Jean Smullen reviews 2018 Tradición de Aresan and 2018 MontRubí Black
Dry January is almost over, but with the growing popularity of plant-based and plant-rich diets, the demand for vegan and organic wine is also increasing. Today at Movies & Booze we look at organic and vegan wines from Spain.
2018 Tradición de Aresan € 9.99 (half price)
Specialist: Eurospar (60 stores nationwide)
A recent visit to Navarre to attend an international wine fair that highlights organic wine production in Spain was a bit of an eye opener. Spain has a very good track record in the production of organic and biodynamic wines. It is of course helpful that most of its major wine regions have a dry or Mediterranean desert climate. 90% of the organic grapes come from European wine regions worldwide, Italy is at the top with a share of 15.9% of the wines produced there. Spain is in second place with organic wines, which together make up 11.6% of their total production. 80% of the organic wines produced in Spain are now exported.
Organic farming is mainly about growing vines without using synthetic chemicals. Soil improvement and fertilization of the plants are achieved through the use of rotting organic substances such as liquid manure. Insects are fought with natural enemies, weeds are kept down by mulching and cultivation.
This wine is made from a mixture of one Spanish and two French grapes. Tempranillo (Spanish) and Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot (French) in the Castilla La Mancha region of Spain.
That is a Vino del Terra de Castilla what defines it as “New Style Spain”, a status similar to IGT in Italy or IPR in France. One of the most important developments in the Castilla region is that La Mancha has proven that not only is a sea of cheap wines sold at rock bottom prices, but there are now so many small, high quality wineries and cooperatives run by qualified oenologists of very good quality. Of course it also helps that the climate is dry and dry and they are ideal for the production of organic wine.
What makes a wine vegan? Most modern commercial wines are bright and clear and contain no “trifles”. This is because almost all wines produced today are filtered. There are several ways to filter wine. The wine is spun in a large machine that removes most of the particles. Before filling, the remaining cloudy particles are removed by a final clarification process. A number of products are used, including protein-protein power (dried protein), Isinglass, a power derived from fish; Gelatin, which comes from animals, and casein, which is a milk protein. Vegan wines are wines that are filtered with inorganic products such as charcoal or bentonite, a clay form.
Natural wines, which are usually wines that do not go through the filtration process, are also vegan-friendly, but they are not clear and light.
This wine has a nice nose of blackberries and black fruits with a nice vanilla character. On the palate it has wonderfully pronounced aromas of black fruits that last forever. Why not try it with “Tortilla De PatatasA Spanish omelette made from grams or chickpea flour instead of eggs and potatoes and onions fried in olive oil.
2018 MontRubí Black € 19.00
Retailers: Whelehan Wines, The Silver Tassie, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin
MontRubí Black is an award-winning organic wine made in a small town called L’Avellàthe in Alt Penedes, Catalonia. The winery has mostly high-lying vineyards (800 meters above sea level) and is about 60 km from Barcelona. This high quality boutique winery was founded in 1984 and is known for its organic viticulture and the production of wines from local grapes.
MontRubí Black is made from Grenache (or if you want to use the Catalan name Garnatxa or Garnacha as we know it generally). The Garnatxa grape comes from Spain, although it is one of the most commonly grown and most used red grapes from Mediterranean Spain and France (where it is known as Grenache Noir). The flavors of black cherries with pepper notes are characteristic of Garnatxa and can either be soft and fruity or powerful and meaty.
This wine is made from 45 year old grapes, the vineyard was originally planted in 1975 and Black is a young and lively wine with an intense aroma of wild berries and plums. Some of them use carbon dioxide masking in winemaking, which gives the wine its intense fruity character.
This is a vina joven (young wine), a modern Spanish way of making wine that usually doesn’t involve wood age.
Due to the beautiful ripe fruit content in this wine, it is ideal to go with any vegetarian dish. Vegetables taste earthy and need a fruity wine to cheer up the dish.
Grenache goes well with cooked tomatoes and eggplants and also goes well with cheese. A simple dish, all ingredients are easy to get. Eggplants, cheddar cheese, herbs (basil), garlic, onions and olives. Bake them all together for a simple, effective meal that goes perfectly with this super Spanish organic wine.
Wine events: Quinto do Crasto tasting with Wines Direct
Cry directly have represented Quinta do Crasto from the Portuguese Douro Valley on the Irish market and are looking forward to holding a tasting of their wines in their vinotheque in the Arnotts department store on Friday, February 7, 2020.
More details in the wine diary https://jeansmullen.com/WineDiary/Index/1644