Jane's Weekly Wines from the Atlanta Wine School PRINT AND GO VERSION March 30th, 2006 The Wines of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal) *************************************************************************************** RETAILERS WHO SUPPORT THIS COLUMN AND HAVE HAD THIS LIST OF WINES IN ADVANCE. Pearson's Wines of Atlanta, 3072 Early St Nw Atlanta, GA 30305 -- 404-231-8752 Corner Wine & Art, 1402 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306 -- 404-875-8810 Home Town Wine & Spirits, 4856 Hog Mountain Rd, Flowery Branch, GA --770-965-6058 The Colors of Wine, 2355 Cumberland Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339 -- 770-432-2828 Sigman Bottle Shop, 425 Sigman Road - Conyers, GA 30012 -- 770-929-8797 Shiraz, 675 Pulaski Street, Suite 400, Athens, GA 30601 -- 706-208-0010 Windward Beverage, 12915 Hwy 9, Alpharetta, GA 30004 -- 678-566-3301 IS YOUR WINE SHOP NOT LISTED HERE? HAVE THEM CALL 770-668-0435 *************************************************************************************** Condes de Albarei Albariño 2004 Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain Medium bodied dry white wine with a bit of sprits; medium yellow. Intense apple/peach aromas, and a suggestion of quince, with flavors that suggest yellow stone fruit and a baked apple custard. Lively acidity well balanced with fruit ensures a long apple-focused finish. Crisp, clean, zingy. Great value wine. Grape type: Albariñ (pronounced al-bar-EE-nyo); also the white wine grape of Vinho Verde on the other side of the Minho River in Portugal, where it's spelled alvarinho and pronounced al-var-EE-nyu. Serve moderately chilled, about 50-55 degrees in tulip-shaped white wine glasses. The ultimate seafood wine: Grilled scallops, with or without rémoulade, fish (such as cod or hake) in salsa verde, (i.e., butter, wine and fresh minced herbs); crab-stuffed tilapia or flounder; grilled trout; crab cakes. Also sundry tapas, such as chicken croquetas; tiny potatoes stuffed with herbed Boursin, grilled garlic shrimp, cornmeal-.crusted trout or other mild sweet fish Empire Distributing $10 87 ************************************************************************************* Bodegas Val de Sil Pezas da Portella Godello 2002 Valdeorras, Spain Full-bodied dry white wine; deep gold. Exotic aromas of quince, ginger, aromatic spices; flavors focus on exotic golden fruits, such as quince, Asian pear apple, touch of mango. Fine acidity holds it all together. Touches of aromatic spice here and there. Mysterious, exotic and compelling, with each sip revealing yet another nuance, such as the taste of honey. Decant this one a few minutes ahead of serving, as a little swirling opens it substantially. Grape type: godello, pronounced go-DAY-yo. Very cool, about 55 degrees, in tulip-shaped white wine glasses. Exotically flavored foods: toasted cous cous salad with pistachios, golden raisins, honey; grilled pork or chicken with apple sausages; grilled shrimp with mango salsa or mango chutney; mild curries with chicken or shrimp; paella; Chinese pork or chicken dishes Quality Wine & Spirits $40 90 ************************************************************************************* Condesa de Leganza Rosado 2004 La Mancha, Spain Medium-bodied dry rosé wine; translucent light ruby red. Intense strawberry aromas, tilting to wild strawberry, lively mouth-filling red fruit flavors, with strawberry, red raspberry and red cherry making their marks. Juicy fruit, with good acidity and even some tannin. (Grapes macerated for 10 hours on the skins, so that makes sense.) Don't think sappy when you see its color. It finishes dry, and leaves the palate clean and refreshed. Very well balanced. Grape: Tempranillo. Don't overchill. About 55 degrees in white wine glasses. Tapas wine: ham croquetas; Serrano ham; chorizo and other cured meats; empanadas, cold or warm eggplant dishes; Southern fare: Slightly spicy fried chicken; barbecue; meatloaf. . Mexican fare: fajitas, burritos, enchiladas; Asian fare: Chinese barbecued ribs; Korean boolgogi; Malaysian pancakes with beef National Distributing Company $10 87 ************************************************************************************* Bodegas da Touriga Terrazas de Duoro 2003 Duoro, Portugal Full-bodied dry red wine; translucent ruby red. Still slightly closed nose (so decanting would be a good idea). What comes through is aromatic spice, with sweet dark fruit aromas; flavors focus on dark plum, with solid but silky fruit-derived tannins for structure. Good acidity. Fruit is fresh and lively. Grapes: Mostly Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (a/k/a Tempranillo) and Tinta Barroca. Stainless steel fermentation plus brief French oak barrel aging. Good value. Winery suggests decanting two hours before. Likely 2-6 years of cellaring ok. Cool room temperature, about 60 degrees, for serving in a mediu-bowled tulip-shaped glass, such as the Riedel Zinfandel glass. Smoked meats (awesome with Patak's smoked liverwurst); smoked lamb shank with slightly sweet barbecue sauce); spicy (but not hot) sausages such as linguiça (a classic Protuguese sausage), mild Italian sausage, or especially chorizo; braised chicken thighs, rabbit, pork or veal with caramelized onions (lovely!), grilled steak or lamb chops; firm sheep's milk cheeses Continental Beverage $12 86 ************************************************************************************* ScalaDei Vi Negre 2002 Priorat, Spain Medium-bodied dry red wine; translucent medium dark cherry. Shy but clean, inviting aromas focused on red cherry, with spice nuances (cinnamon hearts). Delicious red (cherry/raspberry) and dark fruit (plum) flavors, with brown spice notes, easy tannins and a smooth, if not particularly long, finish. Grape type: Garnatxa (pronounced gar-NAT-cha), as expressed in the local language, Catalán (or Garnacha in Spanish/Grenache in French). Stainless steel. Serve at a cool temperature, about 55 degrees, to emphasize the fruit. Fine choice for casual meals. Use a medium-bowled tulip-shaped glass. Lighter meats: Cured meats (chorizo); Serrano ham; salamis. Also grilled veal chop, quail or squab; legume dishes, such as black bean chili or even salad; lasagna or similar layered meat casseroles; braised chicken thighs with caramelized onions; roast or grilled pork tenderloin; grilled eggplant dishes; braised rabbit or veal; mild, creamy bleu cheeses, such as Cambozola (awesome). Also black olives. Savannah Distributing $15 87 ************************************************************************************* Traslanzas 2001 Cigales, Spain Medium/full-bodied dry red wine; deep nearly opaque Aromas tumble dark fruits (plums) and the suggestion of dried herb, and sweet tobacco. Flavors are complex, with fruit, dried herb, and aromatic brown spice creating layers of flavors. Firm but not rough tannins. Intense, but elegant. Supremely long finish. Grape: Tinto del País, a/k/a Tempranillo, from high-altitude vines planted in 1945. Low yields. Oak: Alliers (France) and Pennsylvania. But wine is not "oaky." Located just west of highly touted Ribera del Duero, Cigales (pronounced thee-GAL-ace) is the new "hot" D.O. in Spain for red wine, although some white grapes also are grown (albillo and verdejo). Wines from Cigales are rare in Atlanta. Serve at cool room temperature, about 60 degrees, in tulip-shaped glasses with generous bowls. Rich dishes: Patak's smoked liverwurst; braised garlic-studded short ribs of beef with creamy mashed p9otaotes; grilled sausages and cured ones, such as chorizo; braised chicken thighs with caramelized onions; tournedos Rossini (with foie gras); beef Wellington, rich stews, game, creamy bleu cheeses such as Cambozola Empire Distributing $40 92