RSS FeedA friend is undertaking a study into the history and identity of the Garnacha Tintorera grape – almost unique in having red flesh. I got an unexpected early morning phone call inviting me to be ready to leave at 8:30 to accompany researcher and photographer to take some shots of a “parcela” of the grape in Utiel-Requena.
Pasamonte (Garnacha Tintorera) from Vegalafaro
Always eager for a break in my routine, I said yes straight away. As ever, there were arrands to be run. We dropped off some stuff at Dominio de la Vega. I seem to have come away with a bottle of their Artemayor Cava Brut Nature 2004/5 without quite knowing how, which was nice – the usual generosity of Alvaro Faubel and the rest of the team at D de la V.
It was by now after 9:00 so obviously time for an “almuerzo popular” in Requena, as with any self-respecting working man. So, we worked away through a foot-long sandwich each, washed down with vino con gaseosa. It came in a jug, but there was much sage identifying of it as Bobal. The photographer was going crazy as the early morning light was being replaced by glare, but there was no hurrying us and we simply muttered “Photoshop”.
Then off to Vegalfaro, whose Garnacha Tintorera vines we were to inspect and photograph. Here Rodolfo Valiente is doing great things with this grape in his Pasamonte red (and interesting things with Sauvignon Blanc in his Pasamonte white). The founder of the Bodega, Rodolfo’s father Andrés, kindly and proudly drove us down rocky tracks in his Range Rover until we arrived at the selected vineyard. Various measurements, technical details and photos were taken, while I looked important holding measuring tapes and such. Then back to the bodega for some white Pasamonte and freshly cut jamón under the pines behind the vineyard.
There was just time to be handed a bottle each of red and white Pasamonte, then I was back at home well before lunchtime (though still with a vivid memory of the almuerzo and no desire for lunch). Once I was back at the darned computer screen dealing it all seemed like a dream, with just the bottles close to hand to show that the morning had been fruitful.
