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For a wine to be deemed organic, it needs to meet a series of requirements that cover the fertilised used for the soil, the sulphites it contains and the raw materials used to make the wine.  

 These are the main characteristics of an organic wine: 

• Natural fertiliser: this can be plant-based, such as pomace or ground up vine shoots, or animal-based, such as manure.  
• Clarification techniques: this technique involves adding a substance to wine that draws all of the elements to the bottom that had been left in suspension during the wine-making process. These clarifying agents must be certified as organic and comply with the legislation   
• Labelling: within the organic farming framework, they must have a certificate from the relevant institutions. 

• Sulphites: when it comes to adding sulphites to organic wine, producers must follow a strict control process. As such, there is a maximum level of sulphites allowed for organic wines, which is 100mg/litre for red wine and 150mg/litre for white wine.  

Some conventional wines are made using environmentally friendly processes. However, what sets organic wine apart from the rest is that these eco-friendly practices are implemented all along the production chain, and not just when it comes to growing the grapes, using only a limited range of permitted products.   

To tell an organic wine apart from the rest, you need to look at the certification on the label. This way, you can be sure that the product in your hand complies with regulations for organic products. 

Moreover, as we mentioned before, there is a difference between the sulphites that can be added to an organic wine and the ones for regular wine. The restriction for organic wines is set at 150 mg/l, while a regular wine could contain up to 200 mg/l. 

This wine is not just made from grapes grown according to strict organic parameters: all of the material used to create the bottles and the labels were selected according to sustainable criteria.  

El Coto Organic tasting notes 

We made out El Coto Crianza Organic 2019 at our certified installations following EU organic legislations. It is a versatile wine with an intense ruby colour. In the nose it has aromas of red fruits with a balsamic flair. In the mouth, we find a vibrant acidity with polished and agreeable tannins. An ideal wine for pairing meat and rice dishes, stews or a cheese board. 

Sulphites are a variant of sulphur oxides, primarily sulphur dioxide (SO₂), which are naturally produced during the fermentation process of the yeasts in the wine. SO₂ is used in a lot of the food products that we consume to stop them from losing their nutritional properties and conserve them over time.   

All wines contain naturally-produced sulphites. However, most of them are added during the wine-making process. We should mention that there are guidelines in the main wine-producing countries that limit the use of sulphites to low levels.  

We want to start this article by telling you that there’s no need to worry: very low levels, such as those used in the wine-making process are harmless.  

We’re going to give you a quick run-down of the most common wines on the market so that you can know how many added sulphites they contain. Even though we mentioned that all wines contain sulphites, they don’t all contain the same amount. Let’s take a look! 

• RED WINE: these wines contain a lower amount of added sulphites. Red wines contain around 150 mg/l.  
• WHITE WINES: dry whites contain a moderate dose, while semi-sweet and sweet white wines have the largest amount. These kinds of wines contain around 200 mg/l. 

In turn, wine that have low acidity levels need a greater amount of sulphites to ensure that they are conserved correctly since their structure is less stable. Wines with high sugar levels (off-dry wines, sweet wines, fortified wines, late-harvest wines) tend to need more sulphites than other wines. The added sulphites prevent a second fermentation of the residual sugars in the bottle.  

Wines with lower level of added sulphites are the ones that have a high alcohol content. These additives are necessary for sterilisation, but they only need a very low dose.  

Adding sulphites to wine is a practice that dates back to many years ago. In the mediaeval period, many spices and honey were added to wine to mask the vinegary flavour that occurred over time. What’s more, wine-makers in Ancient Rome used to burn candle wicks made with sulphur in amphorae that contained wine.  

By burning the wick (thus creating sulphur dioxide), they stopped the wine turning into vinegar. This is what we mentioned at the beginning, sulphur dioxide (SO₂) helps to conserve the product; otherwise, the wine would turn into vinegar. SO₂ additives in the fermentation process helps to get rid of certain bacteria and yeasts, ensuring that there is a microbiological balance.  

