First-ever Spanish Grand Gold Medal at BioFach

In February, the 2007 BioFach Organic Foods Trade Fair was held in Nuremburg. An important part of the event is the internationally organic wine competition. For the first time ever a Spanish wine was awarded a Grand Gold: Piedra Luenga of Bodegas Robles (D.O. Montilla-Moriles), a sweet dessert wine made from the Pedro Ximénez grape.

Four other Spanish wines were awarded Gold Medals:
Dulce Negra, another sweet wine, made with Monastrell, from Bocopa of D.O. Alicante,
Colina Verde Tinto, a red wine made from Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes from Navarrsotillo of D.O.C. Rioja,
Dolç Afrià, a sweet wine made from Tempranillo and Syrah from Albet i Noya, D.O. Penedes,
Vega Valterra Reserva, a Tempranillo from Bodegas Proexa of D.O. Utiel-Requena.

In addition Spanish wineries took home 21 silver medals.

Spanish Organic Wines

At present in Spain some 260 wineries are producing organic wines. At the end of 2006 the town of Estella-Lizarra Hiria in Navarra held the 2nd National Competition of Wines Made from Organically Grown Grapes. 24 wines participated by submitting 64 wines for judging.

The big winner at the event was Bodegas Quaderna Via from D.O. Navarra which captured 2 of 3 Gold Medals awarded, for their 2004 and 2005 Tempranillos, plus a Silver for their Quaderna Via Maceración Carbonica 2005. The other Gold Medal winner was Azpea, also from Navarra.

Other multiple award winners were:
Bodegas Lezuan, of DO Navarra, Silver Medal for Lezaun 2002 Reserva, and Bronze Medals for Crianza 2002 and Crianza 2004,
Bodegas Aroa, DO Navarra, Silver for their Aroa Gorena Reserva and Bronze for Aroa 2005.
Albet i Noya, DO Penedès, were awarded Silver for their Classic Rosado and Bronze for Classic Xarel-lo Blanco.
Finca Campos Góticos, D.O. Ribera del Duero, Bronze Medals for thier Reserva 2002 and Roble Tempranillo.

Spanish organic wines

Since the first attempts at making organic wines in Spain in the 1980's (not counting the centuries before the introduction of synthetic chemical treatments), the number of wines being produced and their overall quality has risen dramatically.

In February, at BioFach, an important international organic food and beverage trade fair, over 50 Spanish wineries presented their products, to which 35 medals were awarded (9 gold, 26 silver and 18 bronze).

Writing this past Sunday in his column en the El Pais newspaper, wine critic Carlos Delgado reviewed six new releases of Spanish organic wines:

Luzon Organic 2005, D.O. Jumilla, a red crianza made from Monastrell, retailing at 4.25€. Score: 9 (out of 10 points).

Dionisio Ruiz Ijalba 2003, D.O.C. Rioja, a red crianza made from Maturana Tinta, a native variety that this winery has recovered, retailing at 17 €. Score 8.8 points.

Albet i Noya Xarello 2005, D.O. Penedes, a white made from Xarello, retailing at 4.30€. Score 8.7 points.

Qubel Nature Crianza 2003, D.O. Vinos de Madrid, a red crianza made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, retailing at 19.72€. Score: 8.7 points.

Ruiz Villanueva 2005, from the Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla area, a white made from Chardonnay, Airén and Moscatel, retailing at 5€. Score 8.6 points.

Quaderna Via 2004, D.O. Navarra, a red crianza made from Tempranillo, retailing at 15€. Score 8.6 points.