A delightful book that I like to recommend, if you might be interested, is Gatherings from Spain by Richard Ford, an Englishman traveller who visited Spain between 1830 and 1833. The book is available at Project Gutenberg here.
The story is as follows:
‘One anecdote will do the work of pages in setting forth the habitual indifference of Spaniards and the way things are managed for them. This very nobleman, who certainly was one of the most distinguished among the grandees in rank and talent was dining one day with a foreign ambassador at Madrid, who was a decided admirer of Valdepeñas, as all judicious men must be, and who took great pains to procure it quite pure by sending down trusty persons and sound casks. The Marques at the first glass exclaimed, “What capital wine! where do you manage to buy it in Madrid?” “I send for it,” was the reply, “to your administrador at Valdepeñas.’’’
The relevance of the story is that yesterday it happened to me something very similar. I came across a blog I had never visited before, JacquiWine’s Journal, where Jacqui, the blog-keeper, shares her thoughts and reviews the books she has read. But she is also a wine lover and she posts her thoughts on her favourite bottles. Much to my surprise I discovered a new Spanish wine of which I had not heard about before. And to add insult to injury, I often pass through Corella, were the winery is located. I’ll have to taste it soon. Stay tuned.
Jaqui’s post is here.
Read more about the winery here
And about Graciano Wine grape variety at wine-searcher. By the way I must correct the information at wine-searches, Cabernet Sauvignon is not found in La Rioja, it is not a native variety and it is prohibited by the Board of the Qualified Denomination of Origin Rioja. (Read more here)
A Crime is Afoot 