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Much has changed since our original 2017 episode (199) on Cava and Spanish sparkling wine. It's time for a refresh and an update! Photo: Cava cork. Credit: cava.wine In this episode we fill you in on the roller coaster the DO has been on since 2017 and where it stands today. The story shows how Spain has moved from just being ON the radar of international wine buyers to moving to a level of sophistication that demands its regions have the kind of terroir focus of the other great wine nations of the Old World – France, Italy, Germany, and Austria, to name a few. We review the regulations, changes, and the strife in the region and discuss what to seek out to get the best of these highly accessible, delicious, and decidedly Spanish wines. Here are the show notes... The Basics We start with the statistics on Cava -- it encompasses 38,133 ha/94,229 acres and made 253 MM bottles in 2021 91% of Cava is white, 9% is rosado (rosé) Various zones produce the wine, but Penedés is the heart of Cava production, with more than 95% of total output We discuss the early history of the area, beginning with the first sparkling production in 1872 with Josep Raventós to the point where the DO is formed in 1991 – we leave the modern history until later, as complex and muddled as it is! Map: The overly spread out regions of Cava. Credit: Cava DO We then get into the grapes and winemaking: Whites: Since most Cava is white, the white grapes dominate. Most important are the indigenous grapes, Macabeo (Viura, the white of Rioja), Xarel-lo, and Parellada. Chardonnay is also authorized, as well as Subirat Parent (Malvasia) for semi-sweet and sweet Cava. Photo: Macabeo. Credit: D.O. Cava Reds: Used for rosado (rosé), native grapes are Garnacha (Grenache), Trepat, and Monastrell (Mourvèdre). The Cava DO authorized Pinot Noir for use in rosado in 1998 Winemaking: We discuss the vineyard requirements for the making of quality Cava, including the importance of gentle picking and transport to the winery to prevent oxidation We briefly review the Traditional Method (Champagne Method) of winemaking, which is how all Cava is made Photo: Riddled Cava, ready for disgorgement.. Credit: D.O. Cava We discuss the aging qualifications for Cava, Cava Reserva, Cava Gran Reserva, and Cava Paraje Calificada that range from a minimum nine months to several years, and what each style yields We review the various dosage levels so you know what to look for: “Brut Nature” - no added sugar Cava Extra Brut – very little sugar Cava Brut: Slightly more added sugar in the dosage, sugar is barely noticeable Cava Extra Seco: heavier mouthfeel, noticeable sugar Cava Seco: Dessert level, very sweet Semi Seco: Even sweeter Dulce – Super sweet We discuss why Cava is such a big mess, with much infighting in its modern history, and why not all sparkling Spanish wine is created the same: We talk about the first fissures in Cava, with the 2012 break off of Cava OG producer Raventós i Blanc leaving the Cava DO because the quality standards were too low -Vino de la tierra Conca de l'Anoia (their own site) Photo: Raventós i Blanc Rosado, Vino de la Tierra We discuss the 2015 formation of The Association of Wine Producers and Growers Corpinnat (AVEC) or Corpinnat. We define the group and talk about its requirements for the small member producers: Mission: Create a distinguished, excellent quality, terroir-driven sparkling wine based solely on Penedès, rather than far flung regions that make lesser wine. To raise the profile of Cava from cheap shit to good stuff Photo: Corpinnat corks. Credit: Corpinnat Website Corpinnat Requirements At least 75% of the grapes must be from vineyards owned by the winery, wine must be made on the premises of the winery Minimum price paid for livable wages to the growers Certified organic and hand harvested grapes 90% of the grapes must be indigenous varieties: Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada for whites, Garnacha, Trepat, Monastrell, for reds. 18 months minimum aging **By design: Cava's three biggest producers can't meet the requirements: Cordoniu, Freixenet and García Carrión – which is why Corpinnat started in the first place, to raise the quality standard and allow smaller producers a voice Corpinnat members (2022): Gramona, Llopart, Recaredo, Sabaté i Coca, Nadal, Torelló, Can Feixas, Júlia Bernet, Mas Candi, Can Descregut, Pardas We discuss the qualifications of the Cava Paraje Calificado classification, created by the Cava DO in 2017 for single-estate sparkling wines with a vineyard designation, lower yield, and a longer aging period Cava de Paraje