Sparkling Mojito Spanish Style

The Summer is almost here so lets hope all this fine weather lasts, as it sure makes one thirsty .Over the the weekend I discovered a great new refreshing drink that is not as heavy in alcohol as the familiar rum based Mojito because you  use Cava instead. It sure was a big hit at our brunch as it`s much lighter and not nearly as pricey as a bottle of rum. I used my favourite Cava called Maria Casanova, which  has a lovely rich palate, fine bubbles and a touch of nuttiness that reminds me of a vintage champagne.

 It could not be easier to make this cocktail: all you will need is crushed ice, fresh mint, some Cava and sugar syrup. Add mint to glass, muddle it  until it is crushed and will therefore infuse the rest of your drink.Add a dash of sugar syrup then fill  with the crushed ice to the top of a high ball glass, and add Cava.

Serve with a  cocktail umbrella and a straw.

Julie

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La Cruz Tempranillo-Syrah 2008

  There are some really great value red wines coming out of Spain at the moment. Quaffable,soft, fruity and ready-to-drink Tempranillos are everywhere and are giving New World wines a run for their money as crowd pleasers.
 However if like myself you prefer more to a red wine than strawberry and jam flavours alone, this is well worth a try. A blend of 70% Tempranillo and 30 % Syrah this has a lot more going on than you would expect for the price tag actually about €4 to €5 more. It has all the red fruit aromas and flavours you would expect from the tempranillo grape but a gorgeous earthiness and spice backs it up. Aged for 4 months in oak givng it gorgeous vanilla complexity. The grapes come from all their own vineyards which surround their 100 year old cellar just 10 km outside Toledo which was once the capital of Spain. During my year in Spain we visited this stunning walled city which is situated about an hour south of Madrid. The Díaz Bermejo family have been making wine since 1996 when they took over Finca Loranque. This red is their entry level wine and if you can get past the hideous label, worth every penny of the €9.49 price tag.

Till Next Time
Clare
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Muga Reserva Especial 2005

  Arriving to the New Zealand wine fair with only an hour to go, it was a bit of a dash trying to get around to as many suppliers as possible to try new vintages and offerings for the coming year so a relaxing glass of wine was well deserved come six o clock! Thankfully as a result of many rubberarmed colleagues,  a gang of us ended up in Olesya's wine bar, Exchequer Streeet. It was my first time here but I had heard plenty of great things about this place and judging from the full tables on a Monday night in January the rumours had spread. Looking around the tables, the food looked delicious and the antipasti plate we ordered was probably the best I have had in Dublin.

 The wine was a little harder to make a decision on as the wine list is so extensive and includes a great selection of wine by the glass which is a good one to note for future visits. We eventually settled on a bottle of Muga Seleccion Especial 2005 from Rioja, €49 on their list. It is a Tempranillo based wine but there is a small proportion of Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano in it also. It spends 6 months in oak vats, 30 months in wooden barrell and a further year in bottle before being released resulting in a huge big compex wine. Toasty and nutty with tempranillo aromas of dark cherries and red fruits. In the mouth it was velevty smooth and had great weight to it. The smokiness and spiciness complimented the fresh fruit flavours and went on long after the last drop.  As I was the only female there I managed to pull the chivalry card and grab the last glass which might not be very new -womanish but a girls got to do what a girls gotta do!
Till Next Time
Clare
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Martin Codax Albarino in Berlin!



"Not another Riesling, pleease!"

   After a busy month of all work and no play, a weekend away was badly needed so a last minute brainwave saw us booked onto a flight to Berlin to ring in the New Year.  Determined to try to get to the end of as many bottles of Riesling as possible over the weekend and with my two trusted and willing comrades in tow by the Sunday we were Riesling-ed and Schnitzel-ed out of it! A change of tack was needed so we headed to the nearest tapas bar in Mitte and settled in for the night. Still happy to veer away from Sauvignon Blanc(their tipple of choice) but on the condition that neither the word trocken or halbtrocken be seen anywhere near the bottle... we really had over done the "when in Rome". It was one of those amazing dark taverns lit solely by candlelight with tiles on the walls and napkins all over the floor, ironically typically Spanish! It would have seemed weird to order anything from their extensive list but a Spanish wine. We went for the Martin Codax Albarino which was ridiculously good value on their list at €20 and one we sell in Cellars so knew it would put a smile on the girls' faces! Straw yellow and bright in colour. A nose full of apples which I thought might be a problem as slightly reminiscent of the last Riesling we had drunk but had a lovely vegetal or herbal undertone. On the palate it was so fresh there was a slight zing to it. Full-bodied with some lemon flavours and minerality on the finish. Quite dry but lovely balanced acidity which worked really well with the tonne of seafood we ordered!

