Vila Viniteca Wine Release Event

Last Tuesday saw the annual wine release / street party hosted by Barcelona's leading wine store (and distributor), Vila Viniteca. The event, which takes place on the old, flagstone streets outside their store in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, featured over 40 wineries offering tastings, plus stalls by local restaurants. This year began a couple of hours earlier at 5PM, in response to the growing popularity of the event. By 8PM, the mass of people in the tiny, pedestrian only street maked it nearly impossible to move.

I got there early and had a chance to chat with several of the wineries exhibiting their 2006 wines, which won't be released on the market for several months yet. Many of the wineries commented that the wines on offer had been bottled just in the last few days, so, in general, they were a bit raw. Mainly the wines were 2006 vintage whites or rosés, but a few wineries had some red wines from this year.

The following are the wines that most impressed me:

Bodegas Borsao, from the Campo de Borja, D.O. offered a version of their Primizia, a 100% Garnacha. Strong raspberry flavors and surprisingly smooth.

Pere Guardiola, from D.O. Empordà-Costa were tasting their Vi Novell, a blend of Garnacha and Merlot, done in the style of a beaujolais nouveaux. Very well rounded and drinkable.

Bodegas Monje, from the island of Tenerife was offering one of their reds, a 100% Listan Negro, an indigenous grape variety. As Tenerife never was hit by Phyloxera, there are many native grape types grown there, including Tintilla, Tinta Monje, Baboso, Vijariego Negra. The Listan Negro was a strong wine, but with good fruit and not too heavy tannins. An interesting offering in these days of Merlot and Cabernet everywhere.

There were many other wines being offered, many were interesting, but above all, the street-party/village fair atmosphere is the real attraction. See you there next November!