A glass of sparkling.
The #WorldWineTravel group is continuing its virtual tour of Spain and this month features the region of Catalunya. As this region is home to our favourite sparkling wine after Champagne, our article provides some background on Cava. To read the other articles related to this month’s topic, please refer to the links at the end.
Cava is Spain’s answer to Champagne: a delicious sparkling wine made using the Méthode Champenoise, the traditional method used in Champagne to add the bubbles to the wine. There are definitely differences between the two wines, and similarities as well, but budget-friendly Cava is certainly a wine worth getting to know more about.
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The #WorldWineTravel group is kicking off 2021 by virtually exploring the world of wine, one country or region at a time. This month features one of our favourite regions of all, Rioja. We’ve been lucky enough to visit twice and we can’t wait to return once we can travel overseas again. Our submission is a primer aimed at providing a background on the region’s history, geography, climate, sub-regions, and styles of winemaking. To read the other articles related to this month’s topic, please refer to the links at the end of this article.
View of the Ebro River at Valpiedra Winery.
Rioja is Spain’s best known wine region. It occupies 63,593 Ha along both sides of the Ebro River in Northeastern Spain, spanning 100 km between the towns of Haro and Alfaro. The Rio Oja, a tributary of the Ebro, is where the region takes its name. Rioja is Spain’s oldest Denominacion de Origen (D.O.), the Spanish equivalent of a viticultural region, having earned the designation in 1926. In 1991 it earned the highest designation of Calificada (D.O.Ca.), and remains only one of two region in Spain to hold this designation alongside Priorat. It produces both red and white wines though over 90% of the production is red. Over 600 bodegas (wineries) call Rioja home. As a region it is capable of producing excellent wines, not just in the premium category, but it also can produce some incredible bargains.
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The Pomum & Idilico lineup.
We are unabashed fans of wine from Washington State. We also happen to love Spanish wine so when we found out that there was a Spanish winemaker in Washington, we knew we had to meet him and find out more about his winery: Pomum Cellars.
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Lunch at Muga.
Bodegas Muga is one of the leading wineries in Spain’s elite wine region of Rioja. We not only got to tour and taste at Muga, but the winery hosted us at a very special private lunch at their winery. Ten of us were a part of the very exclusive Bordeaux to Rioja wine tour put on by Iberian Wines Tours and it was Iberian’s connection with the winery that got us this special invitation. One of the great things about going on these tours is that you get into places that you simply cannot on your own.
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Txomin Etxaniz Winery.
In the heart of the coastal town of Getaria, not far from San Sebastián, you’ll find yourself in the middle of Spain’s most unusual wine region: the Denomination of Origin Getariako Txakolina. Txakoli (pronounced “chock-oh-lee”) wine is produced here and it is the pride of Basque Country. Slightly fizzy, it’s a dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content that is the perfect pairing to the area’s plentiful seafood. We paid a visit to the most renowned Txakoli producer, Txomin Etxaniz, with Iberian Wine Tours, to see firsthand how these wines are made and the history behind them.
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