Tag Archive for: spanish wine

DO Wines Spain – Ribera del Duero Spanish Wine D.O. Region

Our Gourmand Breaks DO the Vineyards series is covering some of the great Wine Regions of Spain. First off is the Ribera del Duero Spanish Wine D.O. Region which is located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The principle Red Grape Variety of the Ribera del Duero DO Wine Region of Spain is Tempranillo which produces some fine Spanish Wine.

Quality Spanish wines are classified, using a system called the “Denominación de Origen” or “D.O.”, which in English translates as “designated origin”, to determine where they were produced. Spanish wine laws first created the “D.O.” system in 1932 and each “denominación” D.O. has its corresponding regional regulatory council or “Consejo Regulador”. The Ribera del Duero Denominación de Origen (D.O.) was founded in 1982.

Ribera del Duero Spanish Wine DO region has seen significant replanting since the late 80s and nowadays a modern and very professional approach has been taken to vineyard management and harvesting, which was vital to achieve quality in view of the challenges caused by spring frost, hail and autumn rains.  Substantial investment in upgrading or the apparition of completely new bodegas has also taken place at a fast pace since the Spanish DO of Ribera del Duero was established.

The Ribera del Duero Wine Region of Spain is characterized by a largely flat, rocky terrain, centered on the town of Aranda de Duero. The vineyards of Ribera del Duero Spanish DO Wine Region are sited to the north and south of the River Duero which runs from east to west though its centre with the most famous vineyards surrounding Peñafiel (featuring a castle where there is a very interesting wine museum) and Roa de Duero to the west.

Ribera del Duero Spanish Wine DO Region was the first to open up the red wine making potential of the DueroValley.  It has significantly grown to rival Rioja in terms of prestige and reputation and provides a welcome diversity at the top end of the quality Spanish wine spectrum.

tempranillo grapes

The success of Ribera del Duero Spanish wines is due to the Tempranillo grape, which is used almost exclusively by producers to make reds with various ageing credentials and rosés.   The main focus in the region is however, oak aged wines of a very high caliber which are capable of many years of ageing.

A significant factor where quality is concerned is the high altitude of the vineyards – most of them are located at 750-800 metres above sea level. There is therefore, a wide variation in temperature especially during the summer, when it is not unusual to reach 35˚C during the day and as low as 12˚C at night during August which encourages the vines to rest and favors grapes with lively acidity and concentration.

Special mention should also be made to the fact that the Ribera del Duero Wine Region of Spain was awarded Best Wine Region of the World, in 2012, by ‘Wine Enthusiast Magazine’.

If you love Wine you can’t miss the Wine Regions of Spain!

Join us on a Private Wine Tour like our Essentially Wine – Spain and France to explore the Ribera del Duero Wine Region of Spain as well as the La Rioja, Priorat and Penedes Wine Regions of Spain and Bordeaux Wine Region of France to enjoy expert  guided visits to some fantastic wineries and taste some great wines.

Just some of the wineries you might visit in the Ribera del Duero Wine Region of Spain are:
  • Abadia Retuerta 
  • Bodegas Ismael Arroyo 
  • La Pesquera
  • Emilio Moro
  • Protos

 

More of our Gourmand Breaks DO the Wine Regions of Spain:

Top 100 Wines of the World includes 8 Spanish Wines

North American Wine specialist magazine “Wine Spectator “ has included 8 Spanish Wines in their annual Top 100 Wines of the World List for 2014.

