December
6, 2007
It’s party season. Parties at the office, parties
at friends houses, parties at home. It
can get overwhelming if you are not prepared. Long festive luncheons with old
colleagues, slow Sunday suppers with relatives from out of town or an impromptu
potluck in the break room at work can all be accomplished with ease if you have
a well stocked pantry and/or wine cellar.
Foods that require little or no preparation are
essential, as are tasty wines in a variety of styles. A jar of our exclusive lemon stuffed olives,
a wedge of 12 month aged Manchego cheese and a frothy bottle of Cava can go a
long way toward creating a fun and celebratory atmosphere any time, anywhere.
Silky and elegant red wines set the perfect tone at the dinner table and are
perfect accompaniments to traditional slow cooked simple meals like Fabada made with genuine Asturian white
beans, Chorizo and Morcilla sausage. Little ivory wedges of Almond Turrón and
crumbly Mantecado cookies are well matched to aged, dark amber colored
Amontillado or Oloroso from
For a quick and tasty appetizer, try this recipe
that I cobbled together after tasting an amazing version of this dish at my
favorite local Portuguese restaurant, La Salette in
Patê de
Sardinha (Sardine Paté)
(serves
4 as an appetizer)
1-can
Matiz sardines, drained
Juice
of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup
diced onion
2-tablespoons
extra virgin cup olive oil
1-tablespoon
mayonnaise
1-tablespoon
chopped cilantro
1-tablespoon
chopped parsley
1-tablespoon
Piri Piri hot sauce
1-teaspoon
salt
Put
everything in the food processor and pulse to blend (should end up with a
consistency somewhere between chopped liver and hummus). Adjust lemon juice/Piri
Piri/salt to taste. Chill for one hour (or over night) and serve with crusty
bread.
D’Abattis
Gran Cava 2004 $17.99 This bone dry vintage sparkler, made from 100% Parellada (one of the traditional Cava
grapes) is toasty and green apple crisp with fine bubbles and yeasty aroma.
Can
Blau 2006 $17.99 The new vintage of this well loved red from the
Montsant region has just arrived. This dark, opulent blend of Cariñena, Syrah and Garnacha is ripe and bold yet balanced too. Previous vintages have all scored highly in
the press and the new vintage is right up there quality-wise. For a soul
warming winter meal, pour this with a traditional Cocido (the Spanish version of Italian ‘Bolito Misto’, or for you New Englanders, ‘Boiled Dinner’).
Azabache Graciano Reserva 2001
$19.99 Here’s an
odd one for you. This is the only Reserva Rioja wine made from the rare Graciano grape. Usually Graciano, which accounts for a mere 5%
of the annual harvest in Rioja, is used to blend in with the lighter Tempranillo. Graciano lends structure to
blended Rioja. On its own, Graciano
can be quite firm and tannic, but with 24 months in barrel followed by another
two years of bottle ageing, the wine has become quite elegant and mature. If Crown
Rib Roast is in your holiday plans, this wine will add the perfect Spanish
accent to the meal.
Maestro Sierra Amontillado $21.99
(375 ml)
Maestro Sierra Oloroso $15.99
(375ml)
Maestro Sierra was founded in 1832 by Jose Antonio Sierra,
who, as a master carpenter, was responsible for building barrels for all the
major Sherry bodegas. Recognized as one of the top coopers in the area, he
longed to become involved in the Sherry trade itself. As this business was
dominated by the nobility, a start-up such as his was not very welcome. After
many hardships he was able to establish and grow his business becoming one of
the top Almacenistas (stockholders) of high quality
Pilar Pla Pechovierto currently owns Maestro Sierra. Doña
Pilar is a widow whose husband was a direct descendent of the Sierra family.
