Tag: Garnacha

Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (the Northern Spanish Wine Company) CVNE was founded in 1879 in the town of Haro in Rioja, Spain by 2 brothers.  Did you know that CVNE also has the name Cune, made by accident?  It was a print shop error back in the days when the typesetter thought the V looked odd and replaced it with…

Although we cannot celebrate the Vancouver International Wine Festival together this year, I have some wines from Chile and Argentina that I would like to taste and share my tasting notes with you. This year the theme region was South America, so we would have been tasting wines from Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brasil. I purchased these two Chilean wines…

Who Is CVNE? Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (the Northern Spanish Wine Company) CVNE was founded in 1879 in the town of Haro in Rioja, Spain by 2 brothers.  This is the 140th anniversary of this winery, which is now in its 5th generation of the family. CVNE is now comprised of 4 wineries: CVNE, Imperial, Viña Real and…

This is Part 2 of my top rated wines for 2018.  I earlier released my list of 40 white and sparkling wines for 2018, which you can read at this link.  This red wine list came from Trade tastings with agents and BC VQA wineries, the Vancouver International Wine Festival, visits to wineries, and personal purchases.  I categorized the wines below to…

Did you know that Spain’s wine heritage is at least three thousand years old?  Yet, you may not know much about Spanish wine, except for perhaps Rioja red wines and Spanish Cava.  Tempranillo is the best-known grape from Spain, being used to produce red wines from the Rioja region, as well as other regions in Spain. Tempranillo comes from the…

Spain has had a long history of winemaking, from classic Riojas, newer Mencia from Bierzo, to Cavas and more. During the Vancouver International Wine Festival, I and several other attendees joined Master of Wine, Barbara Philip to explore a wide range of Spanish wines and to listen to the forward-looking producers behind them. The winery principals speaking to us were: Fernando Gimenez…

The History of Marques de Murrieta Marqués de Murrieta´s foundation is linked to the origins of the Rioja wines since Luciano Murrieta produced in 1852 the first Rioja wine and was also the first one to export his wines. Luciano, appointed Marquis by King Amadeo of Savoy thanks to his work in Rioja, travelled to Bordeaux to learn the winemaking…

About Bodegas Arráez Our family winery was founded in 1916 by local growers for the promotion of their own harvest, afterward becoming Don Antonio Arráez Garrigós’ property in 1950. It was in those years that sales of his wines, both in bulk and bottled, started. In 1980, under Don Antonio Arráez Ibanco, the company became incorporated and international and became…

Juan Gil Bodegas Familiares are a group of small wineries scattered throughout Spain that have been joining the family group since 2002. Juan Gil Bodegas Familiares has a wide portfolio of Spanish wines with different characteristics and backgrounds. All of them with a common denominator; produced with different indigenous varieties of grapes, a refined image and an unbeatable relation between its…

It’s Spring.  We should be putting on our shorts, getting out on the patio and enjoying some wine, cheese, fresh seafood, and some grilled lamb chops.  These wines from the latest IVSA should fit the bill. White and Sparkling Wines Beau Joie Champagne Brut NV, France (~$120) – Nice strawberries and lees on the nose; medium intensity.  Dry, high acidity…