The swish of a flamenco dancer’s dress, the flick of a matador’s cape, the splatter of tomatoes at Tomatina – Spain is awash in 50 shades of red. It’s no wonder then that its most popular wine is a ruby red from Rioja (pronounced ree-oh-hah), usually made with Tempranillo grapes.
While in India, we have been familiar with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (Shiraz) varieties for a while thanks to our homegrown wine industry, but Tempranillo is still a fairly new grape to us. Federico Lleonart, global wine ambassador for Pernod Ricard Winemakers was in India recently for the launch of Campo Viejo, one of the première Rioja brands in the world, which recently débuted in India. We spoke to him to help demystify the Tempranillo.
The region
Rioja is by far the most traditional, prestigious, and famous wine region in Spain. It has a DOCA appellation (qualified designation of origin), the highest regulation of quality and geographical origin for Spain’s products. It’s largely a red wine region; but a small amount of white wine is made here too, mostly from the Viura grape, the white counterpart to the Tempranillo. “As with many regions in Europe, wine production in Rioja started in the Roman times, so the region has more than 2,000 years of winemaking history,” says Lleonart. Rioja rose to fame in the mid-19th century when the French producers arrived to seek an alternate wine-growing region after a severe blight destroyed the Bordeaux vineyards. Located in northern Spain, Rioja is a diverse region with three very different sub-regions. There’s the Rioja Alta, which is at a higher elevation and is known for its old-world style of wine. The Rioja Alavesa in the northwest and the smallest sub-region, which produces full-bodied wines with high acidity. Finally, the Rioja Baja, is influenced by a Mediterranean climate, leading to deeply coloured wines with a high alcohol content.
The grape
Rioja’s signature grape is the Tempranillo. “It’s a very versatile grape that can produce a young, fruity wine as well as a Grand Reserva wine that has been aged for five years,” says Lleonart. “The range of flavours that you can get out of Tempranillo is very hard to get from other varieties.” Tempranillo grapes smell like red fruits such as cherries, plums, and raspberries. Because of its versatility, it pairs well with different types of foods from meat and poultry to seafood and cheese.
The brand
Campo Viejo started in 1959 when three winegrowers from the region got together with the idea of producing high-quality Rioja wine. “We are not the oldest or the largest winery in the region, but we are certainly the number one Rioja brand in the world. Campo Viejo exports to more than 60 countries,” says Lleonart.
The current winery was built in 2001 and is located just outside Logroño, the capital of Rioja. “Our winery was certified as carbon-neutral five years ago. We use sustainable practices and also teach them to the winegrowers who work with us; sustainability is the only way to move forward,” declares Lleonart.
The wines
While Campo Viejo has a large portfolio, it makes its debut in India with two wine variants, one red and one white, and both of them fall in the category of vin joven or young wine that isn’t aged much, if at all. Campo Viejo Tempranillo is a red wine made with 100% Tempranillo grapes. “It’s a very fruit-forward wine, very smooth and easy to drink. There’s a smell of red fruits, a touch of liquorice, and because the wine is aged for four months in American oak barrels, there’s also a hint of vanilla and coconut,” explains Lleonart.
It tastes fruity and fresh with low tannin. “The drinkability of this wine is the key to its success in India; it’s a wine that will appeal to most consumers,” elaborates Lleonart. The second wine is Campo Viejo Blanco, a white wine made with a blend of Tempranillo blanco and Viura grapes, that is not aged. “This wine is super-new; we launched it only last year in the UK and later in Sweden, and now it’s in India. It is mainly made with Viura grapes but also has Tempranillo blanco, a white mutation of Tempranillo that appeared back in the 80s,” says Lleonart.
For a young market, and given the Indian penchant for wines that are sweeter and lighter, debuting with two fresh, fruit-forward wines seems like the right strategy for Campo Viejo. “India has a great market potential and Campo Viejo is growing well around the world, so it made sense to expand into India,” concludes Lleonart.
Campo Viejo wines are priced at ₹2,000 in Mumbai.