Spain’s Sherry Region

February 4, 2023 / A Layman's Wine Musings / Leave a comment

One of the more notable wine trends during the last few years has been the resurgence of fortified wines such as sherry. Sherry is no longer viewed with the stuffy Old-World sentiment as it once was. I personally remember as a child seeing sherry being served in tiny ornate crystal glasses to elderly visitors.

Sherry is a unique wine that is exclusively produced in the wine-growing region of Jerez, Spain, located in a triangle of land formed by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. Sherry has been produced in the region since the 8^th century but it was the British who began exporting it after conquering Cádiz in 1587. They called it sherry since it was easier to pronounce than “Jerez”.

The process of producing sherry is very complex. The wine is fermented and placed in a ‘solera system’ which are barrels that are stacked up on their sides in a pyramid-like shape. Yeast develops on the wine, known as flor, which stops the wine turning to vinegar and adding extra spice and flavour to the wine. The wine gets transferred from the top of the Solera system down through each layer over time, blending with older wine each time to create a complex ageing process. Alternatively, sherry can be aged oxidatively, by being left in contact with the air.

The ancient ageing process combined with the diverse fortification methods and the microclimate within each town is what creates the different sherries. Most dry sherries use the Palomino grape variety, where the sweet ones tend to use Moscatel or the Pedro Ximénez grapes. Below are the most famous sherry styles.

Dry Sherry Wine

Dry sherries are good to drink as an apéritif and should be served chilled. The dryer the wine, the cooler the temperature should be. Finos and Manzanillas generally remain around five years in the solera system, whereas Amontillados and Olorosos spend ten or more years.

Fino

Fino is the driest of sherries. Fino sherries have a light body and a low alcohol content, which ranges between 15 to 17%. It tends to lose its flavour after it’s opened, so it’s best to drink it straight away and is best chilled.

Fino pairs well with salty foods such as olives, almonds and Spanish jamón. It also goes well with seafood and sushi.

Manzanilla

Manzanilla is a type of fino made exclusively in the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The ageing process is similar to Fino, but the proximity to the sea and the humidity results in a paler wine with salty notes. It should be served chilled and within a day or two after opening.

Recommended food pairings are similar to Fino. It goes well with olives, almonds, Spanish jamón, fried fish and seafood such as shrimp or raw oysters.

Amontillado

This wine begins as a Fino, ageing first under the velo de flor (protects the wine from air and imparts its own crisp, saline flavour) for four to six years and then through oxidation. This last stage allows the wine to develop more nutty flavours such as almond and hazelnut. The wine has an amber colour and it can vary between dry or medium-dry if mixed with a small amount of Pedro Ximénez grapes. It has an alcohol level of 16% to 18%.

Amontillado will pair well with pork and rabbit or bird meats such as chicken, turkey or quail.

Oloroso

This sherry has more of a full body. It has a dark golden colour and notes of dried fruit and spices. Olorosos spend about six to eight years in the solera and has an alcohol content of between 18% to 20%.

It pairs well with grilled red meats, game, aged cheeses and mushrooms.

Palo Cortado

Palo Cortado is a rare kind of sherry that usually occurs by accident. It begins as a Fino and then develops more like an Oloroso. The result is a dark-coloured wine with great body. It has an alcohol level of between 18% to 20%.

Suggested food pairing include the same foods that compliment oloroso or amontillado, as well as game meats, nuts, vegetables and blue cheese.

Sweet Sherry Wine

Regarding sweet sherry, the name of the grape is often used along with the word “crema”. Sweet wines can range from pale cream, which is sweetened Fino, to cream, which is sweetened Oloroso. There’s also “medium” which is usually referring to a sweetened Amontillado. All these wines contain around 15.5% to 22% alcohol.

Sweet sherries pair well with desserts, foie gras or mature cheeses such as blue cheese.

Within the sweet sherry realm, there are two other sherries, Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel (also spelled Muscatel), which are named after the grapes used in their production.

Pedro Ximénez

This is a sweet sherry with a honey-like consistency. It is the product of 85% of Pedro Ximénez grapes which are dried in the sun for about a week. It is considered to be a dessert wine and has an alcohol level of 15% to 22%. It will pair well with blue cheese, almond tart or vanilla ice cream.

