of wine: Tinto con crianza- Red with aging in barrel
Alcohol (vol): 12%
Price: 53 Euros (Spain), $75 approx., may cost more in the US or if purchased outside the winery
 Varietals: Tempranillo 75%, Garnacho 15%, Mazuelo and Graciano for rest
Color: Amber
Nose: Prunes, vanilla, dark berries, smells a bit like the cellar it was kept  in, a bit musty.
Mouth: Enjoyable and surprisingly good. It is a very traditional Rioja wine with full body and distiguishable yet soft tannins.
I was a bit concerned about the cork being so wet, though the wine was not corked.
Elaboracion: Aged 9 years in American Oak barrel,  racked 2x a year, fined with fresh egg whites
Recommended with meat dishes and served at 18-20 degrees C

Family owned Herencia Martinez- Alvarez Bodega in Rioja Alta- Cosechero/Bodegero

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An unexpected visit to Fuenmayor, La Rioja, to pick up some wine from a local vineyard spurred a visit to this country winery; the owner showed us everything from the press onward in his production, and he even allowed us to taste the 2010 harvest that was still fermenting. This experience was such a stark contrast to that of Marqués de Cáceres, a huge well-known international winery in Cenicero, but visits like these are what I live for.  It’s in this way one really gets to see what people who live, eat, drink, and sleep wine are like.

If you would like to suggest ideas or like to see more of one thing or another, please e-mail your suggestions to me at sacreddropseeker@gmail.com. Thanks for watching!

La Rioja Grape Varietals

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This video was made at  Castillo de Maetierra located within the physical region of La Rioja- Rioja Baja, yet considered outside of the Denomination of La Rioja. It is located in Calahorra, a region predominantly known for vegetables and fruit production.

Video 1 of 2, Special thanks to Raul Acha, Enologist and Technical Director of Castillo de Maetierra at Vintae.

Because this vineyard is located outside of the denomination scope, it is allowed to cultivate any variety it desires.  They have made some very interesting wines recently, such as Gewürztraminer and Riesling.

The Enologist for Maetierra explains the morphological differences between each of the varieties this bodega grows.

Here are some interesting facts for you about La Rioja.
Within the Control Board of the Rioja Designation of Origin (D.O.Ca Rioja), there were seven traditional varietals allowed until recently, when in 2007 they allowed a total of nine new varieties to be cultivated within La Rioja. The seven traditional varietals are four red: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo; and three white: Viura, Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía.

Of these nine new varieties, there are three non-native white: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Verdejo; three native white: Maturana Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco and Turruntes (Albillo); and three native reds: Maturana Tinta, Maturano (Maturana Parda) and Monastel.

This was first time since 1925 that varietals outside of the seven traditional ones were allowed into La Rioja for cultivation and wine making.

Video 2 of 2, Special thanks to Raul Acha, Enologist and Technical Director of Castillo de Maetierra at Vintae.

How to taste red wine like a Pro

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Ever wonder how to taste wine like a pro?  Let me show you the four key steps you need to know in order to taste any wine. They are called the “four S’s.” To start you need about two ounces of wine, a wine glass, a white napkin, and your mouth.

The four S’s are the following:

See- Picking the glass up by the stem and not by the bowl avoids warming the wine.  Hold the glass against a wine background or white napkin. When you tilt it and look at the rim, what color do you see at the outermost edge of the wine?  If it is a purple or ruby color, this is an indicator that it is probably a young wine. If it is an amber color, this usually indicates that it is an older wine.  Over time, the older a wine gets, the more it changes from purple tones to yellow-brownish tones.

Sniff -This is very important.  You will now need to swirl the wine in order to speed up the evaporation of alcohol, which transports the aromas from the liquid into the air so that you can smell them. To do this you will need to swirl the wine in your wine glass on a table:   hold the base and agitate it in a circular movement. Then raise the glass to your nose, and take a a few sharp breaths.  What do you smell?  Fruits?  Wood? Try to identify them using a wine aroma wheel.

