Page 62 Visit to Winery

61 60 VISIT TO WINERY VISIT TO WINERY w w w.s p i r i tz. i n | S eptem b er 2 0 1 4 w w w.s p i r i tz. i n | S ep t em b er 2 0 1 4 sador is the Spanish word for barbeque. As I sat at one of those in the wine country of La Rioja savouring the Patatas Riojana and vine grilled lamb rack, the wine to accompany was extra special. Not only because it was one of the nest from the Torres stable, but also due to the winemaker himself giving us company at lunch! As I took the rst sip of Altos Ibéricos Crianza 2011, with Julio Carreter de Granda, the Manager and Winemaker at Torres winery in La Rioja, the instant thought that came to my mind was – how would Julio rate his own wine outside the hallowed precincts of his winery? How did he think his wine had moved – in the right or the wrong direction? Having tasted the same wine just an hour ago with Julio, the question became all the more relevant, and nally I popped it out to him. The answer came pronto giving an instant peep into the winemaker’s mind, and a conversation followed. My inquisitiveness still had some more miles to it, and on the way back to Barcelona, I decided to pose the same question to another winemaker whom I was scheduled to meet the following A Col Ravi Joshi talks to two Torres winemakers from dierent regions of Spain to get their perspective on meeting their own wines outside the winery. My wine Altos Ibéricos: Deep cherry colour. Intense nose with traces of plum and black fruit compote accompanied by dark-roasted spice notes from ageing in barrel. Sweet on the attack with mild tannins. The impression of fruit along with soft tannins makes it a great match for all kinds of tapas. This sets it apart from the classic local wines that are more strongly dened by oak. My best experiences with Altos Ibéricos When it has been served with the right food and in right condition. Altos Ibéricos has been created specically with the latest trends in avant-garde cuisi ne in mind. The soft tannins and exquisite fruit combine perfectly with all types of tapas prepared with fresh ingredients, including red meat, oily sh and cheese. It is absolutely exquisite with cured meats. Hence it is necessary that apart from the right condition, it is served at the right temperature of 14-16°C. My worst experiences When the wine is served without any time in bottle or when the temperature is unduly high (in any case it should not go upwards of 18 °C). Some time in bottle is very important. All components of the wine will be more integrated and there will be more harmony and soft tannins. If the temperature is very high, the wine will become mor e alcoholic and less fresh. Given an opportunity, what would I change between the wine leaving the winery and being served to the consumer? I would like to have lesser agents or intermediaries between the winery and the consumer. Direct contact with the consumer is necessary for a personal touch as also for reducing the extent of handling and storing of wine at different points. Given a chance, I would also want to make it more affordable to the consumer by trimming undesirable costs. Julio Carreter de Granda , Manager and Wine Maker, Soto de Torres day at the Torres winery at Pacs del Penedès. The conversation that followed was a revelation of sorts but on the anticipated lines of wine handling, transportation and the nal value derived by the end consumer. Interestingly ,the candidconversations with Julio and Montse ( see boxes) made me conclude that a winemaker is like a lm star who sees his/her own face on the hoardings only to imagine the original photoshoot – to be either del ighted or disappointed on account of many variables that come into play from the studio to the billboard. SAVOURING AVANT-GARDE CUISINE WITH ALTOS IBÉRICOS Col Ravi Joshi with Julio Carreter de Granda and Emma Llorens, Brand Ambassador Miguel Torres SA at Asador Jose Mari, La Rioja” WHAT WINEMAKERS WANT

Page 62 Visit to Winery

Documents

Transcript of Page 62 Visit to Winery