|
Toro Wines & Spirits is a wholesaler focused on the supply of Spanish wines to Australia. Our commitment is to bring in quality wines the majority of which are from independent family run wineries. Within WA we also distribute several premium and boutique Australian wines.
Spain is the most widely planted wine producing nation, but due to the wide spacing of the old vines, low yields and in many regions, dry climate, it is only the third largest wine producing nation in the world.
Cultivation of grapes in Spain can be traced back to between 4000 - 3000 BC, with Spanish wine being widely exported during the times of the Roman Empire.
The Bodegas (wineries) of Spain are controlled by the DO system (Denominación de Origen ), with each DO being governed by a Consejo Regulador. The Consejo Regulador enforces the regulations and practices that each Bodega must follow in order to attain the DO stamp. These regulations cover permitted grape varieties, maximum yields harvested, label and aging restrictions. Since 1991, three DO's have been awarded DOCa status (Denominación de Origen Calificada ), Rioja, Priorat and Ribera Del Duero, due to the consistently high quality of wines produced in these regions.
Spanish wines generally fall into one of four categories depending on the amount of time the wine has been aged this varies slightly from DO to DO with DOCa Rioja requiring the longest periods of oak aging:
Gran Reserva - generally only used when the vintage has been declared above average. The red wines must be aged for a minimum of 5 years with at least 18 to 24 months being in oak, depending upon the DO. This is reduced to 4 years with 6 months in oak for whites and rosés.
Reserva - red wines must be aged for a minimum of 3 years, 1 -2 years of which must be in oak. For whites and rosés this is reduced to 2 years with a minimum of 6 months in oak.
Crianza - red wines must be aged for 2 years with at least 6 months to 1 year in oak. Again for whites and rosés this is reduced to 1 year of aging with at least 6 months being in oak.
Joven - generally un-oaked, or with only a few months of oak aging.
Spain has a long tradition of using American oak, although they follow closely the traditions of French barrel making, hand-splitting rather than sawing the planks and seasoning outdoors rather than kiln drying. However, in recent years many Bodegas have started to use French oak, and it is now common to find wines aged in a mixture of both French and American oak.
|
