Spanish Reds to Warm the Soul for the Holidays

Tis the season for family, food, celebration, and wine. There are tons of different foods that people prepare for this festive time of year. In general, we tend to stuff ourselves with various rich foods (and sweets!). These foods warm our soul and satiate our appetites. The question here is what do you wash it down with or rather I should say what will you compliment those foods with? Here are some suggestions of Spanish reds that will hit the spot and pair with various holiday dinners and hors d' oerves.

Quixote from Pago Casa Del Blanco 2005 ($27). This red wine is from the La Mancha region in Spain. It is a delicious blend of Merlot, Tempranillo, and Petite Verdot. This full bodied wine gives aromas of stewed black and red fruits, tree bark, and pencil lead. In the mouth it gives dark fruits, red fruits, graphite, ink, cayenne pepper, and a long smooth yet powerful finish that is slightly tobasco-esque. This will be perfect for red meats, chicken, sausage, and flavorful rice and fish dishes (Paella), and powerful cheeses.
Mogar Roble by Pagos de Mogar 2004 ($18). This 100% tempranillo is from the exclusive region of Ribera Del Duero of Spain. This wine gives aromas and flavors of plum, blackberries and smoked meat. It is full bodied but is very rich, silky, and smooth. It finishes with gorgeous coffee, gamey, and plum flavors. A wine that everyone would appreciate. Serve with all meats and pasta dishes, as well as cheese.
Leza Garcia Reserva 2001 from Bodegas Leza Garcia ($18). This wine is from the famous Rioja region in Spain. It is a 90% tempranillo 10% garnacha blend aged in oak for 24 months and 12 monthes in the bottle. This wine delivers cherry,cranberry, spices, and a touch of wood on the nose and on the palate. Aging has brought out the best in this wine. The palate is round and medium to full bodied and long on the finish that shows a nice tannic quality. This is a very pretty wine. have this with meats, fish, cheese, and rice dishes.

So there you have it. These are some exquisite wines to share during this great time of year. I wish you all the best and hope you all have a happy, healthy, and bountiful holiday season and a prosperous new year. Cheers!

Spanish Whites for Turkey Day part 2

Last time we talked about Spanish wines to complement a thanksgiving feast. I introduced you to airen and its wonderful attributes. Today, well will explore another native varietal known as macabeo (known as viura in Rioja...more on that later) Macabeo is a very aromatic and floral varietal similiar to airen however it can show apple and pear in addition to the citrus notes. Banana could also show its face here too. On the floral side, macabeo tends to have jasmine and sometimes honeysuckle on the finish as well as the nose. It typicaly has gentle acidity so it is the perfect accompaniment to turkey. Here are 2 macabeo wines to check out!
Amigo Sancho Macabeo- this wine from La Mancha is made from 100% Macabeo. On the nose and on the palate you will experience white fruits, green apple, citrus fruits, and pretty jasmine notes. All backed by a gentle but gripping acidity. $9
Vege Telosa Savignon Blanc Macabeo blend- This is a 50-50 blend of the traditional French varietal savignon blanc and the Spanish grape macabeo. This allows the wine to have citrus fruit from the savignon blanc with the banana and honeysuckle notes from the macabeo that is delightful. This is yet another good turkey wine. $11
Now, in the Rioja region of Spain they make macabeo wines as well. However, they call the grapes viura. They also do something different to the grape. They ferment the wine in oak. Normally macabeo is unoaked (as is airen). In Rioja, they use oak to give viura a different vibe. The wine still shows the good acidity that is common but the fruit that is brought out are the apple notes which tend to taste like they are baked. The oak also gives a roasted hazelnut and a slightly creamy finish. This is truly unique way to utilize the macabeo grape. These flavors make a unique pairing with turkey. The oak makes the wine a little bit heavier so if you are doing a deep fried turkey, those flavors that the outer skin will be awesome with the moist meat. Here is a viura to try out!
Bodegas Leza Garcia Viura- This wine from the Rioja is viura(macabeo) that is barrel fermented for 100 days. The baked apple, lemon peel, and roasted hazel nut along with good acidity is rather unique and delicious. All of you chardonnay drinkers who like their oak would love this wine. $13
One more thing. I know most of you out there think that champaigns and sparkling wines are for celebrations only. WRONG!!!!!! The are nothing more than bubbly wine. Spain makes a bubbly known as Cava (which macabeo is one of the key grapes used!!!) and other sparkling wines. I like to call them sparklies myself. The bubbles of sparkling wines add to the acidity and enhance the fruit flavors and give the wine a wonderful sensation in the mouth. Do they go with turkey? You bet! I will now tie everything together with our discussion of spanish whites for turkey day. Check this out.
Vinedos y Reservas Cuevas Santoyo Brut-This sparklie is from Villaneva De Alcardete in Toledo within La Mancha. This neat little bubbly is a blend of 40% Airen and 60% Macabeo. This gives you flavors of lemon and grapefruit with bit of dandelion and grass. It is floral and aromatic and gives you a bit of both worlds. This is perfect for all thankgiving foods. Also, this could be a good precursor to the turkey dinner. $13
Now thats was a fine ending to this awesome discussion of spanish whites. Find these wines and enjoy them with your family and friends and have delicious food and a Happy Thanksgiving. Cheers!

How about some Spanish whites for Turkey Day part 1

Who loves a good white wine with their Thankgiving meal? Raise your hand. *raises hand* Now I know many of you are going to tell me you like savignon blanc and riesling(which are not all sweet!!!!!) with that turkey and possibly ham. I love those varietals too people. Those however, are a given. Those are traditional wines that everyone has at this great meal. Well, its time to grab that proverbial shovel and start digging for some unknown treasures. Those are not the only whites that go good with the big bird. Spain offers a wealth of native varietals that provide not only gorgeous fruit but also ripping acidity to accentuate the flavors of the turkey as well as all the other delectable Thanksgiving side dishes. Here is one example of a white varietal that is unknown to most
Ever hear of a grape called airen? It is an aromatic white varietal grown especially in the south of Spain that offers fruits such as lemon, grapfruit, pineapple as well as banana along with awesome floral notes(dandelion,marigold), hay and brilliant acidity. These flavors are the perfect marriage for turkey. The citrus flavors as well as the acidity will enhance the flavors of a meat that is not necessarily the most flavorful by itself. The floral and grassy aspects provide a good seasoning(so to speak) to the turkey and are a delight along side the stuffing and the mashed potatoes. Here are some fine examples of airen wines to check out. Oh ! did I say airen wines are generally value driven? $8-$10 are the norm.
Finca Vieja Blanco- this wine is made from 100% airen. This wine gives you the grapfruit and lemony notes typical of the grape but focuses on the floral and hay notes with sharp acidity. $8-$9
Carril de Cotos Airen.-This wine gives you pineapple and banana flavors with alittle bit of the of peel and a good deal of acidity. This focuses more on the fruit.
So there. You have two different styles of airen wines to check out. Enjoy them. They will give you much pleasure. Don't forget to share with family and your closest friends! be thankful for a wonderful family, good food, and most importantly.....ok not the most important but pretty damn important if you ask me be thankful for delicious wine. Please check back for part 2 on Spanish whites for Turkey day. There is more delicious treasure awaiting to be uncovered.

Spanish Wines with your Thanksgiving Dinner

Seeing how popular Spanish wines are becoming I wanted to share a tempranillo wine from Spain that would go great with your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner. This great inexpensive wine similar to a Beaujolis is called Finca Vieja Tempranillo. Retail price around $7.99-$9.99. Try it I think you will be pleasantly surprised.