{"id":13840,"date":"2025-10-13T18:09:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T16:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesoundofthecosta.com\/aural-wine-with-its-own-tone\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T14:59:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T13:59:40","slug":"aural-wine-with-its-own-tone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesoundofthecosta.com\/en\/aural-wine-with-its-own-tone\/","title":{"rendered":"Aural \u2013 wine with its own tone"},"content":{"rendered":"

There isn\u2019t much written about it yet. No glowing reviews, no wine scores in glossy guides. <\/span>And yet, the name Bodegas Aural<\/em><\/span> keeps coming up \u2014 in conversations with sommeliers, at tastings, or simply around the table. <\/span><\/p>\n

The first time we heard the name was at BonAmb in J\u00e1vea. Sommelier <\/span>Enrique Garc\u00eda Albelda<\/a> spoke of it with a sparkle in his eye. \u201cAural,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s wine that sounds.\u201d <\/span>It sounded like a metaphor \u2014 until I discovered it isn\u2019t one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wine that listens<\/h4>\n

The name <\/span>Aural<\/span><\/i> literally means \u201cof or for the ear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At this bodega, located in La Manchuela, southeast of Cuenca, sound isn\u2019t just a metaphor \u2014 it\u2019s an essential part of their philosophy. The winemakers believe that vibrations, silence and acoustics influence both the growth of the grape and the way we experience wine. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

During maceration, even ultrasonic frequencies are used \u2014 not as a technological gimmick, but as a refined way to guide natural extraction. It\u2019s typically Aural: listening rather than controlling. <\/p>\n

As they put it themselves:<\/span> \u201cWe\u2019re small interveners in a great process.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Between mountains, silence and history<\/h4>\n

La Manchuela lies in the heart of Spain, between Valencia and Madrid, where the high plains of Castilla-La Mancha give way to the eastern coastal lands. Days are warm, nights are cool, and the vineyards are scattered across hills of limestone and slate. <\/p>\n

The province of Cuenca still bears traces of its Moorish past: ancient irrigation systems, terraces, and villages that follow the rhythm of the landscape. It\u2019s a quiet, rugged region, far from the bustling wine areas with big names.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps that\u2019s exactly what gives Aural\u2019s wines their character: concentration, calm and a certain musical clarity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aurelio Garc\u00eda \u2013 the understated maestro<\/h4>\n

The man behind the project, <\/span>Aurelio Garc\u00eda Harraiz <\/em>(main photo in this article), is no newcomer. <\/span>As an oenologist, he has worked for numerous wineries in Spain and beyond, and is known for his precise, understated style.<\/span> His approach is almost scientific, yet always guided by intuition. \u201cThe grape is the protagonist,\u201d he says. \u201cOur job is not to drown out her voice.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Together with his team, he works with old vines \u2014 at least 75 years old \u2014 in La Manchuela and the Sierra de Gredos<\/em>. The combination of altitude, temperature contrast and chalky soil produces wines with tension and freshness. Production remains deliberately small-scale, artisanal and independent. <\/p>\n

Three wines, three tones<\/h4>\n

Each Aural wine is linked to a sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not figuratively, but literally: through a QR code on the label, you can listen to the music that accompanies each wine.<\/span><\/p>\n