Tag Archive for: spanish wines

Wines with the Wierdest Names!

 

It is certain that wines with funny or odd names exist in all corners of Spanish wine geography.   In Catalonia we have Finca Malaveina (Bad Neighbour) from Castell de Perelada in Emporda.   A Bodes em Convides (You Invite me to a Wedding) in Penedes, or Cap de Ruc (Head of a Donkey) from Celler Ranadelles de Cornudella de Montsant.  A donkey is also the protagonista of La Senda del Burro (the path of a donkey) of Viñedos Propios Pajares in Leon.   There is a saying that, “he who goes to a winery and does not drink wine arrives as a donkey and leaves as a donkey”.

“Thanks to our friends, we finally managed to do the bottling and now you can enjoy our most acid creation”;   this is the surprising presentation card of a young wine from La Rioja of Spanish Winery,  Gonzalo Gonzalo, which is sold at around 5 Euros a bottle and on which label you can see a pig with feathers.

Wine labels are the surprise situation for many different animals, for example, El Pero Verde (The Green Dog) a very successful verdejo from Spanish wine region, DO Rueda, fruit of the collaboration of Bodegas Angel Lorenzao Cachazo and Catalan Wine Merchant, Quim Vila from the famous Vila Viniteca.   In collaboration with Bodegas Viscarra, Quim Vila also promoted the wine Venta Las Vacas (Villa of the Cows), DO Ribera del Duero.  But clearly the prize goes to Cojón de Gato (Cats Balls)and Teta de Vaca  (Cow’s Tit).   We don’t even want to mention a brand of Alpujarras in Almeria, Tetas de la Sacristana (Tits of the Priest’s Housekeeper)!

Clearly if we go around the world we will find names which are repulsive to some extent, such as French Frog’s Piss or Le Vin de Merde (The wine of shit) On the label of this last one you can read Le pire cache le meilleur (the best is hidden in the worst)

They are many bizarre names of wines to suit each taste –  The Australian Beach, The Fat Bastard from Languedoc-Russillon, the Californian Mad Housewife, or the Nappa Valley Cleavage Creek.   Clearly those of a superstitious nature should abstain from tasting the Chilena Gato Negro (Black Cat) or Casillero del Diablo (Coffin of the Devil)

Let us at Gourmand Breaks customize a unique wine tour for you and your friends which includes a route of the Spanish wineries mentioned in this article !

Top Spanish Chefs Support Wine Origin Campaign

Spanish vineyards

Some of the world’s leading chefs and sommeliers, including Spanish chefs Ferran Adria and Jose Andres have given their support to a coalition calling for truth in wine labelling.   Both Spanish chefs have signed an open letter lending their support to protect wine place names.   Others who have given support are The French Laundry’s Thomas Keller and Pontus Elofsson of Noma, Joel Robuichon, Wolfgang Puck and Alain Ducasse.

The Spanish Chef,  Jose Andres, who has restaurants in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington DC said, ‘We support the Joint Declaration to protect wine place and origin because place names are central to understanding the foods and wines we work with every day’.

The United States has agreed, in a deal signed last year between US and Europe, to prevent new wine producers from using the names ‘port’ and other semi-generic names such as Sherry and Burgundy. However, the agreement has a ‘special clause’ that allows producers in the market before March 2006 to continue the practice in some cases.

The Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin, a coalition first formed in 2005, has the support of 15 wine regions including Champagne, Jerez, Porto and Napa and according to the Napa Valley Vintners Association, producers from countries as wide ranging as Germany and China have put ‘Napa’ or similarly misleading labels on their wines.

The coalition hopes that, with the support of chefs and  food and wine experts this will persuade lawmakers to better protect wine place names.

At Gourmand Breaks we value the importance of the origin of wines , why not learn more about Spanish, Portuguese and French wines and their origins with our local experts in a private wine tour like our Luxury Private Wine Lovers Tour of Portugal, Spain & France which includes private visits to exclusive wineries accompanied with wine tastings,  5* hotel accommodation and private chauffeured transportation.

Spanish Winery Gonzalez Byass Re-Launches Tio Pepe En Rama

tio pepe en rama gonzalez byass winery
Spanish winery, Gonzalez Byass, has doubled it´s production for the re-launch of its Tio Pepe En Rama – rama means ‘raw’ – and the product is an is an ultra-fresh and young fino sherry made from unfiltered and unclarified Tio Pepe taken from the cask in spring when the flor is at its thickest.

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