Calificado requirements include specifications for: lower yield, manual harvest, minimum fermentation time in the bottle at 36 months. Vines must be at least 10 years old and the wine must be produced locally in the same winery that grows the grapes. Issues: Includes the large wineries' estate vineyards and (originally) some smaller ones but doesn't address the issue of quality or cohesive terroir/flavor. It's like a medal system – here are our best wines! Photo: Paraje Califado Cava -- Can Sala, Freixenet Disastrous conclusion: The Cava Paraje Calificada was the solution to the Corpinnat – it was meant to be more inclusive. But Corpinnat was supposed to be a new small producer/ quality designation within Cava. Because it excludes large producers, the DO wouldn't allow Cava and Corpinnat on the same label, and Corpinnat left the DO. They cannot use Cava, or Gran Reserva on their labels. Of the 12 wines approved as CPC in 2017, 5 aren't CPC anymore, only Corpinnat We address most recent regulations of Cava in 2020 The Cava Regulatory Council approved new zoning of the Cava DO. We review the subzones that are supposed to create a better delimitation for consumers: Comtats de Barcelona - 95%+ of Cava production Includes Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, the "capital of Cava" – where the first bottles of Cava were produced in 1872 Location: In Catalonia, in northeast Spain. Along the Mediterranean coast near Barcelona Climate: Mediterranean climate, slight variations inland versus coast but mostly long summer, lots of sun, hot summer and spring - easy to ripen grapes, lots of different grapes thrive Land: Diverse terrain – various exposures, orientation, altitudes, and microclimates Five Sub-zones (used for Reserva and Gran Reserva Cava, more limited yields, organic viticulture, vineyards 10+ years old): Valls d'Anoia Foix, Serra de Mar, Conca del Gaià, Serra de Prades and Pla de Ponent Each has a slightly different character – some more at elevation, some farther from the sea – slight variations in flavors and what grows where Map: Detail of the Comtats de Barcelona Cava Zone. Credit: Cava DO The Ebro Valley area Northernmost part of the DO, far in the interior, near and influenced by the river Ebro Climate: Temperate, continental climate – summers are hot and dry with cold winters Two subzones (used for Reserva and Gran Reserva Cava, more limited yields, organic viticulture, vineyards 10+ years old): the Alto Ebro around Rioja, Navarra, and the Basque area of Álava and the Cierzo Valley Sub Zone. The Cierzo is near the Aragonese city of Zaragoza in the central area of the Ebro River, with strong regional winds (the Cierzo) to dry out the area Map: Detail of the Ebro River Valley Cava Zone. Credit: Cava DO Smaller zones: Levante: (Eastern Highlands, no official name yet), in interior of Valencia province, with a dry Mediterranean to semi continental climate depending on whether altitude) Viñedos de Almendralejo (Almendralejo vineyards): Fairly flat, southwestern-most part of the DO. A very dry, hot climate, with warm wind, known as the solano We end with an update of where Cava is today (hint: it's huge and growing, it's trying to improve by moving towards organics, it's still fighting against Corpinnat) and what could be the next step for Corpinnat too. A fascinating show that takes you on the wild ride that the region and wine has been on since we first discussed it those many years ago. __________________________________________________ Thanks to our sponsors this week: Wine Spies uncovers incredible wines at unreal prices - on every type of wine in a variety of price points. It's not a club and there's no obligation to buy. Sign up for their daily email and buy what you want, when you want it. They have a build-a-case option, so you can mix and match wines while enjoying free shipping on every purchase. Visit www.winespies.com/normal you'll get $20 credit to use on your first order! Check them out today! If you think our podcast is worth the price of a bottle or two of wine a year, please become a member of Patreon... you'll get even more great content, live interactions and classes! www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes Sources: www.cava.wine https://www.raventos.com https://www.corpinnat.com https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/02/nine-producers-break-with-cava-to-form-corpinnat/ https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/new-breakaway-sparkling-wine-appellation-to-rival-cava-20501/