• Preservative: sulphites protect wine against oxidation when it comes into contact with air.  
• Antiseptic and Antifungal Agent: sulphites can stop certain kinds of fungus from growing. They are used to disinfect the barrels by killing off bacteria and moulds. 
• Stabiliser and Controller: they boost the best yeast and block the other ones. 
• Solvent and Fining Agent: they accelerate the decomposition process in the fruit, boosting the release of tannins and aromas. 

Added sulphites can also stop the wine from losing its aromas, helping the product to develop better over time. So, now you know what sulphite are and the role they play in the wine-making process. But we’re not done yet! We want to tell you what happens with sulphites in organic wines. Keep reading! 

Without sulphites, it would be almost impossible to conserve wine. Organic wines do contain added sulphites. Only wines that state that they are “No sulfites added” or “sulfite-free“ on their label contain just the naturally occurring ones. These wines are known as natural wines. In this case, the legal limit is 100-120 mg/l. 

Have you heard about the launch of our new El Coto Crianza Organic 2019? This wine is made out of grapes from ecological agriculture, using eco-friendly wine-making methods and avoiding synthetic chemical products. Learn more about how we make this wine by following this link! 

An organic wine is made out of grapes from vineyards that don’t use any synthetic chemical products. What’s more, to obtain organic certification, the vineyard has to provide proof that it has been using these practices for at least three years.

El Coto Crianza Organic 2019 was created using time-old and eco-friendly practices at the vineyard. The wine-making process took place at our winery in Oyón with certified installations, in accordance with EU organic regulations.

One of the hallmarks of our winery is that all of our red wines are barrel-aged. As such, after the fermentation process, they have been aged in an American oak barrel and subsequently spend various months in the bottle until the optimum time for consumption.

This is what makes El Coto Crianza Organic a versatile wine with an intense ruby-red colour. The nose has aromas of red fruit combined with balsamic notes. In the mouth, we find a vibrant acidity with polished and agreeable tannins. This is the perfect wine for pairing with rice dishes, stews or cheese boards.

El Coto de Rioja has been implementing initiatives to reduce its environmental impact for years now, but El Coto Organic takes this one step further. All of the materials used in the packaging are specifically selected using sustainability criteria.

• The labels are made with paper made out 15% citrus pulp and 40% recycled paper.
• In making the capsule, we have replaced all petrochemical products with bio-polyethylene.
• The bottle is one of the lightest on the market, weighing in at 385 grams, which reduces the energy consumption in production and the carbon footprint in shipping.
• The cardboard used to make the boxes is PEFC and FSC certified, which means that the raw forest materials are certified and come from sustainable forest management.
• What’s more, all of the inks used are water-based, without dangerous substances or additives that are harmful to the environment.

Very sweet grapes are more likely to ferment into wines with a higher concentration of alcohol. As such, these wines will have a greater amount of calories. When these drinks ferment, they also take on a high level of carbohydrates (fructose and glucose). A 750 ml bottle of wine contains around 560 kilocalories.

During the fermentation process, the yeast eats up the carbohydrates (sugars) and releases alcohol and CO₂ (carbon dioxide). The residual sugar content, or rather the sugar that has not been fermented, is what mainly gives the wine its carbohydrates.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an adult should consume between 2,220 and 2,500 kilocalories per day. So, if you have a glass of wine, you’re taking in between 75 and 125 kilocalories. However, this is very little; it would depend on how many you drink per day, and the total number of calories you consume from other food and drink each day.

Although the amount of sugar also plays a role in the number of calories, a dessert wine with a low proof will normally have fewer calories than a high-proof wine. Alcohol has almost twice as many carbohydrates than sugar. As such, the proof affects the calories much more than sugar.

However, the calorie count is also very tightly linked with the type of wine. To help you work it out, we’ve included approximate ranges of the calorie content of a 150 ml glass depending on the type of wine you’re drinking:

• Sparkling wine: 120-160 calories
• White wine: 110-170 calories
• Rosé: 110-170 calories
• Red wine: 120-180 calories
• Dessert wine: 190-290 calories

Everything in moderation. So, if you’re used to drinking one glass of wine a day, it won’t really have an effect on your overall calorie intake. That will depend more on what your diet is like and whether you’re going over the recommended amount of calories for your weight, height, stature and level of physical activity. If you’re unsure about this, you can speak to a doctor or nutritionist, since calorie counting isn’t the most important thing, your health is.

