28.7.15 Highest Points for Sherry in Guía Peñín 2016; Awards for Williams & Humbert

Carlos González, director of the Guía Peñín, is a self-confessed Sherry lover whose passion is reflected in the scores for the 2016 edition of the prestigious guide, where Sherry gets the highest average score of 91.67 points. Sherry and Manzanilla beat Priorato (90.07) by over 1.5 points despite the latter’s spectacularly good 2013 vintage which merited a special mention. In 3^rd place were the wines of Valdeorras with an average score of 89.07.

After the exhausting round of tastings which began in Jerez in January, the Guía Peñín is currently being published and printed to be available in October, coinciding with the XVI Guía Peñín Best Wines of Spain Show. The tasters held a re-tasting of all the wines which scored over 94 points, and there were no fewer than 370 of them.

Carlos Gonzalez at work in Jerez (foto:diariojerez)

The 2016 edition has a record-breaking 11,200 wines tasted, of which 200 were Sherries, and this year they have included special editions such as Finos and Manzanillas en Rama. While tasting in Jerez, the Peñín director noted how good the wines were, highlighting the good moment Sherry is experiencing. He said that in the guide’s 26 years of existence no wine had been awarded 100 points, but if any wine deserved it, it would be Sherry. Further, he said that Sherry has always given dignity to the array of wines produced in Spain, and urged readers of the guide to try Sherry, which too many think is a wine for connoisseurs only, but in fact is a wine with styles to suit everyone.

Overall, the tastings have seen increased average points for 24 Dos and reduced points for 40 others with one remaining the same. In the preamble to the guide, it is noted that nearly 1,000 wines from new producers were tasted, varying from small to large. Straightforward wines with international inspiration which reflect the regeneration inspired by young winemakers in Spain.

 At the recent Wines from Spain Competition in London, Williams & Humbert took the two Awards for the Fortified Category. The wines were Manzanilla Alegría and Dos Cortados VOS 20 Years Old. The competition is for the best Spanish wines in various categories which are available in the UK.

30.1.15 Guía Peñín in Jerez

Last Wednesday and Thursday the tasting team from Spain’s most influential wine guide, Guía Peñín, were at the Consejo in Jerez to taste some 200 wines for the 2016 edition. The tasters always start their season in Jerez, perhaps as an aperitif.  Peñín director, Carlos González, who is a self-confessed Sherry fan had this to say: “The guide has never in its 26 year history awarded 100 points, but If any Spanish wine merits 100 points, it is Sherry”.

The team’s short visit to Jerez was enough to create a “very good impression” and they commented that Sherry adds dignity to the entire range of wines produced in Spain. They attributed the decline in sales to changes in fashion, and ignorance of such a special and very old drink which many don’t dare to approach. “Many think that Sherry is for connoisseurs but there are styles to suit everyone, and if someone wants to drink it as a cocktail or with a mixer that’s fine - so long as they drink it”.

The tasters at work at the Consejo (foto diario jerez)

This year’s tasting looked at not only the classics, but also new releases and special releases, “in particular Manzanilla pasada and Fino en rama which is now an established thing. We tasted what was recommended and I am certain that the Consejo is giving it its all, although later on  it is up to the marketing people to  transmit the goodness, quality and complexity of Sherry, which has never really been out of fashion”.

25.1.13 Jerez-Sydney Tasting; Fitur; Barbadillo Prize; Guia Penin; Guinness Venencia Record

An interactive tasting of Finos and Manzanillas has united Jerez with Australia. The online tasting was organised by Chelsea Anthon of International Sherry Week and conducted by Cesar Saldaña, director of the Consejo Regulador. “Fino and Manzanilla Masterclass” was the name given to the tasting, and ten guests enjoyed the interactive tasting from Tapavino wine bar in Sydney Australia in live contact with Jerez. The wines tasted were:

Tio Pepe en rama;  Manzanilla La Goya;  Fino Inocente;  Tio Pepe dos palmas and Barbadillo’s Manzanilla Sacristia, which was being tasted for the first time ever in Australia.

Fitur, the international tourism trade fair now in its 34^th year is currently taking place in Madrid and closes tomorrow. It was opened by Prince Felipe and Doña Letizia. Needless to say, there is a strong representation from Andalucia, and particularly the Sherry zone. Sanlucar for its part, has presented the posters for the 3 main tourist events, the Carnival, Semana Santa and the Feria de la Manzanilla (27^th May-1^st June). They were also promoting the VI Ruta de la Tapa y de la Manzanilla which will take place on 1^st September. El Puerto de Santa Maria has a stand too, in which they are promoting the city with the slogan “365 Days and 360 Degrees”, highlighting the fact that there is something interesting going on every day. Sherry is naturally a key part of their strategy. Jerez is, of course promoting itself as European City of Wine 2014.

