The Facts
Spartico is made from Spain’s most prominent and popular grape, Tempranillo, without the addition of any sulfites during production.
This doesn’t mean that there are no sulfites in this wine, just that they haven’t added any during production. Click here to read my article on sulfites.
Spartico is imported by Natural Merchants, and will be the 1st in their portfolio to carry the USDA Certified Organic Seal. All wines in their portfolio are made with organically grown grapes, but most have a small amount of sulfites added. Wines labeled as “certified organic” contain no added sulfites and any naturally-occurring sulfite levels must be under 10 parts per million (ppm).
Spartico is made by Bodegas Iranzo, Spain’s oldest estate bottled winery with evidence of vineyard production dating back to 1335. “Estate bottled” referring to any bottle of wine, not just of Spanish origin, means that they grow their own grapes and make their own wine, rather than buying grapes or juice, or having someone else make it and they stick on their own label.
The Tempranillo grape is native to Spain and is one of their main “noble” grapes, particularly in the Rioja [rio-ha] region.
The word Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word temprano, meaning “early" (the grape supposedly ripens weeks earlier than other grapes). Tempranillo goes by a bunch of different names depending on the region of Spain, for example if you’re in Catalonia (a region close to Barcelona) they call it Ull de Llebre which means "Eye of the Hare". Don’t ask me why…
The majority of Tempranillo wine that you see around are best consumed young, however if the wine is aged in oak barrels for a few years and then cellared carefully, it produces much more of a fuller-bodied style and can be sold at a much higher price.
The name Spartico comes from the word Esparto. Esparto Grass has grown alongside Spain’s vineyards for centuries, providing various forms of sustenance (woven tapestry, coverings, papers etc.) for the grape growers’ families.
For more information visit www.naturalmerchants.com.
The Place
The reason I’m saying this is that I’m not going to pretend that I have ever heard of the Utiel region of Spain from which this wine hails! I haven’t. Not ever. I’m reasonably well versed in Spanish wine regions, but I’ve never heard of Utiel. Therefore it’s going to take a little bit of research…
The Utiel region is located in the Valencia province (see map)
From what I’ve discovered, it’s not as though, wine-making in this region is a new concept, they’ve been doing it for over 2000 years! Archaeologists know this through grape pips uncovered in pottery along with winemaking structures.
The Utiel region produces mainly red wines and roses, with an obscure grape by the name of Bobal being the most widely planted grape variety. You are excused if you’ve never heard of Bobal, it’s not exactly flying off shelves of wine stores, and I’d be surprised if you even find it. Bobal is however the third most planted variety in Spain. Wine made from the grape tends to be fruit-forward, low in alcohol and high in acid.
The Taste
My experience tasting low sulfite wines is minimal. I’ve always heard that they turn to vinegar very quickly.
Stewed raspberry, strawberry and blackberry, with a hint of balsamic on the nose.
Heavier than most Tempranillo I’m used to. Dry to the bone, certainly needs food. Softens as it opens up to show chewy blackcurrant, cassis and rhubarb, maybe even some licorice and fig mixed in there. Medium-dry on the relatively lengthy finish.
The Food Pairing
Tapas-types dishes are the obvious choice to pair with the Spartico Tempranillo, maybe some Chorizo sausage, goats cheese, olives, peppers, mushrooms, smoked hams etc. Also think about casseroles and grilled meats.
Since sheep farming is a major industry in Spain, particularly in the Rioja and the Ribera del Duero regions, I chose a lamb recipe from the Publix website:
Grilled Lamb with Blackberry-Black Pepper Sauce and Rice Medley.
Try this wine if…
you want to try something new (new region, new method of production etc.)
you “think” that sulfites give you a headache.
The Price
With the Spartico being a new wine on the market, the suggested retail price is around $13.99, but may vary from store to store.
Available From
Currently there is only one Publix that carries the Spartico, and that’s located in Fruitcove. Click here for store info.
So why am I reviewing it if it isn’t available everywhere, you ask?
Well, I think wines like this are very important for grocery stores like Publix to carry. It shows that they’re starting to care more about not only about the variety of wines that they are carrying, but also the health issues as well. Plus I’ve really seen the wine selection at Publix make progress over the past few years. I don’t know if they even carried a Tempranillo a few years ago, but now you can find a fairly reasonable selection.
Saying all of this, it is worth mentioning that all Publix stores are able to carry the Spartico. Just tell them they can order it directly from Tree of Life Distributors, they’re a small distributor of organic products.
