SPANISH WINE REGIONS OF RIBERA DEL DUERO AND RUEDA SEEKING TO EXPAND

Michael Hepworth

SPANISH WINE REGIONS OF RIBERA DEL DUERO AND RUEDA SEEKING TO EXPAND

HOLLYWOOD(Spiritsman)5/17/15/–In an attempt to let the world know a bit more about the wines from this region which Is about 1 ½ hours north of Madrid, a lavish wine dinner was held at the trendy A.O.C.

Restaurant in Hollywood for assorted high profile wine media. What we can report is that the wines are very good and will become increasingly accessible in the months and years to come in the important California market.

Ribera wines are described as bold, rugged and ripe and go with almost very style of food and in particular barbeque. Ribera has a very extreme temperature swing, making it ideal for the Tempranillo grapes that grow there. The terrain is very rocky, summers are very hot and the winters have been described as frigid. Look out for red wines from pago de los capellanes (2013) and lleiroso crianza (2011)

Rueda is known for the Verdejo grapes that flourish in this particular climate, which is the grape friendly type of hot days and cool nights. They are white wines full of flavor that go with anything from oysters and sushi to pizza or cheese and crackers Some of the winemakers to look out for in this category are Javier Sanz and Jose Pariente, both having 2014 vintages on the market.

For those interested a little bit more about the history of the wines in the region, we can report that the Ribera wines come from the upper reaches of the Duero river. Ribera del Duero DO built a solid reputation on “Vega Sicilia”, the most expensive Spanish wine.

The vintages to look for in this outstanding, but inconsistent wine are the years of 1953, 1962, 1975, 1976 and 1982,and this inconsistency was brought about by the habit of aging in different sizes and ages of wooden casks. At one time these wines were being aged for up to twenty-five years, but that time has now been reduced substantially to about six years. The estate dates back to 1864 in limestone hills above the south bank of the Duero but the yield of this powerful wine remains very low due to the climate and the old fashioned wine making techniques.

Rueda wines from the Verdejo grape traditionally were fortified by fino (Palido Rueda) and rancio (Dorada Rueda) styles. Rueda traditionally made its name with a form of sherry known as Palomino a yellow wine grown on chalky clay. Investors from France have seen the potential of the region, so now the white wines are starting to gain momentum, including the newer ones listed above.