Hello Wine lovers tonight from 5pm til 8pm we will visit the region of South America and Spain for our wine tasting. Malbec is considered a blending grape in most Bordeaux. In certain parts of the world this varietal is treated as its own single wine. Much like that of a Cabernet from Napa valley, or a Pinot Noir from the central coast. Malbec adds color and structure to any blended wine it could be considered a cohesive binder to a blended style wine that fills in the gaps that other varietal blends lack. Be it lack of color or thin mouth feel Malbec will bring a perfect balance to blended wines. This is one reason it can be drank stand alone as a single varietal. Balanced in structure containing the entire flavor needed to be a great wine. Malbec is grown in the hillside of the lower plateau of the Andes Mountains In South America. Also in Chile in the Maipo valley and the Rapel valley. In Spain the common grape is Grenache, also found in parts of France Grenache is a sweet light red fruity wine meant to be drank young with light fair during the hotter month of the year. Many a Spaniard has consumed copious amounts of fruity Grenache Rose before putting himself in harms way of the bulls of Pamplona!
Another grape commonly found in this region is called Tempranillo a malbec style grape but slightly different in structure. Often times blended with Grenache to produce a more bold structured red wine. Rose may well be the right drink in a hot dry climate like many parts of Spain. Rose wines can range from super sweet and fun to bone dry and serious. Spanish roses are great contenders for any region of Tavel from France. Foods that might go well with these wines of Spain would be the local cuisine tapas, a light appetizer of grilled vegetables seasoned and served cold. Seems strange to serve cold food but in the summertime in Spain it can be blistering hot and cold refreshing rose and grilled cold meats and grilled vegetables are perfect dining options. Cheese plays an important role in wine from Spain goat cheese Manchego hard style dry aged cheese from goat and sheep’s milk offer great options on the lunch menu or starter dinner menu. Remember dinner in Spain may be as late in the evening as 11pm it is a different culture than American 7am to 6pm workdays and dinner at 8 and bed by 10pm. Europe seems to beat to its own drum and has an active party life after hours. Meals family and friends are placed as priority as opposed to work and money here. Somehow they figure it all out 4 to 6 weeks of vacation a year gives even the most stressed businessman time enough to work out what is important in his life in Europe and Spain. Perhaps Americans should adopt a few of the customs of the culture and take pause to enjoy life and certainly a few more glasses of wine!
Cheers!
Mike The Wine Guy
