Winds of Change
This week I have been involved in Prowein Düsseldorf, the largest wine fair in the world with permission from Vinexpo (Bordeaux). The truth is that it has been amazing. The wines have delighted and our commitment to export is congen force. It's nice to listen to your customers that every time you do it better, you've hit a qualitative leap in the wines very considerable and that the score line is correct. Merit, as I like to say is of technicians. Starting in the vineyard and followed by the winemakers. Said our importer in Brazil, for example, that it was incredible that we could produce a million bottles of quality Oak. The winners, in any case have been the PradoRey Rosado 2010 (for many of our importers in the world's best right now), the PradoRey Reserva 2005, which left speechless, not only our customers but many colleagues French came to taste it and the PR 3 Barrels, since nobody outside waiting for a barrel-fermented Verdejo with their characteristics. The Elite with 93 points Parker, also won many accolades, but I accept that is a complex wine, perhaps too much for certain markets.
Every time one leaves home and goes abroad, gets a humbling experience. Today, good wines are made everywhere and the level is getting better. The Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris from Austria, Luxembourg and Germany have been my greatest discoveries of this fair, as some of Burgundy Chabli Fabian, our Export Manager has made me taste. I was surprised with some Nero d'Avola from Sicily and some Argentine Malbec. I tasted wines made from varieties unpronounceable Greek, that although I have not finished convince itself that caught my attention because of its commitment to bold, decisive and firm the differential: your local grapes. Hand in hand with our importers German (Eggers and Rindchen) I tried wonderful Riesling of all ranges, as well as by Carmen, our commercial manager, some wonderful red Somontano. I could taste the free tasting of the last day a spectacular Rioja Finca Valpiedra (wonderful) and the hand of my friend Stanley Laus, its fabulous Pink (Tear wine) and its spectacular 700 Alt Villa Bachimaña (Gewurtztraminer and Chardonnay). One is always left with the desire to try more things, but the shows are killer, and Tasting time limited.
I was concerned I will not deny, the image that we as a country. While Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Austria and even some French wineries were trying to give a more or less homogeneous, autonomous community in Spain going into our air. We still do an umbrella brand that should be "Spain" and unfortunately so will we. Outside our borders, there are few who think that Rioja is a grape, nor those who have no idea what is Ribera del Duero. Sound, thank God, the Tempranillo, Verdejo or Garnacha, but little else. I did not like the image of the last day with English stand empty and alone tasting potential customers before the astonished eyes of many. We have great wines and excellent professionals, but we must demand more.
Finally I bring back the winds of change. These days, nobody talked to me or recession, or banks or lower prices. Outside our borders, the crisis seems to slowly fall behind. As has always happened in our economic history, our crashes and recoveries come with some delay relative to the rest of Europe. Finally green shoots, but come from Germany and we still enjoy them.
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