We are tasting the Bodegas Borsao 2018 "Tres Picos" Garnacha – an old-vine Garnacha from the region of Aragon in Spain. We also talk about the spread of Garnacha/Grenache and the typical flavors based on where it is planted: https://www.grenachesdumonde.com/en/; https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/grenache-wine/. Official Grenache day Is September 3rd, so mark your calendars but don't feel you have to wait that long to enjoy a Grenache. Producer's website: https://bodegasborsao.com Visit our website: https://www.timetotastetx.com
It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Californians. Bill and I can add evacuee to our resumes as residents of Sebastopol and many other areas of Sonoma County were evacuated due to the Kincade wildfire. Firefighters made their stand at the edge of the foothills as the fires moved downhill towards the densely populated town of Windsor. Many lessons have been learned since the Tubbs fire in the fall of 2017 and in the end the town was saved. Restaurateurs in Sonoma County are struggling with business interruptions from planned power shutoffs and the recent fires. Many are absorbing the losses while other restaurant owners have elected to close. Heather Irwin of Sonoma Magazine writes a piece that explores how business owner are facing the realities of the PG& E public safety power shutdowns. E.J. Gallo has just purchased Pahlmeyer, a high end Napa Valley Wine Brand. W. Blake Gray gives us some details about the buyout. West coast grape growers are in the middle of a grape glut. The glut is putting a lot of pressure on wineries and growers and is forcing many to make some tough decisions. The pain that those businesses are experiencing is translating into some very good bargains for wine consumers. Bill and I discuss these items and more in this week's addition of VinoWeek. Thanks to everyone for listening. Cheers! photo courtesy of tenuta di bibbiano We have four holiday wine recommendations this week. First up is a 2016 Chianti Classico from Tenuta di Bibbiano from the commune of Castellina in Chianti. Bibbiano is managed by Tommaso and Federico Marrocchesi Marzi, the fifth generation of a family that has owned the property since 1865. 100% Sangiovese the organically farmed grapes are hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel for about two weeks. After the wine is racked and pressed it spends one year in traditional concrete vats. This is a wonderfully enjoyable, fruity Chianti. The nose show loads of rich red cherry, earth, spice and garrique. On the palate more of that very distinctive savory-sweet, red fruit with delightful balance and it’s strikingly drinkable. I tasted the bottle over four nights using no nitrogen to preserve it. All I did was pour a glass each night cork the bottle and put it back in the fridge. It wasn’t until the third night that it started showing signs of getting a bit tired. This Chianti would easily compliment a variety of dishes on your holiday dinner table. 5,800 cs, 14.5 abv $18 Buy it here. photo courtesy of tenuta di bibbiano Trentadue’s Old Patch Red is a perennial favorite of mine. Trentadue is the Italian word for thiry-two. Leo Trentadue moved his family from a Santa Clara ranch where they farmed cherries and apricots in 1959, to Geyserville in the heart of Alexander Valley. He bought a 208 acre ranch that was planted mostly with plum trees, but there were also 60 acres of grape vines. Leo never pulled those vines up, he just planted more grapes. A decade later Leo sold 20 acres of his ranch to Pillsbury, a food company looking to get into the wine business. Through many boom and bust cycles that Pillsbury winery (formerly Chateau Souverain) is now in the capable of hands of Francis Ford Coppola. A wide variety of wines are made at Trentadue and the Old Patch Red (OPR) as the newly redesigned label signifies is their entry level red. The 2016 version of OPR wine has a newer fresher style to it. It doesn’t have the same grit and rough around the edges profile of past years. The winemaker Miro Tcholakov loves working with Zinfandel and Petite Sirah and the OPR shows he knows what he’s doing. 67% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane, 3% Syrah the wine spends 9 months in 15% new oak. It has a deep ruby color, with a black cherry-cola nose, with loads of vanilla, oak and spice. On the palate it exhibits juicy black and red fruit. It’s sappy and slightly sweet and polished and finishes long with some nice spice as well. It’s sealed with a screw cap so it’s meant to drink now, but you don’t need to worry if you lose a few bottle in your wine stash because this one has some staying power. 