Sip- Now, finally, take a sip, but don’t swallow it.  Swoosh it in your mouth, try to inhale some air by tilting your head down, and doing a reverse whistle.  Be careful; this can get messy. I like to take my tongue and move it around my mouth, near the front of my teeth, to allow the wine to touch all tips of my tongue.  If you do this, you will be able to tell the body of the wine.  Does it feel like heavy cream or like skim milk?  This is an indicator of the body of the wine.  What do you taste? Can you place it? Swallow.  How does your mouth feel now? Was it silky smooth or rough on your mouth? This is an indicator of the tannin in the wine.  How long did the sensation last? The longer, the better.  This is called the finish.

Summarize-  This is where you decide whether you liked the wine or not. Was it smooth or rough? Did the taste linger in your mouth long after the sip? How was the body of the wine? Heavy or light? Did you like the flavors you tasted? And finally, would you take another sip?  If the answer is yes, then, this wine is perfect for you!

The more wine you try, the more developed your palate will become. To help you identify the wine aromas and flavors, check out the Wine Aroma Wheel, as developed by Dr. Anne Noble of  the Universityof California, Davis, available at http://winearomawheel.com/

The more you understand a wine, the more you’ll enjoy it!  Cheers!

Adapted from YouTube, Video Courtesy of Wine Spectator School, at:

2006 Izadi Crianza, Rioja Alavesa

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2006 Izadi Crianza, Villabuena de Alava, Rioja Alavesa, Spain

Welcome back!  Lately, I’ve taken a break from some wine tasting because it’s been so utterly hot here that some Rioja Reds just are too much for these humid summer days.  However, there are some modern Riojas that are wonderfully refreshing and easy to drink on just such days. One example is the 2006 Izadi Crianza from the Rioja Alavesa region of the Rioja Denomination.

As I may have mentioned before, Rioja is a denomination or appellation.  Rioja is actually composed of three different regions- Rioja Alta (Haro area), Rioja Alavesa (LaGuardia area), and Rioja Baja (Alfaro area).  All three denominations run along the Rio Ebro (EbroRiver). It’s amazing to think that one appellation can have three distinctive areas and produce such different wines, but in this case, it is due to the microclimates and terroir of each area.  Terroir, a French term, refers to the special characteristics that the combination of climate, geology, and geography together give to a particular grape-growing area.

Today we are going to talk about Rioja Alavesa.  Rioja Alavesa is located on the northern side of theEbroRiver.  While it is situated within the boundaries of Basque country, it is still within the wine denomination of La Rioja.

The Izadi Bodegas/Winery is only about 25 years old.  However, the vines from which they harvest their grapes can be from 25 to 100 years old.  Izadi is part of Grupo Artevino (Wine Art Group) and includes wineries from Laguardia (Orben Winery), Ribera del Duero (Villacreces Winery), and Toro (Vetus Winery).  I met with the director of Izadi, Sr. Anton and he said that there has been a lot of popularity with their Villacreces Winery in Ribera del Duero, where they are allowed to blend certain varietals more to the American and British consumer palates.  Their 2008 Pruno de Finca Villacreces won an award for being the best wine inSpainfor less than 15 Euros, or US $20. It was also rated by the wine critic Robert Parker at 91/100! I guess I’ll have to go find this one and try it as well!

Izadi Bodegas makes five different types of wines: four reds, and one white.  The reds are Crianza, Reserva, Selección, and Expresión. The white wine they make is called Izadi Blanco (white), and it is made from two varieties: Viura, a typical white grape from the region, and Malvasia.

The wine we are tasting today is the Crianza 2006 made from 100% tempranillo grapes. Alcoholic fermentation was done in stainless steel vats and later aged for 14 months in American oak barrels.