Feeling a little tender on our way home we decided our next weekender might be to Spain and an authentic Spanish tapas bar. Definitely more a patatas bravas than a sauerkraut kind of girl...

Great start to 2011, thanks girls xx

Till Next time

Clare

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Tapas and a bottle of Rioja... Heaven!



The Port House, Pembroke District, Dundrum Town Centre



 Met Ruthie after work last night to try out a new haunt in Dundrum, The Port House. To be honest had tried out their branch in town when it first opened a couple of years ago and was not that impressed with it but maybe I was just unlucky as it had been a particularly busy night and a gang of us were squashed onto a table that should really only have sat half of us. Last night was a totally different experience though and the atmosphere seems way more chilled out from that of the one in town. Spread over two of the Pembroke cottages, unlike most of the restaurants in Dundrum there is plenty of room between tables and lit by candlelight with exposed brick walls it has a cellar feel to it. Loads to choose from on the menu but we settled for calamares with aioli mayo, bouquerones,  goats cheese salad and chorizo in a red wine sauce with onions. One nicer than the next! They have a pretty extensive wine list with most of the Spanish appelations covered. Good value also as we paid €26 for the Ibericos Rioja Crianza which I sell in Cellars for €12.99. This is Torres' Rioja and relatively new to Ireland. Everything you expect from a crianza from it's deep red appearance to the blackberries and blueberries on the nose with an oaky spiciness. Really velvety and round in the mouth and the spice coming through on the finish. A really great offering for house wine prices. Dessert was pretty amazing also; I went for home made doughnuts with hot chocolate and Ruthie had her all time favourite creme brulee. You won't be able to keep us away from this place now that we have found it and with a smoking area being finished off  in the next week or two it is like it was purpose built for us WOW girls. Have we found our new headquarters?!

Till Next time

Clare

Cellars, the Big Wine Warehouse

Lalama 2006 Bodega Dominio Do Bibei Ribeira Sacra

La Ribeira Sacra or Sacred hillside, a barely accessible rural wine region in Northwestern Spain's vast mountainous Galicia (350 miles northwest of Madrid) is a exciting emerging region, and one to keep your eye on.Lalama is made from the Mencia grape, which has been a grape to watch for some time now and finally they seem to be getting it right . I have high hopes for this grape variety and know we are going to see a lot more of it in the future .All the Lalma harvest was done by hand. The vines are from 15 to 100 years old all grown at high altitude.

We discovered this wine only a few months ago, and have sold out already but don't worry there is more due any minute.We are running a  promotion on it , down from €23.99 to €19.99 so it just flew out.

It reminds me of a mature red burgundy for half the price. Its crimson fruit with a savoury touch works really well with most red meats. The wine is one to decant as it just seems to get better the longer it is open and it is really well balanced with lots of fruit .
One to share with that someone special on a Saturday night  for sure.

Enjoy,

Julie
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Cuatro Pasos Bierzo 2008

 The name translates directly to Four Steps and is called after the four bear pawprints that were found in an ancient vineyard in the highest area of Bierzo, Spain where this wine is from.  Cuatro Pasos also relates to the four steps to making a beautiful wine according to producer Martin Codax which are; selection of the land, care for the vine, climate and vinification.

Bierzo Valley

El Bierzo region itself was only recognised as a D.O. in 1989 making it one of the newest in spain. It is situated 3 hours in-land from Rias Baixas in the Northwest just over Portugal. The main grape varity planted here is Mencia of which this wine is 100%. There has been much confusion to the origins of this grape which was once thought to be Cabernet Franc and later linked to the Portugese grape Jaen du Dao although lately Mencia has been recognised as an indigeneous grape of Spain. It is thought that this grape was brought to the area by pilgrims travelling on the nearby Camino de Santiago. El Bierzo sits in a valley and has it's own micro - climate which is a mix between humid Galicia and sunny Castille with the valley protecting it from harsh winter frosts. All grapes for this wine come from an  average of 80year old vines and is aged for 2 months in American and French oak. The result is a fresh cherry red with purplish hues and a nose of peppers, licquorice and red fruits. On the palate the wine is medium to full-bodied with smooth mouth-feel, plenty of red fruit flavours and subtle oak on the finish.

