![]() ![]() This led Alliance Wines’ Paul Shinnie to one of the more memorable quotes of the debate, perhaps best summing up where Spain is at and where it can now go. “And to humanise – wine is also about history, about culture and identity, this is important.” “It’s important to have focus, identity, and you need to believe in what you are making, to defend the style of the wines you are making, the grape varieties you have and the places you have,” he said. This proved a popular point with the panel, with Jorge Méndez of Bodegas Viñatigo agreeing. Ordóñez added that it is important to have an international perspective with regard to the quality of wines globally, while “applying that knowledge to indigenous varieties, old vineyards and traditional viticulture”. “It’s focused on not just indigenous varieties, but also traditional viticulture, doing things the old-fashioned way and producing wines of quality and distinction,” said Victor Ordóñez of Bodegas Jorge Ordóñez. The nature of those mid-ground wines was clear in the minds of the panel too. It’s seen as a problem in Spain, we come from the cheapest wines and now we have more and more producers that have €200, €300 wines – what we need is something in the middle, a really strong middle price-for-quality wines.” “We need to find our own path, we cannot change our style every 20 years following the fashion or style that the consumers want at the moment,” he said. Winemaker Manuel Cantalapiedra of Cantalapiedra Viticultores insisted that Spain should focus on “quality, quality, quality”, eschewing the vagueries of fashion to instead mine its wealth of vinous resources and ensure “consistency of identity”. And ahead of a full write-up in our April issue, we’ve brought you some of the key points to whet your appetite for more. This was the subject of Harpers insightful The Future of Spanish Wines webinar, in partnership with Foods and Wines from Spain, which brought together leading Spanish producers and UK trade to discuss the trends that are shaping Spain’s future. The question now is how Spain now builds upon this recent legacy. However, much of this evolution is rooted in a return to older traditions, encompassing indigenous varieties, old vines, recognition of sense of place and yet with a modern freshness and restraint to the wines. The country has been dubbed by some as the ‘New World of the Old’, in recognition of its ongoing innovation. Champions of Spain’s diversity articulate a wine scene that has for some time been generating excitement, revealing an increasingly compelling collective offer, with individuality, accessibility and sense of place to the fore. ![]()
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