Rioja'n'Roll!

If you don't happen to be a «Marqués» or can at least call a «Castillo» your own, the road to the top of Rioja is quite rocky. But to let that spoil the pleasure of making wine? Never! The two brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco don't think much of big names and regulations. They prefer to do their thing according to their own rules. The fact that they are therefore not allowed to sell their wines as «Crianza» or «Reserva» is of no concern to them. Arturo and Kike are anything but "normal" winemakers. But the name «Finca de los Locos» – meaning «estate of the crazy ones» – refers primarily to the history of their best vineyard: Arturo and Kike's grandfather bought a barren plot of land above their village of Baños de Ebro in 1950 to plant a vineyard. People couldn't understand why this «madman» was putting all his money into such a stony piece of land. All the winegrowers at that time were scrambling for the fertile lands below the village on the banks of the Ebro River. Over time, however, the stony patch of earth has turned out to be an exceptionally good terroir, producing very aromatic wines thanks to its high lime content. Their Tempranillo «Finca de los Locos» is an impressive testimony to this: This wine is so intense – it's really crazy! The good drop became an insider tip among connoisseurs and finally landed in the hands of wine critic Tim Atkin – who chose Arturo as «Young Winemaker of the Year» in 2017. James Suckling and Robert Parker followed his example and raved about the wine from the stoniest garden in Baños de Ebro. In a sense, Artuke's path to the top of Rioja was indeed very rocky – and that's definitely a good thing.

Azores? Isn't that something about weather? In fact, most people know the name in connection with the high pressure area. Some know that it is a group of islands belonging to Portugal in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but almost no one knows the Azores as a wine region. António Maçanita wants to change that. He is a natural vinophile: at just 39 years old, he was voted «Winemaker of the Year» in Portugal. But it all started with a mishap... At 20, António had only one thing on his mind: surfing. University played second fiddle in his life. He wanted to study marine biology, but got confused with the course numbers and accidentally ended up with agricultural sciences. A nudge from fate? In any case, it pulled his sleeve in – and so today the surfer is riding the wave of success of his wines. António has found his personal challenge especially in the reconstruction of old wine landscapes. That's how he ended up in the Azores, his father's homeland. It used to be a renowned region that even supplied the Tsar's court, but phylloxera almost brought viticulture to a standstill. Yet the vineyards on the volcanic island of Pico are absolutely impressive: In order for vines to be planted at all, the island's inhabitants first had to break up the lava layer. Walls were piled up from the lava rubble. These centuries-old «currais» have protected the vines from the Atlantic winds ever since. «Our wines are unique, pure, fresh, challenging and with a pinch of salt... just like life!» says António with an emphasis that makes our mood barometer rise. His «Branco Vulcanico» is our Azores high!

May we take you on an adventure? We are in Spain, on the high plateau of Castile. An endless expanse surrounds us. No one is on the road here. And it is hot, very hot. Our throats have been dry for a long time, the sun burns mercilessly. It feels like being in the desert – but a very green one. Because we are in Rueda, the «white wine oasis» of Spain. The fact that one of the most refreshing white wines in the world is produced in this extreme place is probably no coincidence. How else to endure this heat?

The success story of the D.O. Rueda is still relatively young. It began in the 1970s, when the world-famous Rioja winery Marqués de Riscal was looking for an area to grow high-quality white wines – and found it in Rueda. Since then, the success of Verdejo has continued unabated. When the wines are carefully crafted, they have a unique fruity acidity. One who knows how to produce Verdejos of exceptional quality is Jose Antonio Merayo of the Val de Vid winery. His «Musgo» tastes incredibly intense of apple and grapefruit, fruit and acid harmonize perfectly. At this price a sensation! By the way, this wine is a true multi-talent: whether spontaneous tapas with friends, elegant dinner with the treasure or simply a glass at the end of the day – it always delivers the perfect freshness. We find: A bottle of «Musgo» belongs in every fridge!