Winemaker Notes
ENATE and art – they almost rhyme which is, perhaps, no coincidence – come together at a lofty point: the desire to create. When it began in 1992, the winery decided that the pairing of winemaking and contemporary culture would be an essential feature of its character. Then, ENATE began a contemporary art collection, bringing together works by Spanish and international artists. Since then, each of our wines has been associated with a well-known painter, with a work painted specially for our winery appearing on the label. Antonio Saura, a Spanish painter based in France for a much of his life, was the first artist to decorate one of our bottles: the Chardonnay Barrica. In time, this work has become one of the symbols identifying ENATE.
In the same way as a winery is unthinkable without wine, ENATE accepted art as the very essence of its identity. The two concepts begin together and mutually enrich one another. Today, ENATE is both a winery and a museum. It is both a wine shop and an art gallery and its character has been formed in the excellence of both. Its barrels and walls sum up the great wines of Spain, inhabited by the genius of the great Spanish and international creators.
The art making up ENATE’s excellent picture gallery is understood beyond the winery until its essential meaning is reached: the earth itself. At ENATE, we understand that the quality of our wines begins with the land, in the vineyard. We have 450 hectares of our own vineyards, allowing us to control and guarantee the quality of our grapes and vines as far as possible. All ENATE’s plots are in municipalities belonging to the D.O. Somontano in the province of Huesca. Our wines are drunk throughout Spain. ENATE is also present in 48 countries of Europe, Asia, America and Africa.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Literally meaning ‘under the mountain,’ Somontano is a diverse region located in the foothills of the south central Pyrenees. Heavy winter rains supply the region with water even throughout the summer.