Located in the northern half of the Central Iberian plateau, Castilla y León is the largest of Spain's 17 administrative regions, covering about one-fifth of the country's total area. It extends about 350 kilometres (220 miles) from central Spain to the northern coast. Just as wide, it connects the Rioja wine region to the Portuguese border. Red wines reign supreme in Castilla y León, and the Tempranillo grape is undoubtedly the king.
It is known here by various synonyms, including Tinta del Pais, Tinto de Toro and Tinto Fino. It is the source of all the best wines in the region, with the exception of Bierzo, which makes good use of Mencia. The other grape varieties are the French varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The white wines of Castilla y Léon are much less numerous than the reds, but hardly less prestigious.
The black Tempranillo is a grape variety native to Spain. It produces a variety of grape specially used for the elaboration of wine. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by medium-sized bunches and medium-sized grapes. The black Tempranillo can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Rhone valley, Provence & Corsica, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais.
red wines from the region of Castille-et-Léon go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of beef tongue with pickle sauce, grilled leg of lamb marinated in aromatic oil or rabbit with mushrooms.
On the nose in the region of Castille-et-Léon often reveals types of flavors of cream, cranberry or milk chocolate and sometimes also flavors of dried fig, eucalyptus or cigar. In the mouth in the region of Castille-et-Léon is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
When I started my nomadic winemaking project, in 2018 at Niepoort Vinhos in Portugal’s Douro region, I had no idea how large a part Spain would go on to play – I certainly never intended to make it the locus of my project. So how did it happen? Yes, there was an element of chance and taking opportunities where they arose. But also, among the talented winemakers to whom I pitched collaborations, I sensed an openness and a readiness to collaborate which seemed particular to Spain. Held in June las ...
Canada’s wine community is mourning the sudden loss of beloved Ontario winemaker Paul Pender. Passing away at the age of just 54, Pender died ‘unexpectedly under tragic circumstances’ on 4 February, 2022, as announced by sister wineries Tawse and Redstone. Before becoming director of viticulture and winemaking at Tawse and Redstone, he was a carpenter. When he developed an allergy to the dust and solvents, he went back to school to study winemaking at Niagara College in 2004. Pender’s interns ...
First introduced with the 2006 vintage in 2009, the Vendemmia d’Artista series commissions different artists each year to capture the character of the vintage in limited edition sculptures and labels. This 14th edition of the Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista series will see 100 double magnums, 10 imperials and one salmanazar sold to raise money for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which plans to expand its Mind’s Eye initiative – a programme that enables the visually impaired to experien ...
