Originally from Burgundy, it is an early budding vine, which makes it sensitive to spring frosts.

It can be found in some outstanding Spanish Wines from Tierra de Castilla in Castilla La Mancha wine region in Spain.

This is one of the most extensive varieties in the world, owing to its capacity to adapt. Its bunches are small or medium – hardly surpassing 10 cm in length -, cylindrical, compact and sometimes with one or two wings, and with an average weight of 75 to 125 grams, depending on the soil fertility and the state of health of the vines.

The grapes are slightly oval, small, amber in colour, with quite a thin skin and consistent pulp. It has an early maturity. It is ideal for fermentation and ageing in oak barrels. The wine produced is strong, fruity and of good acidity, bringing harmony and balance.

Land of Vineyards

Syrah adapts very well to the most dry zones in Spain. It is grown to produce Spanish wines from La Mancha, Mentrida and Jumilla, where it is becoming more consolidated to mix with Monastrell and in Wines from La Tierra de Castilla.

The plant likes sun, has a low yield (ideal to show off its qualities), buds late and is resistant to diseases. Its bunches are of medium size and are compact. The grapes are small, oval in form and blueish in colour. The skin is thin but quite resistant, the flesh is soft, juicy and pleasant tasting.

The wines have body, a good degree of alcohol and smoky aromas -violets, black olives, leather, tobacco and liquorice. They are dark red in colour.

To extract the best of this variety, the fermentations are long and the ageing in wood, so they are wines very suitable for quality ageing. It mixes very well with different varieties such as Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

Land of Vineyards

One of the grapes from the Bordeaux region that sometimes accompanies the red wines produced from Cabernet and Merlot.

Medium yield and maturity, although its budding is very early. The bunches are small-medium in size. It is susceptible to oidio and to wind. It produces wines very rich in tannins, mature with a high level of colour, very suitable for mixing with wines of other varieties in small quantities.

In Castilla-La Mancha it has been adopted by some growers of Spanish Wines from Tierra de Castilla for the production of signature wines.

Land of Vineyards

Originally from France. It is extended over all the Spanish geography most notably in the Designations of Origin Jumilla, La Mancha and Méntrida and in many Wines from Tierra de Castilla.

The plant is vigourous, high yielding, early budding (it is affected by spring frosts) and resistant to diseases. Its bunches are cylindrical, of medium size, but not very dense, with medium sized grapes blueish-black in colour. It complements Cabernet-Sauvignon, Bobal and Tempranillo very well for ageing. We also find it together with Garnacha in young wines.

The wines are soft, alcoholic, aromatic and easy-drinking. The colour is ruby with violet tones and the palate gives grassy and spicy notes. The nose results fruity (plums). As a variety it stands up well to wood, giving a balanced wine, with body, a dark red colour with an orange rim.

Land of Vineyards

Originally from Bordeaux ( France) it can be found in all the warm areas of the world. It is called the Emperor of the red varieties. In Wines from Tierra de Castilla it has attained great acceptance, to the point of becoming the third most produced red grape in La Mancha.

The plant is vigourous with not very high yields. It adapts well to the region’s climate.

The bunches are medium sized and not very compact. The grapes are small, round, with intense colour, and have thick skins. It is a variety that has extended all around the world and it is used to improve the ageing of wines. It works very well in crianzas due to its high tannin content.

The wines are dry, with body, alcoholic and acidic, with an intense violet colour. The nose is profound and intense, floral ( violets) fruits (berries) and vegetables ( pepper). They are tasty on the palate.

Land of Vineyards

Hello and welcome to Wines from Castilla La Mancha

Today we are in a winery from la Roda (Albacete)Spain

Wine from Tierra de Castilla. Surely one of the best wineries in Castilla La Mancha

And we have with us winery owner Tomás Ruiz

Hello Ramón, How are you?. He is going to tell us a litte about the winery and his wines.

Ok, Tell us something about the winery

The winery is an old project

Our family started the last century, more than 100 years

with vinification and winemaking professionals

My grandfather owned a winery

And in 1994 I started with the new project

With the plantation of “espaldera” vineyards

And How many hectares of vineyards?

we currenly have 70 hectares

Exclusively for our own production. we test existing

and foreign varieties

And at the end We have decided. What are the varieties are you planting?

