The Magnificent Seven: The Ribeira Sacra Producers of The Spanish Artisan Wine Group

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Jorge Carneros and Emmanuel Dupuy D'Angeac tasting Viña Cazoga in the winery in Ribeira Sacra. Carnero means ram, so a ram's head is on the label of  Jorge's wines.  He has a bed stashed in a big barrel that was formerly used to make Viña Cazoga.   Jorge sometimes sleeps in the barrel during the harvest. Photo by Gerry Dawes©2011 / gerrydawes@aol.com

Recently someone asked “Which Ribeira Sacra wine is The Spanish Artisan Wine Group bringing into the U.S.?

We will be not be bringing in just one winery from La Ribeira Sacra, but SEVEN (and possibly eight) bodegas! We love La Ribeira Sacra and its small artisan producers.  We believe it is somewhat like Burgundy's mix of small estate producers and somewhat akin to the Loire Valley as well, but the grapesare not Chardonnay or Pinot Noir as in the case of Burgundy,  but the native red Mencía grape is very reminiscent of the Loire's Cabernet Franc.  And Godello? Well, many of the best Godellos can take on the majority of Chardonnays out there these days.

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see photographs of our seven winemakers from La Ribeira Sacra.

The Spanish Artisan Wine Group & Amorim Corks; A Cork Briefing from Amorim Cork Producers, Portugal

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 Why Cork Stoppers in Bottles of Our 

Spanish Artisan Wine Group Wines Matter

Tubes of cork destined to become wine stoppers at Amorim in Portugal.

All photos by Gerry Dawes©2010. Contact gerrydawes@aol.com for publication rights.

The Wineries of The Spanish Artisan Wine Group

Will All Be Using Specially Selected Amorim Portuguese Corks

In Our Bottles Within Two Years of Being Selected Into the Group

We Will Guarantee Our Wines Against "Cork-taint" 100% 

And We Will Say So on Our Labels!

Carlos de Jesus of Amorim in Portugal explains the process of preparing cork 
that will be made in natural cork wine stoppers. 
All photos by Gerry Dawes©2010. Contact gerrydawes@aol.com for publication rights.

Cork Briefing

Courtesy of Amorim (Click)

Slide show of Amorim cork production.

(Double click on images for enlarged version in Picasa; 
click on "slideshow" in the upper left-hand corner, then hit F11 for a full screen show.)

Alentejo:

Portugal’s Cork Country

The Alentejo is a mystical place of gliding plains, sudden mountains, and the largest cork forests in the world. The Alentejo’s Cork Country is a lightly populated region with open horizons where the rhythm of life follows the rhythm of regional songs. And this fertile land produces more than half of the world's total cork supply.

Cork harvesting at Amorim in Portugal's Alentejo region. 
All photos by Gerry Dawes©2010. Contact gerrydawes@aol.com 

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