04/05/07
It's time
to dust off the picnic basket, charcoal grill and paella pan. With the advent
of Easter, spring is in the air. That means time to enjoy Spanish meals and
wine in the fresh air and sunshine.
In
For instance, a Tarta de Santiago (a culinary delightful cake decorated with
the sign of the cross) or Easter Week Fritters paired with a small glass of
Oloroso sherry makes the perfect combination. Such recipes can be found
in
For Easter and the arrival of warmer weather, new wines of every style, grape
variety and nationality are arriving weekly. Fresh new white wines, mature aged
red wines and a full range of dry to sweet fortified wines are hitting our
shelves. This is an excellent time to sample the full depth and breadth of The
Spanish Table wine collection.
Check out this sampling of our latest new arrivals for your table and picnic
basket, and then come to our store to see the full selection of over 600
different wines from
(FYI, The Spanish Table will be closed on Sunday April 8th).
Amestoi 2006 $15.99 The first 2006 Spanish white wine to arrive in our store is
the Amestoi Txakoli, made in the Basque region of northern Spain from the
indigenous Hondaribbi Zuri grape. This is a dry, lightly spritzy wine you
definitely want to experience at its freshest. Right now the fruit character is
at its brightest and the effervescence is at its bubbliest. This one goes down fast. I suggest buying at
least two bottles at a time and serving it with light appetizers or shellfish.
Ostatu Blanco 2006 $12.99 The other early arrival for 2006
Spanish white wines is this bright, youthful white Rioja made from the Viura
grape. Ostatu has high altitude Viura vineyards in Rioja Alavesa that produce fresh,
clean youthful wines. Ostatu Blanco is produced without using oak barrels for
fermentation and ageing, resulting in a leaner, livelier finished wine. Take
this wine along on your next picnic and serve it with anything from a tuna
sandwich to piquillo peppers filled with a salt cod mousse.
Avinyó Rosat Cava $19.99 Many of you are already familiar
with the small production sparkling wine from Avinyó (Avinyó Brut Reserva). We
just received our first shipment of their sparkling rosado. This pink bubbly is something quite special. It’s dry and
leesy like the regular Avinyó cava, but it also has a bit of berry-like aroma
to lend a hint of richness to the wine. This gets my vote for the best cocktail
wine for spring entertaining. It is refreshing, accompanies a wide variety of
appetizers and looks great in the glass.
Luberri Seis 2005 $14.99 A small production winemaker in
Rioja who’s products we have enjoyed in past vintages is back with a new
importer, all new labels and a handful of new wines. Luberri Seis is a joven
(young) Rioja made from 100% Tempranillo from the Luberri estate vineyards in
Elciego. This gentle, young wine, with its cherry-like fruit character is
perfect for serving alongside a big paella.
Luberri Biga 2004 $16.99 Florentino Monje-Amestoy, the
owner/winemaker at Luberri, is a very hands-on kind of guy. He started Luberri
after having made wine at Artadi for many years. On any given day he can be
found in the vineyards pruning vines, in the winery racking barrels and in the
car driving between business meetings with distributors from around the world.
Biga is
his Crianza Rioja that sees 12 months of barrel age and an additional 12 months
of bottle age before release. This robust red displays oak aroma, dry tannins
and pie cherry fruit character. Serve it
at your first-of-the-season cookout.
Altún Albiker 2006 $14.99 Bodegas Altún regularly wins prizes
for the best Spanish red wine made using carbonic maceration (grapes are
fermented in whole bunches prior to crushing). This young, gentle fruity wine
is particularly refreshing and food friendly. Serve it cellar cool with grilled
sausages or paella.
Beryna 2004 $14.99 Wines from D.O. Alicante are
receiving more attention these days, due in part to wines like Beryna that
offer an abundant, ripe, full-bodied style at very reasonable prices. This wine
is a blend of mostly Monastrell (Mourvedre) with Syrah and a handful of others
in the mix. Twelve months of barrel age adds tannic structure to the blend.
Serve Beryna with hearty fare, from burgers on the grill to lentejas con chorizo.
