Some of our wine selection from France and Spain
Many of us think of drinking sparkling wine during the month of December for that special meal, cocktail parties, and to celebrate the New Year! As one of our favorite styles of wine, sparkling is something that we (and you) should enjoy any time of year for any occasion. This season we have numerous options from a couple of Proseccos from Northern Italy to rare Erbeluce from Piedmont and from grower Champagne (estate grown and bottled) to classic Cava from Penedes, Spain. However, we also like to travel outside of the well known areas and into Alsace, the Jura, Limoux, Campo de Borja, and more. Whatever you like, rest assured we have something that will satisfy your palate and budget.
As the cool winds of Fall send us scrambling for hearty, rich food – such as herb-roasted meats, root vegetable stews and truffle terrines – we search for the perfect wines to pair with them. With the abundance of spice and flavor in these dishes, our palates crave bold wines. Everyone has their favorite red, but we love those coming out of the Priorat/Monsant region of Spain. Considered one of the greatest red wine producing regions, this small, beautiful spot, located just an hour west of Barcelona, bottles powerful, plush reds derived from Grenache (Garnaxta), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carinena and Merlot.
When it comes to white wine, pairings for seafood stews, bouillabaise, paella and chicken dishes, we prefer rich whites that have lots of white fruit flavors such as melon, pear, white peach and stone fruit. Several of our favorite regions produce some sturdy wines that blend beautifully with these food pairings. France’s Rhone Valley makes medium to full-bodied white winnes that are typically un-oaked, letting you taste the pure expression of the grapes, which can range from Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Rousanne to Bourbelanc, Ugni Blanc, Viognier and beyond. A little further south, on the coast of the Mediterranean, the famous apellation of Bandol, noted for its reds, also makes some outstanding white wines, often with similar blends as above. Mouthwatering, rich , smooth and complex, Bandol Blanc can be a mind-blowing wine.
Further north in the Loire Valley, an area abundant with produce, mushrooms and lots of meat dishes, the Chenin Blanc grape is transformed into everything from bone-dry to barrel-aged and buttery, and off-dry to sweet dessert-style wines. When we sit down and have lobster or any mushroom dish, we instantly think of barrel-aged Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley that is aged in oak, but not overdone, prducing full-bodied wine with flavors of butter and nuts with melon and citrus flavors lingering in the background. These wines tend to have real length on the palate and are a pleasure to sip.
So now that the sun sets sooner, dust off those cookbooks and un-cork one of these memorable wines.
