Vinos de Pago, often abbreviated to VP, is a relatively New category of wine classification in Spain. It was introduced in 2003, to cover individual wineries whose wines fell outside the existing DO system (geographically or stylistically) but were nevertheless of consistently high quality. As of 2017, there were more than a dozen VPs, all of which are notable exceptions in regions not generally associated with high quality wines. More than half are in Castilla-La Mancha, and the rest in Navarra and Utiel-Requena.
There is also a confusing association of promotional wineries, Grandes Pagos de Espana. The list of members is not identical, although wineries such as Dominio de Valdepusa of Marqués de Griñon in Toledo and Señorio de Arinzano in Navarre are included in both. The GPE also includes, for example, members such as Martinez Bujanda's Finca Valdpiedra in Rioja, a region that did not participate in the Vinos de Pagos program (Rioja's stance on single-owner appellations along the lines of Grand Cru led to the large producer Artadi's withdrawal from the designation). Vino de Pago estates must be small; the law governing the category states that the area covered by a VP title must not be "equal to or greater than any parish in its region.
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With climate change becoming an increasingly serious topic for the spirits industry to tackle, so too comes a greater level of awareness amongst consumers that brands should be doing more in relation to the environmental footprints they leave behind globally. Every element, from the cultivation of raw materials, to the composition and distribution of finished glass bottles is now under tighter scrutiny. This year’s Earth Day, a celebration of climate awareness, held on 22 April (founded back in ...
The industry launched a certification programme called Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) back in 1995. It now covers 1,840 vineyards and 310 wineries. Growers can only achieve SWNZ certification by passing stringent tests within six key areas: water, waste, pest and disease control, soil, climate change and people. They must subject themselves to regular audits conducted by an independent company, which assesses the overall sustainability of their operations and verifies that they are m ...
Château Mouton Rothschild has unveiled the latest iteration of its collection of unique, artist-designed labels. Contemporary artists such as Salvador Dalí, César Baldaccini, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol, have been illustrating Château Mouton Rothschild labels since the 1945 vintage. The label of Château Mouton Rothschild’s 2019 vintage was designed by Berlin-based, Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, who works in a range of fields from painting to digital media. ...