Celebration Season

 

 

Celebration Season

 

June 5, 2009

Congratulations to Classical Wines of Spain who celebrated their 25th anniversary this week. One of the pioneer importers of quality Spanish wines, their portfolio is a personal roadmap of what’s happened in Spanish winemaking over the last 25 years. A full day of seminars with winemakers and a tasting showed just how much they continue to push boundaries. Their long relationships with top winemakers such as Alejandro Fernandez of Pesquera continue, while they source exciting new producers that are delivering terrunyo-driven, authentic wines. Here’s to your future success!

June is the month of graduation celebrations, the beginning of summer wedding season and long days meant for picnics in the park. All of these occasions cry out for good food and wine which we’re here to provide! The secret is to keep it simple, like last night’s simple lentil salad tossed with sherry vinegar, olive oil and fresh arugula. With a chilled glass of 2008 Montecastrillo rose, it was the perfect picnic meal.

On a personal celebratory note, we’ll be toasting my birthday in Spain next week. Our itinerary takes us through the wine regions of Rueda, Ribera del Duero and Rioja with a beach weekend in San Sebastian. We’ll try to send updates from the road….

 

Steven’s Black Cod with Piquillos and PX is a quick weeknight dinner.  (Serves 3)
1 ½ lb black cod
4 piquillo peppers, sliced into strips
½ sweet onion, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil (I used Majoub Tunisian)
 
For the marinade:
1/3 cup Pedro Ximenez Sherry (Don PX 2004)
1/3 cup sherry vinegar (I used Majuelo)
1 tbsp grapefruit marmalade (Majoub Tunisian)
 
Put the cod on 2 layers of aluminum foil, cover with peppers and onions, and drizzle with olive oil.  Whisk together the marinade in a small bowl, adjusting the balance if necessary: it should be slightly more sweet than tangy.  Drizzle over the cod, reserving half.  If using a barbeque, adjust the grill to highest position, farther away from the coals.  Wrap up the cod, and place on the grill, turning after 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes on each side, open the foil, and drizzle with the remaining marinade. Close the lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the cod is just falling apart. Serve with 2007 Lagar do Castelo albarino.  

Some favorite wines from Classical Wines of Spain:
2008 Martinsancho, Rueda ($16.99) Grapefruit meets yellow and green apple in this crisp white.   The vibrant fruit flavors are complimented by vibrant acidity and a long, smooth finish.
2007 Vina Reboreda, Ribeiro ($11.99)  With a steely backbone, Vina Reboreda offers up flavors of Granny Smith apple and watermelon.   Lean and savory, it is stupendous with steamed clams or mussels.
 2006 Altico “A”, Jumilla ($18.99) From Producer Bodegas Carchelo, Altico is a full bodied 100% Syrah.  “Primary blackberry and blueberry aromas are youthfully unevolved, opening slowly to display subtle graphite and baking spice qualities. Midweight black and blue fruit flavors are strikingly pure, with fine-grained tannins lending support. The sweet fruit lingers impressively on the long, sappy finish, which becomes spicier with air. This is delicious.”   90 points Stephen Tanzer
2005 Montecastro, Ribera del Duero ($47.00)  Powerful and structured, with velvety layers of black fruit, mineral, structured tannins, all balanced with acidity and an amazing persistent finish.   “This rich, expressive red delivers ripe, almost sweet, black currant and blackberry fruit. It has muscular tannins, but there’s enough acidity for balance, as well as a vibrant floral and spice finish.”  93 points Wine Spectator

NEW VINTAGE OF MUGA IS HERE:

It’s an exciting day when the new vintage of Muga Rioja rolls in the door!   Voted the most popular wine from Rioja, it’s definitely a customer favorite.  Even better, lower costs and a better exchange rate have made Muga less expensive this year.
2008 Muga Rioja Blanco Barrel Fermented ($14.99)  Made of 90% viura and 10% malvasia, Muga’s double grape checking, both on selection belt and on tasting the musts, means that 50% of the harvest is excluded. Slow fermentation in new French oak and 3 months on fine lees are the secrets of this careful production process. Aromas of citrus fruit and apple stand out against a background of aromatic herbs such as lavender, thyme and even fennel. There are also aromas derived from its cask fermentation, such as coconut and vanilla. In the mouth, intensity and persistence, while at the same time it remains fresh and lively.
2008 Muga Rioja Rosado ($11.99) Made of 60% Garnacha, 30% Viura and 10% Tempranillo, this is one of our all time favorite rosados.   Salmon colored, light bodied, dry and fresh with flavors of ripe red berry, it is backed by crisp acidity and a honeyed finish.  Great with any seafood, paella, or pork dish.
 2005 Muga Reserva Rioja ($25.99) 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano, the reserva has been aged six months in traditional Rioja vats, 24 months in small oak barrels and 12 months in bottle.  Concentrated black fruit and red berry flavors have nuances of coffee.  With notes of cedar and charred oak, it is balanced on the palate with a delicious and persistent finish.  Bodegas Muga feels that 2001 and 2005 are their best vintages, as they approach the style of a Bordeaux Pomeral while reflecting the unique terrunyo of the vineyard.2001 Prado Enea Gran Reserva ($57.00) From the stellar 2001 vintage, produced from 50 year old vines, the 2001 Prado Enea is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha.  On the nose, aromas of spice and chocolate, wrapped in fruit liqueur.   Balanced and elegant, it is smooth with a long and honest finish.   This is one of the best Prado Eneas produced in recent vintages.

