This is the third wine from the Madrid & Darracott Lockdown Virtual Tastings (box number two). A Rose wine made from 100% Tempranillo. It has a pale strawberry pink colour with a lovely scent of strawberry/raspberry jam and flinty stone. This is a refreshing dry wine with a medium body and good lingering finish. It … Continue reading Floritura Rosado 2019
Month: April 2020
Fun With Corks
A little craft project for you all during quarantine.
Godello Grape Variety
Back in the 1970s there were only a few hundred Godello vines left in the region Valdeorras. Horacio Fernández is credited with reviving this grape variety until it is now one of Spain's top white wine varietals grown throughout Galicia and in neighbouring Bierzo. Check out this great article by New Zealand's Wine Guy, Gavin … Continue reading Godello Grape Variety
AbreCaminos Godello 2018
This is the second wine from the Madrid & Darracott Lockdown Virtual Tastings (box number two). It is a Godello from the Galician region of Valdeorras. These are usually one of my favourite white wines. A full sibling of the Verdejo grape, the Godello variety has less malic acid than verdejo so none of the … Continue reading AbreCaminos Godello 2018
Some History on the Rueda Region
Running along the Rio Duero South West of Valladolid in Castilla Leon, the Rueda D.O was formed in 1980. Prior to the 70s this region had very few grapevines. They primarily grew the Palomino grape variety but much of the vines had been killed off by the phylloxera bug earlier in the century. Then the … Continue reading Some History on the Rueda Region
Sibling Grapes: Verdejo and Godello
Two stalwart grapes of Spanish white wines are in fact sibling. Verdejo, cultivated in the Rueda region, and Godello, used primarily in Valdeorras and Bierzo, are both derived from the same parent grapes: Savagnin (or Traminer) and Castellaña Blanca. Verdejo is often considered the Sauvignon Blanc of Spain. This entirely separate grape variety also shares … Continue reading Sibling Grapes: Verdejo and Godello
Rey Santo Verdejo 2019
This is the first wine from the Madrid & Darracott Lockdown Virtual Tastings. It is a classic Verdejo white wine from the Rueda D.O. Rueda white wines are served in just about every bar in Madrid and around most of Spain. Ask for a glass of white without specifying, and you will probably get a … Continue reading Rey Santo Verdejo 2019
Virtual Wine Tastings
With the lockdown in Spain due to Coronavirus my weekly wine tastings have all been cancelled. No more sitting around a table in a cool bar or wine shop learning about new wines together. Life is tough! Fortunately the proprietors of these places have worked out a way around the quarantine and taken their wine … Continue reading Virtual Wine Tastings
Best Wines for you Health
In these uncertain times it is a good idea o look after our health. So we should drink moderately but also look out for those wines that promote good health. Here is an interesting article from winefolly.com on what makes a wine better for you. Click on the image below to open the full article: … Continue reading Best Wines for you Health
Parada de Atauta (Update)
I first tried this red wine back in March of last year at a Lavinia Tasting Class. I wasn't well that night and was struggling to appreciate the wines before me. I admitted at the time that hadn't really tasted this wine and it got a rather lack lustre write up. To see my original … Continue reading Parada de Atauta (Update)