I found this lovely white wine in a restaurant at Malaga Port. They only had two bottles and my friend and I scoffed the lot. It actually comes from the Ribera del Duero region but doesn’t meet the qualifications to be labelled under that denominación. Hence it is Vino de Tierra. Castilla León has a … Continue reading El lebrero
Month: June 2021
Pedro Ximenez Grape Variety
Below is an interesting article by wine-searcher.com on this grape variety most associated with Sherry. It’s not a grape I’ve paid much attention to as I don’t like fortified wines or sweet wines. However in the last year I’ve had two dry whites made exclusively from this grape and enjoyed both. Apparently it is hard … Continue reading Pedro Ximenez Grape Variety
DO Montilla-Moriles
This is not a wine area that I know at all. Based in the area south of Cordoba, it was news to me they cultivated wine. This is probably because the area is known for its sweet dessert wines, which I don’t like. However I recently tried a nice dry white Wine from this region, … Continue reading DO Montilla-Moriles
DO Cataluña
The Catalan region of Spain has 10 Denominación de Origen (DO) wine areas including one, Priorat, which is a level up at Denominación de Origen Qualificada (DOQ). The DO Cataluña seems to be a catch all for those wines not made in these regions. That doesn’t mean there are some great wines under this DO. … Continue reading DO Cataluña
Más Picosa 2018
Based at the edge of the Llabera National Park this Tarragona region is not be as well known as it's neighbour Montsant which means you can pick up some great reds that rival Momtsant but cost a lot less. Blended from four of the greatest red wine grape varieties (Garnacha, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo) this … Continue reading Más Picosa 2018
How Climate Change is Affecting Mediterranean Wineries
Interesting article from Horizon Magazine on steps being taken by Mediterranean wine makers to combat the ever increasing temperatures due to climate change. It’s good to know we will still have wine. Click on image to open article by Horizon Magazine
Loureira Grape Variety
This is the second grape used both in Northern Portugal and Galicia in Spain. I have only ever tried this variety blended with other grapes such as Treixadura, Albariño and Godello. Loureira is usually present in low quantities of 10% to 15% so I’ve no idea what it tastes like in its own. According to … Continue reading Loureira Grape Variety
Treixadura Grape Variety
Associated mainly with the vinho verde wines of Northern Portugal this grape is also widely used over the border in Galicia, Spain. In particular it is the principle grape in the Ribeiro D.O. where it is blended with Loureira. I have tried some great Treixadura blends from Galicia and some I wasn’t so keen on. … Continue reading Treixadura Grape Variety
Ribeiro D.O.
The Galicia region of Spain is famous for its white wines. For most people this means a crisp Albariño from the Rias Baix D.O. Whilst I agree this is a lovely wine it is only one of four wine denominations in Galicia all of whom produce delicious whites. The oldest denominación de origin in Galicia … Continue reading Ribeiro D.O.
Bitoku 2018
This is a wine I tried last year during lockdown at an online wine tasting with Madrid and Darracott. Small bodega only around since 2005. Only does three wines and about 3000 bottles of this wine. It's named after the carp fish that swim in the bodega's pond. This is a white wine from Ribeiro … Continue reading Bitoku 2018