Today we are looking at Spain one of the most fashionable country of origin for wine on the Irish market at the moment. Spanish wines are very popular with the Irish wine drinker, many of whom visit Spain for their annual blast of vitamin D and have therefore become familiar with the very diverse range of Spanish wine styles. We are seeing more and more Spanish wine imported into Ireland and here in Drogheda, local importer Seamus Byrne of Quintessential Wines has some great Spanish wines in his portfolio.
2013 Menade Verdejo – DO Rueda €14.00
STOCKISTS: Black Pig Wine Donnybrook; Hole in the Wall Blackhorse Avenue
Power & Co Fine Wines Lucan; The GardenHouse Farm Shop, Malahide; JJ O Driscoll Superstore, Ballinlough Road, Cork; O Learys Foodstore Cootehill, Co Cavan and Quintessential Wines Drogheda www.quintessentialwines.ie
I visited this winery in 2000 and met Ricardo Sanz Martin (or as I like to call him the REAL Ricky Martin). Ricardo himself is no stranger to Dublin and in his younger years travelled here quite regularly. The family are fifth generation and the the Sanz siblings, include Ricardo (Oneologist), Marco (Viticulturist) and Alejandra (and sales). Their father is the iconic Antonio Sanz (Palacio de Bornos), but the boys started their own project, MENADE in 2005.
Rueda made its name in the first wave of new Spanish wine, when the Rioja firm of Marques de Riscal began producing fresh aromatic Sauvignons in the 1970's Since then much has changed and by far the most exciting wines in the region are now made from the local Verdejo grape.
The Sanz dynasty in Rueda is legendary and their importance in terms of innovation cannot be underestimated. Each generation, has put their own stamp on the winery and the current generation take a holistic approach to farming, which includes organic viticulture.
Pioneers in the organic certification of their winery and vineyard in Rueda they have a thoroughly modern approach to winemaking - concentrating on the native variety, Verdejo. The winery is surrounded by the estate vineyards, which total 50 hectares. Most of the vines are old vines approx 140 years old, which gives a lovely level of concentration and depth to the wine, the younger vineyards are planted with vines aged between 18 and 30 years old.
Menade is 100% Verdejo from the region of Rueda. This is a lovely fresh and citrusy wine with a creamy, mineral palate and long finish. The grapes are hand harvested, fermented using only natural yeast with no use of sulphur during the winemaking process, and just a little added during the bottling process.
With Spring just around the corner this is a light fresh zesty wine and one to put on your list when the sun starts to shine.
2013 Honoro Vera, Monastrell DO Jumilla €14.95
Stockists: Black Pig Wine Donnybrook; Hole in the Wall Blackhorse Avenue; Power & Co Fine Wines Lucan; The Garden House Farm Shop, Malahide; Mulligan’s Grocery, Dromiskin; JJ O Driscoll Superstore, Ballinlough Road, Cork; O Learys Foodstore Cootehill, Co Cavan and Quintessential Wines Drogheda www.quintessentialwines.ie
I was also lucky enough to visit this winery in 2002. This wine comes from the Spanish D.O. Jumilla part of the autonomous region of Murcia located in the South East of the Iberian Peninsula. It occupies a strategic position along the Spanish Mediterranean coast with 176 kilometres of coastline, in that section of Spain know generically as El Levante "the East". The region of Murcia has a semi-arid Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and short mild winters.
From a winemaking perspective, Murica used to be yet another bulk wine making region, in the last twenty five years, Murica went through a re-birth in terms of how wine is made in the region and it is now one of the more exciting new wine producing regions of Spain with many new wine making styles emerging of which this is one. There are three DO's in Murcia, DO Jumilla, DO Yecla and DO Bucellas.
This is another family estate, under the direction of Miguel Gil, of Bodegas Juan Gil, this winery has quickly gained a reputation as the ultimate expression of modern Jumilla, breaking all parameters previously established by the region. The winery has 12 hectares of the oldest (26 years) Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the zone and 32 hectares of marvellous old Monastrell with an average age of 60 years old. The wines are truly awe-inspiring for a region originally known for its large co-operatives and mediocre wines.
The vineyards that produce the grapes of Honoro Vera Organic are over 30 years old, located over 2,300ft in altitude and are planted on a bed of limestone and sand, ideal for this type of crop.
This mouth-filling wine is made from a Spanish grape called Monastrell. Know as Mourvèdre in France, this grape has a thick skin which means it’s great for growing in warm climates and in hot regions such as Jumilla. Thick skin means it is high in tannin but when well-made as this wine is, it has lots of black fruit flavors and spicy herbaceous character.
Wine Diary Events
Lots of consumer wine tasting events coming up in February and March, including a 50’s style Hollywood dinner in the Savoy Hotel in Limerick or an Italian Dinner in Dublin on Feb 17th featuring wines from Castello Banfi in Tuscany.
Or you could try your blind wine tasting skills at the Torres “dine in the dark” event in Dublin in March. Check out the wine diary for more information about all these upcoming events www.jeansmullen.com