 Had three of my pals over for dinner on Sunday evening and as funds were tight after an eventful weekend, I trotted off to Dunnes with 23 euro coins in my pockets. They had a special going on mince meat and a two for three on the dolmio range so it was decided upon, my old favourite lasagne. Something very comforting about a sloppy plate of lasagne, salad and hot bread. Needless to say the wine was not included in the €23 but one of the girls who was obviously equally as strapped as myself brought Cuatro Pasos along. I say this as I had actally given this bottle to her as a present when she arrived back from completing the Camino de Santiago the month previous. Two of the girls were driving so myself and herself enjoyed a couple of glasses each and she took the empty bottle home with her as we decided it would be rude for her not to - I had bought it AND drank it so fair is fair!!

 I have a serious soft spot for Spanish wines after living in Madrid for a year and can be quite biased towards everything Spanish, this section in the shop is taking over! It is nice to try something other than Tempranillo from Spain and this is delicious and worth a try for €13.99.

Till Next time


Clare
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Paco & Lola Albarino-Girl Power!

This winery was born from the vision of a young female team to create one of Spain’s most modern and dynamic wineries. As one of the leading wineries of the region they represent hundreds of experienced wine growers who contribute their knowledge, craft and family winemaking traditions.

This wine is grown and created in the Rias Baixas wine region in the northwest of Spain and is one of Spain’s leading ‘Denominations of Origin’ and a region that has experienced a period of revolutionary change and growth in recent years, evolving our ancient traditions into an exciting presen

Paco & Lola comes from 500 sun-kissed acres of vineyards in Meaño, an area considered to be the cradle of Albariño grape growing. In the heart of the Salnés Valley, this special area of northwest Spain is making some of the country’s most interesting white wines.




Let yourself be seduced by the aromas of spring and the fresh structured and enveloping flavours. It has beautiful weight and viscosity and is a pleasure to drink

The video below is of Rosalia de Castro from Bodega Vitivinícola Arousana with myself and half! of AllyMc Alpine during a recent visit to The Vintry.

Hasta Luego!
Evelyn

Jean Leon Merlot 2004

On the 4th of August, 1962, Jean León  delivered a meal from his notorious restaurant in Hollywood to the tragic actresses, Marilyn  Monroe's home. He was one of the last people to see her alive and never spoke about the night again. Marilyn was a regular diner at his restaurant, La Scala, where she apparently sat at the same table (No.14) every night. On that particular night she had placed a phone call directly to Jean complaining of feeling ill and asked him to bring a meal to her house in Brentwood. The next day she was found dead. Marilyn was among many famous guests who frequented his restaurant including actors such as Paul Newman, Fred Astaire and Marlon Brando to name but a few.

 La Scala was the "in" restaurant to be seen in Beverly Hills and opened it's doors in 1953. Originally, the restaurant was a dream of León's and his best pal James Dean who was able to provide the financial backing through his successes in films such as "Rebel Without A Cause" and "East of Eden". Tragically Dean died before they were realised but León  was determined to fulfill them even despite of his heartbreak. He borrowed the money from a local bank and La Scala opened it's doors in 1956. Diners not only included legendary actors but also presidents such as Regan, Kennedy and Nixon however it was a far call from where León  had started.
 Originally from Santander in northern Spain, his childhood was tough but despite this he was determined to get on and stowed away on a boat to New York when he was just 19 years old. Jean (real name Ceferino Carrión) worked washing dishes bringing him from the East to the West coast where he eventually arrived in Hollywood where his luck changed! After a stint in the army which gave him citizenship he found work in Holywoods trendiest restaurant of the time, Villa Capri. He mingled with the stars here and struck up a friendship with Dean. It was around this time that he changed his name to Jean León as it was fashionable amongst the stars he hung out with to do so and presumably a lot easier to pronounce.

 In all his years in the restaurant business , Jean León (pictured far left)  still held out a dream to own his own vineyards and in 1964 this was fulfilled when he built his own winery in the Penedés region of his beloved Spain. He imported french varietals from some of the best Bordeaux chateaus such as Château Lafitte-Rothschild, La Lagune and Corton Charlemagne. He employed Jaume Rovira to work along side him and create elegant wines whilst staying away from the typicity of the region.

