25 More Medals were just given to D.O. Navarra wines, following the 7 Golds and 6 Silvers won at Madrid’s Bacchus International Competition.
This time, the medals flowed in from the Challenge International du Vin!

The Challenge International du Vin took place outside of Bordeaux, France and eleven gold medals, seven silver, and seven bronze were given to DO Navarra wines.

The winners are …..
Gold –
- Palacio de la Vega Chardonnay 2010 Bodegas Palacio de la Vega
- Palacio de la Vega 2008 from Bodegas Palacio de la Vega
- Count de la Vega del Pozo 2004 from Bodegas Palacio de la Vega
- Piedmont Piedmont Winery Gamma 2010
- Cirsus Oak Aged 2010 from Bodegas Cirsus Payment
- Cirsus Selected Harvest 2009 from Bodegas Cirsus Payment
- 2009 South Winery Inurrieta Inurrieta
- Lord of Cascante 2008 from Bodegas Malon Echaide
- Bodegas Finca Albret Albret 2009
- 2005 Fortius Winery Valcarlos
- 2001 Fortius Winery Valcarlos
Silver —
- Cirsus Opus 11 2008 Bodegas Cirsus Payment
- Noon 2011 Bodega Inurrieta Inurrieta
- Viña Aliaga Corpus Antonio Winery 2002 Camino del Villar-Viña Aliaga
- Viña Aliaga Selected Harvest 2001 from Bodegas Viña Camino del Villar
Aliaga
- Ombatillo 2005 Bodegas Viña Camino del Villar-Aliaga
- Deyo 2008 from Bodegas Castillo de Monjardin
- Piedmont 2006 Piedmont Winery

Bronze —
- Manor Vineyard Sarría No. 5 Bodega de Sarria 2011
- Special Cuvée 2008 Cirsus Winery
- Orchidea 2011 Bodega Inurrieta Inurrieta
- Castle Monjardin 2009 from Bodegas Castillo de Monjardin
- Piedmont Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Piedmont
- Prince of Viana Limited Edition 2009 from Bodegas Principe de Viana
- Peter Ivar 2006 from Bodegas Escudero

Ah, such sweet music !

Thank you, Bacchus! First, you give us an elixir that (in moderation!) stimulates the brain, and works to banish ill will. For that we are already grateful. But now you have bestowed us with more gifts, and we just LOVE gifts! Gold and silver – we are very thankful indeed!

Seven gold medals and six silver have been awarded to D.O. Navarra wines this month in Madrid at the Bacchus International Wine Competition.

The Golds went to:
Enanzo Chardonnay 2011 Bodegas Campos de Enanzo
Crianza 2009 Bodegas Lezaun Lezaun
Lezaun Gazaga 2009 from Bodegas Lezaun
Tempranillo 2011 Bodegas Lezaun Lezaun
Grand Manor Winery Chardonnay 2011 Chivite
Orchidea 2011 Bodega Inurrieta Inurrieta
Four 2009 Bodega Inurieta Inurrieta

In addition, six wines were worthy of Bacchus Silver:

Aroa Larrosa 2011 from Bodegas Aroa
Special Selection 2007 Anitz Viña Winery Iturdaki
Chardonnay 2010 Bodegas Otazu Otazu
Real Private Collection Crianza 2008 Bodegas Marco Real
Ochoa Reserva 2005 Bodegas Ochoa
Gran Feudo Viñas Viejas Reserva 2007 Bodegas Chivite

Certainly a day to celebrate!

Did you know?

• The earliest historical data on grape growing and wine production in Navarra dates from the 2nd century BC, when the ancient Romans built wineries (bodegas).
• There are 51.58 square miles of vineyards in D.O. Navarra – equivalent to 24,964 football fields!
• In 2010, Navarra produced 85,899 tons of grapes and 15,047,506 gallons of wine. That’s enough wine to fill 22 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
• The top grape varietals produced in Navarra are Tempranillo, with 35.8% of the production area, Garnacha, with 22.8%, Cabernet Sauvignon, with 16%, Merlot, with 14.6%, Chardonnay, with 4.3%, and Viura with 1.75%.
• D.O. Navarra is divided into 5 sub-zones, each one of which has a distinct identity and produces characteristic wines: Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella, Ribera Alta, Baja Montaña, and Ribera Baja
• The capitol of Navarra is Pamplona
• The population of Navarra is just over half a million
• Navarra has Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean weather patterns.
• Navarra soils are mainly limy, deep and relatively gritty, with variable texture and chemical fertility, of medium to light consistency, soft and very healthy.

