–Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) classes levels 1, 2, and 3 will be offered in-person in Paso Robles this summer at Broken Earth Winery through The Wine House, a WSET Approved Programme Provider.
Utiel-Requena DO and its main grape, the black variety Bobal, are inextricably entwined. Nearly 40% of the world’s total Bobal plantings are in Utiel-Requena. It is the appellation’s key variety, accounting for 67% of plantings in the DO’s 32,560ha of vineyards. On top of this, nearly half of Utiel-Requena’s Bobal vines are old vines, 40 years plus, making a rich reserve.
A research project – ValoraBobal – aims to strengthen that position in two ways. Firstly, researching ways to take advantage of Bobal’s inherent hot, dry climate-tolerance, and the grape’s high quality attributes. Secondly, by identifying the worth and value – both economic and emotional – of this old-vine heritage, the aim is to encourage growers to preserve, and to make high quality wines from, their old vines. This will, it is hoped, improve profitability of the sector.
Decanter The red wines of Jumilla
In association with DO Jumilla.With its generous climate, Jumilla has always been a producer of red wines, but today the styles are evolving. Andrew Black introduces the rising stars who are pioneering the region’s next generation reds and recommends bottles to try
Jumilla always made decent red wines. Decades ago Jumilla’s wines provided colour, fruit and body to boost blends produced in other more famous wine regions. The ambition of today’s generation of vignerons however is not so much to make decent, marketable products but to achieve wines of international acclaim.
By Sonya Hook
| 08 February, 2021
Rioja Wine UK has launched its new marketing campaign for 2021, with a clear focus on the “exceptional quality” of the top end wines of the region.
With the value of Rioja in the UK up 17.9% in 2020, according to latest Nielsen statistics (MAT 26.12.20), the new campaign will bolster the region’s fine wine credentials and consolidate its position as Spain’s premier wine producing region.
New for 2021 will be an increased emphasis on the top wines from Rioja with the launch of Ultimate Rioja – a blind tasting by a panel of leading industry experts to establish the very best wines from the region. Winning wines will be presented to a select trade audience at a live event in the autumn.
Decanter 10 great Rioja crianza wines to try
Affordable and accessible, Rioja crianzas offer great value for money and plenty of drinking pleasure. Decanter recommends 10 top bottles
What is a Rioja crianza?
‘Crianza’ refers to the ageing regulations for red wines set out by the region’s wine control board, the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja. These state that a crianza must be aged for a minimum of one year in barrel and one year in bottle before release.
In contrast – and stepping up in quality and price – a reserva must be aged for at least one year in barrel and two in bottle. While a gran reserva spends at least two years in oak and three in bottle.