Wine Adventure Magazine
Fall 2005
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| Photo by Rioja DOCa |
Savvy women understand the power of red. While wearing it
one exudes confidence, power, and femininity. Even a small statement such as a
pair of fire engine red shoes, or a handbag, emphasizes feminine power and
sexiness in ways pink only dreams of. Bullfighters too know the power of red,
using it to savagely seduce, confuse, and then kill their prey. Completing the
circle, the bull leaves in its wake Sangre de Toro, bull’s blood, as a fiery if
short-lived legacy.
Like a red leather jacket, Rioja wine is a powerful ace in
the hole. Stylish, classy, old world, and elegant enough to win the approval of
the most sophisticated in your crowd, the best of these wines carry an
intriguing undercurrent of feistiness never found in say a Bordeaux, for
example, the wine it is most often compared to.
Tempranillo is the main grape of red Rioja (the best white
Rioja’s are Viura-based and the best are lively, crisp, and lemony). Tempranillo
is also the main red grape of all of Spain . It goes under many names
there, including Tinto, Tinto Fino, Tinto del Pais, Ull de Lebre, Ojo de
Liebre, and Cencibel. Most famous for Rioja and for the long-lived wines of the
Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo ripens early (temprano
means “early” in Spanish), has thick skins, and makes deeply-colored wines. In Portugal it is known as Tinta Roriz and Tinta
Aragonez, and in Argentina
it is known as Tempranilla. In general, it pairs well with Manchego cheese, grilled
sea bass, leg of lamb, or roast beef.
In La Rioja, Tempranillo expresses itself differently from
vineyards in high-elevation Alta, warmer and flatter Baja, and a small area on
the other side of the Rio Ebro, Alavesa, where it is known for finesse.
Winemakers are free to blend grapes from across these zones, and also have the
freedom to blend in Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo grapes for balance.
Barrel-aging is required and controlled by the local Consejo Regulador, so you
know for example that if your bottle says “Reserva”, it means it. “Crianza” is
in its third year upon release, matured for at least one year in barrel. “Reserva”
is aged at least three years, one in cask, and “Gran Reservas” are aged a
minimum of two years in barrel and three in the bottle. Even at Crianza level,
the wines are balanced, expressive, and supple, not at all like the often
harsh, disjointed, high alcohol new releases from so many parts of the world.
Of the area’s 470 commercial bodegas, or wineries, 178 are
grouped into seven routes, or wine roads. This area is for the adventurous
only. Though the wineries are very happy to receive visitors, it is always best
to call ahead. Order a guidebook from www.riojawine.com before you begin
planning your trip, or, if you end up there on a whim, pick one up in Logrono , the capital of
the province.
Though Logrono
is the distribution hub for La Rioja’s copious wine and agricultural products,
it does have a charming old quarter. Start at the tourist office located at
Paseo del
Principe de Vergara (+34) 941 26 06 65. Look for the Catedral de Santa Maria de la
Redonda, located in La Plaza del Mercado and dating from the 1400's. The
Baroque facade dates from 1742. Located inside is an octagonal chapel dating
from 1762. Close by is a 12th century church, once part of a royal palace. The
Iglesia de Santa Maria de Palacio is located on Marques de San Nicolas and
dates from 1130.
The Consejo Regulador, or Control Board of Rioja, offers a
three-hour intensive tasting course on Saturday mornings (from 10.00 am to 1.00
pm), aimed primarily at tourists visiting the region for the weekend. Anyone
interested in attending this intensive introductory winetasting course should
enroll beforehand in the Consejo Regulador ("Rioja Wine Information
Office", +34 941 500 400), either personally or through bodegas, hotels,
tourist offices or travel agents of the region.
