It is only 1 millimeter in size, weighs 0.1 gram, has an egg-shaped body and, together with its millions of brothers and sisters, managed to destroy almost all vineyards in Europe. In the third podcast we are going to talk about the phylloxera, also called Phylloxera. And now you might think? Are those guys going to talk about a louse for an hour? Yes, because it is an intriguing story. Of course, beautiful wines are also drunk during the podcast. After the story of the growth of the phylloxera, we finally end up in the Spanish Rioja, where they benefited from the lice crisis in Bordeaux and other countries. The Spanish wine region flourished and is still reaping the benefits. Yet Spain was also hit by the Phylloxera. You can hear it all in episode

 

Rioja - Vivanco Rioja Blanco € 8.50

Beautiful example of the modern style white rioja without oak maturation. Rafael Vivanco uses a truly unique blend of the grapes viura, tempranillo white and maturana to make a flawless, mineral white wine that is a breath of fresh air compared to the heavy, wood-aged 'old-school' style of many other producers. Partly for this reason, this fresh and aromatic strong rioja is an excellent accompaniment to countless fish dishes and also fits perfectly as an aperitif wine. Rafael shows that with the special, indigenous grapes from cool vineyards you can make a high quality that stands out very positively in the large, global white wine range of increasingly similar scents and flavors.

 

Lassalle Graves Blanc € 13.20

The underexposed Graves appellation, south of the city of Bordeaux, offers wines that are among the most worth buying in the Bordeaux region. The region has become a reference for insiders for dry white wines aged in wooden casks.

The beautiful white wine from Perrine and Fabien Lalanne is a prime example of top quality Graves. The white wine vineyard of approximately nine hectares is planted half with Sauvignon Blanc and the other half with Semillon.

The grapes are picked by hand. The sauvignon is briefly macerated with the skin, the semillon is pressed immediately. Both parts remain in a cool tank for four days and then ferment in small oak casks. The aging of eight months on the yeast cells provides a fuller, complex taste.

 

St Johns Road: Blood & Courage Barossa 15.95

Barossa is one of the oldest and best wine regions in Australia and is internationally known for the now deceased, iconic Peter Lehmann. His son Phil, from St. John's Road, makes a great red shiraz in this area. With the so recognizable 'warm climate notes' of ripe blackberries and raspberries, something mint and beautiful, luxurious wood scents due to the aging of fifteen months in French oak. This shiraz comes from specialized grape growers from the sub-districts Ebenezer (Andy Kalleske vineyard) and Stonewell (Paul and Angie Schutz). In addition to a beautiful ripeness, their shiraz has retained enough acidity, so that the Blood & Courage has a stylish barossa finesse. This is the wine for tasty dishes.

 

La Maldita Rioja Garnacha, Rafael Vivanco 7.80

Garnacha is the second most planted grape variety in this popular Northern Spanish wine region. But farmers call her 'La Maldita', literally translated: the accursed, because she is difficult to grow and also gives a low yield. Rafael Vivanco does not shy away from the 'cursed' and even turns it into a particularly attractive wine. The hand-picked grapes come from relatively cool vineyards, so they preserve beautiful fruit aromas and yeasts in large tanks. Only 10% are aged in small oak barrels for a few months. The final assembly therefore has plenty of spicy and berry 'garnacha' fruit and a soft taste nuance from the very slightly tasteable oak.