The Ebro River and Contador

Chance Meeting at San Vicente de la Sonsierra
March 11, 2015

Woke up this morning with not much planned to do.  Jose Luis said that we should try a vineyard in the town of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, which is only a few miles down the road from Abalos.  We've been here before lots of times and stopped to take in the beauty of the castle at the top of the hill from the side of the Ebro River.  As the sun hits the town at the end of the day in the Spring, it changes the town from a quaint hilltop town to a classic movie scene where golden lighting takes away any of the abnormalities and changes it to something distinguishing.  Any warts become beauty  marks and any dull points are lit to perfection.

Main Plaza in San Vicente de la Sonsierra

Bar/Cafe Niza

Torrezno de Soria

We parked the car and decided to hike around the town and see if there were any places that would peak our interest.  The winery that we tried to check into was closed, and Jose Luis said he would probably be out in the vineyards.  We walked around the town and past the tiny square to find a place to get a snack for lunch.  Niza's is a bar directly off of the square where several locals were getting their snacks before lunch and a siesta.  So we decided to go in and the owner made us several tapas that were delicious.   We had chorizo made with meat from wild warthogs, a couple of croquettes with cod, and chicken cutlet sandwich in some fresh bread.  My favorite was a piece of meat (torrezno de soria) that looked like an inch and half thick piece of bacon.  She cooked the piece in the back kitchen and then brought it out to us and it was absolutely delicious.  Not the healthiest of lunches, but Paula Dean would've been right at home here.

We left there full, and then went down the steep road leaving town and saw a wine tasting room that was open.  We went into La III Estacion wine bar, and saw that they were serving Predicador wine. We had purchased a case each of the last two years in Winston-Salem and didn't know it was from this town.  We really liked it and had been drinking it on special nights with friends.  What we were to find out is that it really is a special wine from a very famous winery.  Contador is the Winery and it is located in Sonsierra just on the other side of the hill from the Ebro.  Contador is a winery that was built by Benjamin Romeo, a local son who received two 100 scores from Robert Parker and a couple of high 98s too.  To our added luck, we were speaking to the bartender telling him that we had a purchased a couple of cases of the wine Predicador in the last two years and really liked it.  He then called over the person Raimon who is in charge of their tours who then offered us a personal tour of the winery and their tasting rooms.   Of course we said yes and jumped into our car and followed him to the winery just down the hill.

Bodegas Contador French Barrel

The winery was created by Benjamin Romeo who literally started his winery out of the garage of his parents within sight of the new winery.  He was on a mission for the highest quality wine that he could make.  The winery is also built into the ground and retains the height of the land that was there before construction, with areas that are still covered in dirt and planted with all kinds of scented herbs to stimulate your olfactories.  He walked us through the building showing us the most expensive barrels that were handmade from the finest French Oak.  Even showing us pictures where Benjamin Romeo was with the people selecting the trees to cut to create these expensive barrels that would only retain the Contador wines for a year, at more than double the price of other expensive French Oak Barrels.  We toured the office areas where they hold their meetings and their tastings of Contador's bottles that cost several hundred dollars each.  In the modern conference with it's automatic blinds and large white round table, there was a centerpiece leather hat.  It was the hat the Clint Eastwood wore in the movie Pale Rider.  That is the iconic picture on the label for the Predicador.

Make My Day - with Rafael Cabrero

 As we left the conference room and passed their labs, we ran into a man who was tasting a cloudy white wine in a glass that he just pulled out of a wooden barrel that was outside.  He wore an old knit cap and was sniffing and smelling the white wine and gave it to Raimon to taste and then gave it to both of us to taste.  At first Cathy hesitated but finally tried it.  He told us that he is keeping this white wine outside in a wooden barrel because it is cold at night and then warm in the sunshine during the day and the natural warming and cooling is turning the juice in the barrel to make it rotate without disturbing the wine.  It was a method he said his parents and grandparents used.  It tasted very light and young, but was dry and very drinkable.  When we left, it was then that we found out that this man was Benjamin Romeo, the vintner and owner of the winery.

We returned back to Las III Estaciones wine bar and then tasted the Predicador and their other brand "A Mi Manera" loosely translated "My Way".  Alas, we did not taste the Contador wine.  That tasting would've cost us each 150 Euros.  We both thought at the end of the day - Life doesn't suck!