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Iberia

Iberia Wine Details
Price: $15.00 per bottle

Description: The Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal), not unlike Virginia, is one of the hottest wine regions in the world. It is known for making some of the world's finest wines from the four grapes (Tempranillo, Graciano, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Cao) which make up this dry Virginia red wine. This wine shows forward fruit aromas of wild berries, extremely soft chocolate cherry tannins, and a very long spicy finish.

Varietal Definition
Tempranillo:
The Tempranillo is to Rioja what Pinot Noir is to Burgundy. By far Spain's most noble indigenous grape it has similar characteristics to the Pinot - strawberries when young, earthy vegetal when mature - and it ages very well. It ripens early ('temprana' is the Spanish for 'early') is thick-skinned and gives good colour and extract but low alcohol and acidity. In Rioja it is blended with the more fiery Garnacha and a little Mazuelo and Graciano. It is grown throughout Spain but very much as a grape for blending as opposed to a straight varietal. Outside Spain the grape is quite prolific in Argentina and to a lesser extent in California.
Touriga Nacional:
Found in California and South Africa, this fiercest and best of the port grapes has also been successfully transplanted to Australia for fortified wine production. The vine produces grapes with small, darkly-pigmented berries. Notorious for low yields, attributes like its intense rich fruit personality make this grape a highly-regarded and sought after varietal. In addition to being important in port production, it is also increasingly significant in the rich, red table wines of Portugal’s Dao and Douro valleys.


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