Vivir el Vino Magazine has chosen Barbadillo’s Palo Cortado VORS as its best fortified wine in its “11 Magnificos”(the eleven best from their respective Dos), a part of its 2014 guide. The prizes were handed over in Madrid on Tuesday. The guide presents the 365 best of over 1,500 tasted blind.

“If any Spanish wine deserves 100 points, it is without doubt Sherry”. This is what Carlos Dominguez had to say about our beloved wine as his tasting team descended on Jerez to do the tastings for the 2014 Guia Peñin. Carlos is director of the Guia. In last year’s edition, Sherry achieved the best scores, and averaged 91 points. As is habitual with the Guia, no wine can score 100 points, and last year the highest score was 98. Two Sherry brands achieved this: Equipo Navazos and Barbadillo.

Jerez is traditionally the first stop for the Peñin tasters on their whistle-stop tour round Spain’s wine regions during which they will taste some 10,000 wines from 135 regions. The Sherry wines just keep getting better, according to Carlos, “they are spectacular. Tasting these wines imposes respect for them, and requires serenity”.

The Consejo Regulador is proposing to break the Guinness World Record for the Venencia. (the long flexible stick with a cup at the end for extracting Sherry from the butt) The winner of the 11^th Venencia competition in Japan (where the competition is held), is Shuji Fujikawa, a young cocktail bar owner, who is currently in Jerez to receive his title from Beltran Domecq and visit bodegas.

Shuji Fujikawa (L) at the Consejo bodega San Gines

The Japanese love Sherry, and there are over 100 Japanese venenciadores registered with the Consejo. They even go so far as to serve Sherry with a venencia direct from the barrel in Japanese bars and restaurants, not from the bottle. The Bamboo cocktail is popular in Japan, and consists of one part Fino Sherry, three parts dry vermouth and a dash of Angostura bitters.

The Consejo plan is to beat the Guinness record for the highest number of venenciadores pouring at the same time, which currently stands at 61, and which was achieved in Seville in 2005.

30.7.13 Tio Pepe Sign; Barbadillo Nomination

Remember the famous illuminated Tio Pepe Sign? Well, at last it has a new home! Madrid town council is about to award planning permission for it to be erected at number 11, Puerta del Sol. The sign has been homeless since the owners of number 1 Puerta del Sol (the old Hotel Paris, and soon to be Apple’s Madrid HQ), on which it has been situated since 1936, decided they no longer wanted it there. The new site, on the corner with Calle Preciados is owned by the department store El Corte Ingles. Everyone is now happy that the iconic sign has a secure home.

The sign at its old location

 Bodegas Barbadillo has been nominated for “Best Spanish Bodega” by Guia Peñin for the 2014 edition, for maintaining the highest quality in a large number of brands. Three other bodegas have been nominated: Artadi (Rioja), Descendientes J Palacios (Bierzo) and Sierra Cantabria (Rioja), and we will have to wait until Wednesday 9^th October to know the result.  This will be announced at the XIV Salon de los Mejores Vinos de España, promoted by Peñin, Spain’s leading wine guidebook. The Salon, which is the top event in the world of Spanish wine, with over 3,000 Spanish and foreign professionals in attendance, will also see the announcement of El Mejor Vino Revelacion del Año. To date, 140 of the very top bodegas have confirmed their attendance.

23.1.13 Top Penin points for Sherry

The top Spanish wine guide, the Guia Penin,  has begun the marathon series of tastings for the next edition at the Consejo Regulador in Jerez. By the end of the trip, they will have tasted some 10,000 wines. After tasting well over 200 Sherries, the team declared that the standard was very high with marks averaging over 90 points out of 100. In the last edition (2013), wines from the whole of Spain except Sherry managed an average score of 87.5, while Sherry managed an average score of 91.

News from Jerez 17.9.12

Manuel Lozano wins Best Fortified Wine Maker award - again

The International Wine Challenge in London has awarded the accolade to Lustau’s winemaking chief for a second time. He is responsible for all the Emilio Lustau wines and the ex Domecq wines such as La Ina and Rio Viejo. The award was presented at what is known as the wine “Oscars”, at which the wines themselves won 20 medals and 3 trophies.

Robert Parker has already awarded 90 points or more to 8 Lustau wines, 96 to the Palo Cortado Peninsula. Spain’s Guia Penin awarded 9 wines 90 points or more with La Ina and Papirusa getting 96 and 94 respectively. It is wonderful to see Jerez getting such recognition.

Rain arrives
After a drought ridden year, the rain has finally arrived to refill reservoirs and raise the water table. Up to 4 times the average monthly precipitation has fallen in 1 day, some 75l/m2 ! Andalucia is suffering torrential rainfall, which of course just runs over the parched land. What is really needed is lighter but sustained rain which will be more easily absorbed.