Summary: 

The appellations of Cigales and Ribera de Duero on the high plateau of north-central Spain, have a long history of making claretes (clairet) wines. When their appellations were created they followed different paths. Cigales chose to focus on claretes and Ribera on red wines.

Now, with the modern focus on pale pink rosé, commercial pressure is on and the old styles ignored.

Claretes are traditionally Tempranillo based, many have up to 50% of the white variety Albillo creating wines with a beautiful balance of fruit and freshness. Styles range from juicy fresh fruit for easy drinking to almost light red wines, with a touch of tannin, ideal for summer drinking.

We will look at some of the history, geography, styles and discussions amongst winemakers concerning these unique wines.

Presenter: Elizabeth Gabay MW

• Master of Wine specialized in Provence
• Provence Resident since 2002
• Speaker at international wine conferences and international wine judge
• Author of Rose: Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution