Last week was a Spanish wine lover’s dream come true. Spain’s Great Match showcased Spanish culture, celebrating distinctive wines, food and design of Spain. The event took place September 24th at the Metropolitan Pavilion and lasted all day long. American importers and distributors of Spanish wines presented all of their best products, both new and vintage wines, adding up to over 300 different selections of wine, not to mention a selection of Spanish beers. Manhattan with a Twist attended the Press & Trade portion of the event, where we were able to walk around and sample some amazing Spanish wines.
We absolutely loved Bodegas Terra Gauda Abadia de San Campio. It is 100% Albarino, with aromas of citrus fruits, pineapple and lemon. It is a very crisp white wine and not too acidic. This wine would pair very well with seafood, such as lobster, oysters and clams.
We then headed over to try wines from Ribera del Duero, a region of Spain which produces mostly Tempranillo grapes. We really enjoyed the 2011 Flores de Callejo, which had notes of berry and hints of vanilla. It was smooth and tasty and came in the cutest bottle.
Our other favorite Ribera wine was the 2009 Condado de Haza. This complex wine contains notes of blackberry, licorice, tar and mocha. This wine would be absolute heaven paired with a nice steak.
Last of the Riberas, we tried one of the oldest they had, the Arzuaga Gran Reserva 2004. This wine had notes of black truffle and wild fruits, with hints of black licorice. Spicy scents of clove and cinnamon could also be detected. This wine was comprised of only 90% Tempranillo, with 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. This wine would also go great with red meats.
Lastly, we couldn’t help but try some Riojas. While they were all delicious, we definitely had one favorite, which was the Conde de Valdemar Rosado 2012. It is a sweeter wine made of Garnacha and Tempranillo grapes and has tasting notes of raspberry and red fruits. It would pair well with seafood and rice and noodle dishes.
If, like me, you can’t get enough of all things Spain, then check out Spain’s Tapas Trail, hosted by the Trade Commission of Spain from now through October 8th. Participating restaurants will have signature tapas created specifically for the event featuring jamon iberico. More information and participating restaurants can be found here.
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