Luca Malbec 2005 $33.99 This
spectacular Argentine Malbec is dark as ink and full of ripe blackberry aroma,
abundant fruit character and spicy background notes. What distinguishes this
particular Malbec from many others is
the fine balance of flavors that never veer into the over-ripe or the
reductive. Serve this wine with spicy meat and/or vegetable stews (especially
good with potatoes).
Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas 2003
$28.99 Luis Pato
is one of the superstars of Portuguese winemaking. Several years ago he
withdrew form the highly regulated D.O.C. Bairrada designation in favor of the
more loosely regulated Vinho Regional Beiras demarcation. Vinhas Velhas 2003 is
the first wine we have received since he changed the regional labels on his
wines. The unique, spicy, earthy style he is famous for is still evident in the
wine. The Vinhas Velhas 2003 is smoky and tannic. Black cherry fruit character
gives way to notes of black olive and meat locker in the background. This would be an excellent wine to serve with
grilled skirt steak sliced and served over wilted bitter greens.
Hacienda Monasterio 2003 $42.99 Peter Sisseck of Pingus fame makes this dark colored and deeply
flavorful D.O. Ribera del Duero wine. It is a perennial favorite that we
receive limited quantities of once a year. We got just three cases of the 2003
vintage, which we do not expect to last long. Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar gave
this wine 92 points, saying “Deep
ruby. Explosive, sexy aromas of cherry, plum, incense, freshly ground coffee
and succulent herbs. Focused and deep, with red and dark berry flavors
complicated by candied violet, smoky bacon and cracked pepper. A ripe, weighty
wine with a dense, chewy texture and compelling freshness, especially for the
year. Finishes with a note of sweet cherry preserves, fine tannins and
excellent length.”
Gran Barquero Fino $17.99
Gran Barquero Amontillado $22.99
Gran Barquero Oloroso $21.99
Gran Barquero Pedro Ximénez $23.99
In the
hills of Andalucia, just south of
Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva
1964 $215.00
Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva 1968
$215.00
Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva 1973
$137.00
In D.O.C.
Rioja the wines of R. Lopez de Heredia are the standard bearers of traditional
winemaking practice. Produced only in exceptional vintages from all estate
fruit, the Gran Reserva wines are aged by long slow barrel maturation over many
years, with additional time in bottle (again, many years) before release. The current
release for the Gran Reserva wines is 1981. The winery also releases limited
quantities of older vintages, a few of which we just added to our small
collection of Lopez de Heredia wines.
These are
among the most unique wines you will find anywhere in
Monica
Nogues of Think Global Wines, the American importer of Lopez de Heredia, calls
the Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva 1964 the “vintage of the century” for
this mature blend of 85% Viura and
15% Malvasia. Amber gold in color,
this wine displays oxidized aromas of linseed oil and beeswax. Herbal flavors
of dill and tarragon blend with underlying golden raisin fruit character. The red Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva wines from
1968 and 1973 are firmly structured and display surprisingly youthful tannins
considering the relative age of the wines. The bright red berry fruit is buried
down deep within the layers of oxidized, earthy, leathery and herbaceous
flavors that reveal themselves one at a time as the wine breathes.
04/12/07
What
Spanish wine has a long history steeped in tradition, is delicious by itself or with savory tapas,
is perfect for springtime and is a bargain too?
Did you say Cava? Probably
not, but don't feel bad if Cava does
not jump out as the obvious choice here. While Cava is the most popular sparkling wine in the world, it suffers
from constant comparison to the most renowned of sparkling wines, French
Champagne.
"Cava is not champagne and does not pretend to be," says Julian
Jeffs, Spanish wine expert and author of the excellent and highly-recommended
Spanish wine book, The Wines of Spain ($29.95). "The wines should be
judged on their own, very considerable, merits."
At first the wine was called "Champán" or in Catalan
"Xampan", but not unnaturally the French objected, Jeffs points
out. It wasn't until 1986 when the new name Cava was found.
