Sine Qua Non

Sine qua non means "without which not" which means the subject is essential; that is, without this thing, this would not be. For the Spanish box wines called Sine Qua Non the meaning is these are essential for everyday usage. The boxes are three liter containers meaning the volume equals four 750ml bottles. The cost is $21.99 per box. Each fifth is 25 ounces so your cost is .22 per ounce. Nice.

Sine is a dry white and is 100% White Grenache grape sourced from the Terra Alta region is southeastern Spain. White Grenache is a popular blending grape in Spain and France where it is included in red blends. The grape offers lengthy citrus flavors and herbaceousness when its yields are controlled. It needs a low temperature fermentation and can be flexible for different winemaking needs. The Terra Alta D.O. is a plateau above the Elba River and the first written documentation of White Grenache in Terra Alta dates to 1647. It is known to have mutated from Red Grenache in Spain before moving on to France.

Qua is the full bodied dry red composed of 30% Grenache, 60% Carignon, and 10% Syrah. It is fruity, dense, spicy, and concentrated and persistent. Its D.O. is Montsant in northeastern Spain in the provine of Tarragonia in Catalonia. The cimate there is partly continental but mostly Mediterranean. The soil is lime over a granite and slate subsoil. The D.O. is 360 meters above sealevel and the weather features dry summers. Reds from here are comparable to the powerful Priorats.

Carignon (Carinena in Spain) is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world. It is a vigorous plant that buds and ripens late thwarting frost damage. The large Carignon berries have blueish-black astringent skins and form large compact clusters. Its wine is colorful with high acidity and tannins but no distinctive flavor. Whole cluster carbonic maceration using old vine fruit with no oak aging has produced the best examples of Carignon wine. Its raison d'etre appears to be its high yields.

Non is the rose in the line. It is 100% Tempranillo from Tarragonia and is a light and floral refresher. Spanish roses are the best of the category and Non may be the best example in the line.

Try any of these here this month, cite the blog and get 10% off.

Thanks for reading,

Don