Moscatel

Like Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel sherry will consist of a minimum of 85% of Moscatel grapes. The grapes are dried in the sun before being pressed and added to a solera. Moscatel goes well with ice cream or a fruit tart.

Sherry wine cellars are referred to as bodegas. Some of the best bodegas are located in:

Jerez De La Frontera

Bodegas Fundador: Established in 1730, it’s the oldest bodega in Jerez.
Gonzalez Byass: Also known as Tio Pepe. It began in 1835 and produces a variety of sherries, but it’s renowned mostly for its Fino styles with salty and citrus notes.
Emilio Lustau: Lustau is a large bodega in Jerez founded in 1896. It produces a wide selection of sherries.
Bodegas Tradicion: The wine making process follows traditional guidelines, with sherries kept in their natural state, without additives or filtering.

Located in Sanlúcar De Barrameda

Barbadillo: This bodega has existed since 1821.
Hidalgo: Sherry has been produced at Hidalgo since 1792, and since then the business has been passed down through the same family.

In Closing …

It’s time to move on beyond the former stereotype that sherry is only for our elders. It is in fact a drink for all.

Sláinte mhaith

Grape Revival

December 31, 2022 / A Layman's Wine Musings / Leave a comment

There is a recurring theme of grape revivals beginning to take place in Europe. Back on May 28^th I wrote about France’s The Forgotten Grape of the Loire, the Lignage grape, and today I will talk about efforts taking place by some of the world’s largest wine producers. Not only do they have the resources to take on such a massive undertaking, but they also have the land, the vineyards and the history to be able to go back in time to re-plant vines for the future.

One such producer is Spain’s Familia Torres where Miguel A. Torres, the fourth-generation president, began the work about 40 years ago after discussing the great phylloxera aphid epidemic of the late 19th century with famed University of Montpellier viticulture professor Denis Boubals. The insect infestation, which unknowingly came from North America, destroyed most European vineyards. However, Boubals believed that a few vines had probably survived somewhere.

Torres began the search for orphan vines and over several decades his winery has rediscovered 54 ancient grape varieties from Catalonia, including six good enough to produce as wine. It is his belief that we need a new way of understanding wine in order to mitigate the effects of climate change. With that aim, Familia Torres focused their efforts on reducing their carbon footprint, while recovering ancestral varieties, promoting research and implementing regenerative viticulture to benefit the vineyards and the planet. What makes these old varietals even more interesting and potentially important in light of climate change is that they have been found to be significantly resistant to both heat and drought.

Regenerating ancestral varieties is an exercise in viticultural archaeology to recover past heritage. By reviving varieties used by their ancestors, they can look to the future and discover the authenticity that will result in extraordinary wines that are truly special and cannot be made the same way anywhere else.

With an understanding of the type of varieties and vines that prospered so well in its soils in the past, the Torres family will be able to work better with the grapes and terroir they now have in their vineyards.

The first step of the project was to try and fine old vines and determine if they were indeed varieties that were no longer cultivated. This required going to the media outlets and placing ads asking farmers to contact Torres if they came across vines they could not identify.

Their first breakthrough came in the mid-1980s when a vine was found that Torres’s technical team could not identify. This unknown varietal was eventually identified as Garró. After much examination and research the decision was made to plant the variety in Conca de Barberà and add it to the blend of the first Grans Muralles vintage in 1996.

In 1998 a second variety was found and named Querol, after the village where it was found. The 2009 vintage was the first Grans Muralles blend to include grapes from the Querol vines.

Since 2000, Familia Torres’s research team has collaborated with France’s National Agricultural Research Institute, the INRA, to establish and implement specific stages when looking to identify and revive ancestral varietals. These stages include:

Search for Varietals

This includes the placement of ads with local and regional media outlets to tell grape growers who to contact if they happen to come across an old vine. When a potential case presents itself, Torres’s technical team conducts a preliminary evaluation on site.

