Kiki & Juan Utiel Requena Blanco21

Kiki and Juan wines were born out of a collaboration between winemakers Luis Miguel Calleja and John House, known as Juan Casa, along with Kerin "Kiki" Auth Bembry. Kiki leverages her extensive connections with Spanish grape growers to secure organic vineyards for Juan, who draws inspiration from these sites to produce low-intervention wines. The group exclusively employs traditional winemaking techniques. They use native fermentation processes in cement, amphora, and stainless steel tanks, adding only enough sulfur to protect the wines in transportation. The mission of Kiki & Juan Wines is to create straightforward, vibrant wines using age-old techniques with modern equipment.

Kiki & Juan wines are crafted at Bodegas Coviñas, one of the region's most respected cooperatives. Established in 1965, Bodegas Coviñas originated from a collaboration of prominent local landowners in Utiel Requena. The co-op has fervently prioritized supporting the local community of winegrowers, offering competitive prices for premium fruits. This living-wage approach has solidified its position as a pillar of regional responsibility, and it is committed to sourcing quality fruit from local growers at fair prices.

In your glass, Kiki & Juan Blanco opens with an enchanting array of green orchard fruit, green fig, and subtle floral aromas, along with lovely hints of honeydew melon—a tip of the hat to the Sauvignon Blanc's skin contact. The palate echoes the vibrant nose with flavors of Granny Smith apple and Bartlett pear in the middle palate, progressing to a crisp and dry finish that elegantly balances the wine's medium body. Kiki & Juan Blanco is a wonderfully quaffable white that wonderfully reflects the unique terroir of Requena. It showcases Kiki and Juan's commitment to organic viticulture and minimal intervention at the winery.

While this full liter is perfect for the porch and patio, Kiki & Juan Blanco will shine alongside shellfish, white-fleshed fish, fresh cheeses, and especially chicken on the grill.