Showing posts with label Rioja. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rioja. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Artadi
One of my favorite producers of red wine in the world is Artadi from Rioja, Spain. They make wines in the hundreds of dollars per bottle and they are worth it. Their introductory wine under the Artadi name is Vinas de Gain. It sells for $29.99 a bottle. It was wicked awesome with sausage stuffed pork over Tuscan white beans. Yeah, it's a Tuscan dish, but I love pork with Rioja. I enjoy when a wine evolves over the course of an evening in the glass. This wine gave me much enjoyment. I can use all the wine buzz words, you know, great fruit, hints of smoke, spice and wood, but words don't work here. This is one you have to try for yourself. Oh, it's delicious with any meat cooked on a grill, but NO barbque sauce.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Peanut Butter and Jelly
I love the classic matches, bacon and eggs, peanut butter and jelly and Champagne and caviar, even though I hate caviar, but I get how it works. I am nominating pork and Rioja as the new classic match.
This past Easter my sister-in-law regaled the family with a ham and a pork loin on the bone. Among her guests were a couple visiting her parents from Barcelona, Spain. Since I was in charge of bringing the wine, I opted for a variety of red wines including a few from Spain. The fruitier reds were a nice match with the ham, always go for fruit with ham to counterbalance the sweetish glaze, but the Rioja and the pork created oohs and aahs from myself and the guests. Everyone got it!
The simple Rioja, Vina Hermina $12.99 at the store, was enhanced by the pork and the pork brought out the best in the wine. Synergy! It seemed like the pork smoothed out the edges in the wine and brought out the best flavors. The wine in concert with the pork seemed to make the meat juicier and more flavorful. Gah, just re-read what I just wrote and this is one instance where 1000 words are not worth one taste.
Next time you are roasting or grilling pork, whether ribs, chops or loins, serve any red Rioja and taste what I am attempting to write about. Caveat, it doesn't work with barbeque sauce.
This past Easter my sister-in-law regaled the family with a ham and a pork loin on the bone. Among her guests were a couple visiting her parents from Barcelona, Spain. Since I was in charge of bringing the wine, I opted for a variety of red wines including a few from Spain. The fruitier reds were a nice match with the ham, always go for fruit with ham to counterbalance the sweetish glaze, but the Rioja and the pork created oohs and aahs from myself and the guests. Everyone got it!
The simple Rioja, Vina Hermina $12.99 at the store, was enhanced by the pork and the pork brought out the best in the wine. Synergy! It seemed like the pork smoothed out the edges in the wine and brought out the best flavors. The wine in concert with the pork seemed to make the meat juicier and more flavorful. Gah, just re-read what I just wrote and this is one instance where 1000 words are not worth one taste.
Next time you are roasting or grilling pork, whether ribs, chops or loins, serve any red Rioja and taste what I am attempting to write about. Caveat, it doesn't work with barbeque sauce.
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