SPAIN’S WINES OF CASTILLA-LA MANCHA SHOW GRAND STYLE IN US TOUR 2013
Story and photo gallery by Dwight Casimere
SOUTH BEACH, MIAMI--Casa Casuarin, the opulent, Spanish-styled mansion on South Beach’s famed Ocean Drive, informally dubbed “the Versace House, and now operated as an exclusive boutique hotel, Villa by Barton G, was the setting for the Miami edition of the Castilla-LaMancha US Tour 2013. Led by Head Sommelier and CEO of Pour, Sip, Savor, Jenny Benzie, the tour presented a dazzling array of wines and their winemakers, from the world’s largest vineyard, located in the heart of Spain. Winemakers were on hand to personally pour and explain their creations, made from 46 grape varieties and representing every style from sparkling Rose’s to robust reds.
Among the wines presented were the wines of Vina Cerron, a spectacular line of Spanish Organic Wines, poured by winemaker Maria Martini. Her Remordimiento White wine won a Silver Award at AWC Vienna in 2010 an her Todo Sobre Mi Rose was Commended at the International Wine Competition in London in 2012.
Rosalia Molina was the winemaker presenting the wines of AltoLandon. Also Organic Wines, the 90 points Wine Advocate-rated AltoLandon Red, was one of the exceptional wines of the event. Her L’Ame Malbec, which similarly scored 90 points with the Penin Guide of Spain, displayed the bright, fruit-forward flavors and aromatic rose-petal aromas that made this one of the outstanding wines at the tasting.
Casa Gualda, considered one of the leading wineries in the La Mancha region, presented its outstanding Casa Gualda Tempranillo 2011, which earned an 87 point rating from The Wine Advocate. Presented by the affable winemaker and General Manager Jose Miguel Javega Buedo, the wine proved to be an excellent accompaniment to the Spanish tapas that were passed by the exceptional Villa by Barton G waitstaff and at the groaning buffet table.
“We have both the quality and the quantity,” declared Angel Manuel Prieto Sotos, the Managing Director for IPEX, the official Spanish government agency presenting the wines of Castilla-La Mancha. “We represent on of the oldest wine-making regions in the world, where they were making wine even before the Romans. We have a wine to match every palate and every budget. There is not a grape grown under the sun that is not grown in Castilla-La Mancha. We also have our own unique varieties that are winning awards in competitions around the world. You have only to venture to your local wine shop to have one of the greatest international wine experiences you will ever enjoy!
The wines are steeped in history, culture and myth. Created in the land of Don Quixote, the whimsical figure at the center of Cervante’s classic novel, it is a land of windmills and sweeping panoramas. Now, with the completion of the Castilla-La Mancha US Tour 2013, through Boston, New Orleans and concluding in Miami, it will also be known as the genesis of some of the most delicious wines in the world.
