But let's leave the abstract side of Saint Julien for a while to focus on more practical and worldlier data. This region is located in the heart of the Medoc region, comprising 900 hectares which are distributed in twenty-six vineyards. Those vines produce more than six million bottles a year. That is something.

Being situated between Margaux and Pauillac, the comparisons with wines from these two terroirs are inevitable, but Saint-Julien always succeeds ... the very large number of Grand Crus per square kilometer in this area is not a coincidence.

We discover where in France it comes from upon the first notes of its fragrance arrival. It is a Bordeaux. It shows its gradual elegance while its warmth overwhelms us. However, it is not a very smooth wine, it has character and that is the reason why it is perfect with strong dishes like stewed or roasted meat, game and Spanish food specialties, like most of their tapas.

I have not ever tasted it with fish yet, although I have planned to investigate how good could it combine with cod and halibut. Above all, it makes my mouth water to think how perfect will be a glass of Saint Julien to accompany a plate of cod Rioja style (peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes, a pinch of spicy and, of course, generous olive oil). You have to take great pleasure in pairing.

The most common grape varieties in Saint Julien French region are Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Although it is the latter the one that gives these wines that quality of its superb aging. That’s another reason to invest in at least one bottle for our own private cellar. Hell yeah!

We can also find Saint Julien wine made from Malbec and Petit Verdot grapes. It would not be our choice if we are looking for a classic, but nevertheless it is a good option which proves that French wine is not as rigid as it looks like sometimes.

I recommend Chateau Lagrange 2005 or Chateau Saint Pierre 2000, which are also two of the best vintages of the region. A bit cheaper, but also delicious, we find Connétable de Talbot 2006 or Les Fiefs of Lagrange 2008.

Any other? Of course, you can have whatever you want in Pauillac:

Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2007

A classic cellar with modern wines

Château Lalande-Borie 2006

Château Lalande-Borie, another of the "musts" from Pauillac

Leer Saint-julien, art in Bordeaux en Uvinum's blog

Albariño

Albariño is a grape variety from Galicia that produces greenish-yellow wines with well marked floral and fruit aromas. At the time of being newly made it is slightly acidic, but over time will acquire hints of ripe apple and honey caramel. Experts describe Albariño with aromas similar to fern, white flowers and fresh hay, and taste similar to ripe peach... Don't you want to try it?

Chardonnay

Usually vinified to be consumed in the year, the Chardonnay is easy to grow and the most prized white variety, because it withstands all kind of climates and is ideal to be fermented or aged in oak barrels. Tasters often associate this grape with aromas of fresh butter, hazelnut and bread, then giving way to tropical fruits, melon, banana and pineapple.

Without the oak, it acquires good acidity, as well as citrus aromas of grapefruit and green apples, and even sweet fruits such as apricot can be recognized. When fermented and aged in oak, Chardonnay wine offers less acidity and more body, with notes of vanilla, honey, caramel and milk.

Gewürztraminer

With almond pink grapes and taking intoaccount that “Gewürz” means spice in German, this is a variety that just refer to these aromas and flavors. Gewürztraminer is characterized by the strong presence of fruit and floral notes, similar to those of the Argentinian Torrontes and muscat grapes. In mouth it is related to ripe grapefruit and even mango.

Sauvignon Blanc

With a strong presence of notes reminiscent of green apple and guava, as well as asparagus and peas, in the Sauvignon Blanc is very often found also the aroma of freshly cut grass.

Torrontés

Torrontés is the flagship white grape for the wines produced in Argentina. It can be distinguished by its intense floral aromas, reminiscent of Muscat grape, and also by a touch of roses. Evokes aromas of tropical fruits such as pineapple and banana, but in turn provides notes similar to geranium or fennel.

Leer Varieties of white grape en Uvinum's blog

To the North, by the Alps and divided by the river Po we find the region which has 1/6 of the vineyards across Italy. It is called Piedmont. This region has a unique climate, almost magical, in which warm, humid summers and long and cold winters are usual. It also surprises the autumn fog which covers it all with its white veil. In this climate born the strains that get those special wines that will captivate us from the first sip and which we will not be able to forget. Furthermore, Piedmont wines are elaborated mostly with indigenous strains and they have guaranteed quality by several designations of origin. Grapes used to make these wines have some very special characteristics.

Piedmont reds are world renowned. Barolo and Barbaresco which are dark, full bodied and high alcohol content wines are a good example of it. They have made the Piedmont region wines so famous and highly valued.

But if you are looking for a sparkling, then you have also come to the right place as Asti and Moscato d'Asti sparkling wines are some of the most typical of Italy and also considered national pride. Consumed since the time of the Romans, they are good because they are light, varied and, what is important, they are also affordable.

Piedmont, specifically the hills surrounding the city of Alba, with its warm and sunny slopes of limestone, is the ideal area to achieve excellent sparkling wines with a soft flavor, thanks to the white muscat grapes.

