The New Normal


 

Another day amid the vineyards.  Grapes, grapes everywhere but not a one to eat.  It is time to put our minds to the matter of wine more seriously.




The problem with Google Reviews is that they are five or nothing.  We once stayed at a budget hotel and the absolutely glorious staff asked for five stars because any less than that had management complaining.  In this world where five stars is considered the norm we have nowhere to go with the truly exceptional.  Lets face it, a three star review would have you wondering what was going on and a one star means the writer was either physically assaulted or just a grumpy bugger who didn't read the label.




I say all this because  the ratings for the harvests of this region seem to be Normal, Mediana, Buena, Muy Buena and Excelente.  BTW, the Google Docs on which I am writing this wants to change Buena to Bueno.  The Patriarchy gets everywhere.  The last Normal harvest was 1979.  2020-2022 were Muy Buena and 2019 Excelente.  Should we take Buena as the new Normal.  I leave that to wiser heads to consider.




Rioja has almost 41,000 hectares given over to Red wine - or wine as I prefer to call it.  I know white wine exists but really, like champagne, what is the point.  88% of the reds are Tempranillo, 8% Garnacha, with a small amount of Mazuelo Graciano and others.  About 10% of the grapes grown in La Rioja are for white wines.  These are 70% Viura, 10% Tempranillo Blanco and a handful of others.




Apparently some bodegas used to age their wines before release - an average of 15-20 years.  The Marques de Murrieta released the 1942 gran reserva of 1942 in 1983.  4-8 is more typical these days of those precious wines.  Really, are the drinkers worthy of them.



In hersey news  Bodegas Rioja Santiago developed the first bottled version of the wine punch Sangría, based on Rioja wine, and exhibited it at the 1964 New York World's Fair. An import subsidiary of Pepsi Cola purchased the rights to the wine and began marketing it worldwide.

Time to push on into the Newish Year vista.










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