If you’ve ever wondered how many calories there are in wine, you’ve probably also wondered if it can make you put on weight. The fact of the matter is, if you drink in moderation like we said before, it shouldn’t be an issue. If you’re worried about your weight, go for ones with a lower proof.

What’s more, if you mix wine with soft drinks to make a wine cooler or a sangria, it’s quite a different matter. Soft drinks put more calories into it because of their huge sugar content. What’s more, people generally add sugar and sometimes other liqueurs to sangria. A glass of a wine cooler contains around 120 kilocalories, but if you make a wine spritzer using fizzy water with additives, it’s better than making a cooler with lemonade.

The tortilla campera or ‘country omelette’ gets its name from the vegetables in it, including aubergines and tomato. It’s traditional to the region of Murcia, which is where the tortilla campera is normally served. There is a range of versions, some with potatoes, some without, some with red and green peppers, and some with parsley and garlic.   

The perfect pairing for this kind of omelette is a rosé. Rosés are smooth and delicate wines, but they still have a good body. They have a huge range of aromas, a little fruitiness and floral notes. They’re great as an aperitif, and if you pair them with a slice of Spanish omelette, you’ve definitely got a perfect match!  

El Coto Selección Viñedos Rosado is made with tempranillo and grenache grapes and would be a great choice if you want to get a fresh but intense flavour. It’s easy on the mouth, and has a bouquet ripe cherries and fruits of the forest. Once you’ve opened a bottle of rosé, it will keep well in the fridge for up to four days. 

To add a little pizzazz to an onion-free Spanish omelette, you can pair it with a white wine. What we’re trying to do here is to let the intensity and delicate flavours of this wine shine through. When you’re making Spanish omelette without onion, it means that there are no ingredients that would mire the aromas of a white wine. 

This type of wine always goes well with any kind of food, and another advantage is that you can drink it chilled or at room temperature. It can either be sweet or dry, but it never leaves any bitterness on the tongue when you taste it. Our choice for pairing with an onion-free Spanish omelette would be our 875 m Chardonnay. 

This white wine respects the fruity and floral aromas of the Chardonnay grapes, bringing notes of pineapple and a delicate vanilla aroma. We’re sure that you’ll be blown away by this pairing. So, if you want to try it out, take a look at our store.  

This happens when you keep wine in contact with oxygen for too long, exposing it to the effect of acetic acid bacteria. These aerobic bacteria need oxygen in order to survive. We’ll tell you the main reason why wine can be pricked:  

1. Bad practice during wine-making. Wines that leave the winery oxidised are increasingly less common, specifically thanks to technological developments being implemented in the production process. However, there is always a possibility of it happening.  Excessive contact with oxygen during the fermentation and maceration process, air getting into the barrels or faults in the bottling and sealing process can end up in wines getting pricked. 
2. Poor handling during commercialisation. During this process, it is very important to control the oxygen levels that the product is exposed to, as well as the wine containers.  

 As such, air getting into the bottles because they move around too much during transportation, exposure to sudden changes in temperature or incorrect storage temperatures, exposing the bottle to light sources or leaving wine bottles open for days can cause a wine to turn vinegary.   

How can you tell if a wine is pricked before you taste it? There are some clues that might give away the condition of a wine before you try it. This way, you can avoid drinking a vinegary wine that could ruin your culinary experience. Take a look at what we mean below:   

• In the bottle: if you can see that some wine is missing with the cork still in it, or if the cork is defective or has too much wine in it, you might have a bottle of wine in poor conditions.   

• In the glass: when you pour out the wine, a pricked wine will look somewhat cloudy and lacklustre. What’s more, there could even be a slight sheen on the surface of the wine that you can detect as light reflects off of it. 

