Husband and wife team Oscar Alegre and Eva Valgañón have been making wine in Rioja for just over a decade now. Their thesis is simple, yet compelling–make Rioja that tastes like Rioja used to taste. 

Rioja is one of the Old World’s most influenced regions. International palates and techniques have dictated the winemaking style here perhaps more than in any other traditional European region. Consumers the world over have come to expect consistently rich and oaky, large-scale-produced, mostly red wines from Rioja. While this might currently be the case, wines from this region have historically seen smaller production, less oak, and more attention in the vineyard than extraction in the winery. These are the kind of Riojas that Oscar Alegre and Eva  Valgañón want to produce.

This white blend of old vine Viura and some young vine Garnacha Blanca is textural and enticing. Brief skin-and-stem-contact, as well as time spent aging in large, neutral oak vessels, impart a spiced orange pith and dried apricot profile, highlighted by an earth-driven minerality that conjures the land these grapes were grown on. Pair it with sheep's milk cheeses, green olives, roasted poultry, and squash soup!

The Ramoser family makes wine at their home, known as Untermoserhof, which has been a winery and farm since 1640! Untermoserhof is located near the city of Bolzano in Alto Adige/Südtirol, in what is now Northeastern Italy. In that time, the region has been Italian, Austrian, land contested between Bavarian dukes and Habsberg sovereigns, and in WWII, land that experienced heavy aerial bombing and subsequent hardship. This region has seen a lot! Since the conclusion of the First World War, Alto Adige has been part of Italy, and in the last few generations, has regained its reputation for quality wines.

Part of the reason it has been seen as such desirable land to occupy or control is also one of the reasons it is such a great region for wine production. This is because of its geographical positioning at the confluence of many mountain chains and rivers. The geography of the land surrounding Bolzano in particular acts as a pocket, retaining warm air during the growing season, and keeping cool, wet air on the other side of the ridges. This allows for the red wine grapes of Schiava and Lagrein to ripen and produce complex and heavily herbal wines!

Wild strawberry and dried herbs dominate this floral and complex Alpine red. Its tart red fruits and bitter almond blossom qualities beg for rich charcuterie. It's the perfect winter aperitivo, but it also has the structure to pair with pork, poultry, and pasta dishes.

Winemaking couple Filipa and William make wine in Bairrada, championing indigenous grapes vinified with minimal-intervention techniques. Their winemaking is done deliberately and artfully, like the 10% French Oak used on this white blend of native Bical and Arinto grapes.

This oak imparts a welcome spice to the lively pear and savory herb profile of the grapes. Bright saline from Atlantic-influence makes this white blend a perfect pairing for shellfish, goats cheese, or olives. This producer is in organic & biodynamic conversion, so it's sustainably made as well!

When we generally think of Spanish wine-growing climates, we often think of raised plateaus that see tons of sun and rarely any rain–we don’t often think of the steep, more temperate hillsides of Galicia in the northwest of the country. Along the slopes above the Miño and Sil Rivers lie the steep, terraced vineyards that make up the Ribeira Sacra DO. Here, tintos are made from the aromatic and expressively-mineral grape Mencía, which captures the slate soils alongside its floral & warmly spiced black fruit notes.

“Adegas Guímaro” means “Rebel Winery” in the Galician language, which pays homage to a local 15th century uprising, in which long-independant local farmers fought off the ruling noble class–a point of pride for many hard-working locals to this day. This wine is a wine of the people–it’s expressive & youthful and meant to be enjoyed today with grilled sausages, spicy tomato dishes, and even seafood.

Dila-O is a line of wines produced by East-Georgian producer Orgo. Based in the wine region of Kakheti, Dila-O specializes in creating wines made in the ancient traditions of the region. I wanted to feature these two bottles as part of our Old World case of the month because of just how old these traditions are--we're talking around 8,000 years! 

This case features 2 wines--one amber wine (traditional “orange” wine) & one red wine--both produced from old vine fruit (50+ years old), and both vinified in traditional terracotta vessels known as “Qvevri.” Qvevri are large, vase-like containers with pointed bottoms meant to be buried in the earth while wine ferments or ages. Burying these vessels served as temperature-control in ancient times, while the round structure allows the wine inside to move & circulate naturally, which allows for flavor extraction & development. The lined-terracotta also allows for distinctive, earthy textures & flavors to develop within the wine.

Both of these wines are made similarly with fruit from old vines spared from Soviet uprooting in the 20th Century. Indigenous varietals (white grapes for the amber wine, red grapes for the red wine) were macerated & vinified in these traditional, egg-shaped qvevri. The skin-contact on the amber-style white wine gives it a bit of a tannic grip, along with spiced apricot and white flower notes. The red wine has deep and brooding peppery dark-fruit notes. Come explore the roots of winemaking with our Old World August case of the month!

In the 1960's, Miguel A. Torres of the legacy Familia Torres in Penedès, Spain, went against tradition and planted Cabernet Sauvignon in what had previously been regarded as a white varietal, sparkling wine region. The mountainous, Mediterranean, coastal climate that makes for complex Cavas lends itself to beautifully structured red wines, too, as it turns out!

This wild Penedès Cabernet Sauvignon is artfully blended with Tempranillo, and aged in oak. It is expressive and herbal as well as dense, with deep notes of balsamic and June berries.

This fresh, purple-y red wine transports you to harvest season in sun-soaked Corbierès, in the warm and herby-shrub-covered Southwestern France. These herby-shrubs are known as “garrigues”, and they impart distinctive sundried herb notes to the air, soil, and wine of the region.

“Le Cabanon” refers to the little stone huts that vineyard workers traditionally use to take breaks from the sun, a defining feature of the region. This Carignan Cinsault blend is fresh and youthful, perfect for harvest season. Its warm earth and herbal lavender notes are softened by plush purple fruited notes. It can handle a light chill, as well as the sweetness of early-autumn squashes!

This organic red wine is made from the indigenous grape Refošk in the hills of Slovenia, overlooking the Gulf of Trieste. Refošk, or Refosco as it's known in neighboring Italy, is a savory and peppery grape, known for making wines with smokey, warming-spice notes and bright, plumy-acid.

This bottle is perfect for the change of season, because it pairs well with foods both fresh & slow-cooked. It's ready for red wine weather, but still drinks fresh and vibrant, like the last splashes of summer light. It's versatile & food-friendly, enticing & inspiring for cool, crisp nights ahead!

One hour west of Madrid, the rugged Gredos Mountains hold the Bernabeleva‐-or “Bear's Forest”--Estate, within Spain's newest wine “Denominación de Origen” or “DO” Vinos de Madrid. This DO is expansive, and encompasses many landscapes and styles, but Bernabeleva represents the wild frontier of this appellation.

At Bernabeleva, cousins & fourth-generation inhabitants of the Estate, Juan Diez Bulnes & Santiago Matallana Bulnes seek to represent a fresher, more intentional style of Spanish winemaking. Their Camino de Navaherreros tinto–or red wine–is made from a blend of estate Grenache or Garnacha fruit. It is structured enough that it can be enjoyed with a light chill, which highlights the peppery-hibiscus and bright red fruit notes. Crunchy and kinetic, pair this red with grilled meats and fresh Summer nightshades (ideally near a body of water) for a lovely Summer afternoon!