Wine Regions of Spain included in the Top 100 list include La Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Bierzo, Castilla La Mancha and a fortified wine from Andalusia:

  • Viña Ardanza Reserva 2005 (34th place)
  • Abadía Retuerta Viño de la Tierra de Castilla y León Sardon de Duero Selección Especial 2010 (50th place)
  • Viña Cumbrero Crianza 2010 (62nd place)
  • Cune Monopole Blanco 2014 (64th place)
  • Godelia Mencía 2010 (68th place)
  • Cabernet Sauvignon Dominio de Valdepusa 2010 (79th place)
  • Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2005 (84th place)
  • Antonio Barbadillo Manzanilla Sanlúcar (95th place)

 

Since 1988, each year, Wine Spectator magazine editors study the wines that have been reviewed over the previous 12 months and select their Top 100 Wines of the World list. This year, 8 Spanish Wines are included in the list. All the wines are classified on a scale from 85 to 100 points (pts) based on quality, value, availability and excitement. This annual list acknowledges successful wineries, wine regions and vintages from all around the world.

If you love Wine you can’t miss the Wine Regions of Spain! Join us on a Private Wine Tour of Spain like our Wine Lovers Tour of Spain and Portugal to explore the Ribera del Duero, La Rioja, Priorat and Penedes Wine Regions of Spain and enjoy expert  guided visits to some fantastic wineries and taste some great Spanish Wine.

TOP 100 WINES FULL LIST :

Here’s the complete Top 100 Wines of the World list, 2014, according to Wine Spectator Magazine, with their corresponding punctuation (Pts). The 8 Spanish Wines selected feature in bold text:

# Wine Vtge Pts
1 Dow’s Vintage Port 2011 99
2 Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2012 95
3 Prats & Symington Douro Chryseia 2011 97
4 Quinta do Vale Meão Douro 2011 97
5 Leeuwin Chardonnay Margaret River Art Series 2011 96
6 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico San Lorenzo Gran Selezione 2010 95
7 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012 97
8 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills 2012 94
9 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor 2010 95
10 Château Léoville Las Cases St.-Julien 2011 95
11 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 2011 95
12 Château Guiraud Sauternes 2011 97
13 Fonseca Vintage Port 2011 98
14 Fontodi Colli della Toscana Centrale Flaccianello 2011 95
15 Bedrock The Bedrock Heritage Sonoma Valley 2012 95
16 Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Bella’s Garden 2012 95
17 Soter Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton District Mineral Springs Ranch 2012 95
18 Château Doisy-Védrines Barsac 2011 95
19 Luca Malbec Uco Valley 2012 93
20 Peter Michael Chardonnay Knights Valley Ma Belle-Fille 2012 95
21 Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico Riserva 2010 93
22 Podere Sapaio Bolgheri Volpolo 2011 93
23 St.-Cosme Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010 96
24 Massolino Barolo 2009 95
25 Bodegas y Viñedos O. Fournier Malbec Uco Valley Alfa Crux 2010 94
26 Emeritus Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Hallberg Ranch 2011 93
27 Quinta do Portal Douro Colheita 2011 92
28 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011 94
29 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir Hemel-en-Aarde Valley 2012 93
30 DuMOL Syrah Russian River Valley 2012 94
31 Tommasi Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon Toscana Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo 2011 92
32 Hidden Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 55% Slope 2009 93
33 Orin Swift Machete California 2012 93
34 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva 2005 92
35 Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2011 92
36 Marcassin Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Marcassin Vineyard 2009 97
37 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabajà 2010 94
38 Aubert Chardonnay Russian River Valley Eastside 2012 95
39 Oddero Barolo 2010 93
40 Loosen Bros. Riesling QbA Mosel Dr. L 2012 91
41 Rombauer Chardonnay Carneros 2012 92
42 Lapostolle Clos Apalta Limited Release Colchagua Valley 2010 94
43 Charles Smith Riesling Columbia Valley Kung Fu Girl Evergreen 2013 91
44 Viña Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon-Carmenère Colchagua Valley 2011 91
45 Tikal Patriota Mendoza 2012 91
46 Turley Zinfandel California Juvenile 2012 91
47 Luce della Vite Toscana Luce 2011 95
48 Fincas Patagonicas Malbec Mendoza Zolo Reserve 2012 91
49 Trimbach Riesling Alsace 2012 91
50 Abadia Retuerta Viño de la Tierra de Castilla y León Sardon de Duero Selección Especial   2010 92
51 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate 2010 97
52 Herman Story Grenache California On the Road 2011 93
53 Ponzi Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Tavola 2012 91
54 Mumm Napa Brut Napa Valley Prestige NV 91
55 Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley El Caballero 2011 90
56 João Portugal Ramos Alentejo Ramos Reserva 2012 90
57 Viña Bisquertt Syrah Colchagua Valley La Joya Gran Reserva 2012 90
58 TwentyFour Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2010 93
59 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s Barossa 2011 90
60 St.-Urbans-Hof Riesling QbA Mosel Old Vines 2012 90
61 De Martino Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley Legado Reserva 2011 92
62 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Viña Cumbrero Crianza   2010 90
63 Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc Constantia Bayten 2013 90
64 Cune Rioja White Monopole   2013 90
65 Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2011 96
66 Fowles Shiraz Victoria Are You Game? 2012 91
67 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Single Vineyard 2013 90
68 Godelia Mencía Bierzo   2010 92
69 Feudo di Santa Croce Primitivo di Manduria LXXIV 2010 91
70 D. Kourtakis Assyrtiko Santorini Greek Wine Cellars 2012 90
71 Roar Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella’s Vineyard 2012 93
72 Château Lilian Ladouys St.-Estèphe 2011 90
73 Gérard Bertrand Syrah-Grenache Languedoc 2011 90
74 di Majo Norante Molise Ramitello 2011 90
75 Disznókó´ Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2006 94
76 Vietti Barbera d’Asti Tre Vigne 2012 90
77 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d’Ampuis 2010 97
78 Acrobat Pinot Noir Oregon 2012 90
79 Marqués de Griñon Cabernet Sauvignon Dominio de Valdepusa   2010 93
80 Nino Negri Valtellina Superiore Quadrio 2010 90
81 Domaine de Triennes Vin de Pays du Var St.-Auguste 2010 90
82 Mulderbosch Faithful Hound Stellenbosch 2011 91
83 Round Pond Estate Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford 2013 90
84 Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial   2005 94
85 Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Marina Cveti S. Martino Rosso 2010 91
86 Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County Huntington 2012 90
87 Firriato Sicilia Santagostino Baglio Soria Red 2011 91
88 Christian Moreau Père & Fils Chablis 2012 91
89 Carol Shelton Zinfandel Mendocino County Wild Thing Old Vine 2011 90
90 Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Trocken Wachau Terrassen 2012 90
91 Domaine La Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pure 2012 95
92 Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Incanto 2010 90
93 Recanati Cabernet Sauvignon Galilee 2012 90
94 Château Lamartine Cahors 2011 90
95 Antonio Barbadillo Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda Solear   NV 90
96 Domaine Gerovassiliou Epanomi White 2013 90
97 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna 2012 90
98 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier Victoria 2012 90
99 Loimer Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken Kamptal 2012 91
100 Saint Clair Pinot Noir Marlborough Pioneer Block 16 Awatere 2012 92
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Wine Regions of Spain … Gourmand Breaks DO the Vineyards

Spain’s wine history dates back to pre-Roman times, but it is only over the past few decades that the quality of Spanish Wine has significantly improved throughout the whole country and led to Spanish Wine being exported, sought after and enjoyed all over the World.  Wine is BIG in Spain and vines are cultivated all over the country!

Wine Regions of Spain

Thanks to http://www.beaconwinecompany.com/ for the great map

Spain is a vast country with differing climates and soils and all of the autonomous communities of Spain produce wine with their own grape varieties, Regulatory Councils and specific types. Due to the expanse of the land – Spain has around 3 million acres of vines planted – climates and types of grapes, there are numerous Wine Regions in Spain resulting in a fantastic variety of Spanish Wine. The best-known Spanish wines, however, are Cava, Rioja, and Sherry which are three very different wines made in three very different wine regions.

