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Alicante and the new understanding of wine
Alicante is one of those wine-growing regions that has practically all of today's winemaking arguments: a small legion of historic wines, the fondillones, a large group of commercially-oriented wines with grapes from all kinds of climates and origins, and wines from its historic local grapes, Monastrell and Muscat of Alexandria.
The success of any designation of origin lies in the balance they give to these three pillars, and to a large extent in the way the general consumer links the growing region to its local grape varieties. Nobody doubts that to speak of Rioja is to speak of tempranillo, graciano, mazuelo or garnacha and viura. And so it is, despite the fact that its portfolio includes such divergent grapes as verdejo, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, which have little to contribute to its good name.
Alicante as a Denominación de Origen is aware of this and therefore devotes time and resources, and rightly so, to strengthening the image of its Monastrell, its moscatel de la Marina Alta and its historic Fondillon, as this will shape the region and give a boost to its producers.
After years of drowsiness, in which the commercial trend set the general production guidelines, the value of the region's own wines has been strengthened, to the point that new fondillons are emerging, wines that require a long ageing period for bottling and which therefore cannot be made overnight.
New paths to follo
In addition to these three winemaking strands, a fourth has just been added, a new production that could complete the circle and bring great news to the region. Last year, the Peñín Guide tasted for the first time the wine Pepe Mendoza Giró de Abargues 2018, a wine whose style can be interpreted as an evolution of his legendary Estrecho (monastrell), but which goes a step further in the achievement of an elegant and very local wine. This wine was qualified as a Revelation Wine in the Peñín Guide 2021, and not only because of its quality, but also because it represents a new way of working for the rest of producers, which could lead to a small revolution in this appellation.
Pepe Mendoza
Alicante has to understand that this message, which comes through a new wine and style, should be understood by the traditional producers and also serve as claim, and we hope it will, so that in the future young people will establish themselves in their villages and be encouraged to create micro-wineries with the potential to grow the highest quality wines, even if they are scarce in number of bottles.
This micro-production phenomenon is already picking up in countries such as Italy, France and also little by little in Spain, so it is important to prepare the ground so that it can have an impact in the area. How? By making it easier for young people to earn a living through this ancestral trade, by providing them with shelter and protection from the regulatory institution itself and from the different political bodies, as well as by providing them with training.
No one doubts that in any wine-growing region there must be producers of all kinds. Success consists in being able to offer wines to all types of consumers; one Alicante wine for the less knowledgeable, another for average consumers and another for the most sophisticated. Pepe Mendoza has been a producer of wines from all segments, he has worked as a family in the production of global wines, he has ventured into high-end wines and he has established himself in micro-productions. There is no one like him to lead a movement for change, because in addition to being one of the great producers of the area, he is a person capable of creating bonds and spreading this creative spark among his colleagues.
What is the success of this new generation of wines?
Throughout the numerous tastings that we carry out all over Spain, from time to time, wines emerge that, adapting to the climatic and soil conditions of their surroundings, take a novel approach to a type of wine that today's consumers like. Recently, Alberto Saldón, director of the LaLomba project in La Rioja, acknowledged in an interview with Guía Peñín the importance of focusing on the consumer, and he is right. What Pepe Mendoza Giró de Abargues brought us is a Mediterranean wine obsessed by the rational freshness of the environment and by showing the character of the soil through its Giró variety, which is not Garnacha mind you, through a softer, less structured and ripe drink, a trend in many wines from Levante. This 'new' style fits the market in two ways, firstly by focusing on the production of local grapes, already a selling point in these times, and also by moving away from the hyper-concentrated and alcoholic wines that are no longer in demand.
Rafa Bernabé, a misunderstood pioneer
Although today we are talking about Pepe Mendoza as the instigator of this possible regeneration movement, there is a precedent that, seen in perspective, shows us that this path was already trodden before by a local, Rafa Bernabé. Rafa Bernabe's wines, through his then winery Viñedos Culturales (Beryna), wines such as Los Cipreses de Usaldon, marked this new path before. We are talking about the time when we edited the 2011 Peñín Guide. Unfortunately Rafa's wines came too soon. These "risky" elaborations were seen as madness by many producers and did not generate a chain of reactions as we hope Pepe Mendoza Giró de Abargues does now. Unfortunately, Rafa Bernabé quit the winemaking trade years ago to devote himself to his lifelong business, citrus fruits, where we also know that he is a small revolutionary of the natural and sensible. However, wine is in his blood and he will not be able to stay away from it for long. In fact, we anticipate that he is already thinking about a new family project, in which he and his son will join forces to give free rein to the creative process of wine and the search for the essence of the terroir.
Rafael Bernabé
Pepe Mendoza and Rafael Bernabé
The path taken by Rafa Bernabé is very similar to the one that Pepe Mendoza is following today. These two versions of the creative spark of Alicante wine were predestined to meet in some way. And so it will be, because ironically enough, these two winemakers are already working on a co-created wine, which will mean the convergence of two important understandings of the local wine, two essential figures for Alicante wine.
The path taken by Rafa Bernabé is very similar to the one that Pepe Mendoza is following today. These two versions of the creative spark of Alicante wine were predestined to meet in some way. And so it will be, because ironically enough, these two winemakers are already working on a co-created wine, which will mean the convergence of two important understandings of the local wine, two essential figures for Alicante wine.
