Travel

Spain: Castilla y Leon
September 2008

Spain’s burning character is first seen when approaching Madrid from the air.

There are rags of red-ochre soil whose unusual colour stands in contrast to yellow-straw fields. There are dots of olive trees, quaint borderlines between plots of land and a huge cross on the highland. Only this country could be a birthplace of Dali and Picasso.

Vinous Spain is like bottled passion and emotions. Although the Spanish haven’t mastered the art of marketing seduction like their neighbours in France and Italy, they can impress with other things. Wines of Spain always have soul, telling the story of a place where they come from.

Here’s Castilla y Leon, a neighbour of Madrid. One needs at least a week to travel it from top to bottom. It is not only about great distances, with Castilla being the largest Spanish region that covers a fifth of the country, but also because it’s best to see it in a relaxed way. Castilla is known for its well kept medieval towns. Storks who no longer fly to Africa in winter make nests on old buildings and add an original touch to Castilla towns.

Many wine and gastronomic traditions are hidden behind Castilla y Leon natural and architectural beauties. Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero and Verdejo from Rueda, suckling pigs from Segovia and beans from Avila are just as important for Castillan culture as Salamanca universities and Roman churches in Zamora. There are five wine regions, including famous Ribera del Duero, as well as production facilities for Ibrian jamon and farms growing ducks and geese for Spanish foie gras.

Wine regions of Castilla are crowned by glorious Ribera del Duero. It represents progress, fame and prestige; makes one seek out its superb wines. Penafiel with an imposing castle on the top of the hill is the capital of the wine region, yet the better symbol for it can be Pedrosa de Duero, a flourishing village, surrounded by ideal vineyards and showing all signs of good life. Ribera del Duero has a ‘golden mile’ (from Olivares to Pequera) where three major wineries are located — Vega-Sicilia, Alejandro Fernandez-Pesquera and Dominio de Pingus, and a ‘golden triangle’ that consists of prestigious vineyards between Valbuena, Pesquera and Penafiel.

Prior to 1980s only two Castillan wineries were highly reputed inside Spain and beyond its borders. One is legendary Vega-Sicilia that until recently produced the most expensive Spanish wine. The other renowned winery is led by Alejandro Fernandez. His intense and fruity Tinto Pesquera is known as Spanish Chateau Petrus. Dominio de Pingus is a recent phenomenon. The winery was founded by Danish Peter Sisseck, and its top wine Pingus has a cult following.

Ribera del Duero winemakers principally work with red Tempranillo grape producing deep, concentrated wines with pure black fruit and expressive spice, amplified by aging in American oak. Tempranillo can vary in styles from fresh to powerful to flavoured by new French oak.

Tempranillo also reins at neighbouring Toro vineyards where it is known as Tinta de Toro. In old times it was harvested late when grapes accumulated plenty of sugar. The resulting wine had up to 17-18 degrees of alcohol, and Toro were among few natural red wines that could be transported and aged for a long time. That’s why they could be found both in royal cellars and in ships sailing to conquer the New World.

Today Toro is one of the most dynamic Spanish wine regions. Demand for vineyards comes both from Spanish and foreign winemakers. Pablo Alvarez from Vega-Sicilia founded bodega Pintia in Toro. Alejandro Fernandez bought a farm on the periphery where he grows grapes and other crops, breeds sheep and cows. Ubiquitous Bordeaux entrepreneur Bernard Magrez and respected brothers-winemakers Jacques and Francois Lurton who have vineyards around the globe also produce wine in Toro.

Castilla is also known for white wines. Rueda is one of the two key Spanish white wine regions. Indigenous Verdejo, brought by the Moors in the 11th century, is widely cultivated. Young wines have tropical fruit flavours with notes of herbs and aniseed. Verdejo’s outstanding feature is its amazing persistency as flavours can last for a minute or so. Rueda also produces good Sauvignon Blanc — wines are rich, spicy and long.

Castilla y Leon has a promising wine region called Bierzo. It borders Galician vineyards in the north-west of the country. Wines from red Mencia grape are worth seeking. Alvaro Palacios, famed Priorat winemaker, says that wines can change character like a chameleon, depending on site. He believes in great potential of the grape and the area. Palacios bought 26 hectares there and already released first wines.