She respected her husband’s wish that the winery remain in operation after his
death and over the last thirty years she has kept the winery open, selling very
limited stocks of wine to a few of the large bodegas. Because the wines have
virtually remained unmoved due to the almost non existent business, the stocks
at Maestro Sierra are some of the oldest in
Maestro Sierra Amontillado is amber gold in color with a
rich aroma of almonds and fresh hay. A very gentle note of raisin-like fruit
character is present here. This wine pairs well with aged cheeses and cured
meats. The Maestro Sierra Oloroso is dark amber with flavors of walnuts,
butterscotch and figs. Serve this wine in a small glass to your special
someone, after a big meal, on the bear skin rug, next to the roaring fire,
etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
December
13, 2007
Sooner or later around this time of year you are
probably going to want to buy something nice for someone deserving. Some people are easier to shop for than
others. The easy-to-shop-for people will
be happy with the same thing year after year, but if you have run out of unique
and thoughtful gift ideas for that difficult-to-shop-for person on your list, read
on.
During the holiday season The Spanish Table always
puts together some special gift box assortments of Spanish wines. We have several multi-bottle gift packs to
choose from this year as well as some very exclusive single bottles in magnums
and splits presented in attractive wooden cases. Mature vintage Riojas, rare 30 year old VORS
Sherry, both red and white late harvest sweet wines as well as older Vintage
and Tawny Ports all make excellent gifts and can be combined in an endless
range of variety and flavor. Some of these hard-to-find wines only make an
appearance during the Holiday Season so even if your gift list is complete you
will want to check out the current selections to see if anything appeals to
your personal taste.
For those of you with extra time on your
hands (Ha! Who am I kidding?)…For those of you with thirsty
guests to satisfy, here is a seasonal version of Sangria for your next holiday
get-together.
Blood
(adapted from The Spanish Table Cookbook by Steve “El Jefe”
Winston)
Serves
4
1 cup
water
1/2 cup
sugar
1 lb.
whole fresh cranberries
3 Moro
Blood oranges, sliced into rounds
1
bottle (750ml) Raventos Perfum de Vi Blanc (or other aromatic
Spanish white wine)
1 12
oz. can Limon Kas (or other lemon-lime soda)
1 0z.
Spanish brandy
Put
water, sugar and cranberries in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove
cranberries from heat and cool to room temperature.
Combine
cranberry mixture with sliced blood oranges and brandy in a 1-1/2 liter open
topped pitcher and let the mixed fruit macerate for an hour or two.
Right
before serving, add the wine and the Limon Kas to the pitcher, stir to mix and
pour into tumblers filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of the orange and a
few extra cranberries.
Lan Gift Pack $42.99
Bodegas Lan, located in the Rioja wine town of
Rioja
Alta Gift Pack $97.00 La Rioja Alta was established in 1890 in the little town of
Faustino
Gift Pack $399.00 The most prestigious of
our boxed sets is this vertical of Faustino’s amazing Gran Reserva Riojas. Bodegas Faustino is the largest
exporter of Gran Reserva wines from Rioja, accounting for more than one third
of Gran Reserva wine exports from the region. Bodegas Faustino is a proud
custodian of the Rioja region’s traditional winemaking style and has earned a
well deserved reputation as a source of truly world-class fine wines. Included
in this sampler are 4 bottles of Faustino
Gran Reserva (1964, 1970, 1982, and 1994) as well as a lovely crystal
decanter embossed with the Faustino logo. A truly unique gift.
Les Terrasses 2004 Magnum $80.00
(1.5 Liter)
Alvaro Palacios is one of the most celebrated of Spanish winemakers. He was
instrumental in the rejuvenation and subsequent popularity of wines from the
Priorat region. Les Terrasses is a Priorat wine that is made from 60% Cariñena, 30% Garnacha, and 10% Cabernet
Sauvignon aged for one year in a combination of used French and American
oak. This dark, opulent wine would make a perfect match with a hearty, slow
cooked winter stew. The big bottle makes a wonderful gift (packaged in its own
wooden case) for someone who loves to entertain and has a big crowd to feed.
Maestro
Sierra VORS Oloroso 1/14 $81.00 (375ml) The Maestro Sierra story is fascinating. Maestro
Sierra was founded in 1832 by Jose Antonio Sierra, who, as a master carpenter,
was responsible for building barrels for all the major Sherry bodegas.
