Archive for the 'Rioja Alavesa' Category

Hot Rocks in the Sun: Alluvial Soils in Laserna

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

contino_alluvial1

Courtesy of the Río Ebro: Graciano vines planted in alluvial soils at Viñedos del Contino, Laserna (Álava), Spain, October 2009. The Sierra Cantabria is visible in the background.  In these poor soils along the northern bank of the Ebro River, the vine is king; by capturing and radiating the heat of the sun well after sunset, sedimentary deposits at Contino’s 6o hectare estate help Graciano—a variety so difficult to manage that many grape growers won’t even bother with it—achieve ripenss levels unheard of in most other parts of the region.

A New Look for an Exceptional Value: Glorioso Crianza 2006

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Curious structures in and around Paula’s ‘place,’ Part Two: The mystery of the Ganimede

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Curious structures in and around Paula’s ‘place,’ Part One: The witch’s hut

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

Raindrops (Ain’t) Fallin’ on My Head

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

Pieces of the Aerial Puzzle: How Rioja is like New York City

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

The Grace of Age: Rioja Gran Reserva from the ‘Miracle Vintage’ of 1964

Monday, June 8th, 2009