Your House Red: Boxed and Ready to Go

I'm the only wine drinker in my house. And there are times, like now, when things are so crazy that planning menus and opening bottles of wine that will in all likelihood go off before I can finish them up doesn't make sense. Enter the new generation of boxed wines.

I'm particularly partial to the Octavin, which has a fantastic spigot contraption that doesn't leak or drip. There are other options out there, too, and all of them keep air from getting to the wine thereby keeping the wine fresh-tasting for weeks, rather than days. The only downside of the Octavin is that with white wines they take up a certain amount of prime refrigerator real estate. With reds, you just set them in a cool place on the counter and enjoy a glass whenever the mood strikes.

Given the convenience of the packaging, I was particularly pleased to receive this sample of the NV Bodegas Osborne Seven because it is an ideal candidate for a house red--you know, the easy-drinking reds that go with practically everything and are great to have on hand. And the price is right, too: a 3.0 L size Octavin (equivalent to 4 bottles of wine) has a suggested retail of just $22. (available in the market for $16-$21)

The very good QPR NV Bodegas Osborne Seven is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Grenache, and Graciano. With all those grapes in it, it's hard to pin a varietal character on the wine. Instead, this is a "red" wine--which is not a bad thing on a Tuesday night when you're making Mark Bittman's chicken with roasted potatoes and Romesco sauce. I could smell the Grenache in the floral and fruity aromas. The Syrah and Petit Verdot are evident in the flavors which span the plum and blackberry spectrum. There are some darker notes, too: dark chocolate and ground coffee.

This wine will go with pasta, soup, stew, pizza, burgers, steaks--you name it.

Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine for review.

Bodegas Montecillo's Albariño Adventure

What happens when a winemaker like Maria Martinez Sierra--known for her red wines at Bodegas Montecillo in the Rioja--turns her attention to white wine instead? Something wonderful if this bottle is any indication.

The 2006 Bodegas Montecillo Verdemar Albariño is made from grapes grown in Spain's Rías Baixas region, and it's the first vintage of the wine available in the US. I found it to be a textbook Albariño with delectable citrus, saline, and bread dough aromas. There were flavors of apple, along with more doughy and citrusy notes, and a salt spray finish. This is an excellent QPR effort from Bodegas Montecillo, with their typical attention to varietal correctness and every element in perfect balance. The suggested retail is $14, and you may be lucky enough to find this (or a later vintage) near you for around $12.

Albariño is a perfect partner for shellfish, and I'm particularly fond of it with clams. So peel yourself some shrimp, crack into a lobster, or steam some Little Necks and enjoy this zesty, summery wine with friends.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Why I Love Spanish Wine--Especially In Summer

There are many reasons I love Spanish wine any time of year. Many are made with indigenous grapes (always a plus for me). They're food friendly. They're good value. In summer, though, I add another reason to my list: they go great with grilled food.

If you'll be taking your BBQ out for its maiden voyage of the 2009 season this weekend, pick up a bottle of one of these Spanish wines to have with whatever you put on the grill.

2005 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Crianza (suggested retail, $12; available for $7-$13) Year in and year out this is my favorite entry-level Spanish Tempranillo. It will appeal to traditionalists, who want their Tempranillo to have the earthy, herbal, leathery loveliness of the grape. Aromas of leather, earth, and herbs will greet you first, with black cherry notes in the background. In the flavors, expect juicy cherries and berries, with a lovely, long aftertaste. For $12? Impossible to beat, in my opinion. Excellent QPR.

2006 Martín Códax Rioja Ergo (available $9-$15) Also made with Tempranillo, this wine walks the line between Old World restraint and New World fruit with its black cherry, mint, and chocolate aromas. Rich berry and cherry flavors have a gamey edge that will pair beautifully with steak, burgers, or lamb. Very good QPR.

2007 Tapena Grenache (suggested retail $9.99; available for $7-$12) This is a bold, fruity wine with aromas of blackberries and cherries. You'll find more sweet blackberry fruit in the flavors along with some cinnamon, all wrapped up in a softly textured package. An enjoyable wine that will go with a wide range of foods, including grilled vegetables and chicken. Very Good QPR.

Full Disclosure: I received these wines as samples.

Spanish Wine and Food Synergy

Recently, I opened up a bottle of the 2004 Bodega Luzdivina Amigo Viñademoya that I purchased a while back. ($13.99, Garagiste; available elsewhere from $7-$18) When I first tasted it, I wasn't that impressed.

It was just a simple, rustic red with aromas and flavors of boysenberries and a little bit of earthy funk. Nothing memorable, nothing to spend time writing about.

But I corked it with some inert gas, and tried it again a few nights later. This time I paired it with a traditional dish from Rioja: patatas a la Riojana. A cross between a soup and stew, it's full of earthy potatoes, has some spicy kick from the inclusion of chorizo and peppers, and lots of flavor from the garlic and onion. I used Anya von Bremzen's recipe from her fabulous cookbook, The New Spanish Table. Here's a slightly different version that's available online.

Wow. What a difference the right food made to this wine.

Sipping it along side the soup, with its smoky pimenton and potatoes, made the flavors of boysenberry expand out to include blackberries an cherries. The earthy funk turned into a pleasant background note that kept the wine from becoming too fruity and flat. A wine that I had mixed feelings about was transformed into a good QPR bottle.

Wine and food synergy--that moment when you realize the combination of what you're eating and drinking is greater than the sum of its parts--happens all too rarely. When it does, it can result in a memorable meal and make you glad that you gave the wine a second chance.

A Spanish Contender for House White

Finding a white wine versatile enough to qualify as a house white can be oddly difficult.

Some white wines are too sharp. Some white wines are too flabby. Some white wines are too darn expensive.