Recognized as one of the top coopers in the area, he longed to become involved
in the Sherry trade itself. As this business was dominated by the nobility, a
start-up such as his was not very welcome. After many hardships he was able to
establish and grow his business becoming one of the top Almacenistas
(stockholders) of high quality
Pilar Pla Pechovierto currently owns Maestro
Sierra. Doña Pilar is a widow whose husband was a direct descendent of the
Sierra family. She respected her husband’s wish that the winery remain in
operation after his death and over the last thirty years she has kept the
winery open, selling very limited stocks of wine to a few of the large bodegas.
Because the wines have virtually remained unmoved due to the almost non
existent business, the stocks at Maestro Sierra are some of the oldest in
Oloroso 1/14 is medium amber colored, with slight
raisin-like sweetness, complex flavors of burnt sugar and butterscotch and
outstanding length.
Domecq 51-1a VORS Amontillado
$88.00
Domecq Sibarita VORS Oloroso
$88.00
Domecq Venerable VORS PX $88.00
The House
of Domecq has spent almost three centuries pleasing sherry-drinkers of every
stripe, including the royalty of
December
20, 2007
By now, unless you are like me, you have probably
taken care of your major holiday responsibilities. The office party is over and
done with, the big holiday meal is in process and the gift shopping is winding
down. Nevertheless, something will come up, as it always does, leading you to
need one more small gift (or a few) to satisfy last minute situations. Secret
Santa, stocking stuffer, hostess gift, call it what you will, sometimes the
small gesture speaks louder than the grandiose one.
To satisfy this need we carry a variety of wines in
small bottles. The labels are mostly well known and the wine inside the little
bottle is identical to the wine in the full sized version. These bottles fit into even the smallest of
picnic hampers (or lunch boxes) and add just the right touch to a gift basket
of assorted holiday goodies. They make perfect accompaniments to intimate
dinners as well as lavish multi-course (and multi-wine) meals. These fabulous
wines in diminutive sizes come in many styles and varieties. Here ar4e some of
our current selections:
Quinta
dos Grilos 2004 $10.99 (375ml)
Grilo is Portuguese for cricket,
and while you won’t find any crickets in this wine, the flavor may remind you
of a warm summer night in the back yard, grilling something tasty, swatting
mosquitoes and listening to the (you guessed it) crickets. From the Dao region of
Muga
Reserva 2003 $13.99 (375ml) Muga Reserva, one of the most celebrated
wines from Rioja is just as tasty in the small bottle as it is in the big one.
Dark color, loamy aroma and rich elegant fruit character are what one looks for
in a wine such as this. You will not be disappointed.
Arzuaga
Crianza 2004 $15.99 (375ml) The Ribera del Duero region is
known for bold, earthy red wines. Bodegas Arzuaga makes exactly this style of
wine. Dark color, smoky/oaky tannins and rich multi-layered
fruit character. In the sprit of all things tiny, serve this wine with a
traditional Ribera del Duero meal of tiny, thin cut
lamb chops quickly grilled over vine cuttings. Muy tipico.
Odysseus garnacha Blanca 2005 $22.99 (500ml)
Odysseus PX 2005 $26.99 (500ml)
Penélope Garnacha Blanca 2005
$31.99 (500 ml.)
Penélope Garnacha Peluda 2005
$34.99 (500 ml.)
“Small is beautiful”, the motto of Viñedos Ithaca, is
reflected in many ways. Viñedos Ithaca sits on a small 50-acre property of
steep hillside vineyards near the little
Odysseus Garnacha Blanca is a
rare white Priorat wine made from native Garnacha Blanca grape. Notes of peach, pear, and honeysuckle on the nose with a long,
silky finish and great complexity in the mouth. Great personality
crafted in an original style. The wine was carefully fermented in the
"old-style" without temperature control and a unique maceration
within the French oak barrel for 8 hours. Limited production
of 400 cases. Odysseus PX is
made from Pedro Ximénez,
best known as a sweet sherry grape. After discovering a parcel of old vine PX
within their vineyards Josep and Sylvia decided to vinify the PX
separately. The final result is a unique
rich, dry white wine and the only still wine made from PX grapes in
Maestro Sierra Amontillado $21.99
(375 ml)
Maestro Sierra Oloroso $15.99
(375ml)
Maestro Sierra was founded in 1832 by Jose Antonio Sierra,
who, as a master carpenter, was responsible for building barrels for all the
major Sherry bodegas. Recognized as one of the top coopers in the area, he
longed to become involved in the Sherry trade itself. As this business was
dominated by the nobility, a start-up such as his was not very welcome. After
many hardships he was able to establish and grow his business becoming one of
the top Almacenistas (stockholders) of high quality
Pilar Pla Pechovierto currently owns Maestro Sierra. Doña
Pilar is a widow whose husband was a direct descendent of the Sierra family.