 If you have a red wine with some orangey tones in it, this might suggest that the wine will have a vinegary flavour that won’t be all too pleasant. If you bring it up to your nose, you might pick up on some chemically aromas like glue, nail polish remover or hairspray.  

 However, you might not notice any important changes until you actually get round to tasting it. This is the definitive test! If you notice a harsh flavour with no trace of fruity or floral aromas, and there’s a slight vinegary flavour in the mix, you’ve definitely got an oxidised wine on your hands.   

Because wine, wood and cork are organic materials, there’s always a slight chance that a culture of acetic acid bacteria could form in a bottle of wine. As such, to avoid a wine oxidising, it is crucial to control its exposure to oxygen.  

If this isn’t done correctly and air gets into the wine at some step along the way in the wine-making process, it’s fairly likely that this could lead to the flavour of the wine becoming drastically different. In the end, the experience of drinking the wine will be mired by the vinegary taste.  

All of our wines undergo a very strict quality control process to ensure that the wine-making process and the transportation of our products is just right up until they reach the points of sale. By purchasing products from our online store, you can be sure that our wine will reach you directly from our wineries, with meticulous care in the delivery process. 

If you found this article on how to tell if a wine is oxidised interesting, why not take a look at one of our WineClass episodes to help you learn how to pick out different aromas in wine?   

New gastronomic trends are inspiring people to experiment and bend the rules. The myth that pork only goes with red wine is out the door. If you get the right white wine with a good sour hit, you’ll find a perfect pairing for smoked pork dishes or ones with a lot of spices and strong flavours.

Our wine Coto de Imaz Reserva Blanco is a great option for pairing with this kind of red meat. Respecting the fruity and floral aromas of the Chardonnay variety, it has a lingering smoothness and aromatic complexity blending honey notes with a delicious vanilla aroma. You just have to try it!

What’s more, if you want to whip up some roast or BBQ pork ribs, an amazing pairing would be a rosé made with Tempranillo grapes. You’ll be blown away, especially if the recipe includes BBQ sauce. Our El Coto Selección Viñedos Rosado is a wine for pairing with pork that we recommend if you’re looking to surprise people with a flavour explosion.

The type of meat and what you do with it should influence what wine you pick. So, if you’re thinking of cooking up some roast veal or even a stew, the best match for it would be young, smooth red wines. This type of wine would also go perfectly with meat of this kind, either flame grilled, seasoned or barbecued.

Our 875 m Tinto is the pairing you need to create the perfect flavour combination. It’s an intense and refreshing wine made with Tempranillo grapes. It’s a good sour hit and delicate aromas of cherries and red fruit. These flavours also go with mocha and cocoa. Everyone will be asking for more with this pairing.

When pairing wine and meat, the drink also helps to cleanse our palates after each bit, which means that each bit we take feels like the first. That’s why it’s so important to pick the appropriate wine. The flavour we get from barbecued beef combined with its fat content makes it the perfect pairing for red wines.

Our Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva and Coto Real Reserva are our star recommendations for pairing with beef. Both of these wines are made with Tempranillo grapes. However, the first of the two stands out because it combines it with Graciano grapes and is rich in aromas of red fruit and nuts. A great wine for special occasions.

Do you often find yourself hurrying into the supermarket to pick up a perfect wine without spending your life savings on a bottle? It’s really quite easy. Firstly, you just need to take a good look at our tips. Remember that bottles with flashy stickers saying that they’ve won prizes have those labels for a reason!

Supermarkets sometimes want to draw attention to an award-winning wine or one with a great score in a wine guide, which could be a quality guarantee. You’ll often see this marketing technique at airport duty-free sections, where they want to draw attention to award-winning wines from the country or region you’re in so that you take one of the best choices back with you, along with the best flavours of the place you’ve visited.

So, if you’re not in a hurry and can take your time picking out a wine at a specialist wine store, you’re at an advantage: you can get professional advice to help you find a top-quality wine at the right price. Buying a wine at a specialist wine store isn’t always more expensive. In general, these businesses have to respect the price suggested by the winery.

