An award winning wine with a surprisingly low price

You might not expect much from a €5 bottle of wine, but that’s the beauty of being, and buying, so close to the source. The 2022 Rosé from Sinfo is a delicious, easy-to-drink, refreshing, and dynamic wine. It’s also an award-winning product, so we’d dare to join the Spanish Union of Wine Tasters and call it “the best rosé in Spain”.

Best is, of course, a matter of the use case, but for general purposes, you’d find it difficult to find another bottle that combines this price, quality, and acclaim. So far, The awards it won were gold medals at two different contests, the Vinalies Mondiales du Rosée in Marseille and the Bacchus Awards held by the Spanish Union of Wine Tasters.

In the first contest, it was one of the three wines in the competition to win a Palme des Vinalies. It also received the unique distinction of “Révélation Rosé Tranquille”, which would translate to something like a mellow Rosé. At the second contest, it was the only Rosé to win a medal. 

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the story of the SINFO:

Making:

The Sinfo is the most basic Rosé made by Bodegas Sinforiano, featuring a unique blend of Tempranillo, Verdejo, and Albillo grapes. It’s a wine from the region of Cigales, which has been a Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) since only 1991. This region amasses several municpalities north of Valladolid, in Castilla and León.

Bodegas Sinforiano is a relatively young house, as it was founded in 1966 by the power couple of Daniela Gómez and Sinforiano Vaquero. Today the winery is run by their three sons and daughter, so it’s been very much a family operation for its 57 years of existence.

In recent times, they’ve been placing a special focus in perfecting their Rosés, which are already one of the Cigales region’s main specialities. Apart from the Sinfo, they also make the award-winning Raimun, Quelías, and the Barrel-fermented Sinfo Rosé, which some consider the best Rosé for 2023. 

Tasting:

Eye: One of the striking things about the Sinfo is the deep rose color it has achieved. Since it comes in a clear glass bottle, it already stood out to me when I picked it up from the shelf one August summer afternoon in Barcelona. It’s a deep pink that is almost a light red, like a very ripe grapefruit, and just a bit lighter than the ruby hue of Campari.

Nose: Once chilled, the Sinfo 2023 rosé gave me lots of fruity notes, making me think of pomegranate and grapefruit. I also got hints of liquorice and anisette.

Mouth: The taste was very consistent with the smell, pretty much providing the same notes, which of course as a whole tastes like a very refreshing fruit punch, but with a carbonic touch that likely comes from the rich soil these grapes grew on.

Pairing:

I personally paired this with some Mexican ceviche, Guerrero style, since Mexican was suggested on Bodegas Sinforiano’s website. It could also go great with some Asian dishes, maybe Kung Pao. Of course, I’d also see it with more local cuisine, like some Papas Bravas or a Bomba de la Barceloneta.

Here’s a detail sheet: Sinfo Rosado – Bodegas Sinforiano

¡Salud!