The best choice is a young Asti, a sweet and aromatic wine which has a persistent froth. The way they are made, following the Charmat method, makes the bottling process soft as the second fermentation takes place in tanks and not in the bottle. This particularity makes them different than other sparkling wines, like Champagne which is made according to the Champenoise method.

The taste of a young sparkling wine from Asti will create the right atmosphere while having a piece of Gorgonzola, along with a dessert or, if we prefer by itself as an aperitif.

But if we are looking for a fun, softer and low-alcohol wine to go together with a good dessert then Moscato d'Asti is going to become the best match. You just need to open the bottle and let go while you taste some Gianduiotti or almonds with dark chocolate, so typical from the Piedmont region, and enjoy the flavors that will transport you to the lands of the Adriatic.

Sant Orsola Asti

Sant Orsola Asti, one of the best Piedmont's Asti

 5,96€

Ceretto Moscato D'Asti 2009

Ceretto, one of the Italy most important cellars

 15.15€

Leer Wines and bubbles from Piedmont en Uvinum's blog

So, when we talk about Rioja, we are mixing the 3 sub-zones that draw up the appellation, which do not have much in common with each other:

First, in alphabetical order, is Rioja Alavesa. There are 18 wine-producing municipalities in Alava under this appellation, which features are the Atlantic climate and calcareous-clayey soils. The produced wines have a balanced acidity, and it is considered a very suitable zone to the most traditional reds and also the most complex whites.

The following is Rioja Alta, also dominated by Atlantic climate, but the soil type is more varied: clayey-calcareous, alluvial and clayey-ferrous soils. It is an area in which the wines develop a high acidity, making them more suitable for long aging in barrels. Reserves and Great Reserves of known prestige are produced in Rioja Alta.

Finally, we find Rioja Baja, an area with Mediterranean climate and mainly alluvial soils, where the wines are less acidic and have more alcohol; denser, with more body, so it is an ideal area to create flavorful rosé wines, and fleshy reds, more powerful and less acidic than the rest under the appellation.

As always, we leave you a recommendation, which in this case will be one per sub-zone, but before buying wine, we recommend you to look at the recommendations of other users of Uvinum. You will be surprised!

From Rioja Alavesa we choose, as we said, a complex white of Bodega Remelluri, the Remelluri Blanco 2009. Not a cheap wine, not even a wine that appeals to everyone, but it is a white of a stunning quality that the connoisseurs analyzed again and again by the complexity and richness of its flavors.

However, from Rioja Alta we recommend a Special Reserve with a non-extravagant price: the Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial 2001, a very good year for aging wines, which has produced this wine, with a very persistent flavor in mouth.

Finally, a rosé wine from Rioja Baja. In this case the Barón de Ley Rosado 2011, from Barón de Ley. It is a rosé wine with a wonderful flavor that nicely accompanies any light meal such as salads, sushi or rice. Bon appetit!

Leer Rioja, Rioja and Rioja en Uvinum's blog

Wines are the perfect companion to our best stories, because they themselves have their own. Now we tell you the story of 3 of the most appreciated wines in Spain, so that when you go to buy wine you'll have a story to tell to start your own:

Pago de los Capellanes Crianza 2008

Some trees were the beginning of the successful career of this winery located in Pedrosa de Duero (Burgos). Their concern for tradition and roots and their liking for the eco, drive to the producers to create one of the wines which are honored to be part of this triad of your favorite wines today I want to talk about.

Eight walnut trees over a hundred years old mark the center of the winery structure which first phase of construction began in 1996. The entrance of the grape harvest, the winery, the aging cellar and bottling and shipping are the different parts we can find in these buildings. The latest phase, completed less than two years ago, focused on the social structure which serves as a starting point, link and heart of the winery.

Another of the peculiarities of this wine is of course its name, which comes from the way these lands were known as early as the fourteenth century. At that time there was a small parish in the town, whose chaplains prayed and celebrated mass in exchange for small plots of land. They seized a sizable plot land that was returned to the City after the confiscation of Mendizabal in 1855, but it still continued to be called the chaplains’ lot (pago de los capellanes, in Spanish).

Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial 2001

In Rioja Alta Group, Viña Ardanza producers, they say that they had not made a wine like this since 1973. In fact, only two vintages of this wine deserved the qualification of special reserve before 2001, one was the 1964 one and the other was the above mentioned.

Both have in common the struggle for survival, since both cases were years marked by the harsh weather conditions. In 64 stocks were feared because it was not raining. A dry year that made them feared the worst. However, with summer came the rain drops that gave new life to these grapes, influencing significantly the wine quality. Four years inside American oak led to a mythical wine that few ones have been lucky enough to taste.

In 73 something similar happened. They actually had to thoroughly pick the grapes to ensure quality standards were being sought. All that work was paid off with an excellent vintage whose characteristics also came to be considered special reserve.