Quality Spanish wines are classified using a system based on the “Denominación de Origen” or “DO”, designated origin, which determines where each wine has been produced. Spanish wine laws created the “DO” system in 1932 and it was later revised in 1970. The “DO” system is similar to the Appellation d’origine contrôlée “AOC” system of France, the Denominação de Origem Controlada “DOC” of Portugal and the Denominazione di origine controllata “DOC” of Italy.

priorat wine day tour

In addition to the “DO” system in Spain there is also the Denominación de Origen Calificada “DOCa” or “DOQ” in Catalan, a status for DOs that have a consistent track record for quality. There are currently only two DOCa/DOQ regions in Spain: Rioja and Priorat.

In 2009, there were 79 Quality DO Wine regions across Spain, but undoubtedly, the most well-known Spanish DO Wine Region, especially for its red wine, is La Rioja – also a DOCa/DOQ Wine Region of Spain. There are, however, many other Spanish wine regions that produce high quality red wines, like Ribera del Duero or the other DOCa/DOQ wine region of Priorat.

Although the known type of Spanish wine is red wine, Spain also produces high quality white wines, especially in Galicia, Cava and Jerez (sherry) which is produced in the south, near Jerez in Andalusia.

Over the coming months we’ll be showcasing some of the DO Wine Regions of Spain in our “Gourmand Breaks DO the Vineyards – Wine Regions of Spain” series like:

 

If you love Wine you can’t miss Spain!

Join us on a Private Wine Tour of Spain like our Wine Lovers Tour of Spain and Portugal to explore the Ribera del Duero, La Rioja, Priorat and Penedes Wine Regions of Spain and enjoy expert  guided visits to some fantastic wineries and taste some great Spanish wines.

Exciting Young Wineries in the Spanish Empordà Wine Region

Not only is the Empordà region of Spain a beautiful and fascinating place to visit with Medieval Girona, Besalú, Pals and Peratallada, not to mention gorgeous picture-postcard seaside villages, but it also offers some unique and very exciting young wineries.  Led by wine specialists and oenologists, who prefer to grow their grapes on an ecological  basis, some fine wines are now being created from Empordà vineyards and they are well worth a visit.

Emporda Spanish Wine

One such Empordà winery is Terra Remota lying under the mountains, close to the border of France.  Nothing less than “great wine” is the goal of this winery owner and his team.  Lying long and low on a plateau embellished with hillocks in the shadow of the Pyrenees,  is the raw concrete “bodega” designed by Spanish architects Pépe Cortés & Nacho Ferrer.  It is recently built, but in time will surely hide itself entirely in its natural surroundings. This ecologically run vineyard and their fine wines have gained a fabulous reputation, having resided on the Wine Lists of more than one Michelin 3 starred restaurant!

You can really enjoy something very special after a visit to this Empordà winery;  take a lazy short walk through the vineyards to the picnic area, where you can put your feet up and lounge in the shade of the tall trees on the sun beds provided. Having selected the wine of your choice beforehand, everything will be delivered to you at the picnic area – local cheese, ham, pate, tomato, grapes and bread, a feast for two. With the sun filtering through the tree tops, take time out to breathe in the fresh mountain air as you sip your delicious coffee at the end of a truly relaxed picnic.

Mas Estela – Not only do they produce high rated wines, but the location of this Empordà winery is sublime. It is tucked into a valley within the Cap de Creus natural park and is only 3 kms from the Mediterranean sea, with it’s moderating influence, and near to the charming village of Selva de Mar.

The family came here in 1988 and bought a large ruin with some 50 hectares of valley and scrub land with steep slopes on either side. Having rebuilt their house, they planted the terraces with varieties such as syrah, monastrell and garnatxa gris to complement the garnatxa, cariñena and muscat which already existed.

