Spanish wine and much more!

Video Spanish Wine Review: Aragón Grenache: Video Spanish Wine Review: Aragón Grenache

mary

Always on the lookout for a great Grenache! This Spanish wine is old-vine Garnacha made in the Calatayud area of Aragón for the US market. The Evodia 2011 has gotten rave reviews around the blogospher…
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May

17
Video Spanish Wine Review: Value Rioja: Video Spanish Wine Review: Value Rioja

mary

Some thoughts on value Rioja...love the video format...short and sweet! The Spanish wine today was the Obalo Joven 2011. Other great value Rioja recommendations here and here... Spanish wine revie…
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May

16
Undiscovered Spanish Wines: Ribeira Sacra: Undiscovered Spanish Wines: Ribeira Sacra

mary

Ribeira Sacra is one of Galicia's least known wine appellations, yet it is producing some of Spain's most interesting wines. This very small area has attracted some top wine makers and small, artisan…
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May

15
Video Spanish Wine Review: Fernando de Castilla Antique PX Sherry: Video Spanish Wine Review: Fernando de Castilla Antique…

mary

Very excited to start video posts on Spanish wines...this is my first one! Riveting stuff! Enjoy it and laugh at my awkwardness! It will get better! I already mentioned this wine, the Fernando de Cas…
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May

14
Spain Represents: Xixón Cafe in Miami: Spain Represents: Xixón Cafe in Miami

mary

When I'm missing Spain, Xixón Cafe is one of those places that can that the edge off. It offers a comforting combination of good Spanish wine and food and a bustling, relaxed, mostly Spanish-speaking…
Read more…

May

12

Video Spanish Wine Review: Aragón Grenache

by mary on May 17, 2013

Always on the lookout for a great Grenache! This Spanish wine is old-vine Garnacha made in the Calatayud area of Aragón for the US market. The Evodia 2011 has gotten rave reviews around the blogosphere and from critics, so wanted to give it a try!

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Video Spanish Wine Review: Value Rioja

by mary on May 16, 2013

Some thoughts on value Rioja…love the video format…short and sweet! The Spanish wine today was the Obalo Joven 2011. Other great value Rioja recommendations here and here…

Spanish wine review: Value Rioja from Mary O’Connor on Vimeo.

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Undiscovered Spanish Wines: Ribeira Sacra

May 14, 2013

Spanish wine: Dominio do Bibei from Ribeira Sacra

Ribeira Sacra is one of Galicia’s least known wine appellations, yet it is producing some of Spain’s most interesting wines. This very small area has attracted some top wine makers and small, artisanal projects due to its unique and challenging landscape. The wines, produced from unique indigenous varieties, are light, yet intense and very original. They are mostly white, but the reds are even more surprising, especially in a Spanish, hot climate context. There are many great wines that represent this unique terroir, including the spectacular El Pecado, a most unique red made by innovator enologist Raul Perez. The wines that inspired this article are from Dominio do Bibei, a project from the wine superstar couple Sara Pérez and René Barbier.

Video Spanish Wine Review: Fernando de Castilla Antique PX Sherry

May 13, 2013

Spanish wine: Great Spanish sherry in Fernando de Castilla Antique PX

Very excited to start video posts on Spanish wines…this is my first one! Riveting stuff! Enjoy it and laugh at my awkwardness! It will get better! I already mentioned this wine, the Fernando de Castilla Antique Pedro Ximenez, in my recent article about the wines of Sherry. In that article I talked about how what [...]

Spain Represents: Xixón Cafe in Miami

May 12, 2013

Xixón Cafe Miami: great Spanish wine and food

When I’m missing Spain, Xixón Cafe is one of those places that can that the edge off. It offers a comforting combination of good Spanish wine and food and a bustling, relaxed, mostly Spanish-speaking atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. Did I say good wine? I meant a spectacular selection of Spanish wines, not only by the bottle, but by the glass. They have self-serve Enomatic machines and cards, so you can even help yourself to tasting-size pours if you want. The menu is extensive and includes many traditional Spanish mainstays as well as some more adventurous interpretations. There is even a market section where you can buy some excellent gourmet Spanish products. Exciting first visit….lots more to try!

Spanish Wine Review: Faunus 2011

May 8, 2013

Spanish wine: Faunus 2011 from the Montsant region

I tasted a few great Spanish wines by the glass from the self-serve Enomatic wine dispensers at one of Miami’s really authentic Spanish restaurants, Xixón. My favorite for both quality and value was another impressive entry from the Montsant region, the Faunus 2011, by Ediciones i-Limitadas. Another great value Spanish wine from the Montsant region. I love this region for its intense, earthy balanced reds. Though perhaps not as consistent and remarkable as neighboring Priorat’s more famous wines, they’re also a lot less expensive in general.

Spanish Wine Review: Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado

May 4, 2013

Spanish wine: Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado Sherry

Some of my top Spanish wine experiences have been with sherries, but it’s also just as important to find the great value, every day sherries. The Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado is a delicious example of a great sherry to enjoy, sip and cook with. Once you start cooking with and trying sherry with food, you will never go back….it’s one of the most food friendly wines around. Amontillado is the perfect Sherry style for summer cooking and drinking. The tangier, edgier Fino style can be an acquired taste, while Oloroso has a winter feel to it. Amontillado, especially a really friendly, soft one like the Los Arcos is the perfect wine compromise. A complex, fresh, unique wine for only about 15$!

Wine news: Zarcillos 2013 Wine Competition

May 2, 2013

Zarcillos de Oro: Spanish wine competition

The Zarcillos de Oro 2013 will be held in Valladolid, Spain from 21-24 May. This biannual international wine competition was first held in 1991 and the last edition included 3,000 entries from 23 countries. It was originally organized by the regional government at a very crucial time for the wines of Castilla Leon, when both the system and wines were undergoing tremendous changes. The idea was to incentivize the production of the highest quality wine while introducing to a wider audience the wines of the area. Added to those initial national goals over the years has been the equally important goal of the competition as an international fine wine encounter.

Spanish Wine Review: La Montesa 2009

April 30, 2013

La Montesa 2009: Spanish wine from the Rioja region

It’s been a while since I’ve had a mellow, perfectly drinkable Rioja and this La Montesa fit the bill nicely. Rioja is still the king of Spanish wine but there are so many faces and styles to the region that it can be really confusing to find a nice bottle at a good price. The traditional Rioja styles remain popular amongst wine geeks but the good ones cost a pretty penny. The bold, modern style comes at all price points, but they are not always as mellow and ready to drink…something to cherish in Rioja. There are lots somewhere in between, embracing both tradition and the modern…the hybrid is maybe the most user-friendly style. La Montesa, from one of the modern masters of Spanish wine, Alvaro Palacios, is one of these and makes for good drinking at a great price in the 2009 vintage.

Undiscovered Spanish wines: Vinos de Madrid

April 21, 2013

Undiscovered Spanish wine: Vinos de Madrid

After finding Zestos, a great everyday value wine from the Madrid region of Spain, in Costco, I’m inspired to talk a little more about the Madrid wine region, Vinos de Madrid. It’s not well known, even in Spain, though it’s gaining in reputation among wine professionals and aficionados alike. Formerly known for plonk that was served in Madrid bars, the area has fought hard to change that reputation. One of the drawbacks is that production of top wines is small and prices are not always low, though the wines are still good value. One sub-area in particular, San Martín de Valdeiglesias has been making an impressive reputation for itself with totally original old-vine Grenache and unique white Albillos. If you want something with personality and totally different than most Spanish wine, check out these wines….

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