Spanish Wine Experience

This week Roque and Luke talk animals, specifically those of the vineyards. From the bugs and bichos to birds, bats and beasts of burden, there is a lot of animal life involved both directly and indirectly in the vineyards. To lead them into this topic they have a couple of wines from Bodegas Enguera in Valencia. Enjoy!

This week Roque and Luke dive into the geeky world of wine qualifications as both of them are embarking on their SWS course. But of course there's a variety of options out there for the interested alcoholic. Also, during a tête à tête about course rules Roque gets a special guest on for help!

Have you ever heard of pitarra wine? No? Well we hadn't either until quite recently. Vino de pitarra is a type of very localised wine from Extremadura. Fortunately Luke just spent a few days over there and brought a bottle back. But what is it and how is it made? What does pitarra even mean? And is it any good!?

Here's a new one for you. Vino de la Tierra de Murcia. Things are changing down south, and also changing for our old friends at Bodega Casa Rojo. They've moved away from their initial DO Jumilla wines and are now flying the flag for the far more unknown and new VT Murcia. So this week Roque and Luke crack open a bottle of Enemigo Mío and see what's what in Roque homeland!

We are back again, so soon, we know, with another one of our Perfect Spanish Wine Cellar pods. This time we have upped the price to 500€ so be prepared for longer lists and much fancier wines. This the cellar for the person who wants some of the finer things as well as more range than you'd get from 100€. Enjoy!

Well look at that, we found another wine region for you guys! This one we have already tried and loved and have been selling in our shop. We just forgot we hadn't done a podcast! A tiny VT region in Navarra, 3 Riberas only has a handful of wineries. This is the most prestigious; a rosé project made by legendary winery Chivite in conjunction with top chef Arzak! Enjoy!

Welcome to a new series on our podcast. As well as the usual wine region, weird grape and informative episodes, we are launching a new genre that is for certain price points what should you, and can you get, to prime your perfect Spanish wine cellar! This week, a tricky 100€. Neither Roque or Luke know the other's choice: fireworks ensue. 

Sorry for the delay! It's been a few weeks! Luke had horrendous allergies for over a week followed by some biblical food poisoning. But now the boys are back, and with a truly tiny far-flung VT region from Aragón: Ribera del Jiloca. To talk about the area, and all things Aragonés, they have two different bottles of red from Bodega Santo Tomás de Aquino. Cheers!

And now for something completely different... Orange Wine is very much in fashion these days in the wine world. But most people would never think of Spain as a bastion of this kookier style of vino. Today the boys sample an orange wine from Bodega de las Estrellas; talk about what's going on, why it's going on, and whether they are Fire, Earth, Wind or Water types... Intriguing right?

We have to hand it to Roque and Luke; their sleuthing abilities are second to none. They've managed to locate another Vino de Pago - Dehesa del Carrizal - hiding out in the depths of the Toledo hills. They have a range of wines, but the boys have selected one of their favourite, and most-underrated of the big grapes, Petit Verdot. So enjoy!

Another week, another pod, another weird grape. Weird by certain standard anyway. There is a grape in La Rioja that 'some' people know, but maybe don't really know. A native of Rioja that was often hiding away in blends but more and more is being used to make fascinating and uniquely perfumed mono variety reds. Graciano! To talk about this grape the boys are lucky enough to sample a fancy bottle o...

Time for something completely different. This week Roque and Luke want to focus less on a particular region and/or grape and instead talk both generally, scientifically, culturally, nationally and gastronomically about the idea of food and wine pairing. But with a Spanish bent. To aid them they tuck into various Galician conservas from Delgado Selecciones and pair them with a top Dominio O Secreto...

Another week and another exciting discovery. This time Roque and Luke enjoy a bottle of barrel-fermented Albariño, but not from the usual area. It's Galicia, but not as we know it. A tiny little Vino de la Tierra hiding in the northern fjords. The wine is Komokabras from Adega Entre Os Rios. 

Well, well, well, what's all this then? That's right, Roque and Luke discovered another one of Spain's 'top of the pyramid' hard-to-find Vino de Pago wines. This week it's the turn of Pago de los Balagueses, located in the interior of the Valencia region. They have a range of smashing wines and this week they're trying the delicious Garnacha Tintorera.

This week Roque and Luke take a light-hearted deep dive into the life of a vine. It's very common now to find wines with expressions like 'Old Vine' and 'Pie Franco' on the label. But what does this mean for the wine? We also talk more generally about the life of our favourite plant: the Vine. To enjoy this theme the boys enjoy a bottle of Octogenarius from more than 80-yr Rioja vines. 

This week the chaps want to step away from focussing on one particular grape or DO wine region for a moment and instead hone in on a theme that has been interesting them a lot recently: the idea of blended (multi-grape) wines 'vs' the single variety wine. To talk more about this Roque and Luke were lucky enough to receive a rather fancy bottle of El Grillo from Bodegas El Grillo y La Luna in DO So...

This week Roque and Luke want to focus on the concept of the Atlantic Red, a style of wine that is becoming really popular in Spain. What is an Atlantic wine? What makes it so? Are there Atlantic wines that have nothing to do with the ocean itself? To talk more about this topic they drink a bottle of Golpe a Golpe Tinto from the Galician coast. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! And to celebrate? How about the fanciest wine yet tried on the podcast? Fondillón, a mythical and historically legendary, but sadly forgotten and very rare style of alcoholic sweet red from Alicante and beloved by kings. This wine has more in common with Port than normal table wine. So, to toast 2021 in style Roque and Luke grab a bottle of Laudum Gran Reserva from 1988! Enjoy! 

So we come to the end of this most terrible year. 2020 has been a truly rubbish one. With a bottle of Avelino Vargas Aureo in their hands Luke and Roque toast the end of the year; chatting about how 2020 has affected the wine industry and their shop, how things have evolved and their favourite wine discoveries! See you in 2021!

It's nearing the end of the year so before Christmas arrives, Roque and Luke decided they fancied something sweet to get in the mood! The world of sweet wines is vast, so instead of talking in general terms they thought they would start with Late Harvest wines - and the evolved styles that can be attained from playing around with the simple fact of 'when you pick your grapes'. To aid in this endea...

Another week another region; well, sort of. With every passing week it is getting more difficult for Roque and Luke to find 'new' regions in the country - as they've drunk most of them already. But we mustn't forget the Vinos de Pago - singular estate DO regions. This week's star is the sexy Senda de Leñadores from Aragon's Pago Aylés. Enjoy!

It's that time of the year again. November arrives and the youngest wines in the wine world flood the market. Vins de primeur, nouveau wines, vinos jóvenes. These super young wines have their fame mostly thanks to Beaujolais in France. But Spain has their own version: Primero. To talk about these styles of wine, and the process by which they are made - carbonic maceration - a bottle of Primero squ...

Another week, another wine, another weird grape. This week Roque and Luke have a look at Verdil; an almost-extinct varietal and very hard to find, from Valencia. They sample a crisp, cold bottle of Los Arraez Verdil from Bodegas Arraez!

Now when thoughts turn to the idea of non-vintage wines - if they do indeed turn at all - the most 'common' wine that presents itself is Champagne. There are others of course. But, what about red and white wines? Well, to sample something brand new and rather kooky, Roque and Luke head, somewhat unexpectedly, to traditional Rioja and try Bodega Tobia's new non-vintage still wines.

This week was SHERRY WEEK all across the world so in order to look more deeply into this most delicious and Spanish of wines - and also Luke's favourite wine it the world - Roque thought it would be fun to set up a blind tasting of different styles as a way of explaining how each is made. Will Luke guess the wines? Find out here!