Airén – The Grape from La Mancha

December 19, 2010

Statistically, Airén is the most outrageous wine grape the world has ever known. Many wine guides and sites still refer to it as the most widely grown wine grape in the world, although it has been recently surpassed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (surprise, surprise!) Still, it’s the most widely grown white wine grape which owes more to the reduction in Airén acreage than to the international ascendancy of Cab Sauv and Merlot.* Amazingly enough, Airén isn’t grown anywhere else but Spain and in Spain isn’t really grown outside of the arid plains of La Mancha. To be sure, most people haven’t heard of this bigger than life eccentric as they have La Mancha’s other bigger than life eccentric, Cervantes’s Don Quixote.

The most widely grow grape varieties are determined by acreage; Airén now covers 578,000 acres – approx. 900 sq. miles – slightly smaller that Luxembourg which is 999 sq. miles. Dinky Luxembourg? For people like me who would like to think that the world is covered in grape vines, it starts to become plainly clear that this isn’t true. Still, it would take a very long time to walk all the Airén vineyards and you would probably come across quite a few windmills.

To be fair to the world’s other grape varieties, one of the reasons for Airén’s statistical might is the fact that it planted with very low vine density as you can see in the photo above. Still, how does a statistical oddity like this happen? I always thought it to be a similar story to Carignan, just another high yielding workhorse grape that did its job for most of the 20th century, only to fall out of fashion and to be grubbed up in the ‘90s for far trendier cepage. No, this was on a far greater scale and could only be the work of Franco’s facist regime. As I recently learned from the excellent Spanish blog Catavino, Franco struck a deal with France post WWII to purchase Spanish brandy in an attempt to help quell his country’s poverty and created one of the few exports in Spain’s closed economy of the 1950’s. It’s certainly not difficult to then see how this was an incentive to plant vast swaths of this otherwise unremarkable grape.

Or is it unremarkable? Most sources say as much and also make it clear that it’s almost impossible to find outside of Spain, much less outside of La Mancha. Amazingly enough, it’s readily available in both the US and UK, in the form of Protocolo Bianco, Dominio de Eguren Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, which is 90% Airén and 10% Macabeo (also known as Viura). Vino del la Tierra de Castilla is a country wine region, similar to a French Vin de Pays, that includes La Mancha. The 2004 Protocolo Blanco has an extremely attractive nose, quite aromatic and blossoming with lemon and almond notes almost like a good Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Layers of tropical fruit, pineapple and peach make it clear that it’s something different and exciting. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to expectations on the palate, starting light, soft and flabby and finishing with a detached tingly acidity that’s not unlike a Zotz (Sour hard candies from 70’s and 80’s with a baking soda center to fizz up your mouth). This tingle seems to go with reports that the tartaric acid bills are huge in La Mancha. But before you gasp “what the? added acid?” note that the practice of adding tartaric acid to freshen up wines in warmer climates is both allowed and widespread. And these are really just minor quibbles since for the price it’s very hard to beat. It went great with a roast cod and a side of bubble and squeak (a typical UK meal?). Parker rated it an 85 but more importantly the 2002 rated a “Buy again? Yes” on the Compleat Wine Geek. It’s available at Majestic in the UK for ₤3.99 and in wide variety of US shops, including John’s Grocery in Iowa City, IA who lists it for $5.99.

*All grape statistics are from the authoritative The Vineyard Handbook, 1992, revised 2003 by Patrick W. Fegan, Director of the Chicago Wine School. If you consider yourself a wine geek and don’t have it, rectify the situation by purchasing it here.

Source: http://www.delongwine.com/news/2005/12/09/airen-the-grape-from-la-mancha/

Clark Wine Center is more than a wine shop to people living in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone.  Clark’s wine shop is also a popular venue for parties and family gatherings.  Conveniently located on the main highway of Clark Philippines, it is accessible to guests from Manila, Subic, Pampanga, Angeles City and of course those who live and work in Clark.   Aside from the 2-storey wine shop which also has a nice roof deck lawn for small party of up to 80 people as well as an indoor wine tasting room which accommodates up to 60 comfortably, this wine store called Clark Wine Center also has one hectare of picnic grounds surrounding it.

Best birthday gift to send to someone living in the Philippines is a nice bottle of wine from Yats Wine Cellars.  Delivery of birthday wine can made to Manila, Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines and Subic.

Wine Shop Manila offers best luxurious beers in Philippines called Vintage Beer.

Birthday gift of wine is the most popular gift idea this year in Philippines.  Yats Wine Cellars offers birthday wine gifts that are unique and certain to make the recipient very happy.  These birthday wines are not available in wine shops so it is a unique bottle of wine for the recipient.

This Manila Wine Shop is the largest wine shop in Philippines.  This is the wine shop to go for fine vintage wines, not just the big names like Lafite, Latour, Petrus, Cristal, Krug, Grange, Vega Sicilia and Sassicaia.  This wine shop in Manila offers many excellent vintage wine for under p4,000, even for some that are 20-30 year old from St. Emilion and Pomerol.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.  Visitors buy wine in Manila and Pampanga should not miss stopping at this wine shop for a few bottles of fine vintage wines to bring home.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila

Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple:  after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave.  From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City.  From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Clark Wine Center

Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building

Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,

Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars

Manila Sales Office

3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,

Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

(632) 637-5019   0917-520-4393  ask for Rea or Chay