2006 Izadi Crianza
Bodega: Izadi of Grupo Artevino
D.O./Zone: DOCa Rioja, Rioja Alavesa- Villabuena de Alava
Country: Spain- España
Type of wine: Tinto con crianza- Red with aging in barrel
Alcohol (vol): 13.5%
Price: 8 Euros (Spain), USD $12-15 approx.
Varietals: Tempranillo 100%
Color: Ruby Purple
Nose: Licorice, vanilla, berries, tobacco and leather
Mouth: Licorice, prunes, tobacco, some red berry taste. Easy to drink, it’s a modern and medium-bodied well-balanced and elegant, with a long persistence on the tongue.
Elaboration: Aged 14 months in American oak barrel
Recommended with meat dishes and served at 16-18 degrees C (60.8-64.4 degrees F)

Enjoy!  If you’d like to see more or would like me to taste a particular wine, please email me at sacreddropseeker@gmail.com or leave a comment below.  Thanks for joining us today!

 

Wine History 101: What is wine and how it came to be

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While recently reading a book called About Wine by J.Patrick Henderson, I was interested to learn more about the history behind the wine I drink so often. I thought it might be interesting to share with you wine history in a nutshell.

According to Henderson, wine was first consumed in Persia (modern-day Iran) in 5000 to 6000 B.C.  Wikipedia states that archaeological evidence exists for other early wine production at about 6000 B.C. in Georgia, and about 4100 B.C. in Armenia.

The Persians first made their wine from dates and other fruits available in the area.  It wasn’t until 3000 B.C.  that Vitis vinifera, a species of grape native of the Black and Caspian Seas was used by the Egyptians and Phoenicians to make wine.

In 1000 B.C. the Greek empire spread wine making throughout the Mediterranean region of Europe, Italy, France, and Spain. Because wine was the center of many spiritual and religious ceremonies, the Greeks created a deity, Dionysus, in honor of wine, and no festival could be complete without wine. At this time, however, wine was made from raisins or late-harvested grapes; these methods resulted in heavy, sweet almost syrupy liquid wine.

It wasn’t until the Romans started to develop technological advances in viticulture (grape growing) and enology (study of wine making) that wine started be aged in barrels for up to a century at a time. As the Roman empire grew, so did the expansion of vineyards and wine practices into countries such as Spain and Portugal.

During the Middle Ages, it fell upon the Catholic Church to develop and maintain the secrets of viticulture and enology—a practice which, under Pope Gregory the Great, made the church quite profitable and also encouraged the expansion of wine production and vines throughout Europe. The Church closely controlled wine making, and it required all grapes to be pressed in monasteries, for which the church would require a 10% “donation” of production.  The wealth created by wine production allowed the monks to dedicate themselves to studies of viticulture and enology. As the church grew, so did the cities that formed around these monasteries. It was during the reign of Charlemagne (768-814) that medieval viticulture and enology reached its peak.

It wasn’t until the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and the great European Renaissance that the Church’s authority was disputed, most notably by Martin Luther. By the end of the seventeenth century, the Church had lost most of its political and economic power, and the majority of the vineyards passed to private hands.

The nineteenth century, the golden age of wine, was not only the greatest and most advanced period for viticulture and enology, but also the most devastating period in the history of wine making.

During that century, Louis Pasteur, the famous microbiologist, had identified that the fermentation of grape juice into wine was a result of action by microorganisms.  It was also during this time that Phylloxera, a topic I had discussed earlier in this web site,destroyed the vines of Europe.

Phylloxera, a root louse, or aphid, a small sap-sucking insect that feeds on roots and leaves originally from the eastern United States, was brought over to France on a merchant ship.  In 1868, it affected all of southern France and by 1874, had reached Germany. It was during this time that many French winemakers had established vineyards in Spain, on the other side of the Pyrenees in hopes to save the vineyards.  Nevertheless, by the late 1800s, Phylloxera had spread to all wine-making regions of Europe. It wasn’t until the introduction and use of rootstock from North America that the European revival of the wine industry began once again.

During this time and into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, those with economic means took their vines and knowledge of European wine making elsewhere, planting vineyards in other places in North America, as well in South America, Australia, and South Africa.