So how does Cava differ from the
lighter in body than
The other main difference between Cava and
of tradition, quality and value should be enough to convince you that Cava
deserves a place in your repertoire of springtime wines. As you plan your
spring menus, please consider the affordable joy that it brings. Here are some
options in the Cava department.
Cristalino Brut Cava $8.99 This wine is dry, refreshing and easy to love. The yellow
gold color and the persistent bubbles lend a festive touch to any occasion. The
price makes this an excellent choice for serving at parties and other large
gatherings. $8.99
Parxet Cuvée 21
Cava $10.99 A perennial favorite among our
customers, Cuvee 21 is full of big lively bubbles and zesty citrus aroma with a price that encourages spontaneous
celebration.
Avinyó
Brut Cava$15.99 Small production Cava
made by artisan winemakers. The
wine is disgorged just prior to shipment, thus guaranteeing the longest time
possible on the lees and the shortest time possible between disgorgement and
consumption (a good thing!). Yeasty, dry, and brightly
refreshing.
Avinyó Rosat Cava $19.99 We just
received our first shipment of the sparkling rosado from Avinyó. This pink bubbly is something quite special.
It’s dry and leesy like the regular Avinyó cava, but it also has a bit of
berry-like aroma to lend a hint of richness to the wine. This gets my vote for
the best cocktail wine for spring entertaining. It is refreshing, accompanies a
wide variety of appetizers and looks great in the glass.
Can Vendrell Brut Reserva
$17.99 A classic blend of traditional Cava grapes (Macabeo,
Xarel-lo and Parellada) from all organic vineyards. Green apple fruit and leesy aroma in a bright, fresh style.
Juve y Camps Brut Nature 2002 $19.99 A
favorite of our ex-pat Spanish customers who remember it from their younger
days at home. Dry and toasty with fine bubbles and a yeasty finish.
04/19/07
Two of the best things about a trip to
The good news is that even though we may not be in
So the next time you see the clock hand hitting 1:00pm, think siesta. (Wait,
that's Siesta! with a capital "S" and exclamation mark). Open up your
favorite Spanish Table lemon olives (or anchovy olives, your choice), slice
some Manchego cheese and open up a package of Picos Artesanos de Jerez. Most important, pour a glass of your new favorite Spanish Table
wine.
May we suggest one of the excellent new wines that have just
arrived at The Spanish Table? Check out the first rosado of the season, some
new white wine bargains, lots of new red wines from
New Pink
Marques de Caceres Rosado 2006
$10.99 At last! We are very excited to offer this, the first
Spanish rosado of the season. This
refreshingly dry wine displays pale watermelon color, fresh berry aroma and
bright citrus fruit character. Composed of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha,
this is sure to be as well received on your table as it is in our store.
Los Cardos Malbec Rosé 2005 $6.99 The
latest addition to our increasingly popular ‘house wine’ section is this
Argentine rosado. Made from the local
Malbec grape, this gentle pink wine
is a perfect back porch cocktail wine. It would also make a fine accompaniment
to roast chicken or poached salmon. (don’t forget that
all ‘house wine’ selections are $5.99
each when purchased by the case.)
New Reds
Tiera Brisa Malbec $8.99 We
keep finding delicious and well priced wines from
Navarro Correas Cabernet Sauvignon
2004 $14.99 This hearty red wine attracted our attention for several
reasons. For starters, it displays abundant black pepper aroma and dark berry
fruit along with well integrated tannins. Also, we have tasted many excellent
Argentine wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon lately and this one offers ample
pleasure at a great price. Finally, our newest Employee, Jehan, lived in
Cuatro Pasos Mencía 2004 $13.99 When we tried this for the first
time at a trade tasting, we knew it would be a perfect match for our store and
our customers. We love D.O. Bierzo wines made from the local mencía grape. This one is youthful and
tart, with autumn leaf aroma and bold fruit character. Dry grape skin tannins
hold the fruit in check. A great wine for serving with
poultry.