And finally 2001, a wine which remains the best attributes of its predecessors but comes to us with a new design impregnated with modernity. An ode to innovation which can be discovered from the outside to the inside of a wine made with dedication.

Habla del Silencio 2010

Extremadura: the wines of the future land. Or at least that's what Habla wineries is looking for with each of their artworks (wine) made with pinpoint accuracy and state-of-the-art facilities. They are the creators of this wonderful wine that attracts us from the depths of that black glass inside which it dwells.

Habla del Silencio 2010 is a new experience that captures our attention immediately. So did its predecessors: mysterious, minimalist and appealing on the outside, delicious and with the precise mineral point inside.

That exuberance is perceived in each sip and it is the germ of attraction that encourages the desire. But nothing is a coincidence in Habla. Perfection involves hours of work using the latest techniques, controlled by a team of experts who manage to take full advantage of their creativity and of that hard and demanding land where they have chosen to place their vineyards.

Wanna try them? Here you are:

Pago de los Capellanes Crianza 2008

Pago de los Capellanes Crianza 2008

 16.82€

Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial 2001

Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial 2001

 17.17€

Habla del Silencio 2010

Habla del Silencio 2010

 8.09€

Leer History of 3 wines en Uvinum's blog

Ecological wines are no longer an exception, but are fully recognized in shops and restaurant menus worldwide. Moreover, there are wineries that, knowing the success that this kind of wines have, incorporate them into their most respectable vintages.

Being grown and elaborated without pesticides or chemicals, they have are better beneficial properties for the body than other types of wine, something about not all wine producers agree and generates a broad debate among the industry.

Elaboration and certification

Ecological wine is made with the use of natural resources, without chemicals (chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides), which ends with the existence of some residues in wine. Therefore, a higher quality product is obtained. In order to guarantee that a vineyard is ecological, it must be rated by an official agency to certify it.

Such is its importance that the first steps in investigating the benefits of ecological wines have already taken, as demonstrated by a study conducted by researchers on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Cancer from University of Barcelona. According to reports, they stated that the administration to animals of Volvoreta ecological red wine -produced in the winery Viña Zangarrón, appellation Toro (Zamora)- prevents the development of chemically induced cancer tumors.

Some ecological wines

Piedra Luenga

From Cordoba, they research to give their wines biological properties. Bodegas Robles presents a delicious range of ecological wine: Piedra Luenga, the first certified organic under an appellation in southern Spain.

Genium Ecológico 2005

Bodegas Genium are the architects of this bodied Genium Ecológico 2007, with aromas of berries and a touch of acidity in flavor; 100% ecological guarantee.

Montesierra Ecológico Tinto 2007

There goes one of my recommendations: Montesierra Ecológico 2010, a red Somontano very well priced, perfect for long evenings with friends. Consistent, rough and full of flavors to be discovered.

Leer Ecological wines en Uvinum's blog

Tempranillo, sun and chalky soils

Pingus, a simple name for a wine which price goes over 1.000 euros. A masterful combination born of Valladolid soils and the wisdom and grace of a Dane, Peter Sisseck, who lives in Spain now, precisely in the middle of Ribera del Duero. This man, a lover of good wine like most Danes, and who has a vast wine culture forged in Bordeaux and in California, caused a stir when surprised Parker and start selling Spanish wine these exorbitant prices, as never happened before.

Flor de Pingus and PSI came later. The same attention in grapes and a similar strategy in the wood ... but nothing can compare to the first. Neither prices, of course.

Vega Sicilia. A myth of Spanish wines and, of course, also of Ribera del Duero. A red wine that oozes history and tradition, its origins date back to 1848 ... nothing to do with the youth of Pingus. Vega Sicilia has roots and is a known symbol of prestige. Vega Sicilia makes the table speak for itself.

But Ribera del Duero is not only made of great expensive wine. We can also find great wines at good prices. An example is Protos, a classic. This red wine is known by all, acclaimed by the experts and also loved by those who do not understand much of wines. You can take home a bottle of Protos Roble for just over six euros, but I would rather go for a Crianza (aged) for a few more euros but a much deeper pleasure.

Arzuaga. A wine that I love. I loved 2005 and 2006 and still keep a few bottles at home, although I have in mind to make them disappear for the next year. Perhaps too woody for some and too bitter for others, but then just let it stand and enjoy the colors in each sip. What is true is that who likes it, loves it because it’s different.

Pago de los Capellanes: a leopard never changes its spots. This wine meets all expectations and never fails. It is also one of the favorites of Uvinum users.

Carmelo Rodero, a wine pampered from the stock that becomes art while is decanted. A good choice of Ribera del Duero red wine for a different occasion.

From 6 euros until 1.500, in the Ribera del Duero anything is possible and that's why when choosing a red, you can never fail if you look for it in this region.