5,972 cs, 14.5 abv $14 Buy it here. Cellar Cal Pla 2016 Black Slate is a wine from the village of Porrera in the winemaking area of Priorat and is situated roughly an hour and 45 minutes southwest of Barcelona in north-eastern Spain. The importer is Eric Solomon who imports wine predominantly from France and the Iberian Peninsula. If you’ve listened to any of our podcasts you’ve probably heard me talking about the importance of finding an importer whose wines align with your taste and trying other wines that they import. I’ve learned that Eric Solomon Selections is an importer you can count on to bring in uncommon wines from unique places. Bush vines in MAs-d’en -compte Priorat - photo courtesy of Eric Soloman Selections Priorat is a wine region that was rediscovered in the early 1990s and one could make an argument that Eric helped bring the region its new acclaim. The regions stony soils are covered with black slate, called llicorella locally. Its steep terraced hillsides make it nearly impossible to farm mechanically. So here’s the formula. Organic farming, old vines 15 to 80 years of age, meager yields, steeply terraced vineyards that are hand farmed and harvested. Add to that a wine that is comprised of 50% Garnacha (Grenache), 40% Carinena (Carignan) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in steel and concrete using natural yeast and matured for a year in 3 to 7 year old French and Hungarian oak barrels and you have a stunning example of a wine that exemplifies place over technique. The nose shows beautiful black and blue fruit, crushed rocks, spice and tar. On the palate black fruit, smoke and an earthy minerality. It’s full bodied and the acids and tannins are in perfect focus. The finish is deep and savory. It drinks really well as soon as you pop the cork but do yourself a favor and set aside a glass when you open a bottle and come back to it a few hours later. You’ll be glad you did. A remarkable value at $18 a bottle. 2916cs, 15% abv Buy it here. photo courtesy of Eric soloman selections wines to please you guests for the holidays The 2015 By Clinet Pomerol is a special bottling by the Clinet Wine Group. This wine was created for near term drinking while you’re waiting for your $125 bottles of Chateau Clinet to mature. I try not to recommend wines that are difficult to find. By Clinet Pomerol will be hard to find in the U. S. although it can be found in European markets. About 10 to 30 percent of the Gran Vin Chateau Clinet goes into this wine and the rest of the blend is sourced from neighboring Pomerol properties. The average age of the vines is 42 years and the blend is 88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. Black cherries, plums and licorice on the nose, in the mouth silky lush red fruit. The tannins are refined and the acidity gives the wine a nice lift all the while the fruit is ripe and sweet. Once I tried this wine I was immediately disappointed that I had only purchased four bottles. An incredible value at $45 almost a third of the price of Chateau Clinet.
Garnacha, Grenache; no matter how you say it, it's the grape you love to hate; it's the grape that has it all and is well traveled. It's the Most Interesting Grape in the World. From Spain to Australia, Binny's resident Garnacha/Grenache-lover, Jason Palma, takes the Barrel to Bottle Crew on a tour of everything this grape can do. Stick around for a customer Q&A about wine etiquette at dinner parties.
Sipping on Cariñena rose’, feasting on Spain. [sponsored content] This episode is about the garnacha-based rose’ wines (rosado) of DOP Cariñena. History, facts and figures, style, food, and cultural events are at the center of this session. (Wines provided by Gregory + Vine, New York) Resources from this episode: Books: Wine grapes: A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours [Kindle Edition], Robinson, Harding, & Vouillamoz (2012) Websites: Bodegas Paniza https://www.bodegaspaniza.com/en/ Bodegas San Valero https://www.sanvalero.com/en/ Cariñena: Region to Watch https://wineregiontowatch.com Cariñena.es https://carinena.es/la-ciudad/fiestas-2/fiesta-de-la-vendimia/ El Vino de las Piedras http://www.elvinodelaspiedras.es/?idioma=2 Foods & wines from Spain https://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/spanishfoodwine/global/wine/do/product-detail/PRG2017736002.html Garnacha-Grenache https://garnachagrenache.com/carinena/ OIV http://www.oiv.int/public/medias/3103/focus-2015-les-vins-roses-en.pdf Sevenfifty https://daily.sevenfifty.com/regions/carinena/ Wines from Spain USA https://winesfromspainusa.com/dos/do-carinena/ Glass in Session® is a trademark of Vino With Val LLC Music: Addict Sound - Happy Acoustic - (Jamendo.com cc_Standard License, Jamendo S.A.)
