This month was a lot of fun. It was the picnic version of wine club so we began the night outside enjoying the weather and mosquitoes (well, maybe not enjoying the bugs . . .) and then headed inside as the night wore on. And we were very classy using a decanter and aerator. Now to the recap of the evening. . .
The appetizers:
Gazpacho
Spanish Ham & Manchego Cheese
Pea puree on crostini
Pesto Popcorn
Queso with chorizo
Artichoke, cheese, and egg bars
Goat Cheese
Here are some of the left over yummy apps!
Here is the wine! You'll notice 9, but we only drank 8. Blair and I both decided to bring 2 bottles each . . . not sure what we were thinking.
We didn't have Kirsten this time so I will try my best to do the Grape, Producer, Location and Vintage. But each wine does have notes from our comments. Thanks Blair for being the note taker! I think you have a permanent position. :)
In order consumed:
Grape, Producer, Location and Vintage
1) Blend (Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo), Segura Viudas, Cava, ??
A brute reserva with 11.5% alcohol. The entire group was a fan. And it only cost $8.99
2) Vinho Verde, Espiral, Portugal, ??
From TJs! And only $3.99. 9% alcohol. Semi sparkling and we were fans.
3) Garnacha, Terraplen, Navarra, 2009
A rose made solely from the granacha grape which we discovered was the most common red grape in Spain. Not very sweet. Only one person liked it. 13.5% alcohol and cost $13.99.
4) Blend (Tempranillo, Granacha, and Graciano), Marques de Caceres, Rioja, 2006
Crianza rating. 13% alcohol and it cost $13.99. Aged in oak and it had a spicy aroma and berry finish.
5) Granacha, Tapena, ??, 2007
Spicy taste. 12.5% and it cost $11.99. It had the most fun description on the back of the night!
6) Tempranillo, Camp Viejo, Rioja, 2005
Reserva rating. Vanilla finish and the club was a fan.
7) Tempranillo, Montecillo, Rioja, 2003
Reserva rating. Complex flavors, very goooood. 13.5% alcohol and it cost $20.
8) Tempranillo, El Circulo, Rioja, 2006
Crianza rating. We thought it had a butter and chocolate finish. 13.5% alcohol and cost $21.
9) Tempranillo, Darien, Rioja, 2008
This was the one we did not get to, but the label says it has a nose of ripe red berries with a rich black cherry and blackberry fruit taste.
My favorites were the Camp Viejo and the Monticello! What were yours??
tasting dry, crisp, oaky and tannic (we can also taste for butter, grassiness, spice, floral, or any other wine characteristic you guys want to hone in on.) -dry riesling v sweet riesling -crisp high acid sauvignon blanc v low acid sauvignon blanc -un-oaked chardonnay v oaky chardonnay -low tannin pinot noir v high tannin cabernet sauvignon
old world v new world styles
or we can get familiar with certain regions, which lend themselves to super thematic parties :)
france italy spain argentina chile california oregon virginia
i don't know if we can stomach all sweet wines, but i know at least some of us have a sweet tooth... dessert wines
and i think this could be fun..
food & wine pairing -goat cheese and sancerre -parmigiano cheese and cabernet sauvignon -blue cheese and dessert wine -chips and salsa (or other spicy food, mexican or thai) with off-dry wine (riesling or moscato) - taste with also w chardonnay for contrast (example of a bad pairing) -olives, almonds (or any other salty tapas) with dry sherry the above should be enough, but if we want to get fancy, here are a few more classics: -foie gras and sauternes -oysters and chablis -steak and any big red wine
Here's a little info that might help at the store before June wine club at Laura's.
HOW TO READ SPANISH WINE LABELS (click image to enlarge)
When you are trying to decipher the Name, here are a few helpful hints:
anejado por ("aged by")
bodega ("wine cellar")
criado por ("blended by" and/or "matured by")
criado y embotellado por ("blended and bottled by")
elaborado por (as criado por but may also mean "made by")
embotellado por ("bottled by")
vina or vinedo (literally "vineyard" but often merely part of a brand name and nothing to do with a specific vineyard)
...