It was also during this time that World War I halted the production of European wine making, and Prohibition in 1919-1933 created a decline in the demand for wine. However, after World War II, returning U.S. servicemen came back with a newly acquired taste for European wine, and by the 1950s, wine interest and consumption was again on the rise. In the 1960s and 1970s, the New World took steps towards naming wines after grape varieties, as compared to the traditional European naming system involving geographic denominations such as La Rioja and Bordeaux. Public taste in North America began to move from sweet, fortified wines to dry table wines, marking the beginning of the wine market we know today.

Juan Alcorta: Campo Viejo Winery in La Rioja, Spain

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Visit to the Juan Alcorta- Campo Viejo Winery located just outside of Logroño.  This new winery was inaugurated in 2001. It is one of the most innovative and beautiful wineries to date and has sparked a movement to renovate older wineries in La Rioja.  The winery itself is integrated in the landscape and has a presence of harmony with the environment. You almost wouldn´t even know it´s there from far away.

We got a private tour of the winery and had a chance to try one of my favorite value priced wines from Juan Alcorta, the Marques de Villamagna, Reserva 2005 which is a 100% Tempranillo with 18 months in 80% French and 20% American oak.  It is a easy to drink, full bodied wine that proves to be a favorite amongst friends.  Enjoy!

Special thanks to Campo Viejo, some video footage was taken from their video played upon entering the winery.

Dinastía Vivanco Winery in Briones, La Rioja, Spain

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El Rioja y los 5 Sentidos, Tren del Vino. Wine train from Logroño to Briones to visit on of the most famous wine museums and wineries in the region. Located about 15 minutes from Haro, the wine capital of La Rioja, Briones is the main stage for wine lovers and wine learners. You can come here to take a wine class, walk through the extensive amazing wine museum, or visit their world-class winery. Join me on my tour of the winery. Soon to come…the Museum!

Seasons of the Vine in La Rioja

06 Sunday May 2012

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A single wine estate, such as Finca La Emperatriz, is beautiful, especially when the clouds roll in. The colors of nature naturally come forward and create this beautiful contrast.  We are currently in the time of year, while unpredictable lately, goes the saying, “April showers, bring May flowers!”

In this case, the month of April, in La Rioja brought the much needed rain, especially important at this period of time for the growth of the vine. At the end of January to the end of February, the pruning was done and the old branches/canes were removed. This was done to optimize the production potential of the grape vine. As Finca La Emperatriz is located at the outer most edge of Rioja Baja at an altitude of about 570 meters above sea level, the weather is cooler here and is influenced not only by the Continental but the Atlantic and Mediterranean winds that converge here.  This altitude, weather and rocky soil causes the vines to bud later than the rest of Rioja Alta.

Taking this into consideration, this is also an advantage due to climate change. As the weather throughout Europe and the rest of the world, goes up, locations in higher altitudes and generally cooler climates will benefit from a cooler summer than other wineries located in areas such as Rioja Baja. Right now, you can see the differences in growth states of the vine.

Right now, it is fascinating to see the differences not only in trellis style but in where the vines are located around the estate. We are currently experiencing 4 different stages of growth at the winery as of 25 of April, 2012 and 5 different stages as of May 2, 2012.

Dormant Bud Crying- Stage 0

Dormant Bud Crying- Stage 0

Stage 0: Dormant

The buds are closed and there is no indication of growth. In this image, we have just pruned it and it is “crying” and the sap has begun to flow through the vine and begins to come out of the cuts where we have pruned it. The buds are almost not apparent.

Swollen Bud and Bud Break- Stage 2

Swollen Bud and Bud Break- Stage 1 and  2

Stage 1: Bud Swelling

The buds on the vines in Goblet or Bush style, a very traditional trellis system in La Rioja, are either dormant or just now starting to swell.Bud Burst/ Bud Break- Stage 2

Stage 2: Bud Break- Bus Burst

This is when the leaves from the buds start to swell and emerge, still maintaining a slightly rounded shape. In the above image you get a chance to see bud swelling and bud break. The Bud Break or bud Burst is on the top right of the image above.

Here in this image, you can clearly see the leaves starting to come forward out of Bud Break/Bud Burst. It is somewhat in Stage 2 and 3.

