raffaele Mastrovincenzo

  Viña Tondonia  Viña Tondonia is a beautiful vineyard of over 100 hectares, situated on the right bank of the river Ebro, where the most typical Rioja wines are grown.  Viña Tondonia Rosé Gran Reserva 2000   Last night I had this absolutely gorgeous rose wine from a winery in Rioja. Vineyards here are planted at a range of altitudes from 500 to 800 metres; the soil are a mix of limestone based clay with high proportion of iron. The Cantabrian mountains protect Rioja from the worst of the Atlantic influence thus the continental climate is the key for the long growing season in this region and the altitude mitigate the hot summer that occurs in Spain. The training system are generally bush wine and also help to reheat the sun accumulated during a day in the cool night which in Spain the temperature between day and night can drop even 20°. Planting are dominated by black grapes varieties 75% of Rioja are red wine with 15% rose. The grapes varieties were 20% Tempranillo

SANGIOVESE... SANGIOVESE AND TOSCANA Sangiovese, the grape of Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Carmigniano, Torgiano, and many of the new barrique-aged wines of Toscana, is one of the world noble varieties. Sangiovese is the prominent grape of most red wines of central Italy. It is frequently blended with other grape varieties, but it is the Sangiovese that gives the character, perfume and structure to these wines. This widely grown variety is believed to have originated in Toscana. At various times known as Sangioveto, San gioveto, Sangioghetto and S. Zoveto. This name is according with one theory, derived from Sanguis Jovis "Blood of Jove". The wine tend to be medium in color, not dark red, medium body, dry and firm, with a tannic spine and a floral bouquet, a wine that for the most part, ages moderately well. There are a number of sub varieties of the Sangiovese and no less than fourteen clones. Among the more noted are the Sangiovese piccolo, Sangiovese grossO, know