 This has been a wine that has been in Cellars for the last 3 years and while quite pricey at €24.99 still surprises me how it is not flying off the shelf. it has a beautiful cherry colour which disguises it's age well. on the nose it is full of cherry aromas, spice and evidence of oak ageing  . On the palate there is balckberries and cherries with refined tannins. Beautifully structured and smooth. T was away for a few days with her girlfriends so T was over for dinner in 66 and we really enjoyed this steak covered in ratatouille, baked potatoes and green salad.

Jean Leon spent his last 2 years on his boat, La Scala a Mare however Jaume Rovira still oversees all winemaking at the winery keeping up the standards that Leon built over his life. this is a truly unbelievable wine and behind it an incredible story of a man rising up and fulfiling his dreams.
Till Next time

Clare
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Vega Real, Ribera del Duero

After a family barbecue on Saturday night, Sunday started a little sore. The weather from my bedroom window seemed overcast, which in view of my heavy head suited me to remain horizontal. I emerged at around 3pm, starving and to discover that my bedroom window may need to be cleaned. Blue skies and really warm. We decided on prawns and a big glass of Spanish red. I usually pick up some nice fat frozen king prawns in Superquinn but we had overlooked the fact that not only was every person in Dublin barbecuing but they had been to the supermarket at least 5 hours before us. After travelling to 3 shops we settled on a bag of uncomfortably small de-shelled frozen prawns.
The prawns were a disaster but the bottle of Vega Real made up for the rubbery- water injected- pretend shell fish.
This wine punches way above it's weight. A dark black cherry colour in the glass. The nose has the Spanish earthiness that always makes my mouth water, some dark red fruit and a slick of liquorice. The palate is smooth and full-bodied. The fruit ripe and big with a nice savoury finish.
Wines from Ribera del Duero are a serious favourite of mine. Try Crianzas and Resevas during the colder months and Jovens are ideal for barbecue season. All work exceptionally well with roasted or slow cooked meats but also mask cremated red meats very well. Forget scraping or binning just serve plenty of this and no barbecue guest will even notice. Best summer catering tip I've ever received and forget about frozen prawns - a definite no!
O&O

Ruth.

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Pere Ventura, Cava, Rosat.

The final sparkling of our last Country Mix slot is a fizz that should appeal to those that find Brut Cava, n.v Champagne or Crements a little too dry. This is a semi-sec Cava from the Cava region of Penedes in Northern Spain.
This also won the 2009 Gold Star Award for Sparkling wine under €25.
A raspberry cool-aid colour in the glass with good bubbles. The nose is like a summer fruit salad of soft red berries with a slight yeastiness. The palate is strawberries with a creaminess, sweet fruit and good fizz.
When holidaying in Northern Spain a couple of years ago we spent a good bit of time in this Cava bar.Not an English speaking person in sight nor a seat or table. The set-up was slightly alien to us Irish. On purchasing a bottle of the 4 Cavas on offer you were force fed - for free!!. If seen from the high counter, four man deep bar by one of the fast speaking Cava bar employees they would harass you until you were holding something resembling red meat in a bun wrapped in a white paper napkin. The food was delicious and the more you drank the better both the Cava and the food tasted. So, as served in your local Cava bar try red meat with this Rosat, if this doesn't float your food pairing boat try one of Darina Allen's Summer puddings or just chill and drink instead of a Cosmopolitan- Worked well in my house last Saturday.
O&O

Ruth.

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Lusteau East India Sherry

Believe you me this is a Sensational food and wine match.

Chocolate and Sherry, (We sold out of it when we put it on tasting in the shop!)

The name originates from the 16^th century when the casks of sherry were used as ballast on the ships sailing to the Indies.

It was there they discovered how the wines benefited considerably in quality from the long sea journey and also the impact of the heat on the wine as they travelled across the equator. It is a blend of 2 quality mature wines, Oloroso and Pedro Xiemenaz.

Best drunk as a digestive with sweet pudding , creme brulee or chocolate dessert.

Colour. Amber, caramel,

Nose. Melted toffee, walnuts

Palate. Nuts, lovely weight on the palate not cloying, lovely balance with a fantastic finish that seems to linger on

The 375ml bottle retails  €14.99 and one to have in the fridge as a little treat, it is 20% alc. So will last up to a month once opened. Delicious!

