Trip to Spain: Day 1, Part 2

Our San Francisco manager, Michael, just got back from a wine exploration trip to Spain. Not only did he find some very outstanding wines there, but he also learned many things about Spanish farming and winemaking techniques. Over the following weeks, we will post his journal revealing a great education about the regions and wineries he visited. You will have the opportunity to learn about different farming techniques, processes, and philosophies of the different farmers, climates, elevations, and varietals. And, of course, you will be introduced to many phenomenal Spanish wines which will help you see why Spain has some of the best deals in the world for young-drinking and collectible wines.

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What a great start to the trip! If it was all down hill from here, I’d be happy enough that we started at the best. We’re on the bus cruising through Ribera del Duero and it’s interesting to see vines and young grains growing as far as the eye can see. We crossed the Rio Duero. Such a tranquil river. Cool green patch through the reddish hue of the surrounding soils.

Vines and young grains growing in Ribera del Duero

I just had a wonderful afternoon at Bodegas Vizcarra Ramos. This winery is super modern, but steeped in tradition. The family has been making wine for generations. The current owner and winemaker, Juan Carlos Vizcarra, developed this ultra-modern wine making facility. Designed a crane that allows for the entire winery to flow by gravity – no pumps. All the tanks and barrels are positioned at elevation intervals to keep things flowing. The tradition is in the farming. Small production with vines growing in clay and limestone soils over a gravel subsoil. They spend weeks in the vineyards making sure that the vines are producing fruit with distinct intensity and concentration. With the high elevation (2600 to 2700 feet), the temperatures are very warm during the day and quite cool at night. This makes for a long ripening period ensuring that all clusters are evenly and fully ripened. The gravity flow winemaking is a gentle process that allows the resultant products to shine.

Gravity Flow Crane at Vizcarra

My favorite was the JC Vizcarra. Excellent value, great concentration, beautiful minerality. Went really well with Spanish ham and grilled pork (and olives, empanadas, bacalao, manchego, etc). All their other wines are spectacular as well.

We worked on the bottling and packaging line today. We wrapped, boxed, and stacked the Ines and Celia magnums. After that, we cleaned barrels. Looks like we’ll earn our keep on this trip!

The winery is in the town of Mambrilla. One of the streets is lined with these ancient buildings that all house wine cellars. We’re told that they are all in use. We drank some old Vizcarra wines in one of the cellars. Didn’t have a label, but was over 20 years old. Great intensity still existed. Old 3 and 6-liter bottles covered with cellar dust. We popped one at dinner.

Vizcarra Cellar

I’m writing today’s blog inside the Castillo Real de Curiel – a beautiful medieval castle first built in the 7th century AD and reconstructed in the 11th century AD which served as a fortress during the Christian/Muslim conflicts for centuries. It housed many kings and was a prison for royalty and other nobles for about 200 years. Now it has a swimming pool on the roof. We conquered it in about 5 minutes! The bus must back all the way down the mountain when we leave. We’ll see how that goes tomorrow morning!

Castillo Real de Curiel

View from the top of Castillo Real de Curiel

-Posted by Michael Reynolds, San Francisco

Trip to Spain: Ribera del Duero

Our San Francisco manager, Michael, just got back from a wine exploration trip to Spain.  Not only did he find some very outstanding wines there, but he also learned many things about Spanish farming and winemaking techniques.  Over the following weeks, we will post his journal revealing a great education about the regions and wineries he visited.  You will have the opportunity to learn about different farming techniques, processes, and philosophies of the different farmers, climates, elevations, and varietals.  And, of course, you will be introduced to many phenomenal Spanish wines which will help you see why Spain has some of the best deals in the world for young-drinking and collectible wines.

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Day 1  (Part 1)

On the way from Madrid airport to Ribera del Duero, we hit a torrential downpour.  We drove through a massive pond of water in the middle of the highway which killed the bus.  It makes you think, “Oh great!  Two weeks of the bus breaking down.”  Fortunately, our bus driver, Jose Maria, armed with a cigarette lighter and a pair of pliers fixed the bus and had us back on the road in 45 minutes!

Looking out the window, I’m seeing many winery names of which I am familiar.  I’m seeing quite a bit more that I’ve never heard of.  What strikes me the most is the age of all the vines I see – and the yellowish-red hue of the soil as far as the eye can see.

Here we are in a tiny village called Quintanamanvirgo.  All 94 residents work for the local winery (except the bartender).  The local winery is called Bodegas Torremoron (Tower of the Moors).  Named after the towers that were built on the hill overlooking the town during the Moor occupation.  I am amazed by the old age of the vines: 80 to 100 years and they make a delicious wine that will sell for under $15 ($9.99 at TWC).  I find it to be very concentrated with a suppleness that makes it easy to drink.  You can easily detect the clay and limestone soils in the wine resulting in a wonderfully complex wine.  Organically farmed, these old vines are harvested at night.  Fermented in both 3000 liter oak vats and stainless steel tanks and then moved to cement tanks for malolactic fermentation.  A lot of work for a $10 wine, but it really tastes great!

The attention to history here is quite compelling.  Cellar houses that were built around 1300 AD dot the hillside.  Most are still functioning.  Also the old Roman presses that are no longer used sit on the hillside just begging to shout the story of days gone by.  Torremoron is refurbishing one of the presses and plan on using it in future wine production.

I’ll be blogging about the rest of my trip here. Stay tuned!

-Posted by Michael Reynolds, San Francisco Store Manager

Photo taken by Friederike Paetzold