Madrid-based Peninsula Vinicultores acquired Fontana Bodegas & Vinedos in Castile, shown here, and Bideona in Rioja Alavesa. Co-founder Andreas Kubach says Castile is an often-overlooked region for wine.Bodegas Fontana/Supplied
Having spent his career promoting Spanish wine, Andreas Kubach started a company to produce authentic and affordable wines in a sustainable way.
Kubach, who manages vineyards and wineries across Spain as the co-founder and managing director of Madrid-based Peninsula Vinicultores, says he wanted to produce wines that “we would be very happy to offer to our mothers to drink.”
That goal led to the acquisition of Bideona in Rioja Alavesa and Fontana Bodegas & Vinedos in Castile. While Rioja is well-known to wine drinkers around the world, Castile is in the middle of nowhere, according to Kubach.
“All the wine books teach you to overlook this region, but it has some real advantages,” he explains.
Located in the northern part of Castilla-La Mancha, the arid landscape boasts a continental climate marked by warm days and cool nights that allows winemakers to produce organically grown wines at reasonable costs, including Mesta Tempranillo, a recent release at the LCBO. A fruit-forward red wine with juicy texture and good balance, this offers remarkable value for its $10.80 price.
Kubach says even at that price, with all the applicable taxes and mark-ups, the long-term economic viability of the vineyard and winery and its workers is accounted for.
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The Mesta label also succeeds in reminding consumers what wines made from the tempranillo grape should taste like. Without any oak fermentation and aging, the flavour is focused on pure red berry fruit. The variety gets its name from the Spanish word “temprano” for “early.” But Kubach says many producers leave grapes hanging on the vine for additional ripeness and end up with a flabby red wine. Aging in oak barrels further dilutes the natural flavours of the grape.
“It loses its personality,” Kubach says.
He prefers to showcase tempranillo in wines that offer freshness and drinkability rather than secondary aromas that come from barrel aging, and believes that wine lovers prefer that taste. That goes for the wines Peninsula Vinicultores is producing in Rioja Alavesa, too. “I am convinced that we like the smell of oak [in a wine] but not the texture,” says Kubach.
Peninsula Vinicultores isn’t just bringing fresh ideas to winemaking, it’s questioning traditional wine marketing principles. Kubach says he doesn’t understand when winemakers state they aim to give consumers what they want.
“Honestly, in our business, the consumer has no clue,” he says. “They don’t know what they like until they taste it. We must give them something worth drinking.”
Mesta Tempranillo is featured this week with a selection of other current releases from Spain that show a range of winemaking styles and personalities.
Beronia Vinas Viejas 2020 (Spain), $24.95
Rating: 90
Vinas Viejas refers to old vines, in this case grapes harvested from 50-year-old tempranillo vines that were fermented in French oak. Made in a dry and medium-bodied style, this rich red wine presents a mix of red and black fruit with cedar and tobacco notes. This has 14 per cent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2030. Available in Ontario.
Beronia Viura Rioja 2024 (Spain), $13.95
Rating: 88
Produced with the viura grape, which is known as macabeo in Catalonia, this bright and fruity white offers a pleasant mix of citrus and pineapple fruit with fennel and honey accents. The zesty style makes for an enjoyable aperitif or food-friendly bottle that will perk up the flavours in what you’re eating. It’s a nice complement to Beronia’s equally enjoyable Rueda Verdejo that’s available in Manitoba and Quebec. This has 12.5 per cent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2027. Available in Ontario.
Burgo Viejo Reserva 2020 (Spain), $19.95
Rating: 89
Burgo Viejo was founded by six grape-growing families who collectively farm 200 hectares of vineyards across the town of Alfaro, from the Ebro valley to the foothills of Monte Yerga. This tempranillo blend is aged for 18 months in French and American barrels, which contributes to a nicely balanced concentrated and creamy character. This is a modern style of Rioja that’s easy to appreciate thanks to an appealing core of ripe fruit, but lacks complexity at this stage of development. This has 13.5 per cent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2032. Available in Ontario.
Menade Rueda Verdejo 2022 (Spain), $24.99
Rating: 88
Verdejo is an unassuming grape – it doesn’t have the main character of viognier, albarino or sauvignon blanc. Menade works to build flavour and complexity by fermenting individual vineyard blocks in different tanks. The result is a refreshing white that offers a mix of citrus, peach and mango flavours with some herbaceous accents. This has 13 per cent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. Drink now. Available in British Columbia ($22.99 until Aug. 30).
Mesta Tempranillo D.O. Ucles Organic 2023 (Spain), $10.80
Rating: 88
There’s lots to appreciate about this uncomplicated, unoaked tempranillo from the Castile-La Mancha region. It’s an easy-drinking red wine with a generous core of juicy ripe red berries with herbal and licorice notes. The fresh and flavourful style makes this a serious all-season house wine contender. This has 13.5 per cent ABV and 4 g/litre r.s. Drink now. Vegan friendly. Available at the above price in Ontario, various prices in Alberta.
Palacio de Primavera Vendimia Seleccionada Reserva 2020 (Spain), $19.95
Rating: 90
One of the brands produced by Burgo Viejo, Palacio de Primavera uses tempranillo grapes for this reserve red wine that displays serious oak-derived aromas and flavours, including cedar, chocolate and sage. On the palate, this is fuller-bodied with a supple texture that enhances the mix of red and dark berry fruit. This has 13.5 per cent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. Drink now to 2030. Available in Ontario.