Cheers,

Julie
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Terrai Blanco 2009

 Had this white a couple of weeks ago up in T&T's and couldn't believe it when I was told it had a price tag of €6.99. I am not a huge fan of Macabeo or Viura as it is called in Rioja and more and more winemakers seem to be blending it these days with a small bit of sauvignon blanc but this 100% Macabeo really is a little gem. Dad cooked prawns in a coconut, lime and spicy sauce and it worked really well with it. It was fresh, crisp and zingy. Aromas of citrus fruits especially limes. On the palate it is light and refreshing with well balanced acidity.
  It is from Cariñena which is a D.O. in Aragón in Northern Spain and has a continental climate which apparently contributes to the characteristics of wines from this region. This D.O. is one of the oldest in Europe, established in 1932. It is mostly a red wine region and the Terrai does come in a red which is 100% Tempranillo and also a medium dry rosé all selling for €6.99. We sold out of the white and red within a week when 2 couples chose it for their weddings and now that the sunny weather is upon us we have ordered their pink. Perfect mid-week dinner wine or for relaxing with after a day's work in the evening sun.

Till Next Time
Clare

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PAZO BARRANTES ALBARIŇO 2008

 

Ok so this was meant to wait but it has been sitting in our wine rack for the last week waiting for a visitor to impress but "66" has been mighty quiet of late so I cracked last night. I first tasted this a couple of months back at a trade tasting and again when Frans Kerstens(export manager) visited us in Cellars earlier this month and had been pretty excited about getting it into the shop as I have 5 customers who are big  albariño fans and knew it would go down a treat with them.
 This vineyard is owned by Marqués de Murrieta, the famous Rioja producers which I have blogged about previously. The Count of Creixell acquired this property in 1991 and restored it's 16th century Galician palace to it's former glory.The palace is surrounded by vineyards all of which are albariño and used in this single estate wine. By growing the grapes themselves they are able to keep a close eye on how they are grown and picked therefore ensuring only the top grapes are used.
Weather in Rias Baixas is windy and rainy so grapes need to be trained high to allow them to dry out and catch the sun when it's out, as seen here with the Pazo in the background. The grapes are handpicked, harvest starting the end of September and finishing on the 4th of October for this vintage. They are sorted by hand and fermented on their lees for approxiamtely 5 months giving depth and intensity to the wine. Released on to the market after 2 months in bottle.
 I was actually hoping there was a bit of a story behind this label as I do like a good tale but apparently they are the traditional local shoes of the Galician area - disappointing! The wine certainly isn't though. It is a lovely golden colour with peaches, apricots and oranges on the nose. There is a lovely weight to this wine and a creaminess that I don't think is normally evident in albariño as it is quite an acidic grape. A dry white with a lovely long finish. Again this is pricey at €21.99 and like most albariños is just made for seafood although Lou was on cooking duty last night and it wasn't half bad with our stable summer diet of chicken, mushrooms and tomato salsa.

Till Next Time
Clare

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Spanish Flavours

CountryMix_2010-04-21_10-20-00 1:00:00

This week we are off to Spain...

Many  people when they think of Spanish holidays think of two  weeks on the beach in somewhere like the Costa del Sol or the Costa Dorada  and  when they think of Spanish wine they only  think  of tasty Rioja or easy drinking  Sangre de Toro. Let me just say that there is much more to Spanish tourism and indeed Spanish wine than this, great and all as they are.

 Spain is one of my favorite countries. In fact I love Spain .

                                                                        

It really is a country of great  historic interest as well as beauty.A place where Europe meets North Africa with the architectural influence of the Moors.A country of wild  rugged mountains and where the unspoilt coastline of the North and South is unsurpassed.

Then we have the famous cities of Madrid and Barcelona and the historic towns such as Seville,Jerez,Pamploma, Cordaba and Grenada to name just a few.

One of the most enjoyable glasses of wine I ever had was a chilled glass of Cava, on the balcony of the Alhambra Palace Hotel in Granada which has spectacular views over the city as well as the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is on the steep hill on the way up to the Alhambra itself (half way up on the right).This is a must do for anybody who likes to look around from time to time and feel that the world really is a miracle.

  Spain has so much to offer and the diversity of food and wine is just superb.
In fact  I personally think I am allergic to Spain  because when I go there on wine trips I seem to eat and drink from the time I arrive until the time I  leave. When I travel elsewhere, even in Ireland I get food fatigue after about three days...but not in Spain!

Even just the non alcoholic drinks alone, The coffee,the fanta limon,the gazeosa lemonade,and that's   before i even  touch a glass of wine.. All taste really fresh and natural.

 Ruth and I were recently over in Jerez visiting Bodega Hidalgo and I think even she caught the allergy. We were served (amongst other fantastic things) Manchego cheese with a savoury gellee made from violets with fresh violet petals set into it. A beautiful clear pale purple colour, it looked too nice to eat.But we managed!

