Wine
Lunch at Amelibia
Amelibia is my favourite place to eat in the old walled town of Laguardia. We ate here a couple of times on our last trip and were very keen to get back and see what’s new. It’s a small restaurant (just 12 tables) that overlooks the vineyards and across to the Cantabrian mountain range. Laguardia is just about the last outpost of Euskadi, or Basque country, and as such the food here is a good mix of Basque food and traditional Riojan food. So you will have a menu that has things like kokotxas pil pil (throat of hake in an olive oil and garlic emulsion, a very Basque dish) and rabo de vaca al tinto vino (oxail in red wine, a typically Riojan dish).
Bierzo in a nutshell…(part 1)
It’s impossible to define a whole region after visiting for a couple of days and talking to a handful of winemakers, but here is a quick overview of what makes this a special place to make wine.
La Vendimia 2008
After a fairly indulgent Christmas/New year period and start of a new year, I usually think it’s time for a couple of weeks of detox. Well not detox really, just a couple of weeks to a month of not drinking. Given I’ve got almost a month of eating and drinking in Spain coming up in a couple of weeks, it seems like the wise thing to do. So it will continue to be fairly quiet here at Tinto y Blanco for a couple of weeks…
Quinta do Ameal 2008
It’s 38 degrees in Melbourne today, so what to drink? The best idea is probably water, a bit boring for this time of year tho. A more enjoyable solution would be a nice bottle of manzailla or a beer, perhaps something sparkling. Or Vinho Verde, which is my choice tonight. There isn’t a lot of vinho verde getting around in Australia, so I feel quite comfortable in saying that this is the best around….
Telmo Rodriguez Gaba do Xil 2008
I am developing a bit of a soft spot for Godello. I have always liked it, but there have a been a few recent example that have really delivered, both in the interestingness and drinkability factors. Its one of the lesser known grape varieties from Spain, often over shadowed by Albariño and Verdejo. I find it more exciting than verdejo and more versatile than albariño in it’s ability to give a good refreshing drink while matching with a wide range of foods. It seems to go very well with Thai food and is excellent with goats cheese for some reason.
Los Hermanos ‘Tributo a Galacia’ 2009
If I was going to pick a wine scandal of the year, it would have to be Albarinogate. But there are those out there with the cunning and guile to recover and release something with a great name like ‘A tribute to Galacia’. I loved this label last year, but it seems to go better with the new name.
Toscar Rosado 2008
It is that time of year when a good rose is in order. Well, it is normally. We’ve been getting good rain here in Melbourne, which is odd for this time of year but more than welcome. This puppy is 100% monastrell from Alicante, and it confirms my thoughts that the best two grapes for rose from Spain are Monastrell and Garnarcha. Although a rosado made from Mencia that I tasted a couple of weeks ago was excellent as well…mor on that soon.
“My Favourite Spanish Wine” 2007
It is quite a cheeky name, but the value here is unmistakable. I’m sure google will have a field day with the title of this post too…So a similar blend to the 2005 I reviewed a while ago, Tempranillo and Monastrell from Alicante in all its fresh and rustic glory. And it’s in screwcap now [...]
Capcanes ‘Lasandal’ 2006
lasendal-2006I had a craving for grenache on the way home last Thursday, a quick stop in at City Wine Shop turned up this little gem. The flash new label really stands out, I like the textured paper with bold black ink. Packaging is all well and good, but who gives a toss? It’s all about the wine, and in this case it’s agarnarcha/syrah blend (85%/15% respectively) with a spell in older American oak.I’ve been following this wine for a while now, this is the best yet.
Adegas Galegas Dionisos 2008
dionisos-008Albariño season has reared its head a bit early this year, its been bloody hot for the last couple of days in Melbourne. Perfect for sitting in the yard with a bowl of clams after the sun goes down.Pitty I didn’t have any clams. I know I always go about shellfish with albariño, its only because its a perfect combination. If you haven’t already seen it, have a look at Spain on the Road again…. for an example of what happens in Galicia. However, if you do watch it, have the remote handy. Mario Batali must be one of the most boring and annoying people on TV, and there is plenty of him waffling on about crap in each episode he’s in…he should stay in the kitchen.
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