This organic Empordà vineyard  also applies bio-dynamic principles by looking at the cycles of the moon to interact with the soil, to know when to work on the vines or add natural fertilizer. This means that the environment is not polluted by any type of chemical and as such the whole variety and diversity of organic, insect and wildlife is preserved and encouraged creating a truly healthy environment.

Mas Oller – Carlos Esteva is a pioneer in creating quality wines in Spain.  He started making wines in the Penedès Wine Region at Can Ràfols dels Caus Estate, near Barcelona.  In the seventies he was the first to introduce the Merlot grape variety to Spain and his GRAN CAUS Tinto 1984, a wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot aged in French oak barrels, was a completely new concept in Spain. Also, his white wines are unique.

Mas Oller

With the Mas Oller project, Carlos decided to rescue the Empordà family estate from oblivion and asked his old friend, Peter Schoonbrood, a Dutch expat, to set up the concept for the new winery and the wines.  In the year 2000 he decided to plant vines to produce new, prestigious, high-quality wines.  Some wine was made from the young vines in the earlier vintages and was sold locally.  Now, the Empordà vines have reached the right age for achieving the desired concentration of fruit.  The first wines were launched in April 2009 and the response since then has been extremely positive.

* La Vinyeta – A small Empordà vineyard and olive farm situated at the heart of the beautiful Emporda wine D.O region. It is a young, dynamic, family company, run by the enthusiastic oenologist Josep Serra and his wife that is the fruit of much effort and ambition. In 2002 they purchased two excellent old Carignan and Grenache vineyards, aged between 50 and 75 years. From that moment on, more and more vines were planted, up to the present 30 hectares.

La Vinyeta

The project was consolidated in 2006 with the construction of the winery and the making of the first wines. In 2009, La Vinyeta became one of the first wineries to adopt Integrated Production, an environment-friendly cultivation system. This is the context in which the wines of La Vinyeta are born.

Their signature wines (Heus, Llavors and Punt i Apart) are structured as if they were part of a unique story.

  • “Once upon a time” for the Heus label, the freshest and youngest of their wines; which is produced in red, white and rosé varieties.
  • “Then” for  Llavors, which suggests evolution after spending six months in oak casks.
  • The story is completed with the distinct Punt i Apart  “new paragraph”; La Vinyeta’s flagship wine, and our definite favorite, which stays 13 months in oak casks.

 

Besides their great tasting Empordà wines, another aspect that sets La Vinyeta apart from other wineries is their superb design. The work of Lluís Serra, Josep’s brother, has been recognized for its originality in their packaging, logo design and the naming of their products. Every detail of their concept is well thought out and has a reason for being there, from start to finish, as the story goes.

 

Enjoy visits to some of these, and other, wineries in the Empordà region of Spain on one of our  Private Wine Tours custom designed just for you. 

Priorat Wineries – Some of the Best Cellars in Spain

Clos d Obach Priorat winery private tour

People often ask us, “Which is the best wine region in Spain” and though we always reply that there are so many good ones in our country, we frequently suggest that they visit the Priorat and Montsant Wine Regions, which have emerged in the last ten years or so as producers of brilliant, rich, glowing and award winning wines.

Some of our favourite wineries in the Priorat are: Read more

New Zealand Press covers Gourmand Breaks Food & Wine Tours in Spain

Winery tour in Emporda Spain

 

Earlier this year we had a wonderful time with a super lady from New Zealand who not only has her own company, http://www.epicuretrading.co.nz  but is also a Travel Writer and wished to write an article about our tours.  We were of course delighted to assist and met Catherine Bell when she arrived in Girona by Spain’s very fast AVE train from Barcelona – as Catherine writes in her article,

“I soon found myself on a train hurtling towards Girona.   As I watch the digital speedometer at the front of the carriage reach 243 kmh, I recall, while trying hard not to feel nervous, that the last time I took this train north from Barcelona it was a two hour journey.   This one however, will take just 37 minutes, thanks to the new fast AVE train, a boon for commuters and tourists alike.   It’s just made for day trips to towns outside of Barcelona.   The Dali museum in Figueres is now a quick one hour away and Girona where I am heading, a mere hop skip and a jump.”