New Foods

Ferrer brand Gazpacho: Arrived today! We now have the familiar red, and the lesser known but no less delicious, white. White gazpacho is made from garlic and almonds.

Fresh (unpasteurized) Luques Olives: These French green olives are meaty and sweet, not soft, salty, or mushy like some olives can be. The green flesh is firm and bright, fruity and crisp.

Dried Black Mission Figs: Soft, ripe and fleshy figs from California.

Dried Cherry: Add a new flavor to your summer salads or try them with broiled pork chops. Plump the cherries with warm bourbon and vermouth and dress the chops. Make a nice sauce by reducing your cherry flavored booze and swirling in some butter.

Three New Fig Spreads: Mittica fig spread with Lemon Flower Honey from Valencia. Mt. Vikos Hazel Nut Fig Spread from Greece. Last but not least, I can’t resist Fig and Cocoa spread. Made with figs, pure cane sugar and cocoa. Warm it and pour over ice cream.

Mittica Homemade Membrillo: Artisanally produced, my favorite way to serve membrillo is by sandwiching it between two triangles of the 1 year raw milk manchego cheese and warming it in the oven for a minute.

Mittica Chestnut Honey in Ceramic Crock: This raw chestnut honey is from the mountains of Asturias and is beautifully packaged in a clay crock. Dark in color with intense aromas and flavor. Try pouring this over a gooey piece of Queso Leonora goat cheese.

Padron Pepper Plants: Our last 14 plants are ready to go in the ground. Plant them now and harvest in July! $4.99 each, 16 plants available.

Planning a party or wedding?  Our wine department has something to fit every event, from budget to collector wines.  We offer a 10% discount on a case of 12 wines.  For easy tapas ingredients, pick up a selection of cured meats and cheeses, or for more involved recipes, we stock hard to find ingredients like harissa and preserved lemons.  Gifts:  For someone setting up a new household, this is the place to get them something useful yet “special” such as a beautiful hand-decorated ceramic bowl and an olivewood salad-serving set. For the cook, a set of cazuelas and a really fabulous cookbook. And for anyone, a big glass pitcher.   Everyone can use a pitcher. I’m a fan of our fruit-embossed Marbella pitcher – perfect for sangria, lemonade, whatever. And it’s made of recycled bottle glass, yet another plus!

Spain Association Paella Contest June 21.   Sponsored by Taberna del Alabardero, the contest is open to anyone who wishes to cook, or just watch and eat.   Prizes awarded for the top three paellas.   For more information, visit http://www.spainassociation.org/

Have a great week and please stop in soon and see us at the shop!   Sincerely,   Sharon Baden & Steve Winston, Owners Spanish Table