Identification and Classification

To identify different varieties, ampelographers analyze the shoots, leaves, canes and grapes. A DNA analysis of the vine is then completed to dispel any remaining doubts about the variety. If the variety is identified as being unique, the team then completes a detailed description of all of the plant’s components.

Evaluation and Enological Potential

In order to study the behavior of these varieties under normal reproductive conditions, the vines are planted in a pilot vineyard. This allows for an in-depth analysis of the vegetative and productive parameters of each individual variety. The grapes are harvested to evaluate the enological (science that deals with wine and wine making) potential and organoleptic (being, affecting, or relating to qualities (such as taste, colour and odor) of a substance (such as a food) that stimulate the sense organs) quality of the wines.

Adapting to the Vineyard

The varieties displaying enological potential are planted in vineyards to evaluate their performance under more extreme climate conditions. Once the ideal conditions for each variety have been identified and its enological potential verified, the process of registering it with the relevant authorities begins.

The complete list of ancestral varieties that have been regenerated by Familia Torres include the following:

Garró

Garró was the first variety to be revived. First found on the terraced slopes of the Garraf Massif in the mid-1980s, it was planted in the early 1990s in Conca de Barberà. It was initially used in the blend of the first Grans Muralles vintage (1996). This is a late ripening, low yield variety with “great aromatic complexity”, according to Torres. It also “displays intense notes of green leaves and ripe black fruit. They are big on the palate, with lots of character and lively tannins”.

Querol

This old vine, rediscovered in 1998 near Querol (Tarragona,) saw the resurgence of a variety that was named after the village where it was found. It is one of the few known varieties that is completely female. This means that unlike most vinifera vines, its flowers are female rather than hermaphroditic (having both male and female reproductive organs). s a result, the berries are smaller and more irregular, and produce in a low yield.

Torres says Querol wines “are intense and fruity (forest fruit, pomegranate juice) with a big, concentrated palate that displays good acidity”.

Moneu

Moneu was also found in 1998 near Querol. It is named after Coster de Moneu, located to the south of the village. It is a red variety that grows well in high temperatures and drought conditions. The wines offer intense aromas of fragrant fresh fruit with well-defined acidity and gentle tannins.

Gonfaus

This is a red variety that was found around Lluçanès in Osona county in 1998. The climate conditions there are extremely dry, with large changes between daytime and nighttime temperatures. Gonfaus is a very low-yielding variety with wine that displays complex aromas of ripe fruit with slightly spicy undertones. It has well-integrated acidity and ripe, sweet tannins.

Forcada

Forcada is a white varietal found in Ripollès county. It is very vigorous and productive, as well as very aromatic. It has aromas of herbs, white flowers and citrus.

Pirene

Found in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees, Pirene is a strongly pigmented red variety with high tannin levels and a spicy, minerally nuance. The flavour reveals flavourful fresh fruit.

Sláinte mhaith

Wine From the Canary Islands

June 18, 2022 / A Layman's Wine Musings / Leave a comment

Wine is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the Canary Islands. The Islands are a popular European tourist destination but they also have a thriving wine industry.

Wine production has a long history in the Canary Islands, but the modern era didn’t start until about the mid 1980’s. Since then wine exports have been increasing as more people discover these wines.

The Canary Islands are in the Atlantic Ocean about 100 kilometres west of Morocco. The main islands, from largest to smallest, are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa. They are a popular tourist destination because of their subtropical climate. However, it is the distinctive volcanic wines that have been gaining global attention and critical acclaim over the past 3 decades.

Six of the eight islands, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera produce wine. The soils vary from island to island, formed by volcanic eruptions, landslides and erosion. The soil ranges from light stone to very heavy basalt rock.

The climate also varies across the archipelago. The eastern islands consist of older geological formations with lower, more uniform altitude and a dry, desert-like climate. The western islands are higher, steeper and have a greater variation of microclimates.

There are 20 unique grape varieties found in the Islands along with more than 20 new varieties that are currently being studied. Listán Blanco (aka Palomino) and Listán Negro are the most widely planted grapes on the Islands. Others include white wine grapes Malvasía Volcánica, Malvasía Aromática and Albillo Criollo, along with red wine grapes Negramoll, Vijariego Negro and Baboso Negro. There are a few plantings of international varieties, such as Syrah. Each of the Islands has its own specialities.

