Fundación Maga, in Geneva with Wine Queen

Things about winninglast May the Grand Diamond Award at the Women and Wine competition with our Fundación Maga wine? Very easy: to have the privilege of taking part in the tasting hosted in Geneva by Wine Queen, a Swiss platform that brings together "wines made, designed, chosen and enjoyed by women?.

Founded by Elsa Fuger, Wine Queen is a website + blog + online store focused on women in wine. Elsa is a journalist and wine expert and is convinced that wines made by women have a different personality and vision. This belief led her to create a few years ago an international platform to showcase the experiences of women growers, winemakers and producers from all over the world.

A few months ago, Wine Queen teamed up with Alamesa, the Spanish organisation that hosts the Wine and Women Competition, with a clear goal: to raise the profile in the Swiss market ?and, online, worldwide?of those Spanish wines that have won an awardin the competition.

Restaurant Les Philosophes in Geneva was the setting for the launch of this partnership. On October 14, it hosted a dozen wineries and brands, including the 2014 vintage of Fundación Maga, as well as Conde de los Andes tinto 2015 and Conde de los Andes blanco 2016. Cristina Hernando, our winetourism manager at Conde de los Andes, presented the wines.

Fundación Maga 2014, a deep and elegant wine

With its depth, complexity and sense of place, our wine embodies the greatness of the old Tempranillo vineyards in Elciego, our village in Rioja Alavesa. It is made exclusively with grapes from vines averaging 50 years of age, planted in El Gallo, a set of plots covering a high plateau above the village.

Bright cherry red, Fundación Maga 2014 displays very balanced aromas, with hints of ripe plums, soft spices and Mediterranean scrub. This harmony, which is evident on the nose, turns into a round, full palate. It is a wine of remarkable power and structure, yet silky and very elegant.

It displays a powerful packaging: in addition to the glass bottle engraved with the coats of arms of Bodegas Muriel, the label depicts the traditional batik fabric print from West African countries. Many of the Maga Foundation's projects are implemented in this part of the African continent, specifically in Sierra Leone.

We recommend serving the wine at 16-18ºC to pair with roasted and grilled meats and stews with deepflavoured sauces. It is perfect with lamb chops traditionally roasted on vine shoots and, given its freshness, which is so distinctive of the Rioja Alavesa climate, it is excellent with rich fish dishes such as tuna belly or grilled bonito.