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Review: Alma das Donas “Almalarga” Ribeira Sacra Godello (2024)
I had tasted at least 70 wines that afternoon, and I couldn’t stop thinking about this one: a stealthily excellent Godello from Galicia. Long tastings are demanding. Your mouth gets tired, your notes get scribbly, your memory gets fuzzy. Some gentler wine styles get drowned out as your palate is bombarded with oak and tannins.…
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Review: Granbazán “Etiqueta Ámbar” Albariño Rías Baixas (2023)
Albariño from Spain was on the screen and in my glass. I pulled a cold bottle from the wine fridge and settled in for a one-hour Zoom class hosted by New York-based importer Olé & Obrigado. “El Camino del Albariño” is their July-August virtual education and promotional tour. It’s an invitation to wine pros to…
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Merlot Thursday: Bodegas Volver “Juntos” Alicante Merlot (2024)
A ripe ‘n rowdy Merlot from Spain is our pick for this #MerlotThursday! “Juntos” comes from the sunny Mediterranean coast in the region of Valencia. Wine lovers may hear “Alicante” and think of Alicante Bouschet, the red-fleshed grape that lends its irresistible color to blends. And indeed, Merlot-Alicante blends do exist in the table wines…
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Three winemakers, three Spanish regions: Juan Gil, Bodegas Shaya, and Bodegas Morca
Spain is one of my favorite wine-producing countries. Even though I’ve yet to collect that stamp on my passport, when I drink a Spanish wine I can almost taste the Mediterranean sunshine in my glass. Recently in Texas, I got to sample some marvelous wines (and meet the winemakers!) at The Wine Authority. They came…
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Sip, Savor, and Salud: Spanish and Portuguese Wines (Total Wine class review)
A quick jaunt around the Iberian Peninsula was the theme of the most recent Total Wine class. On the tasting bar were eight iconic Spanish and Portuguese wine styles. If Dry January is still in effect, you wouldn’t guess it from this sold-out event. The small classroom was maxed out with 40 attendees (average age…
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Review: Granbazán “Etiqueta Verde” Albariño Rías Baixas (2022)
When someone says, “Spanish wine,” do you immediately envision red? I know I do–and I will never stop loving the spicy Riojas and toothsome Garnachas that first made me fall for the country’s exports. But lately, another Spanish love has been creeping into my thoughts…and it’s Albariño from Rías Baixas. This is a wine I…
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Under $12 Review: Segura Viudas Brut Cava (NV)
A very happy New Year from The Wine Fairy! I’m shopping for party wine in the Houston suburbs–where, to my surprise, the local Spec’s Liquor has a very respectable European wine selection. Despite the holiday rush, the sales guys are even willing to stand around and recommend a Bordeaux to pair with BBQ and Tex-Mex.…
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Review: Borsao “Tres Picos” Campo de Borja Garnacha (2021)
A big old juicy Garnacha is on the menu tonight: The Tres Picos Garnacha from Bodegas Borsao. Borsao is a large co-op in Campo de Borja DO, a landscape of arid hills and plateaus nicknamed “the Empire of Garnacha.” Over 700 small grower families have united to produce these wines, which are known for their…
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Costco Advent Calendar Wine #21: Brillo Solar Garnacha (Spain)
Known for bold red fruit flavors with a hint of spice, Garnacha (also called Grenache) is a workhorse of the wine world. The French claim it, but it probably originated in Spain’s Aragon region before spreading across the Mediterranean. Garnacha is a hardy, high-yielding vine–one that can be counted on to produce good-to-great wines even…
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Review: Borrasca Brut Cava (NV)
Sometimes I think I could mark the eras of my life by what inexpensive Cava I was buying at the time. Me and Cava go way back, each decade associated with a different label. Segura Viudas from the corner store, bought by a friend with a borrowed ID. Next, the “black bottle bubbly”–that would be…
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What Is This Thing? El Tuerto Tempranillo Blanco Rioja (2022)
Driven by curiosity (and captive to novelty), it’s time for us to uncork another strange little wine bottle: A white Tempranillo from Rioja. White Tempranillo? Yeah, that’s right. Like Pinot Noir and Grenache before it, the premier black grape of Spain has lately spawned an albino cousin. (Yes, I know that productive vines can’t technically…
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Sherry, spice, and everything nice: The stories behind 3 historic wine cocktails
Do you like wine cocktails? How about wine cocktails with a dash of history? Today, we’re presenting a trio of time-tested drinks from the annals of booze-dom: Hot spiced Mosel wine (Roman period), old-school Spanish Sangria (1964), and the simple, delicious Sherry Cobbler (Victorian era). Each recipe has a little morsel of food-history trivia to…