Ok, love story may be a bit strong. I do love Tempranillo wine though. I was first introduced to it at Spago's in Las Vegas.
We asked the sommelier about a good wine for dinner and she pointed us in this direction. She said they were not well known wines. Because of this, they were less expensive than wines of the same quality. I was won over and am to this day.
One of the best things about this spanish wine, is that they are still somewhat undiscovered. Gaining popularity though. They taste great young and can age for a few years.
I expect them to become more popular in the next few years. Why? Because all they seem to talk about on the PBS show On The Road Again, is Tempranillo. Once Gwyneth Paltrow loves a wine, it is all over. Still, I will enjoy it for now.
This type of red wine typically has a strong cherry flavor, (Mmmmmm) blackberries (Mmmm Mmmm) and currants (Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm). It also has vanilla undertones when aged appropriately in oak barrels. It can be overly oaky. It ages well in barrels and, historically it was left in them out of laziness rather than to improve the wine.
This is the red wine of Spain and if you haven't tried it yet, you have committed a crime. I am sure of it.
Ok, seriously though, this wine goes well with tapas (of course), sausage (like chorizo), and seafood (paella anyone). Personally, I will drink this wine with anything.
I know you are saying, really? I have even enjoyed it with a vinaigrette salad. This is supposed to be a big no-no with wine. Vinaigrettes and wine don't mix. I don't care. I love salad and I love this wine.
The number one thing to keep in mind with wine is to drink what you enjoy, damn the rules!
Riojas are mostly tempranillo, so if you find a gran reserva from Rioja, it is probably a good choice. I have recently enjoyed a 2001 Campo Viejo Rioja that was mostly this grape. If you want, I had the Reserva and the Crianza version of this and they were good as well.
Just in case you don't know, the difference between Spanish wines is the amount of time they are aged in oak barrels before release, and the amount of time they are given to age.
Gran Reserva is the most expensive and spends 2 years minimum in oak barrels, aged for at least 5 years.
Reserva is barrel aged for at least one year and age for 3.
Crianza is aged for at least one year and aged for 2 years.
(Note: Sometimes the rules are there to keep you from creating a horrible taste sensation. I don't recommend damning the rules then. That is just gross. I have tried that too!)
Want to see what I think of a recent bottle. Well, here my friend Debra and I drink a 2006 Rioja that is, mmmmmm, 100% of this wonderful varietal.
