Bodegas Costers del Sio

We just can’t get enough of Spanish wine. People often (if not always) refer to France as being the epicentre of the Old World wine countries, and while we’re pretty massive fans of our Burgundies, Bordeauxs, Rhone Valley wines and all the rest, there’s something about the range, variety, easygoing nature, and unexpected features of Spanish vino which really gets us going. Take the wines coming out of the Petit Sios label, for example.

This is a subsidiary of the Costers del Sio winery, run by a small group of dedicated vintners since 1992 in the beautiful region of Lleida. Now, this is only a stone’s throw from the French border, and Petit Sios was launched as a way of exploring how French and Spanish grapes, techniques, and approaches to winemaking could come together, in order to produce wines which really went the extra mile and stood out from the crowd. Could you imagine a French winery doing something similar? It seems pretty unlikely to us, knowing just how protective and precious that country can be when it comes to their viticulture.

Anyway, borders and national stereotypes aside, Petit Sios is a fantastic display of innovative and approachable Spanish winemaking at its best. Juan de Porcioles, the visionary vintner behind the labels of Costers del Sio, is a man who believes in taking the long way round. His vineyards were planted by hand, and since his first vintage in 2005, he’s worked with his wife and children to produce wines which not only offer wine drinkers something a little different, but which also have a whole lot to say about his land in the verdant landscapes of Lleida. Minimal chemical intervention, a blend of time-honoured techniques and cutting edge technology, and a commitment to doing his beloved vineyards justice in the glass has informed every step of his journey… and we have to say, the results really do speak for themselves, as this wine is utterly spectacular!

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