If you do decide to buy a wine from a specialist store, be daring and try new flavours. If you’re into red wine, we’re not going to tell you to change your ways, but maybe you could try other wines such as Rioja whites or semi-sweets. Within the same price range, sometimes lighter wines have more surprises in store for you.

Another option for buying good wine at a decent price is to switch to the wineries’ online stores, or even multi-brand wine stores. This will also have better prices, since they save a lot more costs than physical shops do. What’s more, they often have special discounts if you purchase in bulk, for example if you buy cases of wine, or they will give you free delivery.

If you’re concerned that bottles might be damaged in transit, don’t worry. They’re completely reliable, and will take care of any logistic issue that might occur, even though they’re not particularly common.  

Additionally, buying wine online through the wineries’ own websites has additional advantages: you can always be sure of the origin, traceability and handling of the wines, ensuring that they are always at the right temperature and don’t go off.

Here in Spain, we’re lucky enough to have good wines priced between €6 and €20. In other European countries, the prices may be considerably higher because they have to import the products. However, since we’re close to such a wide range of wineries, we can always find top-quality produce at competitive prices to suit any budget.

While there are products that reach prices of over €100, you can enjoy a superior wine without paying over €30. But, as we said, there are amazing and tasty wines that you can get your hand on for under €10. In fact, we’re not the only ones to say it. A few studies have proved it. Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire in England found that there are wines available for under €8 that have the same effect on the palate as other wines that could be up to six times more expensive.

Make yourself the perfect guest by giving the host a good bottle of wine without breaking the bank. You really can find a good wine at a fair prices, with a range of ideas from young wines to aged wines and even reserve wines. Our Coto de Imaz Reserva and our Coto de Imaz Selección Viñedos Reserva made with tempranillo grapes are versatile and easy to pair but, most importantly, they’re delicious and reasonably priced. When it comes to choosing, trust your palate over what people have told you.

Making dinner is always a great plan. If you love cooking, this is the choice for you.

Make a meal to surprise your nearest and dearest, and choose the perfect wine to go with it. That’s where we can help:

• For finger foods, for example, including cheese: white wines like El Coto Blanco are best with younger cheeses, and aged cheeses pair best with Crianza reds like El Coto Crianza.
• If you’re going in for seafood, we recommend a barrel-fermented 875 m Chardonnay.
• For red meat, Coto de Imaz Reserva or Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva would go amazingly, enhancing its flavour.

Even though you could surprise them with a Valentine’s dinner, another idea would be to make cooking the meal together the main event. You can enjoy a nice evening of cooking and wine – it’s always great fun. Bear in mind that the best thing to do is to plan what you’re cooking and have all the ingredients and wine ready.

If you’re going to do it with your other half, this will be a romantic night that you’ll never forget. Pour out a good glass of wine and enjoy the process. A romantic dinner will also help to strengthen the bond you have with the person you love. Raise a glass on Valentine’s Day in the best company!

This idea is definitely a great twist on the classic way of celebrating Valentine’s Day: a wine tasting is a fun option that will breathe some flavour into your special moment.

You could say that this experience will be your “gift” to the other people because you will already know the wines, but we promise you can also learn loads when you start tasting.

What do you need for a home wine tasting?

• At least 3 different bottles of wine to taste
• One glass per person.
• Labels to cover the wine information and not leave anything visible.
• A mask so the colour of the wine doesn’t give them any clues
• Some snacks to go with the tasting
• Plenty of enthusiasm to start tasting!

We promise that this Valentine’s Day won’t be a forgettable one for your friends or that special person if you’re spending it with your partner. Get the ball rolling, don’t let any time go to waste in planning the day. Here’s a series of tips on how to get everything organised.

Wine and music make for a pairing that will arouse your senses, and it could be one those special Valentine’s Day plans that will make your evening extra special.

Picking the right music will definitely help you unwind, eat, drink and enjoy each other’s company. If you love wine and your friends or loved ones do too, there’s nothing better than surprising them on the 14th of February with a glass of our El Coto Crianza and a great playlist of hits by your favourite band. If you’re going to spend it alone or with your partner, you could even throw a relaxing bubble bath into the mix.