Places: Arinzano Vinos de Pago

By: Anthony Gismondi

Places

Tempranillo and chardonnay seem strange bedfellows, but in the North-East of Spain, between Rioja and Bordeaux, Arínzano Estate grows both varieties to produce singular wines.

The goal is to create wines that express the singular character of the Arínzano estate and to pursue a viticulture that not only respects, but favours the natural environment. As a result, Arínzano is one of only 16 estates in all of Spain to be recognized with Pago status, and the first Pago in the North of Spain. We spoke with Manuel Louzada, Director General, about the significance and the decade of work required to obtain the coveted Pago status, Spain’s highest category for winemaking.

Read more: Tempranillo

Ribera del Duoro

Written By: ag

Anthony Gismondi

Anthony Gismondi is a Canadian wine journalist and one of North America's most influential voices in wine. For over 37 years, he has been the wine columnist for The Vancouver Sun. The twice-weekly column is distributed across Canada through the Postmedia Network to millions of readers. He is also the host of the BC Food & Wine Radio Show, which is broadcast in 25 markets across B.C. and available globally as a podcast on all the major platforms. He launched Gismondionwine.com in 1997, which now attracts more than one million monthly users from 114 countries. It remains a valuable resource, offering tasting notes, insightful wine stories, and videos for the trade and consumers. His extensive collection of videos featuring wine personalities is available on the Gismondi on Wine YouTube Channel.