Gulp Hablo Red (1 Liter) 2021
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An easy drinking, light bodied wine that's full of fresh herbs, strawberries, stone fruits, wet stones, and straight up deliciousness. It straddles the line between rose and red wine making it pleasant with a slight chill as well.
Gulp/Hablo, Friend and Farmer, and HAND WORK is the dream of three brothers, Francisco, Javier and Luis Parra. The hope was to celebrate their home of La Mancha by raising organically and biodynamically grown grapes. When it comes to the winemaking behind Friend and Farmer, Hand Work and Gulp/Hablo they partnered with the exceptional Juan Antonio Ponce of Bodegas Ponce.
The Parra brothers work two vineyards near the town of Las Mesas. One is Entresendas (between paths) sitting in a dried river bed. These rich, alluvial soils are perfect for the cultivation of grapes reflecting light and heat and ensuring drainage.
The other vineyard is Olla del Monte is perhaps easily represented by its other name: Cuesta Colorá, the colored slope. This gentle slope is covered in chalky clay and a fine layer of pebbles on the surface that capture and radiate the heat of the sun—a key benefit during the desert nights.
Gulp/Hablo wines are Demeter and vegan certified with only naturally occurring sulfites. They are clean, fresh, easy to drink and made to please any wine-drinking crowd.
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.
The Moors gave it the name, ‘Manxa,’ which fittingly means ‘parched earth.’ La Mancha, the largest Spanish wine producing region in all of Spain, is one of its hottest and driest. Sturdy and drought-resistant white varieietes like Airen, Viura and Verdejo thrive in this environment.