Pruno 2009

Pruno 2009

 8.66€

Carmelo Rodero Crianza 2008

Carmelo Rodero Crianza 2008

 14.75€

Leer Red wines from Ribera del Duero en Uvinum's blog

The changes in the color of wine are due to several variables, such as the vine from which it comes, the form of wine elaboration, the time which the skins remain in the must, the fact of having been placed in wooden casks or not, its age and the manner in the wine was preserved.

The color range is usually much more varied in red wines than in whites. In those, the color ranges from deep purple to brown tones, maroon or violet, to a large range of middle tones: crimson, vermilion, ruby, brick red, russet, etc. Whenever we talk of these tonalities, we must made clear that there is always room for discussing about. There is not a color palette that can be considered a pattern and which allows to accurately describe the color of a wine, with some exceptions such as ruby and russet.

Anthocyanins are the pigments that give its red color to wine, these are found in the skins of red grapes and are extracted by alcohol. Depending on the time that the skins are in contact with the must, will be obtained a more or less intense color. When the wine is young, red can get closer to orange and over time it becomes increasingly close to brown or russet.

In regard to to white wines, the tonalities are less and really seem that white wines today are increasingly clear, pale, even with some degree of transparency that had once been considered aqueous. Those wines that could be considered golden, are no longer seen anywhere, luckily, since they are considered to be of poor quality because of deficiencies in their elaboration, since this tonality is due to an excess of oxygen. Another feature that no longer is usually seen in white wines is the turbidity that the existing filtering processes have been removed. We must clarify that there are particular white wines such as sherry or manzanilla, which can have golden tonalities not due to a bad process of elaboration.

Leer The color of wine en Uvinum's blog

Some other countries have tried to get their own Iberian ham. China has been the last one trying and it is true that their prices are very good however... their products are lights years away from the original. The aroma, the taste, the looks... they are not comparable at all. And the reason for it is that in order to obtain a good Iberian ham you need to put together a lot of things and without all those conditions you don’t get the same result. It is impossible, as happens with wines.

That’s why the high quality of Iberian ham and its consideration as a luxury good, it is not coincidental, but hard work.

This work begins when the pig is born and grows. First, we have to be sure that the animal is a black Iberian pig (“pata negra”). There can be no doubt: mixtures are not worth it (cross bred pigs no, please). Don’t risk your satisfaction going for an almost, just go for the real thing. Once we know we are dealing with a certified Iberian race, the animal cannot be stabled if we want to obtain good acorn hams. They have to do the “montanera”.

“Montanera” means pig breeding free range. Every day, pigs look for their sustenance and it means that they ingest large amounts of acorns daily, which give Iberian hams a unique (and delicious, breathtaking, addictive) taste. Among acorns they often eat truffles they find in their path. That means even better taste for our Iberian ham.

When pig gets slaughtered, hams should not be stored in cold stores. If they are kept in cold stores then they cannot get a 100% done. They have to get cured with the air of the mountains. This will make them sweat out their own fat for three or four years while they are hanging. At this time, each day they must be turned a quarter turn so that all sides get cured the same.

This slow and laborious process that gets the fat out slowly makes its flavor permeate the entire ham. But if the process is too fast, if cold stores are used or if the ham is cured in a different way than the original, then the ham loses 80% of its flavor. And that would be a shame.

Up on the table, Iberian ham can be recognized by its aroma, which calls us and invites us to taste it. A look to the marbling, and to the fat that is slowly melting before our eyes, do the rest. And for a perfect moment: nothing beats a good Spanish wine to go together with Iberian ham, the ideal matching.

Sliced Jamon Iberico Bellota 1 Kg.

Sliced Jamon Iberico Bellota 1 Kg

 120.00€

Jamón Bellota 1Kg. Cortado a Mano

Jamón Bellota 1Kg. Hand sliced

 140.00€

Leer Ibérico, more than a ham en Uvinum's blog

If we simplify, we can say that what is needed for the grape juice to transform into wine is a process that should be the most natural way possible: fermentation. This is a chemical phenomenon whereby the grape sugar turns into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and it is produced by the intervention of the yeasts found in greater proportion in the skins. When the grape skins are broken, yeast start to work on sugar resulting in fermentation.

Then the grapes are brought from the vineyard holding together the bunches, then settled to the wine press, a cellar space for that function, next they will pass through the destemming process, there emerge the grains to be pressed and the juice extracted. This juice, consisting of pulp, skins and seeds is called must, and this will be put to ferment in tanks or barrels. Normally yeast would act to transform all the sugar into alcohol, or at least until it reaches a level of 15% alcohol in wine, but often happens that some grapes are too sweet and the process must be stopped manually.

