Good stories are becoming more and more relevant when it comes to selling wine. Our US correspondent Bill Ward has asked American retailers and restaurateurs which Spanish wines’ back stories have proven more enticing or enchanting to their customers.

Wine bottles, in fact, are effective communication tools. Our wine of the week, called Nieva York, is a good example. A pet nat made with 100% Verdejo, Nieva York is made by ex Ossian winemaker Ismael Gozalo, one of Spain's most prominent natural, low-intervention wine producers. The name of the village where he owns most of his vines (Nieva, which resembles Nueva, as in Nueva York) appears on the tongue-in-cheek label. In tune with the rest of Gozalo's wines, it follows an offbeat, informal style which, in our view, is a fantastic stepping stone to wine for young consumers.

For those who like to enjoy a relaxed meal with honest food and a good bottle of wine, Yolanda Ortiz de Arri recommends La Vinoteca de Moratín, a small oasis of joy in the heart of Barrio de las Letras, a charming district in Madrid.

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Selling Spanish wine in the US: It’s the “back story”, stupid Bill Ward | January 24th, 2018 Selling wine should be easy, given that it’s such a wonderful product and life enhancer. A greater pleasure for those in the wine trade is introducing people to truly special wines — not the uber-expensive ones but rather those with an interesting “back story.”

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Nieva York Pet Nat 2016 Espumoso MicroBio, Vinos sin indicación geográfica The wine is a play on words with New York (Nueva York): Nieva, the name of the village where this producer grows most of his very old Verdejo vines, instead of Nueva. This a natural, seamless, well-made, pet nat style. Fresh and consistent with subtle bubbles, the wine displays an herbaceous character and some stone fruit notes leading to a dry, slightly bitter finish. A versatile, easy-to-drink sparkling wine16.0 points

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La Vinoteca de Moratín Located in a discreet locale in Barrio de Las Letras in Madrid, Vinoteca Moratín brings to mind those small and cosy Parisian bistrots that invite passers-by to step inside and enjoy a quiet meal.

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Ojuel recovers 'supurao', a traditional sweet wine from Rioja Amaya Cervera | January 4th, 2018 Ethnography brought Miguel Martínez to wine. A summer restoring the old snowfields in his village on the Moncalvillo mountains south of Logroño helped him to rediscover a plethora of nearly forgotten traditions.

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Wine tastings in January 2018 Yolanda Ortiz de Arri | January 2nd, 2018 We welcome the New Year with our monthly agenda of events for wine lovers in Spain.

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Most popular stories in 2017 Amaya Cervera | December 27th, 2017 It is not easy to predict which contents may work better online. Tried and tested pieces like those “best of” lists don’t always work as well as expected. In contrast, niche features and even technical pieces may turn out to be of interest.

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International experts choose their top Spanish wines Amaya Cervera | December 19th, 2017 Spanish Wine Lover has always been interested in discovering the perception of the country’s wines outside our borders. Instead of compiling our annual list of favourite wines —a classic piece in wine journalism just before Christmas— we have asked leading wine experts abroad to tell us which Spanish wines have truly surprised them this year.

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What will the 2017 vintage be like in Spain? Amaya Cervera | December 12th, 2017 Given that 2017 has been one of the earliest vintages on record, many producers have by now a clear idea of the kind of wines they will have this year.

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