Wine is just as complex as traveling some very interesting lands. In this intimate interview with John Paul
Encarnacion we talk about Chernobyl, Eco Activism, and wines from Ecuador.
Contrary to popular belief, Ecuador is a wine producing country and we have a bottle of Paradoja from the winery Dos Hemisferios. This wine secretly reveals Ecuador’s exotic notes of spice and leather.
GRAPE VARIETY: CABERNET SAUVIGNON – MALBEC
COUNTRY: ECUADOR
REGION: EL
MORRO – GUAYAS
ALCOHOL: 14%
AGINING: 18 months in Oak Barrel
NOES: Bright
and intense ruby red tones, with fruity aromas of vanilla, coffee, and coconut.
Round and balanced with a persistent memory in mouth.
Toro is a wine region in Castilla y Leon, north-western Spain, known for its powerful red wines made from Tempranillo. It is named for the town of Toro, an ancient settlement located on the Duero River about 40 miles (65km) east of the Portuguese border. The Spanish word toro means ‘bull’, named after a bull structure that is well over 4,000 years old.
After the phyloxera had come to Spain in 1870, vine growing was greatly reconverted, and it is in Toro where the “Tinta de Toro” variety anchored its roots in loose well-drained sandy lands, and the multiplication of the ungrafted vineyards have been conserved to this very day. At present, Toro has its own Oenological Station in the town, offering technical services to current wine growing demands. On 26th may 1933, Toro was awarded its Designation of Origin (Issue 4 of the Gazette, June 1933).
Fun Fact: Due to its characteristics, which made it indomitable during long voyages, the Toro wine sailed to baptize the New World – The Americas!
Each year in Ribera del Duero, we expect the best out of our Tempranillo grapes, but this year was exceptionally good. As I picked the grapes and place them into the basket, I kept eating the grapes. After a day of doing this, my lips and hands were purple – a labor of love I say.
Israel, my partner in crime did not participate in Harvest, but he sure did capture this on video and had enough wine to swell his belly for a week.
(video is both in Spanish and English)
If you do watch the video, we would love to hear from you, leave a comment below:
There is a reason Rioja, Spain has dominated Spain’s love for wine. It’s the one religion that treats wine like water. In fact, it’s more expensive to order bottled water or Coke-a-Cola then a glass of red wine? Yes, believe it, if only this would apply in the US, I’d be one happier and wealthier gal.
Not all of Rioja is created equally. This region is split into three parts: Rioja Baja, Rioja Alta, and Rioja Alavesa. You don’t need to ask my twice, my favorite sub region in Rioja is Alavesa. This hidden gem is something I hope never becomes exploited as its micro-climates make the wines spectacular and out of character with what most understand or believe Rioja to be.
Today’s, spring visit to Rioja consisted of a visit to a very small intimate visit to a 6 generations wine makers in the middle of nowhere. We stopped in to enjoy several glasses of wine. From their newly planted white wine to their 60 year-old vine red wine, I’m lucky to have my own private showing of the vineyard and partake in the family rituals of breaking bread and drinking wine.
My favorite part of living and traveling through Spain’s wine regions, is the seeds that I plant with my wonderful Spanish people once we uncork a bottle of wine. Each bottle tells a story and I listen to what it has to say. I ask myself in each of my travels, how lucky am I to drink, socialize, and export wine for a living? The answer is simple, Very lucky!
