Starting off Tuesday afternoon at The Wine Edition Wines from Spain's auditorium, Andreas Kubach MW gave one of the event's most interesting talks. The founder of Península Vinicultores discussed the personality of villages as the core expression of grand origins, in a blind tasting session. “This might be the most beautiful public tasting I've ever done in my life”, said the Master of Wine by way of an introduction. 

Villages, municipalities or communes are the cores around which most of the world's greatest origins have expressed themselves. "In Spain, too, an increasing understanding and coding of the personality of our villages will be a key factor to transform us into a more sophisticated producer of terroir wines", said Kubach.

During the event, the Master of Wine explored and compared wines produced in villages with some of the world's greatest origins. A blind taste was arranged of four pairs of wines from the same region and the same vintage, and sometimes even from the same producer, but from two different villages, in a bid to appreciate their different personalities and appreciate the relevance of the concept of village wine proper. From Burgundy to Italy, and Rioja too, to demonstrate that a considerable communal identity runs through them. “All the major denominations have integrated the personalities of the villages. There can be no winemaking area until the local character has been defined", he claimed.

Concerning the possible difficulty of understanding this type of wine in comparison to what the consumer knows and demands, the producer said "there is nothing better than stylish wines, but that doesn't prevent us from creating other wines that relate to the origin and personality of the grape and the territory”. What is necessary is time, he claims, but this is a good time to generate that sensitivity, for the market to define itself. “Perhaps what is needed is for winemakers to get out and drink more”.

"Wineloverism" has nothing to do with prices

Santi Rivas, who heads up Colectivo Decantado, hosted one of the congress's most amusing and laid-back tasting sessions this afternoon. His display of excellent wines costing less than 10 euros proves that there is a wine cult at reasonable prices, and that Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España can also act serve as a showcase for this concept of affordable quality wine. 

“One should never drink wines that cost less than 5 euros, due to principles, because these are not sustainable wines, and they don't generate either sustainability or wealth", said Santi Rivas during the presentation. “Because, although there is quality and a wine cult for less than 10 euros, to make any progress in this world you have to spend a little more. Being a wine-lover is expensive, it has to be said.

Arranged by some of the producers, the tasting began with a "palomino fino" from Chiclana, from Primitivo Collantes (8 €), and a white "verdejo", Cucú Cantaba La Rana, from Barco del Corneta in Valladolid (9.90 €); the rosé Rosat Bàrbara Forés, from Terra Alta (7.95 €); a red, Telúrico, a young syrah wine from Bodega Finca Fuentegalana, in Sierra de Gredos (6.95 €); and Laderas de Tempranillo, one of the wines made by Bodegas Bideona in Rioja Alavesa (8 €). Five interesting, economical wines, showing that quality does not mean expensive, perfect for a quiet drink at the bar, and so the creator of the #instacatas label has done away with all the clichés of “wineloverism”, the passionate term he coined himself.