Son Bordils Negre 2003 $27.99 We love
Mediterranean island wines. This one comes from
Whites
Condesa de Leganza Sauvignon Blanc
2005 $10.99 The
red version of Condesa de Leganza has been a trusted staff and customer
favorite here, but for one reason or another we never got around to trying the
Condesa de Leganza blanco, made from Sauvignon Blanc. When we did try it we
exclaimed “Boy, this is tasty!” Lovers of Sauvignon Blanc from other countries
will not be disappointed by this bright, lemony wine with hints of orange
blossom and green grass. As the weather warms up this will be a popular picnic
and garden party wine.
Yasa Blanco 2005 $10.99 Yasa is a
cooperative winery in the Calatayud region of northern
Viña Godeval 2005 $17.99 This
perennial favorite is back in the new vintage. Viña Godeval is made in D.O.
Valdeorras from Godello grapes. A few
years ago this was the only Godello wine
we could find. The situation has improved considerably (we now have 4 or 5 Godello wines at any given moment) but
this will always hold a place in our heart as a pioneering wine from a little
known region. Pale yellow color and gentle aromas of honeydew melon and Meyer
lemon meet restrained flavors of white peach and quince.
Special Bottles
Vega Sicilia Único 1981 $300.00 What can
I say about Vega Sicilia that has not already been said? The
most famous wine in
Sastre Regina Vides 1998 $99.00 The previous importer of this
rare and stunning D.O. Ribera del Duero wine found a few bottles hiding in a
corner of their warehouse, and we happily picked up 6 bottles for our store. Robert Parker rated this wine at 92 points saying, “100% Tempranillo produced from 80-year old
vines with yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare. It is an impressive, opaque
purple-colored, full-bodied, opulently textured effort with abundant quantities
of sweet, toasty oak, blackberry and cassis fruit, and a long, concentrated,
powerful finish. It will drink well for 10-15 years.” These days, this wine normally sells for around
$140.00, but we are being all 20th century about it and pricing this
beauty like its still 1999.
04/26/07
In late
April and early May, as you drive across
In the
Spanish winemaking calendar, the April/May period is also the beginning of the
growing season. Driving from south to north you can watch the grape vines
seemingly grow in reverse. In
So if you're in Spain taking a back road car trip or discovering the wine
country visiting one bodega to another, you may want to take a couple of
excellent traveller's guides with you. At The Spanish
Table, we have an assortment from "Wildflowers of Southern Spain" (by
Betty Molesworth Allen, $27.50) to "Back Roads of Southern Spain" (by
David Baird, $24.99). One excellent book that stands out is "Discovering
Wine Country: How to Find Great Wines Off the Beaten
Track" (by Susie Barrie, $19.95). It's a colorful book that takes one
through the best wine routes, places to stay and visit, and most importantly, a
section on how to get your wine home.
But, if stuffing bottles of wine into your suitcase is not your cup of tea, The
Spanish Table has you need to re-create your road trip in Spain, or simply
inspire your weeknight meals with family as well as your festive get-togethers
with friends. New pink, white and red wines for every occasion are available at
The Spanish Table, along with a mind-boggling assortment of traditional Spanish
and Portuguese foods to serve alongside.
New Rosado
Amestoi Txakoli rosado 2006 $15.99 Here’s a new one for you…rosado
Txakoli. You heard it right. That dry, spritzy Basque white wine that is so
refreshing and food friendly now comes in a pink version. This blend of white
Hondarribi Zuri and red Hondaribbi Beltza grapes (grown only in the Basque
lands) stays true to its Txakoli name with spritzy effervescence and lean
minerality. Just a hint of fresh berry fruit sets the pink version apart from
the austere grapefruit character of the other Txakoli wines. This is my new
standard for warm weather refreshment.
New Blancos
Avinyó Vi
d’Agulla 2006 $12.99 The Avinyó Cava that we carry
(the traditional Brut Reserva As well as the new Brut Rosado) is always top
notch. This small winery also produces a traditional summer wine called Vi D’Agulla (translates literally as ‘needle wine’). This
lightly effervescent white wine made from Petit
Grain Muscat is floral and aromatic like a Moscatel, but only gently sweet. The light bubbles lift the scent
and give the wine a lively, fresh character. The prickly effervescence is what
gives the wine its name. Serve Vi D’Agulla as a
welcoming cocktail to your dinner guests and watch the smiles spread with each
sip.