Leaf Emergence- Stage 3

Stage 3: Leaf Emergence

Leaves are now recognizable and the shoots are starting to photosynthesize. Here you can see they are starting to open up.

Stage 4: Shoot Growth
1 to 3 inch shoots with 1 to 3 small leaves at right angles to the stemMore leaves become apparent as the shoot elongates. At this point, it is very important that the temperature does not fall below freezing. Any frost at this point could potentially jeopardize the crop yield.

The vines furthest from the River Oja are already starting to enter the 4th stage, which is called Shoot Growth.


Stage 5: Flower Cluster Emergence

Shoot Growth- Stage 4

Shoot Growth- Stage 4

-          4 to 8 inch shoots with 3 to 6 leaves there is also flower cluster emergence.

Others in more clay like soils are actually already into Stage 5 where the clusters are starting to show.   I will have to go out into the vineyard one more time so I can upload the picture. Stay tuned!

Writen by April Hennig of www.sacreddrop.com.

www.about.me/aprilyaphennig

 

 

Ever wondering what vintage (year wine was made) to pick when you are at the store?

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

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I know that when I started to drink wine, I would head over to Trader Joe’s and stare at the shelves in utter uncertaintly. One of the first things I did was start reading magazines on wine, some are easier to read, some are harder but in the end, the more you read, the more you learn.

One great find was a Vintage chart, you might be wondering what a Vintage chart is. A Vintage chart is basically a way to tell which year was a good year in a certain area and be able to select your wine. Once you know the country from which you would like to select your wine, then you look up the region, then the year. Based off this, you can make an educated decision on a probably good wine.

According to Dr. Vinny of Wine Spectator “Wine Spectator‘s editors review individual wines in blind tastings, but they also summarize the overall quality and characteristics of specific regions in specific years, hence the vintage charts. “

So this takes away some of the guess work, now you just need to pick from the numerous brands there are out there. At least you have an idea of the right year, region and country, the rest is up to you.

Recently, one of my favorite sites for finding out about wine has posted a free app. So for all my tech happy friends, you will be happy to know Wine Spectator has posted a very easy to use and quick app to figure it out: http://apps.winespectator.com/vintagechart.php

In case you aren’t a techie and perhaps like a paper version, you can also download it and print it from this link: http://assets.winespectator.com/wso/pdf/022912VintCard2.pdf

To the Limit: Juan Carlos Sancha at Lo Mejor del Vino de Rioja Tasting

30 Friday Mar 2012

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Reblogged from Bodegas Juan Carlos Sancha:

http://www.lomejordelvinoderioja.com/noticias/limite:-cata-Juan-Carlos/noticia/1570.html

Juan Carlos Sancha recently held a tasting at the Hotel HUSA in Logroño, La Rioja as part of the Best Wines of Rioja monthly tasting. At this tasting, he introduced the 2011 Ad Libitum Maturana Tinta which was a hit among the tasters. It is set to be released in Fall of 2012.

One of the best wineries in La Rioja, Can't wait for the 2011 Ad Libitum Maturana Tinta!

Follow up Video: Pisco Winery Tour: Vista Alegre

15 Wednesday Feb 2012

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This was my first visit to a Pisco winery, Bodegas Vista Alegre is located near Ica, Peru.

They have 180 Hectares of land dedicated to the production of grapes that are later used not only for Pisco but also still dry wines such as Malbec, Tempranillo and Pinot Blanc.  This place may be better known for its production of SOL DE ICA Pisco brand.

For more information on Vista Alegre, please visit their website at www.vistaalegre.com.pe

So what is Pisco Sour?

11 Saturday Feb 2012

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Pisco Sour is a cocktail made of Pisco, concentrated lemon juice, sugar and egg whites. In this combination, it is quite easy to drink, but be careful Pisco is known to creep up on first-time drinkers because most become quite inebriated in a short time due to its high alcohol percentage.

