GOLD MEDAL WINE CLUB Taste the Adventure! Spain WITH AGES OF WINEMAKING TRADITION, SPAIN CONTINUES TO GROW WITH UNPRECEDENTED QUALIT Y, DIVERSIT Y, AND VALUE. Many international wine experts have pointed towards Spain as the most dynamic wine country in Europe at present, with the country showing no tendency to reverse its progress in the foreseeable future. Spain has always been a steady, if not spectacular, producer of wine through the last 2000 plus years. Ever since the Romans introduced vines to Spain, a steady stream of wine has originated from its multi-faceted soils. Now, with a strong group of young entrepreneurial Spanish winemakers to fuel its expansion, Spain has climbed amongst the world’s elite winemaking countries. None other than the Wine Spectator magazine wrote, referring to these young Spanish winemakers, “They want to prove that Spain is not just a source for value, but a land with incredible terroirs.” What some of these winemakers have done (including one of our featured wines) is traveled back to the origins of Spanish winemaking to discover some of the original varietals and growing places that have been dispensed with through the ages. Many of these locations are in pristine condition awaiting the advances of modern winemaking techniques to enhance their natural environs. The reputation of high caliber Spanish wines has soared in recent years. For a long time, only Vega Sicilia was mentioned as a ‘great’ Spanish wine. Now there are hundreds of small production wines available throughout the world, at prices below their French and Italian counterparts. For the most part, these wines still represent an excellent price/ value relationship, but who knows just how long that scenario will last. Top-flight Spanish wines are here to stay and will increase in number and statue as exposure increases and other top European wine prices continue to spiral out of control. We are happy to present this trio of fine Spanish wines for our International Series members. Enjoy! fruit from older vines. Bodegas Leda has abundant older vines from mountainside slopes above the fields and terraces lining the Duero River on its southwesterly course. The soils tend to be warmer, a fact that makes ripening of the Tempranillo grape easier. Bodegas Telmo Rodriguez Region: Valdeorras The region for this wine is Valdeorras, the eastern most wine zone in the province of Galicia. The spot is almost 90 miles from the Atlantic Coastline along the banks of the River Sil. Legend has it that Valdeorras was Spain’s first wine producing Vina Bujanda region during Roman times. The climate here is cooler, with abundant rain that had Region: La Rioja made it a center for white wine production during recent times. Grapes from two sub regions of the Valdeorras’ DO was awarded great Rioja (north central Spain), the Rioja Alta as recently as 1977 owing to the area’s and the Rioja Alavesa comprise this unique physical isolation and unfamiliarity selection. Located on the western edge of as a wine producer outside of Spain the region and at higher elevations than the itself. Its climate is both Atlantic and other areas, the Rioja Alta is known more for continental, while the Sil Valley also its "old world" style of wine. A higher elevation enjoys a specific microclimate due to its for the vines equates to a shorter growing excellent moisture retention. Most of the season, which in turn produces brighter vines in the Valdeorras are planted at a fruit flavors and a wine that is lighter on height of between 775 feet to 1,050 feet the palate. Despite sharing a similar climate above sea level. to its sister region the Alta Rioja, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and degrees of higher acidity. Most vineyards are planted with low density that allows for more spacing between rows. Primary factor is WINE REGIONS OF SPAIN the relatively poor conditions of the soil that necessitate the vines, requiring more distance from each other to properly utilize nutrients Planted to more than 2.9 million vineyard acres, Spain is the world's in the surrounding soil. most widely planted wine producing nation. Over 400 different wine grape varieties are planted throughout the country, from the cooler Bodegas Leda green, rolling hills in the north to the hot, arid expanses in the south. Region: Ribera del Duero Spain is highly influenced by the vast Central Plateau that covers much of the central land area. From here, several of Spain's principal rivers Located in the Ribera del Duero DO, flow to sea and are at the heart of many of the country's wine regions. this region is situated on Spain’s extensive, In addition to the Central Plateau, mountain ranges in the northern elevated northern plateau. Wine production and eastern regions isolate and influence the climate of several of Spain's here traces its roots back to the Roman