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Gaspar Pedro Tomas Martinez is a native of Villena, a small village in Alicante. At 18 he went to the Vine and Enology School in Madrid and then to Rovira and Virgily, where he graduated as an Enologist. Later he obtained his master degree in Vines, Enology and wine Marketing. Throughout his school years he worked as a cellar worker at the family winery so he could learn how wine was made and not just what they taught at the University. In 1996, a group of farmers following the enthusiastic drive of Gaspar Tomas, an oenologist and the director his technical team decided to plant an organic vineyard in the Alicante region located in Southeastern Spain. The following year saw the launch of the first organically certified wine. It was a young wine combining Monastrell and Tempranillo grapes, and called "Castillo de Alicante". Over time they have added more producers and new varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Garnacha, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Macabeo, and the king of Spanish grapes, Tempranillo. Their wine production has also evolved, and so, in addition to their young wines, they set out on new paths such as ageing the wine in barrel and bottle to make wines of great quality. Currently, the operation of which Conde de Alicante is a part, has a total organic cultivation area of 750 acres, with 20 associated farmers, making it one of the most important wineries in Spain. Following graduation, Gaspar has been working in UNACO, the National Union of Cooperatives. When he was 21, he lost his father and unfortunately at the same time the family winery. At that time, none of his brothers were old enough to keep the winery working and they had to resign themselves to close it down. It was this tragic loss that made him determined to once again produce wine of the caliber he grew up with and from what we see in this selection, he's succeeded magnificently. A classic match with grilled lamb lathered in garlic and rosemary. October Vintners Series Newsletter (.pdf) |
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