The 2006 Telmo Rodriguez Basa, on the other hand, is just right.

As such, it's an excellent QPR Spanish contender for your house white. ($11.99, domaine547; available elsewhere for the same price). Made from biodynamically farmed grapes, it has zesty flavors, and a heavier moutfheel than most zingy white wines. There are lime zest and litchi-fruit aromas, which are subtle until it warms up in the glass. Waxy flavors of Meyer lemon, golden delicious apple, candied lemon peel, and lime round out the experience of this delicious white wine made from a blend of Verdejo, Viura, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Versatile enough to go with everything from chicken and feta tostadas (a Greek twist on a Mexican classic) to chicken with lemon and olives, this is a wine that will be welcome on almost any table.

Taking a Break with Albariño

I'm rich fooded out.

After the fifth holiday party, the ninth cookie platter (my downfall), and the umpteenth meal out that I start feeling this way.

I crave something lighter, something leaner, something fresher. And the same goes for my wine. I love reds--but a nice white is a lip-smacking change of pace.

So I opened up a bottle of Albariño, Spain's zesty white wine from the Riax Baixas region.

It was just the break I needed.

The 2007 Martin Codax Albariño was a very good QPR find. It had aromas of apple, pineapple, and citrus fruits that were palate cleansing without being overly acidic. These enticingly fresh scents were echoed in the flavors, which turned more pineapple-y in the aftertaste. Albariños are known for their tongue-tingly acidity, but you want there to be enough fruit as a counterbalance and this wine had it.

Albariños are made for seafood--clams, in particular--so if you are looking for a simple meal get some Littlenecks, and cook them with garlic, paprika and wine, perhaps some tomato, and a few slices or cooked chorizo or sausage and serve it with a hunk of bread to sop up the juices. Or you can do as we did and have the wine with the Barefoot Contessa's grilled salmon sandwiches with a zesty spread made with dill, capers, and basil. Either way, you will find that the acidity is lovely with the seafood or fish, and that the apple, tropical fruit, and citrus flavors are a perfect foil for the aromatics and herbs used in these dishes.

I received this wine as a sample. You will find it near you for $11-$15.

Homesick for Spain--Again.

I just watched the first episode of the new PBS series Spain--On the Road Again.

Can somebody please book me a ticket to Madrid ASAP? I miss it, and I was only there a few months ago.

The concept behind the series was that Mario Batali and Mark Bittman decided to eat their way through Spain. Then Gwyneth Paltrow decided to join the roadtrip. On the philosophy that three was a difficult number, they invited Spanish actress Claudia Bassols to join the crew. The result, if the first episode is any indication, is a wonderful glimpse into the sights, sounds, smells, and--most importantly--taste of Spain.

Their gastronomic journey through Spain shows how seriously the Spanish take their food and their wine, and it's a fabulous introduction to the connections between what Spaniards eat and the land and regional traditions of this country.

Don't watch it if you're hungry or thirsty, though. I got through the episode with some olives, Spanish chorizo, and a chunk of Manchego, all washed down with the last of my Twisted Oak River of Skulls Mourvedre. But most important, don't miss any of this series. You will soon be able to get the companion book, but until then visit their website and blog, set your DVRs to record the latest episode, and check out the recipes. Get some Spanish wine into the house, and sit back and treat yourself to some armchair travel during the next few weeks.

Full disclosure: watching this program may make you homesick for Spain, even if you haven't been there yet. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Spirit of the Vine: First Impressions of Spain

At the end of May, I had an opportunity to visit Spain for the very first time and spend time in the wineries associated with the Osborne family. The Osbornes have been involved in the wine trade in Spain since the 18th century, and today their properties extend from Rioja in the north to Andalusia in the south. In one blissful, action-packed week I had a chance to see and savor some of the best that Spain has to offer.

I fell totally in love with the country, the people, the food, and the wine, as this sampling of pictures shows.



I've traveled to a lot of different places, and lived in a few European cities for months and even years. But I never felt homesick for a place after only spending 5 days there--until now.

So what was it about Spain that hooked me? First and foremost it was the spirit of the land and the people. The word that I associate most with Spain now that I've been there is "genuine" and that forthright genuineness came through in every chilled glass of Fino sherry, every slice of Spanish jamon or ham, and every conversation with a winemaker or a vineyard manager that I had during my brief stay.

I know that last year was the "Spain" year and this year is "Italy" year, but over the next several months I want to share my new passion for Spanish sherry with you, and give you detailed tasting notes from my side-by-side tasting of several rare Osborne sherries. They may well be the best value holiday wines you are likely to find anywhere, and I'll tell you why later this fall. I was amazed during my trip by the range of flavors that you can find in Tempranillo. I had the opportunity to talk to a legendary winemaker, Maria Martinez-Sierra about her passion for this grape and how she makes superb wines from Tempranillo grown in the Rioja Alta region. I watched a master cooper make wine barrels, and saw the traditional being passed down to a new generation of craftsmen. Near Toledo, I also saw first-hand how cutting-edge science is being used to help manage a vineyard so vast that there were grapes as far as the eye could see. In Malpica de Tajo, the Osborne family is growing international varieties as well as Spanish favorites like Tempranillo. They are also experimenting with other Spanish and Mediterranean grapes to determine which do best in the region, gathering data on the life cycle of each grapevine and cluster of fruit.

I took hundreds of pictures while in Spain, but to give you an overview of what I saw I put together this slideshow of some of the most memorable images from my week. You'll be seeing some of these pictures again in upcoming posts, and depending on your browser you may have to click over to Flickr and watch the show over there. Until then, I hope this virtual sight-seeing tour whets your appetite for more on Spanish wine and food.