The fish selection not to mention its freshness is fantastic and   Spanish white wines are just made to go with fish. Then there are, the tapas..such variety! ,even simple things like the bread  the tomatoes, the olive oil, not to mention more exotic  things like kid goat, suckling pig, rabbit stews  tiny lamb chops…. No body does roasts like the Spanish  and the way the are matched with their meaty full  bodied red wines is perfection itself.

Years ago I was  sent  over there to learn Spanish and  I will never forget the look of horror on my mothers face when she picked me up at the airport after I had  spent 4 weeks over there  supposedly  learning Spanish but in hindsight eating and drinking all around me…..I  was put on  bread and water for a year!
Now I realize she was annoyed because she knew I had discovered her secret .. this was that she  knew before I did that once I discovered great food there would be no going back!

So have a read of the three reviews below .Wines from lesser known grapes and areas and maybe you will be tempted.

 Hasta Tarde ,

Evelyn 

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Ebano 6

So, when choosing the only red wine for the Spanish tasting this week I had to be careful not to pick something that would scare Lyndsay off and undo the work we've been putting into trying to convert her into a red wine drinker.
I decided to stay away from traditional Spanish areas like Rioja and do a wine region that has given Spanish reds a face-lift and totally modernised the sometimes staid style.
Ebano 6 is from a Northerly wine region called Ribera del Duero and is regarded as the of the top 5 wineries of this area.
In 2006, it picked up the award for ''Old World red wine of the year'' in the NOffLA Gold Star Awards.- A highly coveted Irish Wine Award. Apart from all of these high profiled awards, I give it my own personal favourite flag... Most importantly!!
Clare and I spent a week last July with friends in Barcelona. We used to eat in this Tapas bar just off the beach everyday for lunch.
They would serve us this dish of fillet steak, goats cheese and balsamic vinegar with a side of deep fried battered asparagus and horseradish and a couple of bottles of Ebano 6. More often than not we never made it back to the beach and more often than not it wasn't just a couple of bottles of Ebano 6. Probably closer to the number associated with the wine but there was always a minimum of 4 of us... Just for the record!!!
Every other Tuesday night I have this re-accuring food dream of that lunch where I wake up chewing my pillow and absolutely starving!! I am 100% with Evelyn on the eating my weight in Spanish food during breakfast lunch and dinner and managing to ''grow-out'' of my summer clothes within the 7 day holiday.
So I hope I've picked the right red to showcase what Spanish wines have to offer to a potentially new red wine drinker....
Ebano 6.
The colour is a black cherry almost liquorice dark.
The nose displays aromas of violet, blackcurrant, eucalyptus and ripe cherry.
The palate is really smooth and full bodied with ripe fruit, some black liquorice and a slight smokiness on the finish.
Drink me with almost everything. Chocolate desserts, steak, tapas foods like cured meats and good parmesan or the Spanish alternative manchego...  Love it!!
O&O
Ruth.

Herbis Verdejo,Viura 2008 Rueda, Spain

                     CountryMix_2010-04-21_10-20.00

Herbis Verdejo,Viura 2008  Rueda, Spain

This morning i have chosen a white wine called Herbis. It is the 2008 vintage from Rueda which is in north central Spain, and made by a French man called Frank Masard. 

The blend he uses is Vedejo and Viura. Verdejo is a local grape variety that grows well in high altitude(Rueda is 700 meters above sea level) with cool nights it makes for a lovely aromatic,zesty citrus white with a lovely tropical finish. 

The grapes are actually picked before sunrise, the pickers are known  to actually wear miners lamps on  their heads to see in the dark! The grapes are transported as quickly as possible to stainless steel tanks to capture the freshness of the grapes.

Frank started his career  as a sommelier working his way around Europe in some of the best restaurants. He then landed himself a job working as a wine maker for Torres (which are the most influential wine making family in Spain).  He then branched out on his own, buying a vineyard in Priorat, and working closley with growers in Rueda to make some wonderful fresh, food friendly wines. This wine has taken on a life of its own in our shop. It is a little different to what most people are used to drinking and well worth seeking out over the Summer months. One defiantly for out in the garden instead of a gin and tonic!!

Colour. Pale straw

Nose. Citrus fruits, gooseberry and pineapples

Palate. Fresh zesty, lovely aromatics coming through. Great with any seafood. Salads, or on its own as a apperitif.

Cheers!
Julie



        




    

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