2022 Gil Family Estates Atalaya La Atalaya del Camino

Area

The Castilla-La Mancha area covers the entire southern half of the Central Meseta of Spain. It extends over a vast area of eight million hectares (80,000 square kilometers) and includes five provinces: Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara and Toledo. Within this region there are four DOs: Méntrida, La Mancha, Valdepeñas and Almansa. It is the habitat of the most common vine in the world, the Airén, which is not planted anywhere else. This underlines the size and significance of this autonomous community. This area also produces about 50% of the total wine production in Spain.

The landscape of Castilla-La Mancha is defined by mountains and rivers. In the north, the Tagus (el Tajo) acts as a natural border with the Madrid region, while in the south the Guadiana River flows past Valdepeñas, just north of the border with Andalusia. This vast plain is surrounded by mountain ranges, including the Sierra de la Calderine in the northwest, the Sierra Mestanza in the southwest, the Loma de Chiclana in the south, the Sierra de Alcaraz in the southeast and the Sierra de Cuenca in the northeast. Despite these natural barriers, the wind can still cross the immense plateau, as evidenced by the famous windmills of La Mancha. Winters in this area can be freezing, while summers are extremely hot.

The reason why many of Spain's largest wine companies settled here in the 70s and 80s is due to the relatively low cost of land. They introduced new technology and took full advantage of the abundant sunshine that bathes the plateau every day.

Grapes

The Airén is historically the most planted grape in the world, while it only occurs in La Mancha, which indicates how common it is. This grape is used for the production of white wines. Airén wines usually have mild acidity and can range from light and refreshing to fuller and richer in flavor. Although La Mancha is known for its white wines, many red wines are also made. These are usually made with the Tempranillo grape. Tempranillo produces red wines with flavors of red fruit, spices and often a hint of vanilla due to aging in oak barrels. Tempranillo red wines can be young and fruity as well as complex and aged. Furthermore, grapes such as Garnacha, Mascuelo, Verdejo, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are also widely produced.

Red wine is made from blue grapes. The wines get their dark colour from the skin of the grape, which ferments with the grape juice. The intensity of the colour is determined by how long the juice has matured; a young red wine will have a somewhat purple colour, while older wines tend to be more orange or brown-red.

With around 10,000 varieties of grapes worldwide, you can go in all directions.

The most well-known blue grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Syrah / Shiraz.

Types of red wine

There are many different types of grapes with different characteristics and aromas. The differences within grape varieties are due to the difference in climate, the soil where the vines are planted, and the amount of sun.

The end result is in the hands of the winemaker. During the process from juice to wine, the winemaker still has a lot of options to change the final product into what he wants to put on the market.

The upbringing of the wine plays a major role in this. After fermentation, the process of raising and maturing the wine begins. There are many options for influencing the wine, but the most well-known concerns the ageing in wood.

If the winemaker chooses to raise the wine on wood, many things come into play. The first choice is whether new or older barrels will be used. Older, used barrels release less or no more aromas and tannins, but they still have an oxidative function. New wood barrels let in dosed oxygen and ensure that the wine has aromas and tannins. This is more intense with smaller barrels than with large wooden barrels.

Dry red wine

The most famous red wine is a dry red wine. The number of grape varieties and different taste profiles are enormous. There is a nice glass of red for every moment.

Sweet red wine

Just like sweet white wine, there is sweet red wine too! They are a lot rarer than dry red wines. If you want to try something different, it's definitely worth a try.

Alcohol-free red wine

Non-alcoholic wine is becoming more and more popular. Whether it is red non-alcoholic wine, white non-alcoholic wine, or sparkling non-alcoholic wine, more and more attention is being paid to it. Perfect for a cosy drink during pregnancy, or during a non-alcoholic month!

Red wine Gift

Red wine is fun to give, and even more fun to receive! Grandcruwijnen has ready-made wine gifts to make your gift recipient happy ;)

If you have your eye on a bottle of wine, at Grandcruwijnen we also have gift packaging to complete your gift! If you've found something you like, you can easily add a gift card during checkout.

Buy red wine online

At Grandcruwijnen you can easily buy red wine online. In our range, you will find products from the well-known grape varieties. If you want to buy a nice red wine, you have come to the right place at Grandcruwijnen. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us!

Garnacha or Grenache is one of the most widely planted blue grapes in Spain. Excellent for blending, although the best Garnacha wines come from Priorat and usually form a monocépage there. View our range of delicious Garnacha/Grenache wines. (Grenache is the french version of Garnacha).

Garnacha is a major component of traditional Rioja (usually up to 30 percent). In France, this grape is used almost exclusively as a cépage with other grape varieties.

Everything about the Garnacha grape

The Garnacha is a real Mediterranean grape that is addicted to the heat. The grape variety always travels after the sun, regularly changing its name. The vine is resistant to all kinds of diseases. The grape has thin skin with little pigment.

The grape prefers poor and dry soils with a lot of (pebble) stones. The yields per hectare fluctuate between 25-80 hectoliters, in warm areas it gives a large yield.

This grape is popular in Navarre and the rest of northern Spain.

In France, Grenache is grown in Provence, the southern Rhone, the Roussillon and the Languedoc. It is the dominant grape in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines.

It is also planted in Australia, Italy, and North Africa.

Synonyms

• Grenache
• Grenache Noir (France)
• Garnacha tinta
• Garnacha de Alicante
• Lledoner
• Cannonau (Sardinia)

Aromas in the Garnacha grape

The wines are characterized by a very fruity almost sweet taste of:

• Blackberries
• Cherry
• Coffee
• Cacao
• Figs
• Some pepper

They contain little acid, little tannin and are sensitive to oxidation. So this is not a storage wine.

Wine and food: Garnacha wine

Most Garnacha wines go well with food.

Hearty varieties go well with red meat and stews. While the fuller varieties are delicious with pork and cheese, the lighter varieties pair well with pasta.

Do you already have a dish in mind, but you don't know which wine goes with it? Grandcruwijnen has a smart sommelier option. You enter the ingredients of the dish, and we guarantee a good match for the dish!

I would like to buy a Grenache wine

Garnacha is a grape that every wine drinker must taste! Grandcruwijnen has Garnacha wines for every budget. Would you like to find out more about the grape or would you like a specific recommendation? Please feel free to contact us!

The oldest grape under the sun: this red grape variety is a real team-player and usually needs other grapes to really come to its best. That's why you probably won't just see it on a label. The Grenache grape originates from Spain and is called Garnacha there. However, the Grenache grape has been the most planted grape in the world for hundreds of years.

What does the Grenache taste like?

The blue Grenache grapes are fairly large and have a thin skin with not much coloring, which is why this grape is very suitable for making rosé wines. This grape feels best in a hot and dry environment, which allows it to form a lot of sugar over a long growing season. As a result, the taste is often very strong and on the sweet fruity side. However, the grape itself contains little firmness, acidity and color and is therefore often blended with other grapes. The Grenache is often combined with the Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault (called GSM blends) or also with its comrade tempranillo the Grenache grape is very successful.

The taste of a pure grenache wine is sultry but also has a light white pepper taste and the spicy red fruit also comes to the surface. The aroma varies enormously per wine but can be described as floral, fruity and often a hint of spices such as pepper, cinnamon or licorice. This wine is perfect to pair with spicy wines.