Now, don’t you want to explore Navarra and its wines even more?

Younger (wine age-appropriate) wine aficionados have a new opportunity to approach the knowledge of wine in a fun and casual way. Following last year’s success, the “I Feel Wine” festival of activities returns! This space opens its doors again to welcome a series of events celebrating Navarra wines. Directed wine tasting, games, and musical entertainment are some of the fun activities you can expect in this series.

I Feel Wine began with a Musicata, on March 15, an entertaining and instructive directed tasting of four wines accompanied by live music. Attendees enjoyed white, pink, red and sweet wines to the sound of different musical styles and accompanied by four specially prepared tapas to ignite all the senses. What an unforgettable way to experience the wines of Navarra!

If you missed the Musicata, never fear – there are many more exciting events to come!

March 15: Musicata
April 26: Ludovino
May 24: Harmony Navarra
June 14: Harmony Navarra
Sept. 20: Wine-grape harvest and Game of the Goose D.O. Navarra
October 25: Harmony Navarra
November 22: Ludovino

Feel the wine of D.O. Navarra and enjoy the I Feel Wine cycle, presented in collaboration with the Wine Council of Pamplona.

Tickets are now on sale for a price of 10 euros at: Vinoteca Murillo (c / San Miguel 16-18) and Luismix Wines (c / Iturrama 66 low) in Pamplona.

For more information, visit: http://www.tupropioestilodevino.com/2012/03/el-vino-y-los-jovenes/

Tomorrow is the final course in the “Learning about wine, day by day” series at the Navarra Wine School – Don’t miss out!

Advanced tasting techniques

For those uninitiated to tasting who want to keep experimenting. A reflection on the major wine flavors and sensations, their interactions, and equilibria. Work with solutions of different compounds and even see examples of some flaws. Put your palate to the test!

Just another exciting event from the wonderful people of Navarra!

For more information, visit: http://www.tupropioestilodevino.com/2012/01/aprendiendo-sobre-vino-dia-a-dia/

… the new wines are here!

Yet another reason for celebration (Navarra always finds a reason) – the new wines that have been crafted by Navarra’s wineries are being feted at VINOFEST 2012.

Forty different establishments and thirty wineries are participating in this grand event! There will be shows and tastings featuring D.O. Navarra wines at bars and restaurants across the region.

On March 23, the President of the Wine Guild of Navarre, David Parker, will open the first barrel. This act will start off the VINOFEST series of tastings which will take place at the Congress Centre and Auditorium of Pamplona Bastion.

In addition to numerous tastings and sampling opportunities, several restaurants in D.O. Navarra have prepared special meals to wash down the delicious Navarra wines with. There will also be contests and courses as part of the big fest!

Are you going to be in Spain this month? Check out details here: www.vinofestnavarra.com.

Navarra sure does know how to party.

In Navarra, dry white wines are made principally from the Viura and Chardonnay varieties.

After their journey to the winery, the grapes are taken to the crusher – destemmer in order to totally or partially remove the stalk and lightly crush the berries. Before pressing, some wine-makers macerate the must (grape juice) with the skins at 14ºC for a few hours for greater aroma extraction. The grapes are then put into the press and the pressure is progressively increased; this makes it possible to separate the first pressings (free run juice) from the final pressings in which the increased pressure gives rise to a rougher grape must, of a lower quality.

