Friday, January 13, 2006
Occasional Wine Picks, January '05, Fred Spanish Special
This feature always seems to be prompted by a request. Last one was for Karl, this one is for Fred. His local wine shop is having it's 30% off sale and he's looking for recommendations. When possible, I will make recommendations from the Pop's website but at first glance, their stock is quite different than ours so there isn't much in common.
Spain is making some terrific wines at prices that are still very reasonable. Everyone knows about Rioja and Ribera del Duero but there are other regions that are up and coming, particularly Castilla y Leon, Jumilla and Castilla la Mancha. Their production methods are top quality and while the wines are certainly in the mainstream style and taste ranges, often the flavors are just different enough to keep things interesting. I said last time that Portugese table wines are up and coming, Spain is there now and given the very good ratings recent vintages are getting, prices will only go up.
Reds:
Tempranillo is the noble grape found in Rioja, Toro and Ribera del Duero. Think of it as the Spanish Cabernet. Old style riojas and riberas had lots of oak and lots of depth. Many still are but there are many producers in other regions who make more fruit forward wines that are easier on the palate (and wallet) and better with a wider range of foods.
Garnacha and Monsastrell are Spanish for Grenache and Mourvedre, the Rhone varietals. In Spain they are often made from old vines that give a depth of flavor that turns a relatively fruity, one-dimensional wine into something far more serious. Jumilla and Yecla are hotbeds for monastrell. Pop's has the bellum providencia but don't get it, it's too weird. Ask for a simpler, more fruit forward wine. In garnacha, the Mas Donis is quite good and available at Pop's. Try either vintage.
There are a variety of other native varieties that make Spain kinda fun to shope around in. Mencia exists somewhere between pinot noir and syrah and comes from Bierzo, in the Castilla y Leon region. Prieto picudo is a variety also from Castilla y Leon that gives nice fruit flavors and an earthy character. Very rustic yet approachable. We carry the Alaia but Pop's doesn't, it's a terrific value at less than 10 bucks. You'll also find plenty of cabs, merlots and syrahs in Spain that are quite good.
Whites:
Albarino is a nice variety from the north west, near the Pork-n-cheese border. It makes a crisp white with a lovely tropical fruit acidity that is great with fresh flaky white fish or shellfish. Burgans makes one and I loved the 2003 but was very disappointed by the 2004. Maybe it was a bad bottle, I can't say. Ask the sales guy what he thought.
Verdejo has the crisp acidity of a sauv. blanc but with a mellower body. Rueda is the region best known for the grape and there are a couple listed on Pop's list.
Elsewhere around the world, I have the following recommendations for Fred based on what I see on the pops site:
-Douro reds, full flavored, red meat wines from Portugal.
-Austrian Gruner Veltliner. Mineralic, complex and great with fondue, weiner schnitzel, breaded and fried anything.
-Muscadet, whites from Loire that aren't sauv. blanc but very good in their own right. See the NYT this past week for more details.
-Paringa shiraz and Cab from Oz. Nice affordable wine that isn't as big as most aussie wines are.
-Italian Vermentinos, a delicious white grape. 'nuff said.
-Di Majo Norante San Gregorio Sangiovese. Great inexpensive pizza/pasta wine.
Spain is making some terrific wines at prices that are still very reasonable. Everyone knows about Rioja and Ribera del Duero but there are other regions that are up and coming, particularly Castilla y Leon, Jumilla and Castilla la Mancha. Their production methods are top quality and while the wines are certainly in the mainstream style and taste ranges, often the flavors are just different enough to keep things interesting. I said last time that Portugese table wines are up and coming, Spain is there now and given the very good ratings recent vintages are getting, prices will only go up.
Reds:
Tempranillo is the noble grape found in Rioja, Toro and Ribera del Duero. Think of it as the Spanish Cabernet. Old style riojas and riberas had lots of oak and lots of depth. Many still are but there are many producers in other regions who make more fruit forward wines that are easier on the palate (and wallet) and better with a wider range of foods.
Garnacha and Monsastrell are Spanish for Grenache and Mourvedre, the Rhone varietals. In Spain they are often made from old vines that give a depth of flavor that turns a relatively fruity, one-dimensional wine into something far more serious. Jumilla and Yecla are hotbeds for monastrell. Pop's has the bellum providencia but don't get it, it's too weird. Ask for a simpler, more fruit forward wine. In garnacha, the Mas Donis is quite good and available at Pop's. Try either vintage.
There are a variety of other native varieties that make Spain kinda fun to shope around in. Mencia exists somewhere between pinot noir and syrah and comes from Bierzo, in the Castilla y Leon region. Prieto picudo is a variety also from Castilla y Leon that gives nice fruit flavors and an earthy character. Very rustic yet approachable. We carry the Alaia but Pop's doesn't, it's a terrific value at less than 10 bucks. You'll also find plenty of cabs, merlots and syrahs in Spain that are quite good.
Whites:
Albarino is a nice variety from the north west, near the Pork-n-cheese border. It makes a crisp white with a lovely tropical fruit acidity that is great with fresh flaky white fish or shellfish. Burgans makes one and I loved the 2003 but was very disappointed by the 2004. Maybe it was a bad bottle, I can't say. Ask the sales guy what he thought.
Verdejo has the crisp acidity of a sauv. blanc but with a mellower body. Rueda is the region best known for the grape and there are a couple listed on Pop's list.
Elsewhere around the world, I have the following recommendations for Fred based on what I see on the pops site:
-Douro reds, full flavored, red meat wines from Portugal.
-Austrian Gruner Veltliner. Mineralic, complex and great with fondue, weiner schnitzel, breaded and fried anything.
-Muscadet, whites from Loire that aren't sauv. blanc but very good in their own right. See the NYT this past week for more details.
-Paringa shiraz and Cab from Oz. Nice affordable wine that isn't as big as most aussie wines are.
-Italian Vermentinos, a delicious white grape. 'nuff said.
-Di Majo Norante San Gregorio Sangiovese. Great inexpensive pizza/pasta wine.
# posted by Yossie @ 2:49 PM 