Joining us for our day with Catherine was one of our Officially Licensed Guides, Carlos, who Catherine says in her article is, “charming and ridiculously handsome” (which is very true!) and who very frequently guides our clients around in Catalonia and thrills them with his knowledge (apart from his obvious charm).

First off we took Catherine to a super little hotel, which also adds to its delights a very modern and fascinating organic winery.   After a guided walk through the winery environs and a further wander around the rest of the hotel facilities, including the goats cheese, pate, sausage and olive oil making facilities, we were off to continue showing Catherine more of our fabulous Emporda region with a visit to Pals,

“Moving on towards the coast we spend time wandering the cobbled streets of Pals, a rather perfectly restored medieval villages which in summer boasts some great eateries……..If  the door to the church is unlocked it is worth poking your nose inside – parts of it date back to the 10th century…..”

We all stopped for a delicious lunch of local produce, served of course with a great Empordan wine from the Peralada winery not too far away.   Afterwards we really needed a walk to shake off some of the calories we had gained from the super lunch and moved on to Calella de Palafrugell for a wander along the front,

“….set around a series of little beaches and ringed with simple beachside homes and small hotels, many of which have their own underground access to the beach.   In summer, I imagine it is a multicoloured enclave of beach umbrellas and bikinis – but right now it’s a pretty but rather sleepy little hollow with old fishing boats pulled up on the sand and a few locals taking their afternoon stroll.”

Of course our day together included many other sites, but we finished off in Girona, prior to Catherine taking her train back to Barcelona,

“Back in Girona we have time to explore the town’s exquisite cathedral and to wander the well preserved Jewish Quarter and museum.   Crossing the river on one of the many foot bridges allows a view of the cathedral at dusk that I will always remember……”

Enjoy the full article written by Catherine Bell for the New Zealand Sunday Star & Times “Escape” magazine http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/uk-europe/8647689/Riches-of-Catalonia

Wets your appetite?   Then join us for A Taste of Catalonia Day Tour or The Best Day Tour in Catalonia .  We’ll be happy to send you information about these tours and any other long or short tours on our website, www.gourmandbreaks.com.

Rioja Wine Best Value in World 2012- Luis Cañas Crianza 2009

We are very pleased to announce that Luis Cañas wine Crianza 2009 was considered the best value wine in the world for 2012 by the prestigious American magazine Wine Advocate , led by the American guru Robert Parker. As is known, this publication is the international benchmark as far as wine is concerned and is followed by millions of wine enthusiasts worldwide

Read more

Wine getaway from Barcelona – Terra Remota Winery Tour & Picnic

As the name implies, the site of Spanish Winery, Terra Remota ( Remote Land)  is isolated and secluded, feeling even more so since the devastating fires that destroyed much of this region recently- leaving a path of charcoaled lifelessness in its wake. Read more

Wine & Culinary Congress in Barcelona

This food and wine congress , on the 30th of September at Hotel Me in Barcelona, is the first international congress on the harmony and interaction between wine and cuisine and the complementary nature of both on gastronomic menus.

Read more

Jay Miller, from Parker’s The Wine Advocate Tastes Wine in Catalonia


Jay Miller, the timid but very likeable “Nose & Mouth” of Parker’s The Wine Advocate is here in Catalonia, Spain, from 12 – 23 January, 2011 to taste for the first time in situ our wonderful Priorat, Penedes etc., Spainish wines, after 25 years of close collaboration with Robert Parker.   He will taste up to 1,300 Spanish wines and cavas and will visit small and large Catalan wineries in the following DO’s:  Penedes, Cava, Catalunya, Priorat, Montsant, Terra Alta and Emporda. Read more