Here is a Epicurus recipe on how to make it:

1 egg white

2 1/2 ounces Pisco (Non-aromatic, Pure or Acholado)

1/2 ounce simple syrup (sugar water, 1 cup of each mixed)

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

Angostura Bitters

The classic preparation is shaken over ice, but it’s also made “frozen,” in a blender with crushed ice. When a pisco sour is poured into a glass (usually an old-fashioned cocktail glass), the egg white should make at least a half inch of foam on the top of the glass. The bitters are sprinkled on top of the foam. Sometimes sugar is placed around the rim of the glass for decoration.  Enjoy!

In this article about Pisco and Ica, I have drawn from numerous other articles and have cited the sources as such. Thank you.

Here you can see how Pisco is made in Puno, one of the highest cities of Peru, near Lake Tiricaca.  This is done in a restaurant so that you can see the differences in home style made with normal ingredients and another with original ingredients  found only in Peru such as Peruvian lemons.  

How to Make Your Own Wine Aroma Study Kit

03 Friday Feb 2012

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How to Make Your Own Wine Aroma Study Kit | How To | Learn Wine | Wine Spectator

In case you are wondering how to better your “Nose” or just how to identify the smells in your wine that everyone but you seems to pick up…. check out this create way to do at home or even with those silly wine friends of yours.

All you need to make your own wine aroma kit are a few items: some local fruit from your supermaket, wine glasses and a neutral white or red wine.  Before you head to the supermarket, take with you a taking list of things you commonly expect to smell in the wines you are going to taste. That is if you have a particular wine in mind that you would like to better understand. In order to get these smells, just look up online “Wine characteristics” + “wine variety” you want to understand better like Pinot Noir, Riesling or Cabernet Sauvingnon.

For example, if I want to better understand what a Tempranillo (variety) from Spain smells like, I would pick up some black berries, sour cherries,strawberry, piece of clean leather, perhaps even some tobacco and vanilla.   While smelling, it might help to look at a Wine Aroma wheel developed by Ann Noble: http://winearomawheel.com/ to help you identify the wines post this experiment. You can also find visual versions of this online if you type in “Wine Aroma Wheel”

Thanks to Wine Spectator, they have laid out how to do it with precision. In the past, I’ve used an oz. of neutral cheap box wine and placed the berries, fruit or spices into the glass, let it sit and swirl and smell. This is a more precise and easy to follow method.

Enjoy this little experiment!

What you will need:

  • One glass for each aroma standard you plan to make
  • One bottle of an inexpensive, neutral white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Colombard is enough to make 10 to 12 white wine aroma standards
  • One bottle of an inexpensive, neutral red wine such as Merlot or Beaujolais is enough to make 10 to 12 red wine aroma standards

Directions:

  • Mark each glass so you know which aroma it will contain; write the name of each aroma on a small sticker (the removable kind are best) and label each glass.
  • Pour 2 ounces or 4 tablespoons of wine into each wineglass.
  • Add the indicated amount of each aroma ingredient to its own glass of wine and let it soak for an hour or so.
  • After the hour is up, remove any solid ingredients.
  • Swirl and sniff each glass of wine so you can become familiar with the aroma that has been added to it.
  • Next, test yourself by transferring each sticker to the bottom of its glass where it can’t be read. Then shuffle the glasses. Swirl and sniff the standards. Can you identify any of them?
  • White Wine Aroma Ingredient
    Lemon A small portion of fresh lemon peel and one teaspoon lemon juice
    Grapefruit A small portion of fresh grapefruit peel and one teaspoon grapefruit juice
    Pineapple One teaspoon pineapple juice
    Melon A chunk of ripe cantaloupe
    Peach A chunk of ripe peach or one tablespoon syrup from canned peaches
    Pear A chunk of ripe pear or one tablespoon syrup from canned pears
    Green grass Three crushed blades of green grass
    Honey One teaspoon honey (stir to dissolve)
    Vanilla One drop vanilla extract
    Nutmeg A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
    Smokey Oak One drop Liquid Smoke, available in many supermarket spice sections
    Red Wine Aroma Ingredient
    Strawberry Two crushed ripe or frozen strawberries
    Strawberry jam One teaspoon of strawberry jam (stir to dissolve)
    Cherry Two crushed ripe cherries or a tablespoon of juice from canned cherries
    Mint One drop of mint extract or a crushed mint leaf (spearmint or peppermint)
    Green Pepper A quarter of a green pepper, diced
    Black Pepper A few grains of freshly ground black pepper
    Chocolate One teaspoon of powdered cocoa or shaved chocolate
    Coffee About 1/8 teaspoon ground coffee
    Tobacco One small pinch of cigarette or pipe tobacco
    Vanilla One drop vanilla extract
    Smokey Oak One drop Liquid Smoke, available in many supermarket spice sections