Currently the process by which wines are elaborated is accompanied by the use of technologies never even imagined for such process, elements that are now extremely needed to ensure quality. For example, it is known that white wines require that fermentation occurs at low temperatures, thereby cooling equipment will be necessary to slow down the fermentation process, achieving control of the process and preventing the oxidation, an absolutely damaging agent in the process of creating wine. By contrast, red wines do not require temperatures as low, but the oxygenation should be also avoided in its elaboration process.

Those wines which mature in oak casks, whether white or red, face a very soft oxygenation process because the element is “strained” in small proportions, but stops if it is bottled and corked. Its stay in bottle is necessary and essential to make the wine settle, achieving an optimal point of maturity.

Leer The elaboration of wine en Uvinum's blog

In fact, wine lovers should not miss the opportunity to visit this land of vineyards in the state of Washington DC, from the coast to the Appalachian Mountains. An average trip to Virginia can become an experience of wine tourism. We can enjoy interesting visits to wineries with wine tastings, but also we will see a distinctive and unique landscape which will lead us to adventure tourism routes, such as visits to wineries preceded by kayaking, among other activities. This has meant that Virginia has been considered one of the top ten destinations in the world this 2012. Viticulture in Virginia has an excellent government support and it can be noticed.

The large scale production of wine in United States is relatively recent (only relatively), and although it has undergone significant ups and downs throughout its history, it seems that the trend is upward. Good news for wine lovers and American wine makers.

Although there are native varieties of vine, until European settlers introduced the variety called vitis vinifera they did not begin to develop high quality wine. Yet, the technology, the marketing and the very character of North Americans have made possible to obtain very different wines in Virginia. Wines with personality and quite different from what we have already tasted, something that is very attractive not only to local consumers but to the general public, a new value in American wine.

Usually in the U.S. white wines most notably those composed primarily of Chardonnay are preferred, they are a best seller and the right choice for all occasions. Certainly in Virginia you can get fruity white wines with this variety of grape and some others well known in their composition. These white wines are a good choice for many different kinds of food. Look forward to hear from your preferences regarding this point.

Also pink wines made with pink White Zinfandel are very popular. But we cannot forget the red wines, especially those with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. They are increasingly coming into more fame and importance that of course they deserve. The innovation of oenologist, many of them European, result in wines with a recognizable character.

Leer Virginia wines en Uvinum's blog

Well, today we will see a more bearable and easier way to carry a complicated diet. If our diet is to reduce weight, you should know that wine can be the perfect companion for those regimes that can become tedious and boring.

Calories and wines

• Red wine 100 ml = 65 calories
• White wine 100 ml = 85 calories
• Rosé wine 100 ml = 74 calories

As we can see in our table of calories and wines table, which implies that 100 ml of wine is below 85 calories, wine becomes one of the beverages containing alcohol that best accompanies a diet to lose weight, if you bear in mind other beverages like beer or whiskey, which are over 240 calories per 100 ml.

Mediterranean Diet

The wine, in addition to being one of the healthiest beverages containing alcohol, is one of the most “dietetic”, has been proven capable to avoid the concentration of cholesterol in the body. In a test of what is called a "Mediterranean diet", which included two glasses of wine per day, the result was strong and clear: people who consumed that daily dose had a lower cholesterol concentration than those who didn't.

But the result of the Mediterranean diet not only was this, lower levels of saturated fats and polyunsaturated fats were also found, a fact which makes it even more attractive. This makes it to bring on a lower risk hemostatic profile.

Basically the Mediterranean diet consists of including two glasses of wine per day, one at lunch and one at dinner (in addition to following certain dietetic patterns of the Mediterranean countries: Spain, France, Italy, Greece...) and follow that religiously. Remember that any diet or regimen should be monitored under medical observation, not all diets can be followed by everyone. We advise you to propose to your nutritionist or dietitian the incorporation of wine in your different regimes or diets. The results can be very favorable and make this diet much more bearable.

Source on the Mediterranean Diet: Mezzano et al. PCVS

Leer Wine in diets en Uvinum's blog

For instance, now Bulgaria has more than eighteen thousand acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, which means nearly as many as the aforementioned Bordeaux, the French region best known for this grape. It is not the only country in Eastern Europe that enjoys the benefits of these small, very dark and thick skin grapes. We can also keep track of Cabernet Sauvignon (as if looking for Carmen Sandiego) in Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary and Greece and of course also in Russia, Georgia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus or Turkey.

Even if we have to choose from those mentioned, France takes the cake so far because this grape, which fits almost all conditions, reaches its sublimation in temperate climates which are able to ensure mild autumns as Cabernet Sauvignon’s late maturity requires such special treatment. If the weather is too warm, it will probably succeed but it could get to be too sweet and excessively candied and if the weather is cooler it will tend more to the herbal flavors, but if temperatures drop too low, then we are placed in danger.

For the same climatic (and very logical) reasons, California (Napa Valley) and Chile are other good choices when buying a Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The same applies to Australia and South Africa, where we can find very good examples. However, I would not say so about New Zealand, which unfortunately has had a difficult start with this grape variety.

