Does a Tempranillo-Syrah wine paired with some Iberian ham ring a bell? If it does, then in all likelihood you are a die-hard wine lover. The preceding was just one of the delightful possibilities for vinos and gourmands to sample at Taste Spain 2023, a trade event organised by the Embassy of Spain in India under the programme Foods & Wines from Spain run by ICEX (Spain Exports and Investments).
The exclusive trade event, which was organised at Instituto Cervantes New Delhi showcased high-quality food and wines from 17 Spanish companies seeking to enter the Indian market. According to the year 2022 data provided by ICEX, the current Spanish wine exports to India stand €1.3M, which approximately translates to ₹11.5 crore, making Spain the 6th largest wine exporter to India.
Spanish wines- a snapshot
Spain, a renowned “old world” wine country, ranks among the world’s top three wine producers, alongside France and Italy. The nation takes pride in its diverse array of native grape varietals, which are integral to its illustrious winemaking heritage. Among the most renowned Spanish grapes are Tempranillo, known for crafting bold and robust red wines like Rioja, Garnacha (Grenache in France) appreciated for its juicy and spicy character, and Cariñena (Carignan, Mazuelo) that typically produces medium bodied fruit-forward wines. Additionally, Spain produces distinctive white wines from grapes such as Macabeo (Viura), Verdejo, Parellada, Xarel-lo, Albariño, and more.
Something for everyone at Taste Spain India 2023
Taste Spain India 2023 showcased a diverse selection of wines spanning price ranges, making it appealing to a wide range of importers and distributors in India. The balance between price and quality holds significance in the Indian market, which imposes some of the highest tariffs on alcohol globally.
Taste Spain India 2023 featured wines ranging from one to seven euros ex cellar, thus catering to a broad spectrum of interests. Additionally, for the discerning connoisseurs, there were premium options priced up to 20 euros. Here are some of my notable wines from the tasting:
Fincas de Azabache
https://www.fincasdeazabache.com/en/
Fincas de Azabache is a state-of-the-art Cooperative in Rioja founded in 1956. They produce single-varietal wines as-well-as blends across quality, character, assortment, and value. All of their wines are vegan as they use the gravity method to clarify them.
Azabache Crianza 2020, D.O. Rioja
Grapes: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo
Tasting notes: A fruit-forward wine with abundant red berry and sweet spice aromas. The palate was full-bodied, well-structured and with smooth tannins. The wine is aged twelve months in American and French oak barrels.
Bodegas GIL
With a history of more than 100 years, Bodegas GIL was re established by nine siblings of the same family, nurturing their old vines and incorporating modern technology. Apart from their home base in Jumilla, they also have wines from other regions of Spain like Castilla y León, Montsant and Calatayud.
Bodegas GIL Arindo Verdejo 2022, D.O. Rueda
Grape: Verdejo
Tasting notes: A fresh nose of tropical fruits complemented by a clear fruity palate having medium acidity.
Bodegas GIL Blau 2021, D.O. Montsant
Grapes: Cariñena, Syrah, Garnacha
Tasting Notes: Much like the famed Rhône Valley GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blends, you could call this one a GSC blend. It surely reminded me of the Rhône blends, replete with a great structure and dark fruits, spice flavours.
Bodegas LAN
Founded in 1974, Bodegas LAN uses an acronym to describe its provenance- the three provinces that make up the D.O.C. Rioja- Logroño (now La Rioja), Alava and Navarra. I found all their wines to be outstanding,taking me down the memory lane of visiting Rioja a few years back.
Bodegas LAN Crianza 2019, D.O. Rioja
Grapes: Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Garnacha
Tasting notes: A delightfully appetising nose of red berries with a hint of spice. The wine had a full-bodied luscious palate with mellow tannins and a satiating finish.
Bodegas Franco-Españolas
https://www.francoespanolas.com/en/home/
The Logroño based Bodegas Franco-Españolas was founded in 1890 and is one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in the Rioja region. This family-owned business is currently being managed by its third generation. Their wines have travelled in the Orient Express train, have been present in the crowning ceremony of King Juan Carlos I from Spain, as well as the wedding of King Balduino and Queen Fabiola from Belgium. Renowned writer and acclaimed drinks lover Ernest Hemmingway was particularly fond of Franco-Españolas wines and wrote about them in his books.
Bordón Rosé 2022, D.O. Rloja
Grapes: 50% Tempranillo, 50% Viura
Tasting Notes: A fruity wine with a good structure and a well balanced acidity.
Bordón Gran Reserva 2013, D.O. Rloja
Grape: Tempranillo
Tasting Notes: A complex nose of dark fruits, spice and leather, followed by a dense palate of blackberries, dark plum, white pepper and velvety tannins. The wine is aged for 30 months in French and American oak followed by 3 years in the bottle.