Once the grape must has been obtained, it is sulfated to prevent the oxidization of the must and the development of undesirable micro-organisms. The grape must is then racked to remove any impurities. This racking process can be either static, where the grape must is left in the tank for 24 hours to allow the sediment to settle on the bottom, or, in large scale wineries, kinetic, occurring by centrifugation.
A clear must is thereby obtained which is then fermented either by the action of native yeasts or by using a good strain of active dry yeasts. The fermentation can take place either:
• In the tank: Today, the large majority of tanks are made of stainless steel and incorporate a cooling system for low temperature fermentation (17 to 20 ºC) in order to protect the aromatic finesse. Once the fermentation has been completed (between 7 to 20 days), the wine is decanted into another vat where it is sulfated yet again.
• In an oak barrel: The best white wines are fermented in this type of container. The barrels, the majority of which are new, are filled with the must. Given their small volume (generally 225 liters), the heat release is limited and the fermentation is slow.
In addition to the oak aromas and tannins imparted by the wood, after fermentation the wine is also enriched by maturing in contact with the yeast lees, which are regularly stirred into the wine through the “bâtonnage” technique. This gives a more unctuous, mouth-filling wine. The duration of the ageing process is adjusted to ensure that the wood flavour does not take over the wine; between the months of March to June the wine is transferred from the barrel to a vat. Malolactic fermentation is rarely used given the fact that the white wines support a fresh acidity very well. However, if the wine is too acidic, then partial or complete malolactic fermentation may be performed. Once the fermentation, and possible ageing, has been completed, the wine is fined and stabilized prior to bottling.

Adapted from http://www.navarrawine.com.

Young Viura wines and Viura-Chardonnay Blend
These are fresh, fruity wines which must be consumed within the year following the harvest. Many commercial wineries and co-operatives sell these wines. Their pale, yellow color and smooth mint-fruity nose make them ideal for aperitifs or for very light starters.

Non barrel aged Chardonnays
More structured and acidic than the previous wines, these are longer on the palate and can be consumed within 2 – 3 years after being made. They have an intense straw yellow color, with marked fruit flavors on the nose (fresh pineapple, green apple, pomegranate, mango, sometimes even melon). On the palate, there is a good freshness of acidity making them a good accompaniment to fish and smoked foods.

Barrel-fermented Chardonnays
These are the true aristocrats of the Navarra whites. They are always made from low-yielding vineyards and harvested with exquisite care. The best grape musts are fermented in new oak barrels (renewed each and every year) and, after remaining in contact with the lees for 6 months, in the noblest of Burgundy styles, the wines are racked and bottled. These are wines that improve with the passing of time and they are marketed under a Crianza or Reserva label. These wines have a golden yellow color and a complex nose with smokey notes and aromas of butter, hazelnuts and ripe fruit. Barrel-fermented Chardonnays are the perfect partner for oily fish such as sea bream or sea bass.

Adapted from http://www.navarrawine.com.

Stay tuned for Navarra Whites Part II: Crafting Navarra’s White Wines…

There is a great deal of confusion over the difference between Claret and Rosé wines, which we would like to clear up here. With regard to Claret wines, fermentation takes place with the skins (a system that is not authorized in the Navarre D.O.) whilst, for the Rosés, fermentation takes place without the skins, in other words the pigmented grape must ferment with no solids. In turn, two different processes can be distinguished:
• Direct press Rosé wine: A method that is not permitted in the Navarre D.O. The red grapes are pressed on entry into the winery, in the same way as for the white wine making process. A slight color is imparted to the must by the skin pigments, and then fermentation takes place.
• Saignée or bleeding: This is unquestionably the system offering the highest quality. All Navarra rosé wines are made in this way. The Garnacha variety is traditionally used, although small quantities are also produced with the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo varieties. The process is as follows: after de-stemming and crushing, the grapes are transferred to a tank and left to macerate for a few hours (generally from 8 to 24 hours). The skins separate by gravity, floating to the tank top. The grape must, which is denser (has sugar) remains at the bottom. During the contact time, the grape must is enriched:
o With pigments coming from the skins (it is therefore colored pink).
o With aroma precursors, found in the grape skin and which are only extracted during maceration.
The tank is then “bled off”, consisting in opening the tap located at the bottom and allowing the rosé must to flow out by gravity. To facilitate the drainage process, it was customary to place a bundle of shoots from the previous year in front of the tank, thereby acting as a filter. However, nowadays, the majority of the stainless steel vats employed incorporate a grating to retain any solids. The grape must is then subjected to a racking process and, once clean, is fermented at a controlled temperature of between 17 to 20 ºC. Malolactic fermentation is not desired. Therefore, once the alcoholic fermentation has been completed, the wine is sulfated, fined and stabilized. It should be bottled as soon as possible to ensure that it is marketed with all its freshness and fruitiness.
Adapted from http://www.navarrawine.com.