For lunch, visit El
Chuchi Restaurant in nearby Fuenmayor. Typical dishes include Bistec a la plancha,
cured pork loin with red peppers (the Basque piperade seems to have crossed the
border or vice versa), and grilled mushrooms, all delicious with a glass or two
of a crianza or reserva. Save the gran reserva for the queso manchego or
cabrales, Spain ’s
most famous blue. Dessert is next, a coffee pudding, cheesecake, or ice cream,
served with a thimble full of PX sherry, the sweetest of them all.
Take advantage of the afternoon to go bodega-hopping, and
then after a short nap, wind down with locals in the evening paseo, hopping
from one tapas bar to the next in the hours before dinner. Tapas are a way of life for most Spaniards.
Born in Andalucia to the south, legend has it that barkeeps covered (“tapar”
means “to cover”) glasses of sherry with a slice of ham to keep pesky flies at
bay. Eventually served on small plates, choices include Jamon Serrano in the
north, Jamon Iberico in the south (Iberico ham is not authorized in the USA), cured
blood sausage (Murcilla), chorizo, menudo (tripe stew), albondiguitas of veal
or beef (tiny meatballs), olives, eggplant salad, omelettes, queso manchego or
cabrales, steamed mussels, hake (merluza) squid, octopus, boquerones (little
white fish), baby eels, anchovies with tomato and mozzarella on bread, duck
ham, ham pate, stuffed pimientos, chickpeas with onion sauce, pisto manchego
(stewed zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes), and empanadas. Sherry and sangria are
popular choices, but a glass of crianza Rioja is your ace in the hole.
Bodegas Montecillo
With a fiery personality bubbling up only occasionally under
her smooth, polished, and very elegant exterior, Maria Martinez-Sierra,
winemaker for over 30 years here, started when women winemakers were virtually
unheard of in Spain. She believes in using 100% Tempranillo, aging it in
untoasted French oak barrels coopered at the estate, and finishing the bottles with
natural bark corks also manufactured at the estate, both from trees she
personally selects on her frequent forest visits. She believes one of the major
causes of TCA, or cork spoilage (corkiness) is the prevalence of residual
pesticides in the forests.
While the 1981 Montecillo Gran Reserva Seleccion Especial is
“her baby” (and currently available in the USA in a 4-pack with the 1982, 1985,
and 1991 for $380, her 1994 Gran Reserva bottling celebrating the winery's
130th anniversary – Montecillo 130th
Anniversary Limited Edition Gran Reserva 1994 ($50) – pays homage not
only to the winery's longevity and reputation, but also to the preservation of
the traditional Rioja style. Delicious with grilled porterhouse, braised
venison with wild mushrooms, rack of lamb, and artisan cheeses.
Bodegas Montecillo
San Cristobal ,
34
26360 Fuenmayor, Rioja Alta
26360 Fuenmayor, Rioja Alta
+34 941 44 01 25
Visiting hours: Call in advance
Visiting hours: Call in advance
Fly or cruise into Bilbao and check into Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao, where most
rooms face the Guggenheim
Museum
Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao/Hoteles Silken
www.granhoteldominebilbao.com,
(+34 944 253 301)
After a short nap make
the three-minute trek across the street to dinner at the Restaurante
Guggenheim. Chef Martin Berasategui and his partner Josean MartÃnez
Alija serve up artful, exotic, and unusual tasting menus that define the new
Basque cuisine.
Restaurante Guggenheim Bilbao
Avenida
Abandoibarra, 2
www.martinberastegui.com,
info@restauranteguggenheim.com, (+34 944 239 333)
Frank Gehry’s
Guggenheim is a hauntingly beautiful structure meant to honor the ocean and the
creatures within. It does this as well as both magnificently complimenting and
dominating the horizon. Take advantage of the time change and take an early
morning walk across the street, and along the river walk, criss-crossing the
wild Zuri Zubi bridge. Sunrise
over this platinum beauty is more memorable than any masterpiece within. Of
course if you would like to venture inside, admission is 10 Euros and hours are
10am-8pm Tuesday - Sunday.
Avenida
Abandoibarra, 2
www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/ingles,
(+34 944 35 90 80)
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