THE CURIOUS QUAFFER
CVNA
THE CURIOUS QUAFFER
CVNA
Long on my wish list has been a trip to La Rioja in the heart of northern Spain . The area , that is the fabled La Rioja , is viewed by most as Spain ’ s fine wine capital . Spain today produces an array of world class wines , from many different regions across the country . None , though , are perhaps as famous and well known as the amazing selection of wines that come out of La Rioja .
La Rioja is an area full of rich history dating back many centuries . The harvesting of wine in La Rioja has an ancient lineage , with origins dating back to the Phoenicians and the Celtiberians . The earliest written evidence of the existence of the grape in La Rioja dates to 873 . It ’ s rich history , its magnificent landscape , its wonderful old wineries , its ancient buildings and vineyards are all still there to see , in plain sight . Whilst much has not changed over time , La Rioja today is also now associated with great innovation , with new state of the art wineries , with new and different styles of wine and with a culture that has become vibrant and intoxicating .
A few weeks back I was able to cross that visit to La Rioja off my wish list . My trip was planned in advance , fortunately through contacts in the wine trade , and took in private tours around , and tastings at , some of La Rioja ’ s best wineries . Amongst my small travelling party were two very good Spanish friends of mine from Madrid . It always helps to take the Spanish with you , when travelling in Spain !
One article will go nowhere near doing justice to my trip a few weeks back . For a start there are too many wineries , and there was far too much wine tasted , to fit into such a short space . Over the next few months , perhaps , we will return to some of the other highlights from the trip . For now , however , I want to concentrate on CVNE . The name may be familiar to many of you . The four letters are simply short for the Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España ( the Northern Spanish Wine Company ). It was founded in 1879 , in the town of Haro , by two brothers , Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa of Bilbao . It is , today , still controlled by the direct descendants of the founding family . Since its inception , CVNE has been focused on the production and aging of a variety of wines . It now essentially comprises of four wineries in La Rioja : CVNE , Imperial , Vina Real and Contino . All are household , famous , names in the world of Rioja wines and winemaking .
Vina Real
The first of our pre-arranged visits was to the Viña Real winery . Dating back to 1920 Viña Real has produced outstanding wines for over 100 years . Today the winery is not only a winemaking pioneer in ageing Rioja Alavesa wines , but is a timeless brand that has always remained faithful to its roots .
The winery is now found some 10 minutes away from Logroño . Opened in 2004 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain , this is probably the most advanced and modern winery in Spain . My first thought on arrival , and reinforced throughout our tour of the winery , was that it wouldn ’ t look out of place in a Bond Movie .
The Winery is breath taking in both its design and in its shear magnitude . It is a stunningly impressive , state of the art , modernist winery made out of concrete , wood and stainless-steel . The main part of the winery is shaped like an enormous oak vat with two tunnels drilled into the mountain next to it . Even if you don ’ t like wine , it is well worth a visit just to marvel at its amazing design . It is so state of the art that the whole process takes place in the winery , from receiving the grapes to dispatching bottled wines . If I had to sum the place up in a couple of words …. awe inspiring !
Today all the wines made at the winery combine a wonderful balance between tradition and modernity . The wines have a modern structure and elegance and have the potential for long bottle ageing . The Viña Real winery produces a Viña Real Crianza , a Viña Real Reserva , a Viña Real Gran Reserva , a Pagos de Viña Real ( its four reds ), a Viña Real Rosado ( its rose ) and a Viña Real Fermentado en Barricca ( its white ).
Following a detailed tour of the winery we sampled , for some time , their Reserva , Gran Reserva , Rosado and Fermentado en Barricca wines . They were all , in their own way , superb and classy examples of the truly great wines that come from La Rioja . Their wines are generally available in the UK – Crianza ( circa £ 10 / 13 a bottle ); Reserva ( circa £ 18 / 20 a bottle ); Gran Reserva ( circa £ 24 / 25 a bottle ); Rosado ( circa £ 10 / 11 a bottle ); Blanco ( circa £ 10 / 11 a bottle ). Try web sites like Wine Direct , the Wine Society ( if you are a member ), Vinissimus , ND John Wine Merchants , Vinatis , Turville Valley Wines and many others ( also many of these wines are available on Amazon ….. although at greater cost ). Viñedos del Contino
We then come to the winery that is Viñedos del Contino . Another winery in the CVNE fold , it was founded in 1973 and became the first Rioja chateau concept winery . The winery is a former manor house in Laserna , also not far from Logroño , and is surrounded by 62 hectares of vineyards from which all its wines are sourced . Its 16th-century cave cellars are amongst the oldest in the Rioja region . The winery makes outstanding , world class , wines . Sadly , when we visited , there was a wedding at the winery , so we had to make do with tasting some of their wines at Viña Real . But …. what a wonderful place to get married !
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