Vina Borgia

[Innkeeper]

2000 S.C. Agricola de Borja, Vino Borgia, Campo de Borja (DDO) ($6 Blue Hill Wine Shop). This is a delightful 100% grenache, wine with fine structure and ample bouquet; making it an extraordinary value. Add it to that long list of wonderful burger wines.

[stevebody]

Yes, yes, yes...can you believe this stuff? What could the winery possibly be making on each bottle? Spanish Grenache has become one of my fave preoccupations, with the Borgia, that wonderful Alma, the Vina Alarba, and about half a dozen others. All cheap and all big, spicy, warm, and amazingly friendly. It's interesting, too, to note the difference between the same grape vinified just across the Pyrenees in France and the ones from northern Spain. The sheer size of the wine, without any attempt to restrain it, is amazing. The French ones taste positively stingy by comparison but are, of course, more complex, for the most part.

The Spanish, as I'm fond of saying to my customers, ain't into delayed gratification. My kinda folks...

[dananne]

A hearty second to SBs rec of Vina Alarba. I've never had a more enjoyable bottle of wine for $6. I'd gladly pay double for it.

I also like another Spanish grenache from Etim -- it runs between $11 and $14 here in Atlanta and is quite wonderful, also.

I still love my Riojas, but I'm having a blast exploring some of the new, inexpensive stuff from lesser-known regions. Castano Solanera, Castano Hecula, I could go on and on!

[winecollector]

I've had several vintages of this stuff over the years... it was always a good buy for the money! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[tandkvd]

What does S.C. stand for? I've looked for this in a couple of shops with no luck.

[Innkeeper]

It is just an abbreviation for a consortium. Look for the Vino Borgia in large letters on the bottle, with Campo de Borja (DDO) in smaller print. The producer is in very small print at the bottom.

[tandkvd]

Found it today at Total Wine, and I got there last bottle. Although there's was 2001 even though the shelf tag said 2000. I asked a sales person, they looked it up on the puter and it said 2000. Oh well hope the 2001 is as good as the 2000 you talked about.

[dananne]

Had a bottle of this tonight with veggie burgers (feel free to insert vegetarian joke here). This has got to be on anyone's list of great bargain wines. Bravo, IK, for finding this gem. I think I like it better than the Vina Alarba or the Etim. Found it for $8.99 at Whole Foods.

Why is it that Spain is producing so many great bargain grenache (garnacha) wines, yet so many other places, France included, can't seem to do much with this varietal as a stand alone at the low price point?

[tandkvd]

dan, I don't know how they do it. But when I go to the wine shops, I head straight for the Spanish section first. They do have very good wines at great prices.

I like the Vina Borgia, but in my openion it doesn't top Etim.