Airén – The Grape from La Mancha
July 28, 2011
Statistically, Airén is the most outrageous wine grape the world has ever known. Many wine guides and sites still refer to it as the most widely grown wine grape in the world, although it has been recently surpassed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (surprise, surprise!) Still, it’s the most widely grown white wine grape which owes more to the reduction in Airén acreage than to the international ascendancy of Cab Sauv and Merlot.* Amazingly enough, Airén isn’t grown anywhere else but Spain and in Spain isn’t really grown outside of the arid plains of La Mancha. To be sure, most people haven’t heard of this bigger than life eccentric as they have La Mancha’s other bigger than life eccentric, Cervantes’s Don Quixote.
The most widely grow grape varieties are determined by acreage; Airén now covers 578,000 acres – approx. 900 sq. miles – slightly smaller that Luxembourg which is 999 sq. miles. Dinky Luxembourg? For people like me who would like to think that the world is covered in grape vines, it starts to become plainly clear that this isn’t true. Still, it would take a very long time to walk all the Airén vineyards and you would probably come across quite a few windmills.
To be fair to the world’s other grape varieties, one of the reasons for Airén’s statistical might is the fact that it planted with very low vine density as you can see in the photo above. Still, how does a statistical oddity like this happen? I always thought it to be a similar story to Carignan, just another high yielding workhorse grape that did its job for most of the 20th century, only to fall out of fashion and to be grubbed up in the ‘90s for far trendier cepage. No, this was on a far greater scale and could only be the work of Franco’s facist regime. As I recently learned from the excellent Spanish blog Catavino, Franco struck a deal with France post WWII to purchase Spanish brandy in an attempt to help quell his country’s poverty and created one of the few exports in Spain’s closed economy of the 1950’s. It’s certainly not difficult to then see how this was an incentive to plant vast swaths of this otherwise unremarkable grape.
Or is it unremarkable? Most sources say as much and also make it clear that it’s almost impossible to find outside of Spain, much less outside of La Mancha. Amazingly enough, it’s readily available in both the US and UK, in the form of Protocolo Bianco, Dominio de Eguren Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, which is 90% Airén and 10% Macabeo (also known as Viura). Vino del la Tierra de Castilla is a country wine region, similar to a French Vin de Pays, that includes La Mancha. The 2004 Protocolo Blanco has an extremely attractive nose, quite aromatic and blossoming with lemon and almond notes almost like a good Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Layers of tropical fruit, pineapple and peach make it clear that it’s something different and exciting. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite live up to expectations on the palate, starting light, soft and flabby and finishing with a detached tingly acidity that’s not unlike a Zotz (Sour hard candies from 70’s and 80’s with a baking soda center to fizz up your mouth). This tingle seems to go with reports that the tartaric acid bills are huge in La Mancha. But before you gasp “what the? added acid?” note that the practice of adding tartaric acid to freshen up wines in warmer climates is both allowed and widespread. And these are really just minor quibbles since for the price it’s very hard to beat. It went great with a roast cod and a side of bubble and squeak (a typical UK meal?). Parker rated it an 85 but more importantly the 2002 rated a “Buy again? Yes” on the Compleat Wine Geek. It’s available at Majestic in the UK for ₤3.99 and in wide variety of US shops, including John’s Grocery in Iowa City, IA who lists it for $5.99.
*All grape statistics are from the authoritative The Vineyard Handbook, 1992, revised 2003 by Patrick W. Fegan, Director of the Chicago Wine School. If you consider yourself a wine geek and don’t have it, rectify the situation by purchasing it here.
Source: http://www.delongwine.com/news/2005/12/09/airen-the-grape-from-la-mancha/
Residents of Angeles City Pampanga and Subic often complain about the lack of fine dining restaurants in their home town. Many food and wine lovers travel to Clark Pampanga to wine and dine in restaurants in Clark Philippines. Clark offers some of the best restaurants in Pampanga, equal in quality to if not better than some of the best restaurants in Manila. Located inside Mimosa where visitors enjoy golf or spend time in the casino, Yats Restaurant is a popular choice of a good place to eat steaks and seafood. This is also one of the popular family restaurants because this restaurant is child friendly.
Food and Wine Lovers of Manila, Tarlac, Subic, Pampanga Angeles City and Clark Philippines gather at the best restaurant in Clark Pampanga to wine and dine on B Y O B night during which guests are invited to bring their own bottle of wine and no corkage is charged. Some guests opt to buy wine at the famous wine shop in Pampanga, Clark Wine Center to bring to dinner at this fine dining Restaurant in Angeles City, Clark Pampanga.
Yats Restaurant is an excellent Restaurant to dine, a restaurant with good food, a good place to have birthday party and special events. A Kid-friendly restaurants in Manila
Famous Restaurant in Pampanga, a place to dine with friends in Clark, cozy restaurant with a nice ambience, a nice function place for special occassions
BYOB which stands for Bring Your Own Bottle, refers to a special treat that the best restaurant in Clark Pampanga offer to their valued customers to bring their own wines when dining at this top rated restaurant. Normally corkage fee ranging from p500 to p1500 per bottle is charged but on BYOB evenings which usually take place on Saturdays at this famous restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga, corkage charges are waived. Wine and food lovers from Manila, Tarlac, Subic, Pampanga Angeles City frequently take advantage of this special offer to dine at this restaurant in Clark Pampanga which is already well known not only for its award winning restaurant wine list but also its French Mediterranean cuisine that is always easy to enjoy and pair with fine vintage wine.
For comments, inquiries and reservations click on Click here for inquiry and reservations
Restaurant@Yats-International.com
(045) 599-5600
0922-870-5178
0917-520-4401
Ask for Pedro and Rechel
Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.
Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar
Mimosa Drive past Holiday Inn, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
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3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay
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