Heroine from the Highlands

A red-headed whirlwind sweeps across the courtyard, waves with a cheerful laugh at the oncoming car, and expertly looks over the delivered casks – all while finding time to caress the cats. Rosalía Molina is the founder of Bodegas Altolandon. The winery is located 130 kilometers northwest of Valencia, in the «middle of nowhere.» Because the wind is cooler here at 1100 meters above sea level, the grapes stay healthy and mature slowly. «We usually harvest from mid-October to mid-November, about two months later than our neighbors in the lower regions,» says Rosalia. Due to the slowed maturation process, the grapes develop a multi-layered aroma: «It's like simmering at a low temperature while cooking.» One notices that Rosalia is completely devoted to this winery. So, it's also not surprising that her first child was almost born on the winery. «I had three children during three harvests. When I look back today, I don't know how I did it.» While their mother tended to the wine, Rosalia's children grew up among the vines and played between bottles and casks. «Do you know what my oldest son is studying now? Enology! I find that quite gratifying,» says the visibly proud mom. It's nice to know that her enthusiasm for wine has been passed on to her child. Rosalia pauses and smiles, lost in her thoughts as the wind plays with her hair. One then sees her disappear among the rows of vines, her reflex camera at the ready – a stork has just landed on the pasture. Capturing natural spectacles seems to be her gift, whether in the form of photos, or of wine.

Bodega Chivite has been shaping the Spanish viticulture since 1647. The decisive factor in its success has always been the Legardeta vineyard. Everything is just right here: the climate, soils and topography are destined for growing wine. Located about 40 kilometers southwest of Pamplona, the area is one of the northernmost on the Iberian Peninsula. The nearby Atlantic Ocean provides a temperate climate, allowing for wines with a fresh and elegant profile. At Bodega Chivite, it has always been believed that the quality of a wine does not depend on the potential of a grape variety, but rather on how well a grape variety fits a specific terroir. Legardeta and Syrah seemed made for each other. «Syrah proved to be the ideal variety for our vineyard. It translates our terroir into a wine full of ripeness and minerality. A perfect Syrah,» enthuses Julián Chivite, Legardeta's 11th-generation winemaker. Indeed, the Syrah of Legardeta convinces with a fresh acidity, good tannin structure as well as the typical aromas of cherries, raspberries and spices. In culinary terms, the wine virtually calls for Mediterranean herbs such as thyme or rosemary, and it also combines very well with hearty dishes. Try it with dates wrapped in bacon, the tapas classic from Spain. Quick, easy, surprising – a well-rounded dish!

Download the recipe «Dátiles con bacon» here (in German).

La Mancha – Don Quijote already treated himself to a cup of wine or two here. We at Flaschenpost do the same and have embarked on an adventurous search for a Spanish red wine that meets our high expectations in terms of taste and style. Today we stand by the wines from «La Pica». They are the perfect companions for casual evenings with friends and stories of times gone by. Have you ever fought against windmills? We owe this saying to Don Quijote, the knight from the old Spanish novel. He believed so strongly in his ideals that, for him, windmills became giants with many arms. Anyone who has an extraordinary vision and fights for it with their heart and soul is often ridiculed, but it is not uncommon for something great to emerge in this way. Passion knows no boundaries – as Don Quijote already knew. We should drink a toast to that!