We have tried with many varieties and at the end we are planting

11 different varieties. 5 red and 6 white varieties

Of course we have tempranillo typical of this area

And then we have merlot, Syrah, Cabernet

And petit Verdot which is adapting very well to this soil

And among the whites varieties we are a little bit innovative

A part from Chardonnay which is well know all around the world

We did some testing and right now we have viognier

Moscatel de grano menudo

And even we have something really interesting with albariño

which is something new in this area and we have some wine bottled with albariño.

And the gewürztraminer which is one the wines we are going to taste later on

Yes, we started experimenting in 2000

And this year we already have some in bottle, we have decided that has good quality

to be commercialized

ok, let´s talk about two of your products

we are going to taste, as we said, your Gewúrztraminer 2008

And also a 2004 Syrah with three months in oak

Both wines as you can see are named 1564

I would like you to tell me the story about this name

as we are an innovative winery and we want to do different things

in the name of the wines we are trying to be original

1564 has something to do with la Roda as a land of vineyards

Then 1564 indicate the year when the church of La Roda was built

And from that, I like the name a lot

With a nod to history and the village where the wine is coming from

Let´s try the first one

The gewúrztraminer.

2008 vintage

100% gewúrztraminer

We have launched this prodcut this year

This is a wine powerful in aromas, powerful wine in the mouth

If you notice the color of the wine, is typical gewúrztraminer yellow straw color

greenish…clean

This is a very aromatic wine

On the nose….floral aromas

Pineaple…ok…very good…violet

And the main aroma from Gewurztraminer: fresh lychee fruit

Let´s see in the mouth

In the mounth express the fruit…meaty fruit

floral as well. Very long finish

Really good. 13.5%

And as we has said, you only have vino de la tierra de Castilla

You are not under any Denomination of Origin

Once you let the wine breathe to ‘open’ , new aromas and tones are coming up

this wine goes well with fish and seafood

and I would also recommend it with

mushrooms

And it goes well with foie as well.

this can go with a lot of food. i think is a wine to be drunk with food

this is a very interesting wine as this variety can barely be found in Spain

I have seen some people planting it in somontano

Here we did some testings and i think the wine is really good

Let´s see the red one

2004 syrah

crianza wine

Silver medal concourses mondial de Bruxelles 2006

In recognition to the planting of this variety in this area…it´s been years

This is one of the first varieties we planted

some people say that one of the best Syrah can be found in Castilla La Mancha region

Tell me…As you see this wine is dark red

purplish…and the oak is giving different tones of red

2004 vintage

this wine has a “half Crianza”. This is not the same crianza than those of the Denomination of origin

We like wines with a beautiful integration of wood

Toasty notes, vanilla

if you smell

red fruit and blackcurrant

smoky and vanilla aromas

you told me that this wine has three month in oak

we keep the wine in oak…and we taste it

in order to find the perfect balance between fruit and oak

so,periodically, depending on the wine, we taste it

and when we think is the right moment…for that balance

This is the characteristic that we are looking for our wines

A wine that improves with age.

Adn this one still is..

On the nose almost the same…long finish

Silky, full bodied

Long finish…

As you said before…rainsins and liquorice

All of our wines have liquorice

i think is coming from the terroir

liquorice always appears in our wines

let´s summarize your range

what the consumer can find in the market

We have tasted these two, but you has also monovarietal range

yes, we have a monovarietal range

As all of our wine are coming form our own production we have

Our range starts with monovaritals

young wines no oak, we Tempranillo, Cabernet

and some of them have been awarded too

I think merlot is one of them

Yes, merlot is golden medal Brussels 2008

And the Syrah won the best value red new wave Spanish wine awards 2006

yes, indeed

A blind tasting of 700 Spanish wines chosing the best 100

And then is one winner in each category

And your Syrah won the best value red in the Uk. The judges were wine experts and Masters of Wine

then we have the top range. wine with crianza, oak. we have tasted one of them.