She respected her husband’s wish that the winery remain in operation after his
death and over the last thirty years she has kept the winery open, selling very
limited stocks of wine to a few of the large bodegas. Because the wines have
virtually remained unmoved due to the almost non existent business, the stocks
at Maestro Sierra are some of the oldest in
Maestro Sierra Amontillado is amber gold in color with a
rich aroma of almonds and fresh hay. A very gentle note of raisin-like fruit
character is present here. This wine pairs well with aged cheeses and cured
meats. The Maestro Sierra Oloroso is dark amber with flavors of walnuts,
butterscotch and figs. Serve this wine in a small glass to your special
someone, after a big meal, on the bear skin rug, next to the roaring fire,
etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
December
27, 2007
In this phase of the Holiday Season, just getting
off the sofa can require more effort than you can muster. If you have been celebrating Christmas then chances
are you’re reading this from deep within a wasteland of shredded and discarded ribbon
and wrapping paper. Brush off the lethargy (and the cookie crumbs from
breakfast that are stuck to your new sweater) and rejoin the world. If
Christmas is not your thing, you too can come back out from hiding. The scary
Santas are mostly gone and the city is once again open for business.
As the
I know it’s a busy, marketing driven world out
there. We all get a constant stream of sales pitch wherever we go in the real
world as well as on-line. If, amidst all this you are still taking the time to
check up on what’s happening wine-wise at The Spanish Table then you deserve
our sincere appreciation.
In exchange for your attention this past year I have
offered you a first peek at the many new and exceptional wines that flow
through our little store year in and year out. This ‘insider information’ leaves newsletter subscribers well equipped
to discover the many new wines now available for purchase for the first time
here in our part of the globe.
In the New Year we will continue to bring you the
best of the Iberian wine world. Even in the face of unprecedented currency
exchange rates, these imported wines from
Meanwhile, we just got in some of my all-time
favorite wines in larger than usual quantities and we have priced them all
lower than usual too. Come see our big pile of wine and pick up a bargain or
four. I promise it will be worth your effort.
Arribeño
Roble 2003 $6.99 ($5.99 by the case) Arribeño Roble is a young Tempranillo
from Ribera del Duero red that fully expresses the character of the region.
Dark garnet color, loamy forest floor aroma and firm grape skin tannins. Light
oak aroma comes from a short 4 months of barrel age. Black cherry fruit
character and a smoky finish round out the picture. This wine is one of The
Spanish Table’s ‘House Wine’ selections. These great bargains are all $6.99 by
the bottle with a special (mix & match) discount of $5.99/each with full
case purchase.
Altos de La Hoya 2006 $9.99 (was $11.99) This wine from Jumilla has
always been a benchmark Monastrell from
Pétalos 2006 $19.99 (was $23.99) We just got a
great deal on one of my personal favorite wines from D.O. Bierzo in northwestern
Josh Raynolds with Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
gave this wine
91 points, saying: “Ruby-red. Vibrant red berry and cherry aromas are underscored
by pungent minerality and rose; this smells like a great Chambolle-Musigny.
Sweet raspberry and floral pastille flavors are enlivened by brisk acidity and
gain sweetness with air. Very suave, focused and strikingly pure wine with
superb complexity and poise”.
Les Terrasses 2005 $29.99 (was $36.99) Andy Booth, co-owner of The Spanish Table reports: “This has been one of my favorite Priorats
for years, especially because I could afford it. The price has crept up over the
years but we managed to negotiate a great price on this. Chewy but supple black
cherry, currant and berry flavors mingle perfectly with dusty cocoa, dried
flowers and a touch of anise. Elegant tannins frame this nicely and the acidity
makes this wine sing on the finish…and I like the song.”