Dry, high-acid whites and light, fruity reds are typical of the Islands but richer, oak-aged options exist as well.

The wine industry is very focused on gaining international recognition based on the unique and ancient grape varieties grown. The aim is for these wines to reach markets where they can gain more exposure and have the opportunity to grow in popularity.

In 2020, around 15 million gallons of wine (51% red and 49% white) were produced in the Canary Islands.

Some of the grapes from the Canary Islands can be found in South America. They were brought there by Spanish settlers in the 16th century. One of the varieties was Listán Prieto, which can now be found in California (known as Mission), Chile (País) and Argentina (Criolla Chica).

Wine from the Canary Islands is occasionally available in the specialty section of wine stores in Canada. These wines will be included with the other wines from Spain.

Sláinte mhaith

The Wines of Rioja Spain

December 12, 2020 / A Layman's Wine Musings / 2 Comments

Rioja, situated in Northern Spain, is best known for berry-scented, barrel-aged red wines made from Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes. It is arguably Spain’s top wine region and the most famous. The vineyards follow the shores of the Ebro River for roughly 100 kilometers between the towns of Haro and Alfaro.

In addition to Tempranillo and Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) are also used in red Rioja wines. A few wineries also use small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon. White grapes on the other hand are not widely planted.

By 2017 the vineyard area was recorded at 64,215 hectares, 91 percent of which was planted with red grape varieties. Certified production of wine exceeded 250 million liters.

Aging Categories

Rioja’s traditional classification system for aging has influenced other Spanish regions. For example the words Crianza and Reserva occasionally appear on South American wine.

All top-end red Rioja is matured in new oak barrels. With French oak being difficult to obtain, winemakers in Rioja used American oak, which was both plentiful and inexpensive. More wineries are now using a mix of American and French oak. American oak maturation is what gives more traditional Rioja red wines their distinctive notes of coconut, vanilla and sweet spice.

The amount of time that a Rioja wine spends in barrel dictates which of the official Rioja aging categories goes on the label: Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva.

Joven

Joven is Spanish for “young”, indicating that these wines should be consumed within a short period of being released; generally within two years. Joven wine spends little or no time in oak barrels so they are low in tannin and are not suited for retention. This category may also include wines which have undergone aging, but for one reason or another do not gain certifications for the higher categories.

Crianza

Crianza red wines are aged for at least one year in oak, and another year in the bottle. They are released in the third year. White Crianza wines must also be aged for two years but only six months needs to be in barrels.

Reserva

Reserva red wines spend a minimum of one year in oak. They cannot be sent to market until a full three years after the vintage. The white Reserva wines need only spend six months of the three years in oak.

Gran Reserva

Gran Reserva red wines must undergo a total of five years of aging with at least two of those years being spent in barrels. The white counterparts must age for at least four years, with a minimum of 12 months in casks.

In order to be more competitive internationally, many wineries now produce a premium wine that is aged entirely in French oak barrels. Because these wines are often the most expensive in the winery’s portfolio, but may only qualify as Crianza or Reserva, they are not often marketed with any emphasis on the aging classification.

Site-Based Classifications

In 2018, the governing body Consejo Regulador introduced three geographic categories. These can be implemented from the 2017 vintage onwards.

If producers adhere to strict guidelines they may now produce single-vineyard wines under the Viñedo Singular banner. Vines must be hand-picked and be at least 35 years old. Yields are set low and a tasting evaluation must be passed. If the fruit is not from an estate-owned site, then the winery has to have a ten-year history of buying grapes from the vineyard.

Wine labels may now also be labeled with the name of a village but the winery must be located within the village boundaries, as well as the vines.

White Wines

Rioja Blanco consists of 7 to 8 percent of Rioja’s annual wine production. The region’s top white-wine grape was once Malvasia, which was used to create flavourful, oak influenced high-alcohol wines. Today, the emphasis has shifted to Viura (Macabeo) and Chardonnay, to give a slightly lighter, fresher and more international white-wine style. Other varietals that are now included in white Rioja are Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca, Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc.