Many times we can find a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, starring the wine that performs, although it is usually found together with other grapes such as Merlot, who tried to steal its fame, or Cabernet Franc. The latter combination is particularly well known when it comes from another French region, the Loire Valley, which together with Midi and Bergerac, is the part of France out of Bordeaux where this grape can be found.

Cabernet Sauvignon in Italy is more recently grown and that happens also in Spain. Although in these two countries is possible to find older strains, like in the South of Italy or in Rioja, that give us more satisfaction providing us with wines as good as some Bordeaux.

Leer Different places to buy cabernet sauvignon en Uvinum's blog

• Fino
• Amontillado
• Oloroso
• Palo cortado

By law, the initial 70% of the pressing is used to develop fino wines and light or common sherry, the next 20% goes to the production of oloroso and other wines of lesser quality, while any remaining liquid should be distilled (converted in a spirit like cognac).

In developing these wines the important thing is to get -after the harvest of grapes, grinding, pressing, fermenting and fortification (addition of wine alcohol to raise their graduation)- that in the barrel where it rests grows what is known as "flor", a yeast that develops a layer that gives the wine unique properties while protecting it from the harmful effects of oxygen. However, unlike what happens with the traditional wine, here oxygen is not always a bad company. On the contrary, sometimes the deterioration caused by its presence is intentional. Such is the case, for example, of the "amontillado" sherry. The alcohol content of the fortified shall determine the wine. In the case of the "fino" "amontillado" and "oloroso", it will be 15 volumes and, in the "palo cortado", 17 volumes (the “flor” can not develop in this atmosphere).

The ultimate expression of these wines is the "fino", pale golden color and almond aroma. This is a very dry drink with a smooth flavor. Here, the “flor” avoids the oxidation of the liquid for at least 3 years of biological aging. For many the perfect aperitif, this wine is consumed at 8° C, and goes well with fish and seafood, as well as with the typical Spanish tapas.

The "amontillado" sherry reminds for his part to hazelnuts, and its color is amber. Also dry flavored, this drink comes from a double aging, biological and oxidative, since its development began as a "fino" with “flor”, but with time it disappears and oxygen begins to act on the liquid marking its own characteristics. Served optimally at 14° C, experts advise drinking this wine with soups, white meat and oily fish.

"Oloroso" is the term used to identify a sherry darker than the others, with notes of nuts and toasts in mouth. With higher alcohol content than "fino" or "amontillado", this sherry comes from a prolonged contact of the wine with the air inside the barrel. Habitually is consumed with game meat because of its pronounced flavor, at a temperature around 14° C.

Among the "amontillado" and "oloroso" is the "palo cortado”, which is obtained when the tasters identified citrus notes during aging of fino sherry, and they fortify it with more alcohol in order to remove the “flor” and give way to an oxidative phase that will enhance the special features found in the barrel. This wine is consumed at 13° C, and is ideal for drinking it alone or maybe with nuts.

In the area of Sanlucar de Barrameda, the winters are warmer than in Puerto de Santa Maria and Jerez de la Frontera, since the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean moderates the cold. Nature does that here the “flor” is active all year round offering a special feature to the "fino", so actually it is known as manzanilla.

Leer Elaboration and variants of sherry en Uvinum's blog

Blanc de Noirs is made from red grapes, but only their pulp which is white can be used in this process. With them it is possible to elaborate a kind of champagne that requires patience because first you have to separate the skins from the pulp in a very proper way in order to keep the pureness of that precious liquid without any hint of red color.

Pinot Noir makes this surprise possible, but also Pinot Meunier often participates in the content which sometimes shows or a mixture of both grape varieties. The genius of accidents is a fact, as happened to Lucky Strike, an American tobacco brand which believed their production lost by a fire, but instead of thinking that everything was lost and feeling sorry for themselves they were able to transform it into a stroke of luck when they started to sell roasted tobacco which turned out to be a success.

The mark of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier on the Blanc de Noirs can slightly be seen in some more yellowish shadows, straw reflections or in a little darker golden color hints than can be seen if we look closely at the bubbles of the champagne glass that we hold in our hands.

Marie Noelle Ledru Cuvée Du Goulté Blanc de Noirs 2004 or Pierre Paillard Blanc de Noirs Les Mailerettes 2007 are two very good choices to put in practice our ability to surprise and end the experiment with a Cum Laude. Zero risk.

Blanc de Blanc speaks of exclusivity. Blanc de Blanc means 100% Chardonnay. The result is even more exquisite if all the grapes that have been chosen for the process come from the same vineyard. It’s symbol of quality and guarantee of perfection. A privileged tasting that will make enjoy to all the high level champagne and sparkling wine lovers.

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs will introduce us to this delicate bubbling feelings snowy world, but if we want to go a step further, if we do not mind getting lost in a radiant clarity that will captivate us, then we must dare, at least once, with a Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1998.

