Spain’s Jewish wine legacy

Annie Molco of award-winning winery Viña Memorias (DO Utiel & Requena) standing in front of kosher amphoras containing Bobal from century-old vines. As a tribute to the ancient Sephardic heritage of her family, her wines are dedicated to Moshe ben Maimon, the great medieval philosopher, theologian, doctor and rabbi. Also known as Rambam, he recommended moderate consumption of wine as key to a healthy life. I think we can all drink to that. Photo courtesy of Viña Memorias. More info: www.vinamemorias.com

WINE PARADISE

Spain is thought to be one of the oldest wine producing countries in the world and one with deeply rooted winemaking traditions. In terms of vineyard surface area it is the largest in the world and the second largest producer after France. These ancient traditions can be attributed to various waves of peoples that have established communities on the Iberian Peninsula over the centuries, from Celtiberians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians through to the all-powerful Romans, who left the biggest “wine footprint” of all.

THE SEPHARAD

After the apocalyptic fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, Europe was plunged into a dark era of major-scale bloodletting and chaos, all of which proved catastrophic for the wine industry of the time. It wasn’t until the 9th century with the arrival of the first monastic communities that a revival in winemaking came about. For the monks, wine was not only an essential part of their diet but also a holy sacrament. At this time the Jewish communities of the Sepharad (Spain) were quietly making and trading wines in strict observance of the commandments laid down in the Torah, playing a key role in the expansion of Spanish wine across the continent. 

THE BOOM YEARS

We know for certain that the first wine to reach the Americas was from Ribadavia, probably arriving in La Hispaniola on Columbus’ second voyage of discovery. The navigator’s log makes reference to a sickly friar on the caravelle Santa María who’d pleaded with him for a “cup of the good wine of Ribadavia with which to slake my thirst and ease my aches and pains”. Throughout the Middle Ages the wines of Ribadavia (today Ribeiro), Penedés, Tarragona, Ebro Valley, Aranda del Duero, Toro and Jerez would gain great fame and prestige in Europe, with Ribeiro in particular conquering the markets of the Low Countries and the British Isles. The Reformation, and Spain’s short-sighted and bloody response to it, would bring this golden age of Spanish wine hegemony to an end, as Europe once again descended into a vortex of religious bloodletting.

MAKING AMENDS

From the very beginning the Jewish community of the Sepharad produced, consumed and traded wine. Its considerable contribution to the development of Spanish society has been rescued from oblivion thanks to the tireless work of numerous associations across the country. Over the last twenty years different public and private institutions have been increasing public awareness of the Sephardic legacy in Spain, promoting it actively through the Red de Juderías de España, a network of twenty four towns and cities across the country. We know from historical documentation that these twenty four municipalities had very important Jewish populations at the end of the 15th century.

VINEYARDS OF THE SEPHARAD

The Vineyards of the Sepharad initiative is a fascinating journey back in time, a treat for the senses where you get to imbibe the atmosphere of ancient streets where Jews once lived, loved, tended cellars and prospered for centuries. It’s also an intriguing tour of singular wineries that produce kosher wines or those with a solid winemaking tradition that are committed to keeping the flame alive, thereby honouring the memory of the winemakers and wine merchants of the Sepharad. Also taking part are restaurants, wine bars, wine stores and other wine retail outlets that program wine tourism activities in co-ordination with the Red de Juderías de España-Caminos de la Sefarad, proudly showcasing the newly revived wines of the “Vineyards of the Sepharad”. 

WHERE TO GO

Apart from visiting the wineries that make up the network of Vineyards of the Sepharad, you will also be able to enjoy music and dance festivals, guided visits of Juderías, Sephardic gastronomy and museums with exhibitions on the legacy of Sephardic culture in Spain. The perfect complement to these activities are ‘RASGO’, a type of quality distinction awarded to restaurants, hotels, wine routes and other organized events.

LADINO VOICES ON ANCIENT STREETS

And on a final note, the story goes that a Sephardic family from Israel visited Toledo a few years back, bringing with them an old family heirloom, a huge key that actually opened the gate to a 15th century town house in the ‘Aljama’. The ‘old christians’ that occupied the house in 1492 were so sure the previous owners weren’t coming back, they didn’t think it necessary to change the locks. Some folk say that in the dead of night, ancient ‘ladino’ voices and footsteps can still be heard near the two synagogues in Toledo.