by Bridget
To me, some of the most interesting, complex, and delicious wines come from Spain. I recently had a tasting of Spanish wines, and I figured I would be a very selfish person if I didn't share what I learned from my "research" with all of you kids.
Rioja produces some very elegant wines. The winemaking history of this region is deeply intertwined with Bordeaux. In the 1850's and 60's, Bordeaux was struck by disease, and wine merchants travelled to Rioja to buy wine. Some French stayed and bought "Bodegas", producing wines that tasted as close as possible the Bordelaise style. Traditionally, like Bordeaux, Rioja wines have been a blend; mostly tempranillo, garnacha, and mazuelo. Marques de Caceres 2005 Rioja is a great way to start exploring this region. The 2005 vintage is drinking lovely, with a rich, gorgeous, velvety mouthfeel that goes on for days. The kicker is that you can find it for under $15. Lamb is the traditional meat served with Rioja, but also goes perfect with a juicy steak hot off the grill.
My second favorite region of Spain is Ribera Del Duero. This part of the country's temperatures go from scorchingly hot in the afternoon to very cold in the evening. As a result of such varying weather, the vines are very, very, angry. The grape of this region, tinto fino (a genetic variation of tempranillo) thrives on this stress. Wines from Ribera Del Duero are like Rioja's trouble making, belligerent little brother out on parole. Finca Resalso 2007 is an excellent example of what comes out of this region. This cheeky little bastard is bold, lush and ripe as hell. Great texture, juicy and an alcohol content of 14.5%, proceed with caution.
Bubbly, I love it. I espeacially love drinking it for no particular reason whatsoever. It feels so decadent. But, who has the money for Perrier Jouet or Veuve Clicquot all the time? What is a girl to do? Enter Cava! Cava is made the same way as traditional Champagne, but using grapes indiginous to the Penedes region since 1872. Segura Viudas is one of the oldest houses to be producing Cava, and it is still delicious. I have been drinking this sparkler for years. Tasty notes of lemon zest and great acidity make this a perfect pairing with roasted chicken, salmon, or just cocktails. It is usually priced for under $10, so you can get quality and not hand over a king's ransom. try the rose as well, it's beautiful!
I hope you all go out and sample some of these little gems from Spain. Not only are they producing quality wines, you don't have to go completely broke to have a great bottle of wine. Enjoy!
Recent Comments