In Spain you can also find Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noirs, two very special options in Cava that Juve y Camps and Codorníu wineries, among others, are carried out with quite acceptable results.

Wanna try some this sparkling delices? Here you are 2:

Bollinger Spécial Cuvée Brut

One of the best champagnes.

 37,88€

Freixenet Brut Barroco

Freixenet is the best seller company in Spain, with really affordable prices.

 7,95€

Leer No matter if you are red or white en Uvinum's blog

Great Britain

Its secret lay in the addition of several liters of brandy per barrel during fermentation in order to retain some of the natural sugar in the grape. The interest aroused in England by port wine made many investments from that country to establish in the area surrounding the Portuguese city of Oporto, giving great impetus to viticulture in the region. Some of those wineries still retain the English names of its founders, “Croft”, “Offley”, “Gordon rahams”, “Sandeman”, “Dow”, “Warre”.

By the mid-eighteenth century, the port wine received a final boost when the Portuguese Crown created by law the current Real Companhia Velha, the oldest winery for elaboration of port wine, and immediately after, between 1758 and 1761, delimited the region for port wine production, giving birth to the world's oldest appellation, prior to that of French wines. From that date are definitively established the processing methods that are still respected today.

The wines, made from over 12 varieties of grapes, white and red, are fermented in the cellars located in the alto Douro (name given to the Douro River as it passes through Portugal), near the terraced vineyards installed on the slopes of the hills. After development of the fermentation, when the yeast still have not consumed all the sugar, it is added brandy (spirit of wine), preventing the further fermentation and sweetening the drink. Once completed, the port wine is moved downstream to aging in the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, facing the city of Oporto, near the Atlantic Ocean.

Leer Origin of port wine en Uvinum's blog

As both my mother and my grandmother come from La Rioja, the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about this post’s topics is good food. Potatoes with chorizo, a sort of potatoes stew from Rioja, are proof of that. A simple recipe makes a genius dish that everybody loves. To match this delicious sausage flavour (mmmhhh! how good are those from the restaurant "Chicote") the best we can choose is a Rioja red wine from the year or a rosé one (which in the region is called “clarete”). Best served cool.

Truth is that foodies have it easy with Rioja wines because for less than 10 euros you can take home aged in oak and exclusive wines from there like for example an Azpilicueta Reserva 2006, a Ramon Bilbao Edición Limitada 2008 (Limited Edition), a Baron de Ley Reserva 2006, or a Lan or Viña Albina, both reserve 2005.

If we want to go for some tapas in La Rioja, we have to take little walk along Calle Laurel in Logroño. There we will get some good wines (they call them “chatos de vino”) which will improve our mood instantly. In Casa Taza Restaurant you can order some Iberian accompanied by an Heredad Ugarte or a Beronia Crianza wine, then the best choice is going to the Soriano for a few mushrooms, we know that they will taste much better with a glass of Luis Cañas. After it we should head to Gárgonich, where we can have a squid plate or some stuffed eggs, both are the house specialties, accompanied by a Marqués de Riscal, in glass better than in person ;). And for sure the route will not end here, that’s why this street is called the Elephants path (a pun referring to the word trunk which in Spanish also means being or getting drunk).

Another way to travel Rioja, much better known and oldest than Laurel Street, is the Camino de Santiago (a pilgrimage route which crosses the North of Spain and ends in Santiago de Compostela), which traverses across the region towns such as its capital and also Navarrete, Najera, Azofra, Cirueña or Santo Domingo de la Calzada, where the legend of the miracle that tells about a hen crowing after being cooked comes from. Near this town which is worth visiting as is one of the most beautiful, we find Haro.

We are in the heart of the Rioja Alta area, Viña Tondonia wines from Bodegas Lopez de Heredia, one of the classics when we think of Rioja wine comes from this part and so does Viña Ardanza from Rioja Alta Group, like the laureates Baron de Oña and Torre de Oña that belong to the same producers.

Whichever one you choose for sure that you will enjoy, but what is clear is that if you drink it on a terrace in Ezcaray or by a barrel at any of the tapas streets in La Rioja, it will taste way much better.

Are you travelling to Rioja? So prepare it carefully with these 2 good wines:

Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial 2001

Only created in the best vintages.

 17,15€

Marqués de Riscal Reserva 2006

Marqués de Riscal simbolices the new Rioja, with its cellar built by Frank Ghery.

 12,33€

Leer A walk over Rioja wines en Uvinum's blog

In fact, it was the marriage of Catherine of Aragon, the eldest daughter of the Catholic Kings, with Prince Arthur of England which boosted the trade in these products outside the borders. To the extent that much later, in the nineteenth century, sherry accounted for 40% of wine imports in Great Britain.