top wine regions. Another factor is elevation - overall, Spain is an occupation some 2,000 years prior. elevated plateau with many of its vineyards planted at nearly 3,000 feet above sea level. The wine from these regions are among the best Wines are almost exclusively red and in the world! Spain's most significant wine regions are called out here: here the great Tempranillo grape is dominant. Specific terroirs make Duero Northwest Spain wines different from their neighbors in Rias Baixas Ribeiro the Rioja, but both share the pleasures Valdeorras of intensity and long age. Duero River Valley Rueda The Duero Valley, formed during the Toro Miocene period, has a flat, rocky, gently Ribera del Duero undulating terrain, ranging from 3,000 Leon feet down to 2,500 above sea level. The Ebro River Valley Rioja Tempranillo grape is supreme here also, Navarra and produces spectacular Mediterranean Coast Valencia Catalonia Murcia Central Plateau La Mancha Andalucia Montilla-Moriles Jerez-Xeres Sherry Photos, top to bottom, left to right: • Vineyard workers hand harvest grapes for Bodegas Leda in the Duero Valley of Spain. • The grand entrance of Rioja's Vina Bujanda winery. The estate may have been founded in S : 2009, but the owners follow in the footsteps of four generations of Spanish winemakers. pain • Valdeorras is a Spanish Denominacion de Origen (DO) for wines produced from vines located on the banks of the river Sil in the southern province of Galicia, Spain. Valdeorras is best Fun Facts! known for the white varietal Godello and the red varietal Mencia. • Bodegas Leda's wines are produced from very old vines that grow in a range of unique The name Spain comes from the word terriors in the Duero Valley. Ispania, which means 'land of rabbits.' Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, with over 329 million native speakers worldwide. Grapes are the third biggest crop in Spain after cereal and olives. Spain is the number one ranked country in the world in terms of area covered by vineyards. Spain's vineyards have a low yield (because of the dry climate), which makes the country only third in production behind France and Italy. Spain is the number one producer of olive oil in the world with 44% of the world's olive oil production. Football/soccer is Spain's most important THE FLAG OF SPAIN sport. Spain won its first World Cup football title in 2010, which made the country the The current flag of Spain was adopted 8th country to have ever won. December 19, 1981 with three Spain has the second highest number of horizontal stripes and Spain's coat of bars per inhabitants, behind Cyprus. arms in the center. The Spanish coat One of Spain's most famous festivals is of arms symbolizes the country, the old the Running of the Bulls. It occurs on St. kingdoms of Spain, the Royal Crown, Fermin's Day in July in the northern town the Imperial Crown, the Constitutional monarchy, the Spanish of Pamplona. Over 1 million people attend national motto: Plus Ultra, and the Pillars of Hercules with the the festival each year. Spanish geographic situation. The origin of the current flag is Spain is the second largest country in the naval ensign of 1785, which remained marine for much Western Europe after France and the second of the next 50 years, flying over coastal fortresses, marine most mountainous after Switzerland. barracks, and other naval property. In 1843, the flag became When a child loses a tooth in Spain, rather official and has since had changes made to the coat of arms. than having a visit from the 'Tooth Fairy,' a The color scheme has remained in tact since the beginning. small mouse named 'Ratoncito Perez' leaves a surprise under the pillow. The oldest known cave painting is found in the Cave of El Castillo in northern Spain. Researchers estimate the painting to be over 40,000 years old. Salud! Order Toll Free: 1-800-266-8888 • Order by Fax: 1-800-266-8889 Order online at: www.goldmedalwineclub.com THREE WORLD-CLASS SPANISH PRODUCERS WALK THE LINE BETWEEN TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN THE COUNTRY'S MOST DYNAMIC WINE CHAPTER YET. Vina Bujanda Only 6,600 cases of this wine are made annually, small The brother /sister team of by European production standards. Only Tempranillo, the Carlos and Pilar Martinez Bujanda Iribarria quintessential Spanish grape, is used in the production of Leda own Vina Bujanda that was established in wines. It is aged for 30 months in barrel. the small village of Oyon near the City of The Winemaker: Eduardo Garcia Logrono in Spain’s esteemed Rioja region. Eduardo Garcia studied in France (Lycee Agricole de While this undertaking is relatively young Blanquefort and Faculte d Oenologie) as well as in Spain (Escuela (founded in 2009), the family has been de la Vid and el Vino de Requena) and has worked in wineries in making wines for more than a century.