Winemaker Notes
In the countryside town of Montilla, a town located in the Cordoba province of southern Spain, the Espejo family and their friends would gather to share a small meal — This beloved Mediterranean tradition was a near daily event that would serve as respite from the tumult that was enveloping the world. During the 1930s, the Espejo family kept these bonds strong by gathering loved ones to share stories and laughter over snacks and a bottle of homemade sangria. Week after week, year upon year, the family perfected the recipe that would become their legacy, its name taken from the flower that dotted their Andalusian landscape —Begonia.
It has been almost a century since the Espejo family created the recipe for Begonia Sangria. It begins by selecting the finest organic grapes from vineyards in Alicante, Valencia, and Murcia along the Southeastern coast of Spain. The careful fermentation process creates soft tannins so that the taste of orange can be seamlessly infused. Finally, the special blend of spices, which includes cinnamon and the Azahar flower, provides a round finish. The processes and traditions that guided the forebears are sacrosanct, which is why we never use artificial colors or flavors and why we consider pasteurization as anathema to authenticity.
The family that created Begonia’s recipe almost 100 years ago believed that if they bottled the best of Spain, it would help bring out the best of those who gathered to enjoy it. Many things have changed in the last 100 years. The commitment to that belief has not. Sangria is a symbol of life and family and togetherness; Begonia Sangria is an example of the joyous possibilities that flow from them.