Special thanks to “Wine Spectator- How to” Section. For more information and learn more on wine, please check out www.winespectator.com .

Wondering how to taste Pisco?

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Wondering how to taste Pisco?

Pisco is to be tasted by swirling the glass and taking a short, very short whiff, you will notice the burning alcohol this way. Not normally pleasant. What you have to do is take a short sip; DO NOT aerate in the mouth–it will burn your nose and throat. I did this and paid the price! Take a short sip, swirl in the mouth for a good 15 seconds, swallow, now…breath from the stomach, the aromas will come up and you will get hints of banana. It is similar to a vodka and light tequila mixed.  A way to smell it properly is to leave 2 drops in the glass, swirl the glass and empty the glass and dry the cup by waving it in the air for about 5 seconds, then smell the empty glass.  This way, you have gotten rid of the alcohol and can smell the base aromas.


Sunday Tasting: 2007 Marques de Caceres Crianza

11 Sunday Dec 2011

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2007 Marques de Caceres Crianza

Bodega: Marques de Caceres

D.O./Zona: La Rioja, Rioja Alta, Cenicero

Country: Spain- España Type of wine: Tinto con Envejecimiento en Roble – Red with aging in barrel

Alcohol (vol): 13% Price: 7-10 Euros (Spain), $15 approx. cost in US

Varietals: Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano

Color: Ruby red with yellow edges

Nose: Red berries and vanilla

Mouth: Licorice, vanilla, oak and red berry taste. Has quite a bit of tannins, this wine would need additional time open before being served.

Elaboration: Aged 6-12 months in French and American oak barrel Recommended with grilled dishes and rices, perhaps even work great with Pizza. Serve at 16-18 degrees C (around 65 degrees F)

Score: 8.9/10 Best value wine

www.marquesdecaceres.com

I will be gone during the Christmas season but promise to come back with some great new videos in the new year! Happy Holidays!

Enjoy! If you’d like to see more or would like me to taste a particular wine, please email me at sacreddropseeker@gmail.com or leave a comment below. Thanks for joining us today!

Organic Sunday Tasting: 2005 Garmendia Selección

05 Monday Dec 2011

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2005 Garmendia Selección, Organic-Ecological Wine
Bodega: Bodegas y Viñedos Garmendia of Grupo Altube
D.O./Zona: Vino de la Tierra, Castilla y Leon
Country: Spain- España
Type of wine: Tinto con Envejecimiento en Roble – Red with aging in barrel
Alcohol (vol): 14%
Price: 25 Euros (Spain), $35-40 approx. cost in US
Varietals: Tempranillo and Merlot
Color: Ruby Purple with blue tinges
Nose: Licorice, vanilla, berries,chocolate and cafe con leche (coffee milk)
Mouth: Licorice, prunes, chocolate, red berry taste. It is a full bodied wine that is well-balanced and elegant with a med-long persistence on the tongue. You can taste the Merlot but it is not overpowering the Tempranillo, which is nice becuase you get the best of both worlds in this wine.
Elaboration: Aged 24 months in Fench oak barrel
Recommended with meat dishes such as a marble steak and served at 16-18 degrees C (around 65 degrees F)

Enjoy! If you’d like to see more or would like me to taste a particular wine, please email me at sacreddropseeker@gmail.com or leave a comment below. Thanks for joining us today!

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