Bodegas Baigorri / Baigorri Winery

One of the best ways to experience a wine is going to the place where it is made and know the philosophy of the winery and the team working that works there.

In September of this year I had the chance to visit Bodegas Baigorri, it was a very special visit with an amazing company. In this new post I will try to show you what we pexperienced in this winery.

Bodegas Baigorri is located in the town of Samaniego, province of Alava and belongs to the DOCa Rioja. Once you get to Samaniego, it is the first building that you see, a glass cube in the middle of a sea of vineyards.

Once you enter the winery, you discover an open space, where there are only a few sunbeds overlooking the vineyards and the steps going down. It is not a conventional construction, the architect Iñaki Aspiazu, wanted to integrate the winery with the landscape.

Once the visit begins, we moved to the area of the shop, where the guide will begin the introduction to the tour, the guide explains the different wines produced here, the history of the winery, its owners and the special architecture that it has. Before visiting the production area, a room where you can see pictures of the different stages that occurred during construction is visited. 

Bodegas Baigorri was built to be accessed, so that visitors do not interfere in the daily work of the winery. Gravity is the main element in the cellar, it will be present at all stages of development, from the entrance of the grapes in the tanks after going through the sorting table, even during the pumping over that takes place in the alcoholic fermentation to finish with aging in barrels and the subsequent bottling.

During the visit most of the winery is visited, we have a clear view of all the deposits that are used (and some oak vats used for special wines), finally one part of the barrel room is visited.

The visit I made included lunch in the restaurant of the winery, where we were fortunate to be able to prove 8 of its 9 wines. Note the friendliness of the staff and the care provided.

I missed an explanation of each of the wines, it helps you to have a better understanding and appreciate each wine.

The wines we  tasted were:

• Baigorri Rosado: made from Tempranillo and Garnacha varities and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel. Bright red colour.
• Baigorri White fermented in barrel: certainly an exceptional white. Made with Viura and Malvasia varities. The fermentation and aged in French oak barrels.
• Baigorri Carbonic Maceration: made with tempranillo varity.
• Baigorri Crianza: made from Tempranillo, Garnacha and another local varities (not specified during the visit or in the website). The wine is aged in French and American oak. The oak is almost imperceptible.
• Baigorri Reserva: made from Tempranillo varity. The wine is aged in French oak barrels.
• Baigorri Belus: made from Tempranillo, Mazuelo and local varities (not specified during the visit or in the website). The wine is aged in new French oak barrels. This is one of the author wines produced by the winery. The fruit is over the wood.
• Baigorri Garnacha: made from 100% Garnacha varity. Definitely one of my favorites. The wine is aged in French oak barrels during 14 months, it is another author wine.
• Baigorri Garage: made from Tempranillo varity, it is another author wine. The fermentation happens in wooden vats. Very silky.

A unique experience in a peculiar winery and that won´t leave anyone indifferent.

Soraya

Apellation of Origin

Spain is one of the largest wine producers

in the world: first in the ranking

of

plantings in the last season

2013/2014, first production, surpassing

  Italy and France and second largest world exporter

in terms of volume, although

third in terms of value. It´s really important in economic terms, but

also social and environmental.

And the importance of wine as

image of

the country abroad, the sector has

extraordinary relevance in Spain.

  (http://www.winesfromspain.com/)

Spain is known for its wines, and an increasing number of Appellations of Origin work every day to improve quality controls in the production and marketing strategies of their wines.

Spain has 69 Apellations of Origin (2014), they are recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

An appellation of origin is characterized as all the grapes come from the geographical area in which it is located, there can be no grapes from other areas; the same applies to the elaboration, must take place in the geographical area where it is located. Another method that follows the Apellation of Origin  is the Qualified Apellation of Origin. To get it, a region must be 10 years in an Apellation Origin, all the wine is bottled in wineries registered in the Apellation Origin, there is an exhaustive control from production to the moment a bottle is in the market and there are other conditions for the vineyards.

A part of apellation of origin, there are other nominations: "Vinos de pago", "Vinos de calidad con indicación geográfica" y "Vinos de tierra".

A control that in one way or another ensures the quality of wines produced in Spain.

Soraya