Spain was, without doubt, one of the top categories in the 2008 Sommelier Wine Awards. SWA chairman Chris Losh takes a look at what it is about the country that’s so exciting the sommeliers
There are many positive aspects to Imbibe’s Sommelier Wine Awards, but
speaking as a long time drinks writer, one of my favourite elements is the way in which it allows our magazine to gain a snapshot of the world of wine.
Through the expert palates of our (notoriously picky) sommelier tasters, we can see all too clearly which countries, regions or grape varieties are doing well, and which need to pull their socks up.
Forget the PR hype – in a blind tasting (particularly one where the prices are known to the tasters) there’s nowhere to hide. So the kind of super-positive feedback we were getting from our flights of Spanish wines this year was, to say the least, impressive.
‘One of the best flights of the tasting,’ said the Coq d’Argent’s Olivier Marie; ‘spectacular value for money,’ said the Greyhound’s Mark Deamer; ‘real complexity but with really ripe fruit,’ said Roussillon’s Roberto della Pietra. We could go on… there were no shortage of effusive testimonials. Spain, it seems, really is hot at the moment.
¿Por qué?
Reading through the feedback and the tasting sheets, it seems that there were several key factors in the sommeliers’ approval. Firstly, Spain managed to deliver across both reds and whites. True, there were many more of the former than the latter, but the white wines were more than just crisp, clean and neutral, which is largely all you could have hoped for even a decade ago. There was character and, at times, evidence of real ambition.
There’s no shortage of testimonials,
Spain really is hot at the moment
Secondly, the country really maximised the benefits of its climate. While several tasters enjoyed the fact that the wines had good ripe fruit and tannins, but never tipped over into jamminess, I don’t remember a single wine in any of the various Spanish flights being criticised for under-ripeness.
Thirdly – and arguably most importantly – Spain managed to produce wines that are both internationally appealing, yet still distinctively Spanish. For restaurants, this is obviously the holy grail, allowing them to list wines with individuality, but which aren’t going to alienate hesitant diners.Of course, for many customers, Spain equals Rioja. And it was heartening to see that the region put up a decent showing. Maybe it wasn’t as out and out exciting as the ‘Rest of…’ category, but there were plenty of good wines, and pound for pound it certainly outperformed the other big European red wine regions.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to contact your merchant and get him to drop you off a Spanish selection. You could start with the winners from this year – if there’s any stock left!|
The Judges’ View |
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‘Spain offers fantastic value, above anywhere else, particularly in the mid-range. It does really good superior wine by the glass – the sort of
stuff you can sell at £5 for a very decent glass. It’s great for rosé, too. I look out for Utiel-Requena, Navarra and Tempranillo blends with a bit of Spanish authenticity, though Rioja’s
doing pretty well too with some newer, more fruit-driven wines |
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‘We’ve seen a marked improvement in sales of Spanish wines, mostly in white. White Rioja is a major for us, plus I’m very keen on the exciting white Priorats. They’re similar to a white Bordeaux or Margaret River Semillon, and they’re easy to sell once you explain that to people. I also love Montilla. The wines are more delicate than sherry, and we offer six of them by the 100ml glass.’ |
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‘Spain just used to be Rioja, Ribera del Duero, cava and sherry, but it’s so much more than that now. I particularly like Bierzo, which is doing great things with the well-structured and fantastically-flavoured Mencia grape, while the Balearics are doing well with Callet and the south-east with Monastrell. Though even places like Rioja, Ribera, Rueda and Galicia have upped their game of late. I think Spain has more to offer than Italy – it’s just that the Italians know how to promote their wines better!’ |
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‘Rioja is still Spain’s main driving force, but people are becoming more interested in the other regions too. Although customers still like the wines to look traditional, the liquid is often more modern. Take Enate – it’s upfront fruit, but very elegant; a good example of where Spain is going.’ |
Toby Ellis
Roger Jones
Alvaro Marcos Garcia
Emma Fake
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