WINES & CHEESES with Liz Wheadon
Our monthly Channel Wines and Cheeses columnist is Liz Wheadon, General Manager of Glengarry Wines. Liz is also a passionate foodie. Weekends are often spent first planning the event and then entertaining friends and family with magnificent food and wine experiences.
Spanish Wine
The Wines, Regions and Styles
It’s no surprise with the increased influence of Spanish cuisine that Spanish wines are increasingly popular. The quality and offering from Spain has increased remarkably and there’s now exceptional wines at all ends of the spectrum from many of the 77 recognised DO - Denominación de Origen. The most well known Spanish wine region is the Northern DO of Rioja, whilst there’s been Rioja imported into New Zealand for many years; the range of quality Rioja has never been so large. Along with Rioja there are many wines from other DO now imported into New Zealand. Here’s a quick guide to some of the regions, the labelling and a little more to assist you in diving into the wonderful world of Spanish wine.
Rioja
Starting with the most popular and well recognized Spanish region, the world over; Rioja. Rioja is located north of Madrid and is centered around the town of Logrono. The wines of the Rioja DO are produced mainly from Grenache and Tempranillo. Some Rioja will be labeled Cosecha, Crianza, Riserva or Gran Riserva, each classification referring to the time the wine has spent in oak and the ageing in the cellars before release. To have these classifications appear on the label, the requirements set by the DO must be adhered to. Increasingly, there are wines produced that don’t have these classifications on them, the wine maker preferring instead to make the best wine possible , giving the fruit the oak required, the wine the time necessary in the cellar, rather than as per the regulations. Confusing? Not really, it just means that relying on these classifications for quality is not the best approach to purchasing. It’s better to work out which producer’s style you prefer and purchase that way. Some top producers include;
Marques de Murrieta – a single vineyard estate, they label traditionally and start their production with a Riserva, Murrieta is a high quality Rioja producer, the wines are made in a modern style. The Murrieta Riserva is predominately Tempranillo.
Marques de Caceres – internationally the market leader in Rioja, the wines are traditionally labeled, traditional in style, with modern wine making techniques. The Marques de Caceres wines are predominately Tempranillo.
Palacios Remondo – the family winery of super star Spanish wine maker, Alvaro Palacios. The wines are modern in style, modern packaging and represent superb value for money. The Palacios Remondo Rioja are generally more dominant in Grenache, they are fruit driven, luscious styles.
Solar Viejo – owned by the large Spanish Cava producer Freixenet, Solar Viejo are a very traditional Rioja producer, traditional in style, labelling and packaging, the wines are predominately Tempranillo.
Finca Allende – are a super quality Rioja producer, their wines are complex and intriguing, made predominately from Tempranillo.
Ribera del Duero
Located about an hour north of Madrid, Ribera del Duero is located along the Duero river, that flows through Portugal and out to the sea at Oporto. The wines of Ribera del Duero are made from Tinta Fina – a local clone of tempranillo.
If you happen to suggest to a winemaker in Ribera that their wine is made
from Tempranillo, they’ll most certainly quickly correct you – its Tinta Fina.
The labelling discussion here is exactly as it is for Rioja, in Ribera more than in Rioja, there’s wines not labelled to the regulations. Some top producers include;
Vega Sicilia – the iconic winery of the region and until recently the most expensive wines from Spain.
Aalto – a newcomer and one to watch, Aalto was started in 1999 by long time Vega Sicilia winemaker Mariano Garcia, together with Xavier who had managed the DO for Ribera for a number of years. There are two wines made – Aalto and Aalto PS – both exceptional.
Protos – the original winery of the region, Protos was originally named Bodegas Ribera Duero, but when the DO was assigned to Ribera Del Duero they had to change their name, so changed it to Protos – meaning first. The wines here are traditionally made and labelled traditionally.
Priorat
Situated inland from Barcelona, Priorat is a precious wine region that is protected from the sea by the Montsant Mountains. An old region that’s seen a new start in the last 15 years when the vineyards here were reinvigorated. One of the team leading this charge was Alvaro Palacios (from Palacios Remondo in Rioja) the wine labelled here are under his own name and include L’Ermita, a now iconic Spanish wine, made from very old Grenache. The wines from Priorat are made predominately from Carignan and Grenache. Carignan is a strong forward grape variety, known for its ageing ability.
Bierzo
Located in the North west of Spain, near the white wine region of Rias Baixis (home to Albarino) This region has a similar story to that of Priorat, the region was given new life with pioneers including Alvaro Palacios and his cousin, Ricardo. The wines from this region are made from the native variety – Mencia. It’s a variety that is very hard to describe, it tastes a little like a mix of a Pinotage, Malbec and a little Merlot, perfect to take to a wine lover’s dinner party.
During May all Glengarry stores are celebrating everything Spanish, there are lots of opportunities to taste a range of Spanish wines and plenty of great promotional offers.
The King of Spanish Cheese
Manchego
Whilst there are now many ‘Manchego style’ cheeses made throughout Spain, the original Manchego and the cheese that is awarded the DO Denominación de Origen is a sheeps milk cheese that is produced in the expansive rolling hills of the La Mancha area. To be recognised under the DO, the milk for the cheese must come from the Manchego breed of sheep.
The region of La Mancha is located in the centre of Spain, it sits on a plateau at around 600 metres above sea level. There are DO’s for wine production in La Mancha as well as Cheese DO, the wines produced here tend to be very juicy ripe wines. Sitting in the centre of Spain, heat and ripeness is not a problem here.
Manchego is produced pasteurised and unpasturied, The process of making Manchego starts with Manchego Sheeps milk, with a minimum fat content of 6%. The milk is heated, the whey and curds separated. The curds are cut and packed into moulds. The cheese is then salted and left to age, for a minimum of 60 days in caves. On average a round of Manchego weighs in at 3kg.
Manchego is sold at three different maturity levels;
Manchego Fresco – is the first level. Fresco is cheese that has been aged for 2 weeks only, it’s not often seen outside Spain. Fresco is made in small quantities,
it is a rich cheese that has a mild flavour on the palate.
Manchego Curado – is the second level. Curado is Manchego that is aged for three to six months, Curado is a nutty sweet type of Manchego, it breaks easily and is very versatile.
Manchego Viejo is the oldest of Manchego – it’s aged for a minimum of one year, as it ages the flavours intensify, the cheese has a rich, deep peppery character.
Manchego is a wonderfully versatile cheese;
• Slice it and serve is as an eating cheese on an antipasto platter
• Use it in place of Parmesan
• Serve it after dinner, with quince paste and a nice glass of sherry
• Manchego is great with Spanish Jamon in a sandwich
• Serrano ham salad with pistachio and Manchego (pictured above).
During May, Glengarry and Didas are celebrating everything Spanish, there’s tasting and events and opportunities to taste Manchego – for more details see www.glengarry.co.nz/tastings
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