It is huge honor for any Spanish producer to be selected as one of the top three wines from Spain. The wines were selected by Spanish wine drinkers (who understands Spanish wine better than a Spaniard?) and without a mention of a score, which I love. The wines were selected because, simply, they were the best wines and there isn’t any need to provide a number to justify why it was selected.

Here is the link to the article published on elmundovino.com in its entirety (sorry, Spanish only), but here are several important paragraphs which have been translated;

“Since 1994, El Mundo and elmundovino.com have selected the best wines tasted throughout the year and that were in the market that same year: therefore this time we will not reward two immense riojas of the legendary crop of 1947, Imperial and Marquis de Riscal, that we have had the privilege of trying again during the last several months. But the supreme elegance of those two wines that inspires, in great measure, the prizes to the best of 2010. These reflect a tendency increasingly more palpable among ours best producers, in all regions, to the refinement and also to the rediscovery of the soil, after years of wines of great power and concentration.  And particularly it is appropriated, in that context, to see the name of Vega Sicilia among the prizewinners.

In effect, our Wines of 2010 are Vega Sicilia Unico 2000, Coto de Gomariz Colleita Seleccionada 2008 and Turo d’en Mota de Recaredo Brut Nature 1999. The most historic bodega from Ribera del Duero, a young, small wine making property but in a region no less historic, and an atypical, family owned property in the world of Cava.

For their part, the Coto de Gomariz Colleita Seleccionada 2008 is one of the best best Gallego white’s that we have tried, with a depth born in the great soil, a complexity without a doubt favored by its multi-varietal character – treixadura, godello, albarino, loureiro and lado-, that is one of the great strengths from Ribeiro, and with the personality that Xose Lois Sebio instills in his wines. It is a white that arrives where we always thought Ribeiro wines could arrive, recovering the place that this region occupied during the Renaissance which was being lost throughout the centuries and –above all- with Phylloxera. Better late than never.”

We couldn’t be happy for Ricardo, Xose and the entire Coto de Gomariz team!! This is a great honor- keep up the good work.

Enbuenahora chicos!!

Michael

“Oscar Quevedo, a new star of the Douro, has produced a stylish wine, suffused with tannins, fresh acidity, solid black fruits and a lively bright feel. It is ready to drink, but could age 3–4 years.” – Roger Voss (11/1/2010) – 88 POINTS

Please click here to learn more about the project, interact with Oscar through his blog, as well as leave your own comments for Oscar!

Drink up!

Cheers,

Michael

If you are planning on attending, please make sure to stop by and taste the amazing wines we are fortunate to represent. We will be located at stand 400 and will be sharing the space with Bodegas Medrano Irazu from Rioja and J. Miquel Jané from Penedes region of Spain, so there will be a wide range of fantastic wines to try.

Hope to see many of you there, cheers!

- Michael

I want you to drink Rioja Wine!

Good news for all you Rioja wine drinkers! Due to your impeccable taste in wine, sales for Rioja wines in the U.S. rose nearly 30% in the first half of 2010. Not only are we drinking more Rioja wines, but there are a growing number of new and exciting wines from the region being imported/distributed and available all throughout the US.

According to the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja, total shipments in the first two quarters totaled 5.4 million bottles. Here is the percentage breakdown for each style of wine:

Cosecha/Vino Joven: +34%

Crianza: +32%

Reserva: +13%

Gran Reserva: +27%

Based on these numbers, and with the holiday season right around the corner, I would expect these numbers to rise slightly higher. With the Rioja region FINALLY getting up and not resting on it’s laurels as “the premier wine region” of Spain, I think the proof is in the pudding. Something had to be done in Rioja to remain at the top of it’s game, and I think the region is accomplishing this. With the help of various organizations such as Vibrant Rioja and Wines From Spain, I think Rioja is here to stay. There has been some concern lately from many people in the wine industry that Spanish wine might suffer a similar fate as Australian wine, but I don’t feel that this will happen. The concern is that there are too many “bulk” wines being brought in from Spain to hit that sweet $7 to $10 mark. While I completely agree that there are too many of these wines entering the market- I’m not too concerned with Spanish wine sales dropping off like Australian wines have. With more people 21+ years old drinking wine in particular, I think wines of all price ranges/styles from Spain will see a boost in sales.

Based on the numbers from the Rioja consejo, I think we’ll continue to see an increase of Spanish wines, and in particular, Rioja wines. I was most impressed with the stats about Gran Reserva wines, also a hot topic lately from Rioja. There has been some fear that Gran Reservas might go the way of the Dodo bird due to Rioja bodegas elaborating wines to hit the 90+ points from US reviewers, rather than focusing on making the best wine THEY feel possible, not reviewers. (Here is a great article that touches on this on this from Catavino.net) However, I think as more and more people are drinking Spanish wines and exploring the various regions of Spain, they are also exploring new wine styles within particular regions, such as Gran Reservas from Rioja.

My question to you, the Rioja drinkers of the world, what category of wine do you prefer- Vino Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva? Why?

Stay thirsty my friends…..

- Michael

Our hats are off to Oscar for staying determined and not giving up on the US market, especially in the tough ongoing economic conditions!

