Google Analytics -

Seems this blog has some visitors from Florida, New York, and Down Under....post a comment and say hello.

A Good Wine From Spain

The right, you read that correctly. I had a good wine from Spain recently, from the region of Catalunya.

This wine is a value, priced at under $20.00. Full bodied, very consistent. Ruby color, cherry, plum and blackberry on the palate with a licorice finish.

A bit about Spain & Wine -

Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles.

Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces.

Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain.

Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. -

Source: - Catavino.net

Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos and Amontillados. But apart from Sherry, Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre.

The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now.

The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial).

Based on in-spain.info.

2004 Bella's Garden - Barossa Shiraz

I recently found a bottle that is now safely resting in the new cellar.

#10 in the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2006!

95 points and a Highly Recommended designation from the Wine Spectator: "Dark, deep and impressively focused, a massive wall of delicious fruit -- cherry, pomegranate, raspberry and red plum are among the first to appear -- tempered with refined tannins that let the flavors sail on and on through the extended finish. Best from 2007 through 2020. 1,500 cases imported."

(02/06) 94 pointd Robert Parker: "From the Barossa, the inky/ruby/purple-hued 2004 Shiraz Bella’s Garden offers notions of mint, blackberries, smoke, dusty earth, and a distinctive licorice and creme de cassis character.

This layered, full-bodied, powerful (all of these wines have 15-16% alcohol), stunningly complex, rich, impressive Shiraz requires 2-3 years of cellaring, and should keep for 10-15." (04/06)

Wine Cellar

The new wine cellar is almost complete. The only thing left to do are the floors. The celler can hold about 100 bottles now.

Coriole - Estate Shiraz

A recent visit to Seven Seas for a special occasion gave me the opportunity to try a very nicely aged Shiraz.

This bottle was from the 2000 vintage. The nose was excellent and offered a very pronounced fruit / berry aroma. The body was full, as you would expect from a heavier Shiraz with a dark purple color. The legs were long lasting the finish was about 20 seconds.

It paired excellent with the meal I was having which was a black pepper rubbed sirloin steak. The wine could stand up to the seasoning and then some.

I would recommend this wine to anyone who truly enjoys a full bodied red, just save room for dessert, because it was great with the Black Forest Torte I had.

Enjoy till next time......

Time To Update

It has been a while, and it is time to update the blog. This weekend I should have some pics of the new wine cellar, updates on recent purchases, and of course a review or two.