Bodegas Luzon
https://www.bodegasluzon.com/en/home-en/
Bodegas Luzón is a 180-year-old winery and one of the main exporters of quality wines from Jumilla. They have 415 hectares of owned vineyards with plots of more than 40 years of free-standing and non-irrigated vineyards. All of their wines are made from their native grape Monastrell. Bodegas Luzón also produces organic, no sulfite-added wines.
Altos de Luzon 2020, D.O. Jumilla
Grape: Monastrell
Tasting notes: Aged in French and American oak for twelve months, this deep-ruby coloured wine with a fading rim had a medium-expressive nose of mixed berries, vanilla and herbs. It had a full-bodied palate with a great structure and mellow tannins that went grippy towards the finish. A great food wine!
Bodegas San Valero
A leading winery in the region since 1944, Bodega San Valero is a Cooperative with the longest history in Cariñena, a reputed wine region situated in Aragon, Spain. As the name suggests, Cariñena is also the acknowledged source of its eponymous grape which is known as Carignan in France.
Bodegas San Valero manages 500 grape growers cultivating over 4,000 hectares of vineyard as active members of the cooperative, where 90% of the vineyards surround the winery facility near the village of Cariñena.
Bodegas San Valero Particular Joven 2022, D.O. Cariñena
Grape: Garnacha
“Particular”, is a limited production label from the winery that pays homage to the ancient traditions of their ancestorial winemakers. So much so, that the wine’s label itself is inspired by the hand-made graphics by the same winegrowers to differentiate between the varieties of wines and their vintages.
Tasting notes:The deep cherry red coloured wine had aromas of ripe red fruits and a medium-bodied fruit-forward palate with pleasant tannins.
Novel offerings too
If Tasting Spain 2023 had something for everyone, it also had some novel wines for the wine geek’s delight. It was good that the Spanish Embassy had attached a catalogue of products to be showcased at the event, hence I had shortlisted them for my tasting in advance.
Bodegas Baigorri
https://bodegasbaigorri.com/en/inicio/
Nestled at the foot of the Cantabrian mountains, Bodegas Baigorri is located in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa area. Their winemaking philosophy revolves around artisanal practices that avoid mechanical impact of any kind. Apart from their Riojan wines, they also had an uncommon wine from D.O. Valdeorras in Galicia that lies in the North-western Spain.
Bodegas Baigorri Quinta Do SIL Godello, D.O. Valdeorras
Grape: Godello
Tasting Notes: The wine comes from Valdeorras D.O. located in the Galician province of Ourense, with vineyards planted next to the Sil River- hence its name. The pale gold wine had appetising aromas of tropical fruits and a complex fruity palate with medium acidity. I found it to be a great “gourmet wine” that can be paired with a host of food options rather than just limiting it to seafood.
Bodegas Vidal del Saz
The 1930-established Bodegas Vidal del Saz is a family business with a wide range of wines from the D.O. La Mancha. They are located in the heart of La Mancha, 170 kilometres south of Madrid.
Bodegas del Saz produces a great range of wines from varieties such as Airen, Macabeo, Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscatel, Tempranillo, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bodegas del Saz ‘Mavam’ Beach White Sweet
Grapes: Macabeo, Moscatel
“Mavam” literally means delicate, fine or glamorous. This is a wine based cocktail with 7% alcohol by volume (ABV). The eye catching bottle can surely get you in a fun mode even as you swirl it to get a mesmerizing blue-metallic effect reminiscent of sea waves. No wonder it is named so.
Tasting Notes: A gently sparkling cocktail that feels rich in the mouth with tropical fruit flavours, notably pineapple and passion fruit with citrus accents.
Other wine producers at Taste Spain India 2023
Bodegas Camino Alto
https://bodegascaminoalto.com/?lang=en
Bodegas Camino Alto from Castile-La Mancha offers 100% organically produced wines, elaborated with grapes from their own vineyards, within the Protected Geographical Indication I.G.P. “Vino de la Tierra de Castilla”.
Bodegas Camino Alto showcased a good range of wines including a Sauvignon Blanc that had a refreshingly fruity character. I also tasted their “Camino Alto 39.3” which was a powerful yet approachable blend of Tempranillo, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Bodegas San Antonio ABAD
Established in 1954, Bodegas San Antonio Abad is a winery-cooperative that produces and markets its own wines from D.O. La Mancha. Their wines include native varietal wines as well as standalone and blends with the Syrah varietal.
A great beginning for Taste Spain India
This was the maiden edition of Taste Spain India, though the Embassy of Spain has been organizing other wine related endeavours in the country since long. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of Spain, Lucía Paternina said:
We are thrilled to celebrate the success of the Taste Spain event in its first edition in India, with a fantastic response from the professional audience in India. Everyone was delighted with the products showcased by the Spanish companies. Through Taste Spain, we seek to provide a platform for open dialogue and tastings that initiates business partnerships and promotes commercial linkages between Spanish and Indian cuisines, known for their uniqueness and quality.
A glimpse of Food Products at Taste Spain India 2023