–Michael

Cheers,

Michael

This is quite an honor for such a young winery- the first vines were planted in 1999 and their first harvest was in 2004. We’re very excited to be working with such an up and coming producer, especially as the Vinho Verde region gains more attention in the media and the competition stiffens. We’ve been fortunate enough to be working with Vitor Mendes from Vinixa, who has been instrumental in helping to make these wines available in the US.

I will be in New York City next week for an event hosted by the Vinho Verde Commission and will be pouring these fantastic wines, so if you live or work in New York please register for the event and make sure to stop by and try the new 2009 vintage!

Cheers,

Michael

While Jancis’ recent post mentioned that the Coto de Gomariz wines aren’t available in the US, I assure you they are, albeit in small quantities. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board carries both the 2008 Blanco and “X” Albariño, along with another one of their white wines, the 2007 Colleita Seleccionada.  They also carry three fascinating red wines from the same producer using other native varieties such as Mencia, Brancellao, Ferrol, Sousón and Caiño. The 2008 Coto de Gomariz Blanco will also be available very soon for order through Flickingerwines.com who is set up to ship to any state where direct shipping of alcohol is allowed. So, if you live in Pennsylvania or nearby bordering states, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding these amazing wines at your nearest PLCB wine store. If you’re not located near to any of these stores, I encourage you to visit Flickingerwines.com and see their entire listing of amazing wines from all over the world.

Cheers,

Michael

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Charlie Palmer’s Astra

D&D Building

979 Third Avenue, between 58th & 59th St.

New York, NY

Walk Around Tasting: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Seminar for Trade & Media: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Seminar for Distributors Only: 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Hosted by Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos

Vinhos Verdes (CVRVV) and the European Union

Seminars conducted by:

Joshua Greene, Editor and Publisher of Wine & Spirits

and Bruno Almeida, CVRVV Oenologist

If you are able and interested in attending the event,  Please RSVP to 212-994-7576 or VinhoVerdeRSVP@rfbinder.com **Trade and Media Only Please**

We’ll be pouring the 2009 vintage of Quinta de Gomariz wines, which are projected to be even better than the 2008 vintage. They received great reviews from Joshua Greene from Wine & Spirits Magazine and we expect the same (if not better) for the 2009 vintage! We hope you can make the event and be sure to stop by our table to say hello and try these amazing wines.

Cheers,

Michael

QUINTA DE GOMARIZ - 2008 ALVARINHO

Wine & Spirits Aug ‘09 - 92 POINTS (Best Buy)

“This starts off with brink peach flavors that last. With air, the fruit moves past the red cast of peach skin toward fraise de bois. The acidity has a granitic feel, keeping the wine’s richness in check while lending clarity to the fruit. For grilled John Dory.”

QUINTA DE GOMARIZ - 2008 LOUREIRO

Wine & Spirits Aug ‘09 – 90 POINTS (Best Buy)

“Powerfully concentrated, this wine is all plump fruitiness, its flavors of tart peach and gooseberries bringing sauvignon blanc to mind. A ripe Vinho Verde for grilled snapper.”

QUINTA DE GOMARIZ - 2008 ESPADEIRO

Wine & Spirits Aug ‘09 - 88 POINTS (Best Buy)

“Appealingly clean and fresh, from its light pink color to the pink grapefruit acidity, this has intriguing floral scents of pear and melon. It ends crisp, a summer picnic wine for grilled chicken sausages.”

]]> http://prgrisley.com/our-wines/vinho-verde-event-in-new-york-city/feed/ 3 http://prgrisley.com/general_wine_thoughts/vibrant-rioja-2nd-annual-rioja-wines-grand-tasting-events/ http://prgrisley.com/general_wine_thoughts/vibrant-rioja-2nd-annual-rioja-wines-grand-tasting-events/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:52:04 +0000 Michael http://prgrisley.com/?p=790 Good news for all you Spanish wine fiends! With the success of last years inaugural event in New York City, the Vibrant Rioja campaign decided to include a date in Chicago this year. This years events are focusing on the amazing quality-to-price ratio that many Rioja wines have been able to maintain even during these tough economic times. The key to this years events are not focusing on the least expensive wines necessarily, but the best “Value Wines.” I have noticed many Reservas from Rioja are still quite affordable and, in my opinion, the best “Value Wines” one can find from Rioja. However, don’t exclude the amazing array of Crianzas from around this famous region, most of which you can easily find in any market for under $15.

We will unfortunately only be able to attend the Chicago event due to upcoming wine events Pennsylvania, but we hope we can make it to the “Big Apple” next year. Both events in Chicago and New York are for members of the press and trade only, so if you are a Spanish wine lover but not part of the press or trade, have no fear, you’ll be there with us in spirit! Don’t feel angry or left out however, these events are taking place for importers and distributors to find outlets to make all these wines available to you, so you are actually the beneficiary in the end. If you are however a member of the press or trade and would like to attend either event, you can sign up online here. This years events will be held May 4th in Chicago, and May 5th and 6th in New York City, so if you’re in the area and can attend, please sign up. We look forward to meeting many of you that are able to make it to the Chicago event!

Salud,

Michael