A Syrah. We also have a coupage, French, American and Romanian oak

This is what we normally do with our coupage

we also have a Petit Verdot

Named Xintros…this one over here

Also awarded with international medal

And, do you also have Ice wine?

let me tell you before that

That we also have a barrel fermentation white

Viognier, Chardonnay, Albariño coupage

Fermented in French oak

And as your were saying

Ice wine. Made from tempranillo grapes

we pcik up the grapes in December

The grapes are left on the vine to ripen and raisin

And we pick up the grapes by hand and with a special frementation

controling the temperature

avoiding high temperatures and then we stop the fermentation

leaving some sugar

The wine has a typical tone of tempranillo raisin grape

with a sweet background

This wine goes well with starters

As I was telling you with the gewúrztraminer, goes well with foie and mushrooms

Very interesting products

working with “non-Castilla La Mancha” varieties

And even with varieties that nobody else in this region is planting at the moment

Thank you for letting us share this moment with you at your winery

Thank you for visiting us

I hope the audience will enjoy. Congratulations on your products…i like them very much

Thank you very much

www.bodegasolcaviana.com

It is impossible for anyone who knows Castilla-La Mancha to conceive the region without vine cultivation, one of its greatest economic and social assets, the definer of its landscape, environment, culture and history – an inalienable heritage that has given Castilla-La Mancha recognition as the region with the most vineyards in the world, the results of a tradition that has become the clear identity of this territory.

Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Toledo and Guadalajara; provinces in which the vines are deeply rooted. Rooted in history, in the culture,… up to the point that the customs and local festivals, the literature and even some of the religious beliefs are notably conditioned by the vine.

Castilla La Mancha Land of Vineyards

The vineyards of Castilla-La Mancha are set out on a large plain with loose and healthy soil, clearly suitable for vines. With a limestone – clay composition, its lithological characteristics vary depending on the zone, a factor that favours its own diversity and that of the agricultural produce.

Although it is a southern zone, its latitude is compensated by an altitude that exceeds 600 metres above sea level, and in some areas reaches 900 and even 1,000 metres; consequently, its climate is suitable for obtaining wines of high quality: a Mediterranean climate with continental degradation, marked seasons and considerable contrasts in temperature (daily and seasonal), which is a very favourable factor for the production of aromas. The lack of rain is compensated by abundant aquifers and by the present conversion of a good part of the vines, as well as new plantations, with the installation of drip watering systems and trellises, which permit, among other things, mechanised harvesting and rationalisation of other tasks.The light, a fundamental factor in the physiological nature of the vine, is totally favourable in this region. If  Spanish vines receive, in general terms, more than 2,500 light hours, those of Castilla-La Mancha some thousand more, a circumstance that some have defined as “viticulture by light.”

Tierradevinedos.org

The Counselor of Agriculture and Rural Development of Castilla La Mancha and the director of the Institute of Foreign Promotion of Castilla La Mancha (IPEX) have participated in the opening of the Miami Wine Fair 2009. The Wines from Castilla La Mancha has had a great success among US consumers, hoping that, at the end of the event at the Miami Beach Convention center, wineries from Castilla La Mancha will obtained 30% more business.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jose Luis Martinez Guijarro, has visited the stands of each of the 19 wineries from the region involved in this event and has emphasized that “the objective of the regional government is to help each of the Exhibitors that participate in the fair in its commercial contacts”. The quality and value for money of our wines made a critical contribution to the success of our wineries in the first day of the fair, according to Guijarro

Professionals and prescribers have recognized that our wineries produce excellent value for money wines, which in the current economic situation provides an opportunity to introduce our wines in the North American market.

A large number of importers have participated and have established contacts with the exhibitors present in this fair, which has been attended by more than 3,500 people, with 30% increase over the previous edition. In that regard, the Counselor has established commercial contacts with wine importers and wine merchants to develop the campaign for the promotion of the wines of the Spain of Don Quixote in the United States.

The wine consumption in the United States has steadily increased in the past 10 years at a rate of 3% annual and, in this regard, wine exports from Castilla La Mancha to the United States reached more than 7 million euros, which represent an increase of 700% in less than 10 years. As the counsellor explained to the media, these figures makes Castilla-La Mancha ranks 8th in the list of top ten wine exporting regions.

