Happy #Tempranilloday -

Happy #tempranilloday!  Tempranillo is a wine that lends itself to everyday celebrations.  Casual or elegant, quick bites or long wine pairing dinners, it;s a fun thing to try.  An easy drinking selection for many occasions.  Most famous as a Spanish grape variety, it was interesting to find out that the grape is planted all over the world.  Naturally, it takes a different character based on the different terroir it finds itself in. 

2009 Vaza Crianza, ($15) -  From the Rioja Alavesa region, one of the three regions in La Rioja, this winery is located near a medieval village called Laguardia. The winemakers leverage modern techniques in an area where wine has been made since Roman times.  The result is a fresh approachable wine.  I found cherry and almost floral spice in the aromas, with a touch of chococolate and woodsy notes in the flavors with a nice cherry finish.

2010 Valdubon Cosecha ($15) - Moving to the Ribera Del Duero region, the freshness is still there, but added I found  more vibrant red fruit and spicy earthy notes.  Rich, welcoming aromas of berries and spice with a hit of bright red fruit in midpalate and an interesting hint of bitterness in the finish.



2011 Tempranilllo, Tapena ($11) - This wine from Tierra del Castilla part of Spain. There is a modern sensibility that retains a classic charm to this.  With plummy, red fruit aromas with earth , and smooth mouth feel.  It had cherry , spicy flavors and a savory character.  Short finish.  The winemakers did  a nice job with these food pairing hints:


I still remember the great Montecillo event from '09.  You can check it out here for more fun with #tempranillo

And as luck would have it, I attended an event about wines from the Valencia region of Spain.  More on that later. I I found a lot to love, and the best qpr was a yummy tempranillo. Valencia is a region with great wine values.  Catherine Fallis, who led the seminar was generous with " heavenly" insight on the region---of course!  She's the Grape Goddess (and CSW, to boot).  She described Valencia's winemaking style as wanting to make what they like to drink, with what they like to eat.  So, the wines were described as having "a fresh, clean but not sterile character", which sounded confusing, but when I tasted them it was something I could taste.  Bright.  Nice fruit.  Lovely spice. And a little something extra.  This lagniappe was earthy but not gamy and felt special---especially for the price points!

My fave QPR Pick was:

2009 Tempranillo, Marques de Caro - ($9.99) - Yummy flavors and aromas of red fruit.  An uncomplicated and unoaked offering.    Clean flavors focused on red fruit with a touch of spice.  Or just to pair with conversation. This was a delightful, surprisingly inexpensive wine that would go with many meals and occasions

Can't wait to read the other posts and tweets and again,
Happy #tempranillo day

I received these wines as samples