For ignorance is common to confuse sherry with Pedro Ximénez, due to their identical color and provenance from very close areas. However, the differences between the two are not minor. The first is an aperitif dry wine, made from Palomino Fino grapes. In contrast, the second is a sweet wine produced with the variety Pedro Ximénez, ideal to accompany desserts. The union of these drinks is given by the soil, since its cultivation requires many hours of sun and little water. In addition, in both cases these products are fortified, i.e. wine alcohol is added after fermentation, and then the liquid is transferred to oak barrels for its aging in sills.

Once in the cellars, the barrels are arranged in a pyramidal shape, being always the oldest below and the newest on top, and for bottling the “venenciador” (cellar master) takes a portion of each container. Finally, the barrels are filled using younger wine. Thus, the sherry and Pedro Ximenez are always kept fresh. A Pedro Ximénez can get to rest for so long that there are still labels on the market from 1924, which are eagerly sought.

The sherry wines, elaborated always dry from the Palomino Fino grape variety, are named after the town of Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain, in Andalusia. Typically the wineries, owned by large companies, produce the drink in this city or in two nearby villages, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Puerto de Santa Maria.

Seeking to raise its image, in recent years the production of sherry was defined by a set of rules. Among other things, the amount of wine that each winery can sell each year was restricted, the sale of bulk wine was banned and was allowed the incorporation of the vintage on the label for premium wines.

Leer Sherry and Pedro Ximenez en Uvinum's blog

Few people know that the word cava to refer to this type of sparkling wine did not appear until the mid 70's. And it was a century earlier, in 1872, when Codorníu production following the champenoise method began to be documented, after a trip in which Josep Raventos i Fatjó visited the Champagne region in France, although his family has been linked to the history of wine in Spain since many years before that: on the sixteenth century.

In the case of cava, unlike other Spanish D.O. (guarantee of origin), this recognition does not refer to a specific region, like the D.O. Rioja, D.O. Ribera del Duero or D.O. Somontano, among others, and neither we talk about a type of grape, as in the production of cava there are no such restrictions.

When call cava to a sparkling wine we are referring to its elaboration method. Of all possible systems of making sparkling wine there is only one that is valid and accepted for making cava, and that is the champenoise method -called traditional-.

That is the reason why finding cava in widely separated regions as La Rioja, Catalonia, which is the cradle of this wine especially the Penedes region, Valencia and Extremadura is possible and very common.

Macabeo, Parellada or Xarel.lo are the most common grape varieties that the Catalan Cava uses. In Extremadura they also really like these varietal, improved with Chardonnay, even though in Catalonia they tend to mix them and in the cava which comes from Extremadura the 100% Macabeo is the most common and not so usual to see this grape combined with any of the others.

In Rioja they go for the Viura, a variety that is also successfully used in many white wines in the area and which offers very good results in some Rueda wines when it gets mixed with Verdejo grape. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are some secondary varieties used in Rioja to produce their cavas.

We cannot forget the major boost that pink cavas are taking. They gain more followers every day. Grenache, which gives extraordinary cavas, Trepat or Monastrell are some of the grapes used in such a beautiful drink, which I personally like better than the traditional one.

Wanna try some bubbles? Let's recommend you a pair of the best spanish cavas:

Raimat Brut Nature

A great value for money.

 9,70€

Freixenet Brut Barroco

Freixenet is the best seller company in Spain, with really affordable prices.

 7,95€

Leer Best served chilled (Spanish cava) en Uvinum's blog

What means that a wine is a reserve?

The possibility that a wine will become a great wine, depends on the ability of the enologist, since it is he who must raise grapes to the utmost, so that -at the end of their winemaking- they result in a friendly and seductive liquid. Although there are many recipes, roughly the process of creating a wine born in the harvest.

Once in the winery, the grapes are destemmed, i.e. the green parts as rods that connect the grapes and capes are separated. Then the grapes are transferred to a container for further fermentation. In the case of red wines, the grapes remain macerating for a while to extract, among others, the color, located in the grape skins. For white wines, moreover, the pulp is separated from the skin immediately.

In refrigerated stainless steel tanks, open cement tubs, oak barrels or drums, depending on the winery, the grape juice turns into wine by the action of microorganisms called yeasts, which consume the natural sugar in fruit discarding ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Moreover, during this process, new aromas and flavors are created in wine, other than those natural in grape, called primary. These "secondary" compounds, for example, are responsible for the Sauvignon Blanc to release notes of asparagus peel and freshly cut grass, as defined by experts.

Upon completion of the conversion, in the case of wines made to be consumed young, just remains passing through stabilization and filtering processes to ensure the longevity of the wine for at least 1 year before bottling. However, for those labels who intend to carry with pride the title of aged or reserve, still remains a stay in oak barrels or bottles, which may range between 3 and 18 months of rest, depending on what the enologist wants.

However, the lines of elaboration of a wine are not immutable, each has his methods and, in this case, every enologist has his own recipe.

Leer Reserve wines en Uvinum's blog