Martinez Guijarro has also attended the series of tastings, carried out throughout the day at the fair, featuring an exciting line up of Wines from Castilla La Mancha hosted by Charlie Arturaola, Florida´s sommelier A total of 20 wines from different designations of origin have taken the lead role of the tasting, attended by more than 60 professionals from the industry.

http://winesfromcastillalamancha.com /jccm.es

Wines VG and Vinomarketing present Pedroheras wine tasting video.

Wine Tasting Video Pedroheras Wine transcription:

 Hello and welcome to Wines from Castilla La Mancha

Today we are in a winery, with more than 50 years of history, from Las Pedroñeras, in the province of Cuenca (Spain)

Bodegas Pedroheras

We have with us today, Francisco Saez, export manager

who is going to tell us about the winery and its wines

well, tell us who you are. What kind of product do you produce?

This winery, which is part of a 52 year old coop,

with 800 members

has a goal to make wines of greater structure and quality that has been produced before

coming from a separate budget from that of the coop

At this moment, we are making bulk wine,

and (over here) prize winnning wines.

Ok. we are going to see the wines you have chosen and taste them in front of our audience.

We have selected 3 wines. the first is Airen, very common grape variety in Castilla La Mancha

the 2nd is Verdejo, which is not very common in Castilla La Mancha. But with the OCM and re-planting

has adopted very well to the region with outstanding results.

which is our flagship wine

It is the king of red Spanish grapes, abundantly grown in CLM (and goes by the name Cencibel).

You were telling me that

both the airen and tempranillo are D.O La Mancha

but the Verdejo is under Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla,

since you elaborate under the denomination of origin as well as under Vino de la tierra de Castilla.

ok, let’s start with the Airen:

(holding it up), it is very clear & bright

pale straw in color which is characteristic of Airen

clean, no defects

(on the nose) with aromas of apples, hints of bananas & pineapples.

tropical notes,

hints of bananas and pineapples.

in the mouth

(now swallowing it)…………..

Sorry

it is very good on the palate

it supports what is found on the nose. good finish..good Airén

bronze prize winner of Cuenca

Now, we will taste the Verdejo.

not typically found in Castilla la Mancha (not an authorized grape variety)

therefore, labeled under VdlT. Some wineries are beginning to cultivate it in our region.

We have visited today another winery that is also elaborating verdejo

Verdejo is more commonly grown in Rueda DO

green and herbaceous notes

golden yellow

on the nose,hints of mint and anise

and anise, supported by citrus notes.

tropical and banana

very good on the nose.

in the mouth, it reminds me of a good Cava.

there is high demand for this grape variety in Northern Europe

and the US

it is more marketable than Airen in the export markets

Aside it is the subject of the variety, perhaps it is more well-known in the markets than the variety airen or at least has more prestige.

You know Talking about wine sometimes is just a matter of being fashionable or not, it is not the wine that you like.

Verdejo is fashionable as well as albariño

and airén is not that fashionable at the moment.

We are going to taste your tempranillo.

You already have told me that it is very good tempranillo.

Here is your glass

young tempranillo, no oak. 2008 vintage

… red ruby color…

13%… Cencibel…

as you may know in Castilla La Mancha, tempranillo also and goes by the name Cencibel

Very clean and shiny

and on the nose

raspberry… also strawberry…

Very smooth

this is a wine that is creamy and is very appreciated.

I believe that tempranillo variety is going to be the future in the United States

It is a easy to drink wine.

you don´t need food to enjoy it

it can be enjoyed going out or chatting with friends,

it is a wine suitable for any occasion

A wine that tastes these two raspberry and strawberry fruit flavours.

In the mouth it is a wine that is creamy

It gives me the impression me that I am eating a strawberry candy

… and a good finish, good tempranillo of Castilla La Mancha

good tempranillo from La Mancha

Prize winner for the second year in a row

Ok, So, with this wine

and with the white ones, you will try to go with these wines to the export makets

this wine can fit in the United states

and also in The United Kingdom

where consumers like this fruity easy to drink style.

Yes it represents exactly what these markets are demanding.

Ok, thank you very much for showing us your wines

Bodegas Pedroheras.

From Las pedroñeras, Cuenca, Castilla La Mancha, Spain

It is under the DO La Mancha but also it makes Vino de la Tierra de Castilla…

and for those of you who want to taste these wines… or to visit them…

you can find more information on our web site. thank you very much