When you are browsing for wine at the liquor store, and you don't know the grape well, or you're trying to decide between two similar wines, such as two different Chardonnays, look at the alcohol content as a helpful indicator of body style.
Light body: 7-10.5%; Medium body: 10.5-12.5%; Full body: above 12.5%.
...
Knowing the grape varietal will be an even better indicator of style. Spain plants over 600 different kinds of grapes, but most of their wines come about 20 different grapes, the most common being Tempranillo (red), which is traditionally blended with other grapes, and Albarino (white.) See blog post, "before we go to Spain... part 2" for a breakdown of grape styles.... coming soon. :)
...
In Spain, wineries have three quality levels often indicated on the label, with the amount of body, flavor intensity, and barrel and bottle aging increasing as you go up the ranks:
Crianza: soft, medium-bodied, a little spicy, good for everyday drinking / house wine
Reserva: fuller more complex, more concentrated
Gran Reserva: only made in the best years, and traditionally aged for a long time in barrel and bottle.
...
Here are Spain's wine appellations, so you can recognize them on the label: Rioja and Navarrra, Catalonia, Jerez, Cava, Ribera del Duero, La Mancha, Valdepenas, Valencia, Montilla, Bullas, Vinos de Madrid, Campo de Borja, and Chacoli de Bizkaia.
We can learn about the different areas and their nuances at wine club. I'll bring a map.
...
Spain's appellation wine laws control the authenticity of regional styles. They are divided into two categories, QWPSR and table wine. These laws control:
permitted grapes
boundaries of the growing region
maximum vineyard yield -this is a form of quality control. we can talk about it later if you like
minimum alcohol content - helps ensure the grapes reach a minimum level of ripeness before they are picked. the sugar in the grapes is what turns to alcohol.
viticulture - controls some vineyard practices
vinification - controls some winery practices, like minimum aging requirements
Here is Spain's complete appellation hierarchy, from highest regard to lowest: But first, a caveat: appellation laws help regulate style and maintain a general standard of quality for wines from each appellation. Wines that are not made in the traditional style can still be excellent (see: Italian supertuscans), so don't be dissuaded from trying a wine seemingly low by the above aging or the below quality standards. Do feel confident when you're buying a Gran Reserva with DOCa status, but don't limit yourself. :)
[list from wikipedia]
Quality Wines Produced in a Specified Region (QWPSR)
(Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) in Spanish)
·Denominación de Origen de Pago (DO de Pago): these wine regions aspire to the very highest standards with extremely strict geographical criteria, centering on individual single-estates with an international reputation. There are currently only 9 estates with this status: 6 in Castile-La Mancha and 3 in Navarre.
·Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) (Denominació d'Origen Qualificada (DOQ) in Catalan): regions with a proven track record of consistent quality. There are only 2 wine regions with this status: Rioja and Priorat.
·Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominació d'Origen in Catalan, Denominación de Orixe in Galician and Jatorrizko Deitura in Basque): mainstream quality-wine regions. There are 66 wine regions with this status.
Note: every current DO and DOCa possess its own stamp, which usually appears somewhere on the label, offering a guarantee of authenticity. It looks like this:
·Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica. A 'starter home' for wine regions climbing the quality ladder. There are 2 wine regions with this status.
·Vino de la Tierra (VdlT) "Country wines" which do not have EU QWPSR status but which may use a regional name. There are currently 46 Vino de la Tierra regions in Spain.
·Vino de Mesa (Table Wine) is bulk-grown, usually drawn from a wide variety of regions and hence has no vintage or area designation on the label, apart from "Produce of Spain". Production of this low grade of Spanish wine is falling year on year.
...
stay tuned for Part 2, where I will introduce Spain's grapes.
