Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to another Carpe Vinum Newsletter and Tasting Announcement! I just have to say that one of the more exciting aspects of wine is in the fact that it is a worldwide culture and a worldwide product. Each region has different styles, different levels of quality, different methods of production, and on and on. It’s all different. As a result, that makes us all wine explorers, and students of the wine world. In that, we’ve explored the specifics of individual regions of France, but not really the specifics of regions of other countries. So this is a first study in region-specific Spanish wines, and we’re starting with my favorite of Spain: Ribera del Duero! There’s a lot to cover here, so I’ll try to keep it brief-ish and not bore you to tears.

So Ribera del Duero is a region of Spain that is situated in the North part of Central Spain, and lies a few miles Southwest of Rioja on the Duero river. The Duero, by the way, is the same river that flows into the ocean in Portugal where it is known as the Douro River, the area around which the fortified Porto is made. I guess that’s a bit inconsequential . . . but anyway, same river.

The first producer in Ribera del Duero was the winery Vega Sicilia, founded by Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves in 1864. After travels in Bordeaux, he returned to the Ribera del Duero with Bordeaux-varietal vine clippings. What he found, though, was that given the same care, the native Tempranillo could produce a wine as fine as the ones made with the noble Bordeaux varietals.

Fast-forward a bit. No . . . a bit more . . . Okay, a lot. 1982. That was the year that Ribera del Duero was finally certified as a D.O. (Spanish legal term for a certified wine growing region. Specifically “Denominacion de Origen”. Translated in English to “Denomination of Origin,” just in case you couldn’t figure that part out . . . Hey, you never know . . . !) The wines you’ll find from Ribera del Duero will be predominantly Tempranillo, with touches of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha and a smattering of others you’ve never heard of nor would remember if I told you. It’s okay . . . the Tempranillo is the important one. It’s Spain’s one “Noble” grape.

There’s one more thing about Spain’s wine laws that is important to remember, and mostly the same for all Spanish wines. I know, I know . . . The class has already gone on pretty long and we’re all tired, but we are wine students, right? So bear with me. This important thing is the fact that the Spanish have specified aging requirements, and names to go with them. This ensures that the wines are already aged to a certain point, and can possibly be more of a guarantee of drink-readiness. The terms are as follows.

Joven — A wine given little to no oak cask aging, and released soon after the vintage.
Barrica — Not really a law-specific wine term, but I thought I might include it since I’m pouring a “Barrica” wine. A Barrica is a large wine barrel, and the term just refers to the fact the wine has seen some wood age.
Crianza — The wine must be aged for 24 months prior to release, and at least 6 months of that is in wooden casks.
Reserva — The wine must be aged for 36 months prior to release, and at least 12 months of that is in wooden casks, and the rest in the bottle.
Gran Reserva — The wine must be aged for 60 months prior to release, and at least 18 months of that is in wooden casks.

So this is why we see many late vintage dates on the Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, since it’s been sitting in the winery’s cellar for quite a while. It’s probably also why so many are pretty expensive, since you’re essentially paying rent for the bottle’s stay at its parent’s house. The cheapest Gran Reserva from Ribera del Duero that I could find retails over $100. At any rate, I wanted to mention the aging designations since I’ll be pouring 3 Jovens, 1 Barrica, 2 Crianza and a Reserva. It sounds like a rhythmic Spanish wine mantra when spoken: Joven, Joven, Joven, Barrica, Crianza, Crianza, Reserva. Repeat until dizzy. Become one with the Ribera del Duero!

So Friday, February 24th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Ribera del Duero!!
Vina Gormaz 2004 Joven
Vina y Tia 2004 Joven “Quintanal”
Bodegas Valderiz 2004 Joven “Senorio de Valdehermoso”
Martin Berdugo 2003 Barrica
Corona de Castilla 2001 Crianza “Prestigio”

More Ribera del Duero!!
Condado de Haza 2002 Crianza
Legaris 2000 Reserva

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours
Hope to see you here!
Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting South Africa!

M