Do Ferreiro Rebisaca 2005 $19.99 Do Ferreiro is a winery in D.O.
Rías Baixas near the western coast of
Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas 2005
$31.99 We also received a precious few bottles (2 to be precise) of
Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas, a 100% Albariño
wine produced from the oldest vines in the region (200+ years old). The vines
grow overhead on stone pillared pergolas that allow air to circulate and
prevent excess moisture from rotting the fruit (they get lots of rain in Rías
Baixas). These ancient vines produce small, concentrated fruit which in turn
produces a richly aromatic wine with refreshing, bright acidity and dry mineral
background flavor. This rarity should rest for another year or two before it
shows its best aspect.
New Tintos
Faustino V Reserva 2001 $21.99 Faustino is one of the iconic
names in traditionally styled Rioja. Family run for four generations Faustino
has a long history and well established reputation in the marketplace. Faustino
V is a Reserva level wine composed of Tempranillo
with a small amount of Mazuelo.
The wine is aged for 16 months in American oak, with additional years of bottle
age to soften the tannins and unify the flavors of fresh cherry and new oak. A
bit of coffee bean flavor at the end indicates the maturity of this wine. Serve
with a special meal focusing on Spanish flavors to experience this wine at its
best.
Faustino VII Tinto 2004 $13.99 The young Faustino VII is
essentially the same blend as the Faustino V, but with just ten months of
barrel age. The wine is youthful and ripe, with firm tannins supporting ripe
berry fruit character. This more assertive version of Faustino would be well
suited to robust hearty meals featuring full-flavored meat dishes.
Vina Pomal Crianza 2003 $15.99 This new
addition is also an old favorite, now in the latest vintage. This 100% Tempranillo wine spends ten months in
oak before being bottled. Dark color and ripe berry aromas blend well with the
oak character that never overwhelms the youthful style.
Special Bottles
Flor de Pingus 2004 $58.00 Those of
you with wine cellars will want to take note of this new arrival from D.O.
Ribera del Duero. Peter Sisseck makes a mere 500 cases of the legendary (and
quite expensive) Pingus. Fortunately he also makes 4000 cases of the more
reasonably priced Flor de Pingus which The Wine Advocate just rated at 97 Points.
Jay Miller recently reviewed the wine, saying “In the wonderful 2004 vintage, owner/winemaker Peter
Sisseck has outdone himself. If I were just starting to build a wine collection
and had limited income, I can think of no better foundation than a dozen
bottles of 2004 Flor de Pingus. In the context of the world’s great wines, it
is a stupendous value, a steal. It is 100% Tempranillo from very low yields and
is aged 14 months in 100% new French barriques. Opaque purple in color, it
emits already complex aromas of smoke, toast, coffee, blueberry, blackberry,
and licorice. Lush on the palate, super ripe and sweet, as well as
multi-dimensional, this great effort can be drunk now, but I’d opt for
cellaring it for 6-8 years to allow further evolution.”
We have just three cases of this wine, so act fast
to secure some for yourself.
Hacienda Monasterio 2003 $42.99 (we announced this wine two weeks
ago, but in light of the Flor de Pingus release, and since we still have a
bit left, the information bares repeating)
Peter Sisseck of Pingus fame
makes this dark and deeply flavorful D.O. Ribera del Duero wine. It is a
perennial favorite that we receive limited quantities of once a year. We got
just three cases of the 2003 vintage, which we do not expect to last long. Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
gave this wine 92
points, saying “Deep ruby. Explosive, sexy aromas of cherry, plum, incense, freshly
ground coffee and succulent herbs. Focused and deep, with red and dark berry
flavors complicated by candied violet, smoky bacon and cracked pepper. A ripe, weighty wine with a dense, chewy texture and compelling
freshness, especially for the year. Finishes with a
note of sweet cherry preserves, fine tannins and excellent length.”