This week, we focus on this splendid grape that has come into its own. From obscure blender to a star varietal, Grenache or Garnacha is a total crowd-pleaser and can be a delicious wine in its simplest and most complex formats. We give the lowdown on it -- from red to white to "furry" Grenache, I'm positive you'll hear about some wine in this podcast that will make you want to run out and get it! Here are the show notes: Grape Overview We cover the origin story -- the wine spread around around Mediterranean and we believe it originated in Spain in Aragón, moved north and south of Pyrenees to France. The Sardinians of Italy would argue this premise... It's traditionally been a blender but now great varietal examples are available Grape character: Grenache is fruity, rich, sweet-tasting with red and black berry notes Its challenges: it ripens to high sugar levels and it can oxidize – even young wines brown around the rim. It can lack tannin The key to great Grenache/Garnacha -- it NEEDS well drained soils and water stress to thrive and yields must be controlled!! The vine has strong wood and is heat and wind tolerant -- it grows well in hot, dry climates. Makes everything from rosé, to white, to sweet wines and does it well! We discuss Grenache Blanc (one of my faves!) The wines of white Grenache are full bodied – fat and soft or floral, terroir-driven wines Usually blended with Grenache Gris, Clairette, Marsanne, Roussane, Viognier, Macabeo, others If yileds controlled, great full bodied wines that can be age worthy Places: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, California, South Africa, Priorat, CndP, Tarragona, Rioja, Navarra Other mutations -- Southern France and Sardinia: Grenache Rosé and Grenache gris make pale rosé and lightly tinted white wines. Pink skinned and more perfumed than Grenache blanc Garnacha Peluda: wines lower in alcohol and higher in acidity that show spicy and savory notes Where do we find Grenache/Garnacha? France Rhone: Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, Vacqueryas, and all over the southern Rhône - Grenache noir is the most common variety The GSM blend: Grenache can have a jam-like consistency when very ripe but usually adds bright fruit and alcohol to the blend. Syrah is typically blended to provide color and spice, while Mourvèdre can add elegance and structure to the wine Rosé: Tavel and Lirac roses, Provence, Rousillon for rose, Roussillon: dry wines, but also Vins Doux Naturels – Banyuls, Maury Spain Blends with Tempranillo, varietal as Garnacha Considered a "workhorse" grape of low quality suitable for blending but Priorat's rise and New World Rhone Rangers sparked a re-evaluation the variety North and east: Rioja, Navarra, Campo de Borja, Calatayud, Cariñena, Madrid, La Mancha, Priorat, Penedes Dry farmed, concentrated and tannic Aragón is the probable origin of the grape and has the largest surface of Garnacha in Spain Italy Cannonau in Sardinia -- high alcohol, can be harsh and green. Other Old World regions– Other southern Italian places, Algeria, Israel, Morocco, Cyprus, also grown in Croatia New World: Australia and California Australia Lots of GSM, some varietal wines McLaren Vale = luscious richness and spicy notes Barossa Valley =jammy, hugely fruity, can be over the top United States Used and abused at first -- grown in the hot central San Joaquin Valley because of its tolerance to heat and drought. Made sweet "white Grenache" wines, a la white Zinfandel Rhône Rangers movement in the late 20th c helped bring Grenache up in status -- rising in popularity and quality in CA In the early 20th century, Grenache was one of the first successful grapes in Washington State. Garnacha/Grenache is an amazing, do-all grape. There's a style for everyone, so try it if you haven't! Thank you to our sponsors this week: YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help!Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople Last Bottle Last Bottle Wines finds great wines and offers them at a one time discount. Last Bottle Wines: Is a fun way to discover the best wines at the lowest prices Maintains relationships with producers in the most prestigious wine regions around the world and traveling to Europe several times each year to eat with, stay with, drink with, walk the vineyards with the people who make the wines. Offer a range of prices from low end to high end $9 to $99 and the wines range from the lesser known kinds like Albariño and Bläufrankish to Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay. Visit: http://lastbottlewines.com/normal and join to get a $10 instant credit to use toward your first order. Invite your wine drinking pals and they’ll get $10 instantly and you get $30 when they make their first buy. Vivino You can use the Vivino app to scan and keep track of wines NOW -- Shop through their web store, which has great prices and a huge inventory! It can give you suggestions based on bottles you’ve liked in the past. Use their premium service to get 30 days free shipping Visit www.Vivino.com/WineForNormalPeople to stock up HelloFresh! A meal kit delivery service that shops, plans and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat and enjoy! Delivered right to your door, with a variety of chef-curated recipes that change weekly, this is a new way to eat and cook! We love it! For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit www.hellofresh.com/wine30 and enter WINE30. You won't regret it!
