With Spain as a featured region for the 40th annual Vancouver International Wine Festival, one of the seminars sponsored by Wines from Spain was entitled Dynamic Spain. The idea was to show how, from classic to cutting edge, Spanish wines are some of the most exciting in the world. Barbara Philip, Master of Wine, and the 2018 Vancouver International Wine Festival Spirited Industry Professional, moderated the seminar where we explored a range of wines and met the imaginative producers behind them.
A Panel of Vine Stars
The panelists were Alvear president Fernando Gimenez Alvear; Maria Anibarro of Losado Vinos de Finca; Andres Bastida of Bodegas Alceño; Javier Delgado-Aurteneche of IberWine; Darrell Jones of Guy Anderson Wines; Yves Laurijssens of Bodega de Moya; Carlos Lopez de Lacelle of Artadi; Manuel Louzada of Arínzano Vinos de Pago; Joao Machete Pereira of Marqués de Murrieta; Sébastien Richard of ARAEX Grands Spanish Fine Wines; Chema Ryan of Muriel Wines; and, Miguel Torres Maczassek of Torres.
What can bring Spanish Wines to Top of Mind?
Spain, Barb Philip explained, is one of the world’s most creative wine regions: whether it be architecture, design, or pushing new wine styles; but also is a region renowned for its tradition, and wines that are aged and then appreciated upon release.
Philip asked the audience, comprised of trade, what we think needs to occur in order to get wine consumers in BC reaching for wines from Spain.
“Is it important to put the grape variety on the label?” she asked. I thought this was a great question.
My thought: what if that grape varietal is not an international varietal, but one of the more than 100 grape varieties that are indigenous to Spain? If a wine lover in BC has never seen or tasted a Mencia or a Pedro Ximénez, how can they know what these wines are, or what to expect in the bottle?
The answer of course will be education, starting with the people that sell the wines. These wines are a ‘hand sell’ meaning that they need to be presented in hand and that people need to be talked to one by one.
In Spain, to help kick start this educational process, a group of winegrowers established an association called the Spanish Fine Wines Institute. The Spanish Fine Wines Institute is a private academic association that brings together the resources of 19 winegrowers, and affiliated businesses to support academic study and wine culture, international market development, media relations, scientific research, and educational programs.
Whenever like-minded wineries unite to execute cooperative activities, it can have a huge impact on not only the participating wineries, but the industry as a whole. The Spanish Fine Wines Institute will help with the educational process.
The Vancouver International Wine Festival, which has 25,000 members of the public and individuals who work in the wine, food, and hospitality trade attend, offers a rare opportunity to try new wines from a region who we may be less familiar with.
Tasting Our Way Across Spain
So for this seminar on Spain, our education, we tasted a whopping 12 wines. I will include our prices here in British Columbia. If you are from outside BC and reading this, be kind; we know that our wines are more expensive here than almost anywhere! There is some great value here, even so.
I was engrossed in the dialogue, so I regret my notes are quite brief… all were of high quality:
Torres Albarinñ Pazo de Bruxas 2016 $24.99 – fresh; great minerality
Losado Vinos de Finca Bierzo 2015 $26.99 dry, mineral, wet stone on finish
IberWine Monte Hiniesta Tempranillo 2015 $16.99 – This is actually Tinta de Toro, a clone of Tempranillo – it had delightful sour fruit on the attack before rounding out to cherry and plum and red fruit
Bodegas Alceño Premium 50 Syrah 2015 $17.49 – light bodied, delicate & silky on the palate – warm finish
Guy Anderson Wines Anciano Old Vines Garnacha 2015 $21.99 – silky on palate, round fruit, moderate acid, sour/lemon and good tannins grab on finish
Bodega de Moya Sofia 2015 $44.99 – pepper on the nose; ripe fruit, leather and cocoa on palate
Arínzano Vinos de Pago La Casona D.O. Pago De Arinzano 2008 $47.99 – big; silky blue fruits; high tannin
ARAEX Grands Spanish Fine Wines Rolland & Galaretta Rioja 2012 $25.29 – classic fruit and sour that I get from Tempranillo (sour in a good way = acid); discernable tannin
Muriel Wines Conde de los Andes Red 2001 $70.00 – silky, sour, developed flavour but still fresh
Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Y Gay Gran Reserva Especial 2007 $138.99 – silky fruit with balanced, mouth-puckering acid; drinkable now.
Artadi La Poza de Ballesteros 2014 $189.99 – rich and intense fruit and tannins.
Bodegas Alvear Pedro Ximénez De Anada 2015 $29.49 – intense nose and palate of brown sugar, dried fruit and honey.
So what defines Dynamic Spain?
The dialogue from Barb and the panelists, along with the corresponding wines, offered a great snapshot of the country.
This lineup proved that Spain has enough diversity in regions that they cannot easily be summarized together.
Instead, each D.O. needs to be tasted & valued for what each D.O. expresses from its land. The new, dynamic Spain can perhaps be summarized as a celebration of terroir, and individual expression.
This is the beauty of the wine world: the variety & uniqueness that can be discovered at every turn.
Disclosure: I purchased the ticket to attend this event; and the opinions are my own.