Other Styles

Rioja also produces some other styles of wine, the most notable of which are sparkling wines referred to as Cava. Certain parts of the region are authorized to produce Cava. A few dessert wines are also produced on a commercial scale from both red and white grape varieties.

The wines of Rioja are well worth a look. They are competitively priced and of equal quality to the better known Italian and French wines.

Sláinte mhaith

The Wines of Spain

November 23, 2019 / A Layman's Wine Musings / Leave a comment

Spain seems to fly under the radar compared to neighbouring France when it comes to wine notoriety. Spain is actually the third largest wine producer in the world and has the most land dedicated to vineyards, having over a million acres. Spanish wines range from great value to the highly prestigious.

There are over 60 different regional districts producing everything from light and zesty Albariño to inky black Monastrell.

Spain consists of 7 distinct climate regions which are described as follows:

Northwest “Green” Spain

Galicia is the only sub-region where lush green valleys are plentiful and the common cuisine includes lots of fresh fish. Albariño is the champion grape of the sub-region called Rias Baixas (REE-us BYE-shus), which skirts the coast. The area specializes in zesty white wines and a few aromatic red wines made with Mencía (men-THI-yah) grapes.

Mediterranean Coast

The coast is a very diverse macro-region that contains the sub-regions of Valencia, Catalonia and Murcia. Catalonia is known for Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and a highly acclaimed red wine sub-zone, Priorat. Valencia and Murcia are warmer growing regions that produce a bulk of value wines from deep red Monastrell to aromatic white Malvasia and the widely planted Airén.

Ebro River Valley

The sub regions of La Rioja and Navarra are found in the Ebro River Valley. Here, Tempranillo is king and long-standing bodegas such as Lopez de Heredia and Marques de Murrieta make age-worthy wines. Navarra is known mostly for rosado (rosé) wine made with the Garnacha (aka Grenache) grape. The region also produces oak-aged white wines of Viura (Macabeo). In Basque country, zesty white wines called Txakoli (pronounced “CHAK-o-li”) are common.

Duero River Valley

The Duero River is the same river as the Douro in Portugal. This region is notable for the minerally white wine, Verdejo, of Rueda and the bold red wines of Toro, Ribera del Duero and Leon. The wine grape of this region is Tempranillo and in Toro it’s called Tinta de Toro, where it is considered to be a slight mutation of the Tempranillo grape.

Central Plateau

The central plateau or Meseta Central is the inner plateau of Spain which is home to the capital city, Madrid. Some of the best value red wines of Spain can be found here made of Garnacha, Tempranillo and even the rare, Petit Verdot.

Andalucía

Andalucía is a very hot and dry region famous for Sherry. The even hotter, Montilla-Moriles produces fortified dessert wines that are called PX. An aged PX, such as those from Bodegas Toro Abala, have similar nutty-date flavors like Tawny Port.

The Islands (includes The Canary Islands)

The Islands of Spain offer a wide range of wines from Listan Negro-based reds to dessert wines made with Moscatel. The volcanic soils of the Canary Islands add a gritty taste of rustic minerality. Currently, there are very few exporters of the limited wines of the Islands of Spain although you can find a few from places like Tenerife.

My personal favourite Spanish wines include the red wines of Rioja, which are typically developed from the Tempranillo grape and primarily blended with the Garnacha grape.

Rioja wines are classified by the amount of time spent aging in barrels and bottles before they are offered for sale. The classifications are legal terms that indicate the quality level and aging requirements.

Crianza wines are aged in oak barrels for a minimum of one year. They then must be bottled a few months before being available for sale.

A Reserva wine must be oaked for a minimum of a year followed by at least 2 years in the bottle before being sold.

Lastly, Gran Reserva wines are made only with the best grapes, which have been hand-picked. These wines must spend a minimum of 2 years in an oak barrel with an additional 3 years in the bottle before being sold.

Generally speaking, Rioja wines have a much better price point than similar quality wines from other countries. Spain produces excellent wines at an affordable price and are well worth considering the next time you are shopping for wine.

Sláinte mhaith