Spanish Best Wines Now in US

Spanish winemakers from the neighboring regions of Ribera del Duero and Rueda, located just northwest of Madrid, have announced their first-ever collaborative campaign with the launch of RiberaRuedaWine.com, a dynamic and comprehensive site dedicated to the wines and an exploration of the regions.

The campaign will engage with the next generation of wine consumers in the Unites States through a mix of events, digital content, robust social media and trade activation. Targeting open-minded Millennials looking to discover and uncover the new and different, the Si What’s Next campaign asks people to say «yes!» or «si!» to new experiences, new adventures, and of course, new wines. 

«For Generation Open, drinking wine isn’t snobbish or exclusive – it’s part of everyday life. This generation’s approach to wine demands styles that are not only unique and surprising, but also approachable,» said Felipe Gonzalez-Gordon, director of D.O. Ribera del Duero and D.O. Rueda. «The wines from Ribera del Duero and Rueda reflect this bold new attitude by offering the next generation of wine drinkers distinct and unexpected choices that are as openly original as they are.»

The Si What’s Next campaign highlights the wine regions as high-quality, value wines that deliver on different – Rueda Verdejos are bright, crisp and creative white wines; Ribera del Duero Tempranillo grapes deliver bold, rugged and ripe reds. Steeped in history and innovation, and united by geography and ethos, both regions offer thoughtful, elegant wines poised for unpretentious enjoyment – whether they’re paired with barbecue or oysters.

The new site combines information, commerce opportunities and regional promotion while also delivering news through an innovative and informative editorial section. The site will allow consumers, distributors, importers and media to easily find and buy wines, learn about the winemakers and varietals. It will also showcase the country’s most popular restaurants and influential chefs and sommeliers who favor the wines.

In order to further consumers’ wine knowledge, the regions have tapped New York-based Master Sommelier Alexander LaPratt of Atrium in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood. As U.S. Lead Sommelier to further build the presence of these wines in the United States, LaPratt will champion their special stories and reveal their quality, tasting notes and pedigree through media interviews, appearances and tastings.

«I’m excited to be part of the Ribera and Rueda campaign, particularly because I think the wines from this region deliver something new and exciting. They are complex yet approachable, incredibly versatile and great tasting – made for those who have an open mind, revel in discovery and have sense of adventure,» noted LaPratt. «I’m really looking forward to helping the next generation of wine lovers discover what I’m sure will be their new favorite wines.»

The campaign will take to the road with a multi-city U.S. truck tour that will offer consumers various ways to taste and experience Ribera and Rueda wines. Each stop on the tour will include pop-up tastings at select wine retailers, experiences with in-market sommeliers led by LaPratt, and opportunities to «si» what the wines have to offer.

Beginning in June, the Si What’s Next Truck Tour will offer wine lovers more chances to discover Ribera and Rueda wines at these various events:

• Kicking off in New York, the Si What’s Next truck will stop off where innovation, art and thought leaders unite at the Northside Festival in Brooklyn (June 11-14).
• The truck will then head to the Minneapolis riverfront as part of the Stone Arch Bridge Festival – a weekend of music and art (June 19-21).
• In July, the truck will make its way back east for the Taste of Cambridge in Boston for an epicurean experience you won’t want to miss (July 14).

Consumers and industry members alike can also Si What’s Next at the following consumer and trade events.

• Wine Riot: Ribera and Rueda wines will also be participating at Second Glass Wine Riot in New York, Boston and Chicago, engaging with Millennial wine drinkers with a course on pairing wines with a variety of foods.
• Star Chefs Rising Stars: The campaign will also attract wine and food influencers by engaging with Star Chefs to participate in their key events, including participation in the Rising Stars events in Boston and Chicago and the Somm Slam in Brooklyn, NY.
• Retail Sampling: The Si What’s Next campaign is working with a number of retailers across the East and Midwest to establish tasting and educational opportunities with retail stores and partners.

Located roughly two hours northwest of Madrid, D.O. Ribera del Duero provides a benchmark for quality in the Spanish wine category throughout the world. With an extreme climate perfectly suited for quality grape-growing and ripening, Ribera del Duero wines represent the pinnacle of Spanish winemaking and the ultimate expression of Spain’s most noble red grape: Tempranillo. The region’s frigid winters and a rocky, rigid terrain produce Tempranillo grapes that develop a character all their own, resulting in full-bodied, rugged wines with a multitude of pairing options.

D.O. Rueda was founded in 1980, the first D.O. in Castilla y Leon and is ranked as the top white wine region in the Spanish market, according to Nielsen. Situated on a high plateau with a continental climate, Rueda has long cold winters, short springs and hot summers, perfect for the Verdejo grape, the dominant varietal in the region. High elevations and gravelly stone soils allow the Verdejo to ripen by mid-September and develop deep aromas and flavors resulting in dry, fresh wines that are food-friendly and accessible.