Turkey Day

November 25th, 2008

All of a sudden it is Thanksgiving and Christmas is only a month away!  We are closed Thanksgiving Day (but Steve will be in the store with his power saw and sander doing a little carpentry – there are no days off for small businessmen) but this Friday – Saturday – Sunday, all books and CDs are 10% off!  If you are able to come in, pick up some of our imported Puebla style Red Mole and turn your left over turkey into a Mexican feast.  Left over turkey also translates into paella with a little help from some saffron and a jar of piquillo pepper strips!  Or if you are making classic turkey sandwiches (a must-have at our house), serve them with some of our Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips.
Meanwhile, there are new arrivals in our cold case:
Pate is an essential entertaining food in Barcelona and this is pate season in Seattle.
Pate de Campangne with Black Pepper:  A traditional recipe with origins in the French countryside, this country-style (campagne) pâté is a thick, coarsely-textured treasure seasoned with piquant black pepper. The uneven, super spread-able paste is created using seasonings and fats, added to bring out the flavor in meats.
Truffle Mousse Pate:  Made from pork and chicken liver and flavored with Sherry. This mousse has an unbelievable silky texture.
Winter Cheeses:
Pasamontes 4 month Raw Milk Manchego:  Pasamontes is the DO award winner of Manchego and unlike cheaper industrial cheeses it is made slowly over 4 months with unpasteurized milk. Intensely nutty with a strong bouquet and a long finish on the palate.
Afuega=l Pitu Red:  One of the oldest and most prolific Asturian cheeses, and rarely brought to the USA. This fresh cow=s milk cheese is mixed with paprika, wrapped in a cloth and aged for one month. The subtly chalky/creamy texture of this cheese melts in your mouth like cream cheese and has just the perfect amount of heat.
Bulgarian Feta: Our all time favorite sheep=s milk feta. This feta has got some hurrrummph! It has just the right amount of tang with a rustic twist.
Bulk Olives:
Thasos Olives:  We picked up these high quality olives from our local Greek importer. Thasos Olives are Greek prepared olives made from Thrubolea olives. They are made on Thasos (aka Thasou), in the northern Aegean Sea.  The olives are harvested when fully black and wrinkled. They are dry-cured, and then packed in olive oil.  They have a strong, rich flavor and are chewy and meaty.
Pitted Kalamata Olives: Also from our local Greek importer, Kalamatas that are a dark eggplant color and have a flavor that is rich and fruity. They are marinated in red wine vinegar.
Taramosalata:  Taramosalata is a Greek style caviar spread made from the delicate roe of carp. Krinos Taramosalata uses roe that is naturally cured and aged over one year. It can be served as a vegetable dip or a spread on crackers. No preservatives, no artificial ingredients.
Chistorra:  This  Basque style 6inch long sausage is great to fry up with potatoes for breakfast or with rice for dinner.
Top Wines for Thanksgiving weekend and the December holidays:
Rosado:  Dry Spanish rosé not only look festive in the glass but pair perfectly with the variety of flavors which make up Thanksgiving dinner.   From savory dressings, creamed vegetables and gravy, a high-acid rose cuts through rich foods and refreshes the palate like nothing else.
Our favorite roses:   2007 Muga Rosado Rioja ($13.99) and 2007 Cune Rosado ($11.99)
Emilio Moro, Ribera del Duero $29.99:  AThe reasonably priced 2004 Emilio Moro is a terrific Ribera del Duero.  Its dense ruby color is followed by a projected nose of blackberries, currants, cherries, smoky oak and crushed rock.  Terrific texture, purity and a long heady finish, suggest it will keep for 7-8 years.@  92 points Wine Enthusiast   
Remelluri, Rioja $34.99: We have two vintages on hand: A small amount of the suave and graceful 2001 vintage and the latest, 2003 release.  The 2001 is sophisticated and polished with earthy and ripe fruit.  The 2003 is elegant, fresh and poised with a chewy texture and a peppery kick.     Either would be stunning with Thanksgiving dinner, or buy one bottle of each and have a vertical tasting!
VIU 1, Valle de Colchagua, Chile:  You probably have never paid $65 for a bottle of Chilean wine.  This is the reason you should.  Viu 1 is only produced in outstanding years, with  premium grapes hand sorted for consistent ripeness.  A blend of 94% Malbec and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in barrel for 20 months, it is a limited release of 11,333 numbered bottles.  Hedonistic, with flavors of black cherry, leather and truffle and voluptuous tannins, it was unanimously the winner of a blind tasting we attended recently, where it stood head and shoulders above the other 13 wines tasted that night.
2003 Tahuan Syrah Mendoza $19.99: Ernesto Catena, son of respected winemaker Nicholas Catena, is producing  stellar Malbecs and Syrahs from his Tahuan winery.  The 2003 Syrah, grown at an elevation of 1700 meters contains 7% Bonarda which gives it a fresh juiciness. With spice, a hint of smoke and toast flavors, balanced acidity rounds out this plush wine.   AY with rich texture and mouth filling notes of coffee and currant comfiture, warm fig sauce and dark cocoa. Rich, fleshy finish has nice buried grip.@ 89 points Wine Spectator
2006 CARM Douro Superior ($15.99) A blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, CARM is a superb expression of terroir.  Ripe blackberries, mulberry, and black cherry introduce this wine, followed by seductive flavors of black fig and licorice.  The finish has hints of toasted oak, warm spicy fruit and silky texture.  89 points Wine Spectator
2005 CARM Grande Reserva Douro ($39.00) Produced from the best vineyards, the Grande Reserva has intense floral aromas with ripe plum and blueberries.   With  concentrated black fruit liqueur flavors and fine tannins, the oak is well integrated.  Balanced and smooth with a full mouthfeel and persistent finish, this elegant wine will pair well with roast meats or game.  89 points Wine Spectator   
We also stock rich flavored Carm Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the same property in Portugal.
2003 Vila Santa, Alentejo ($14.99)  Joao Portugal Ramos is one of the most widely known winemakers in the south of Portugal, making wines in several regions.  His 2003 Vila Santa needs about 30 minutes of air to release its full floral aromas, but the wait will be rewarded!   Dusty boysenberry flavors with hints of cherry pit and pencil lead are supported by sweet tannins.  With medium acidity and a long toasted finish, Vila Santa is a natural match with a rich Thanksgiving dinner.
 
Best wishes to you and your family and friends!