Another Quick Picks podcast highlighting two outstanding values from Spain’s Bodegas Borsao. Show Notes: 00:13 - Bodegas Borsao background 00:51 - Bodegas Borsao, “Red Wine” 2005 ($8) 01:29 - Bodegas Borsao, “Tres Picos“, Garnacha (Grenache) 2004 ($15) 02:01 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
The theme this month was suggested by Tyler a.k.a. Dr. Vino who didn’t suggest a wine grape variety or region, but to buy wines suggested by the staff at wine stores “that feel the love”. This being February, it seems like a great pre-Valentine’s day theme for WBW. After this theme was posted, I immediately thought of Solo Vino, my current favorite Twin Cities wine store. The store is located in St. Paul conveniently near the university where I teach part-time, so when I am on campus, I generally stop by to pick up some wines. What I like about the store is the wine selection, which is hand selected by the owners. Many selections are only locally available at Solo Vino and they are always open to bring in new selections based upon customer demand. For example, I asked for Trinitas, Bigalow Vineyard, Zinfandel and it was in the rack a couple of weeks later. Solo Vino was founded and is run by three wine geeks: Dana, Robert and Chuck who are almost always in the store to speak with. I stopped by yesterday and chatted with Dana who provided me with a list of the top 9 values they have chosen from their current stock. She also suggested the Alsatian Pinot Noir from WBW 14, so I picked Dana’s suggested Rhone wine made from 100% Counoise. This grape is one of several that usually gets blended into the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape where it adds a bit of aromatics, fruit, acidity and soft tannins. It’s quite rare to see this bottled on its own, so I had to give this one a taste. Domaine Monpertuis, Cuvee Counoise, Vignoble de la Ramiere, Vin de Pays du Gard 2003 ($13) – Medium ruby in color with aromas of violets, earth, fennel and other spices; plum, earth and spice flavors with a silky mouthfeel and nice acidity to match well with food. A delicious wine that balances the earthy characteristics and fruit perfectly. Also an awesome value. Score: 9/10 The second wine is one of Chuck’s picks and is a Spanish wine made from Tempranillo, Mazuelo (Carignan) and Garnacha (Grenache) grapes. It’s from Bodegas Ostatu, a small family winery from Samaniego, one of the fifteen villages of the Rioja region. Bodegas Ostatu, Crianza, Rioja 2002 ($18.50) - Deep purple color with ripe raspberry, black cherry and spice on the nose; black cherry fruit flavors with white pepper, minerals, a thick mouthfeel and fine tannins. Nice concentration and great balance make this a delicious wine in the fruit forward model I favor. Score: 9/10 So the best wine and best value go to Domaine Monpertuis, Cuvee Counoise 2003 the most complex wine of the tasting. Thanks again to Dr Vino from a great theme and for Dana and Chuck for picking some killer values this time out. Feedback: winecast@gmail.com | Audio comments: +01-206-33-WINE-9 (+01-206-339-4639) Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/