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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Brad Pitt and Emmy Award-winning French producer Damien Quintard have worked together to revamp and redesign the Château Miraval recording studio, which has sat unused for nearly two decades. Renamed Miraval Studios, the venue will reopen in the heart of Provence rosé wine country in summer 2022. It marks a rebirth for the illustrious venue, previously known as Studio Miraval, which was built in 1977 by the estate’s then-owner, French pianist and composer Jacques Loussier. Pink Floyd used the st ...
André Hugel was an 11th generation member of Famille Hugel, one of the region’s most influential and highly-regarded wine families. The Hugel family settled in the town of Riquewihr, located in the heart of Alsace, all the way back in 1639. André ran Famille Hugel along with his brothers, Jean and Georges, as it developed into one of the world’s top producers. It owns 30 hectares (ha) of prime plots in the Haut-Rhin area, half of which are classified as Grand Cru, and it buys grapes from a furth ...
Vega Sicilia’s announcement of its project in Galicia brings an end to months of industry speculation over where exactly the company would make its first Spanish white wines. Spanish daily newspapers El País and Cinco Días revealed news of the construction of a new winery and the acquisition of 24 hectares of vineyards by Vega Sicilia, owned by the Álvarez family. Vega Sicilia confirmed that production would initially consist of two white wines: Deiva, a white Crianza (aged 2 years); and Arnela, ...