Telmo Rodriguez and His Off-The-Beaten Path Wines

If I take a step back and look as objectively as a person really can at their own reflection in the mirror, I think my passion has become finding and sharing wines from off the beaten path regions that are approachable in terms of pricing, available within the marketplace, and absolutely delicious either with or without food. Telmo Rodriguez and his diverse portfolios of wines seems to fit the bill perfectly for my interests and hopefully yours too. Telmo fits the stereotype of my image of a Spaniard (minus a guitar or matador outfit obviously)......full of energy and passion for sharing the wonders of his Native Spain with a soulful interest in sharing something of great quality with a focus on everyday enjoyment. He is a hands-on master winemaker and a graduate of the University of Bordeaux's prestigious oenology school. He is most known, however, as a pioneer winemaker advocating native varietals that are bio dynamically farmed and making world-class wines from lesser known regions without wide recognition. Al-Muvedre is the perfect example of both.

This wine is from Alicante, a beautiful Mediterranean coastal town located in Central Spain's Valencia region in the Costa Blanca. Sprawling promenades made of marble line the coast with palm trees and an incredible diversity of people. The Castle of Santa Barbara is perched high above the city offering spectacular views if you can find the sneaky entrance off the fast-paced highway (we missed the turn at least five times evoking a certain cartoon-like quality to our adventure.) The region receives little rainfall, has hot summers and mild winters leading to vineyards filled with grapes with very concentrated flavors.

Al Muvedre is made from 100% Monastrell, the local clone of Mourvedre. Monastrell wines are incredibly dark in color (almost opaque) smooth textured and offer complexity as the inherent spiciness is balanced by fresh, ripe berry flavors and minerality. I poured this wine for a few of my relatives who drink almost exclusively French wine, and they were shocked by the quality of this modestly priced wine...not a drop left in the bottle!

We are pairing this wine with a beautiful tapas-style course focused on mushrooms. We took the traditional stuffed mushroom and offered a twist by using a filling of ground pork sauteed with pine nuts lightly accented with brandy. Across the plate will be it's inside out cousin featuring puff pastry stuffed with mushrooms and Serrano ham with a cava-cream sauce. The youthful characteristics and soft fruits of this wine marry well with the earthy mushrooms, buttery pastry, and texture of the subtle pine nuts of this dish.

Our big night is tomorrow and I will follow-up with write-ups on Ribera del Duero, Priorat and Sherry with tidbits on how the wines were received at the dinner! Wishing fans of Valentine's Day a weekend filled with romance and for those that are not a weekend filled with newly found Spanish wines!

Lovely Rioja

After phylloxera devastated French vineyards in 1868, many French growers migrated into the Rioja region of Spain, recognizing the potential of the chalky soils. The advanced wine-making techniques that they brought with them combined with the increased exports of Spanish wine throughout Europe due to the shortages of the fabled French vineyards, brought almost instant recognition to the potential of Spanish wines.

Rioja is one of only two Spanish wine regions that carry the D.O.C. (Denominacion de Origen Califcada) status indicating the highest quality wines. It has long been considered Spain’s most prestigious wine region, with notables such as Ernest Hemingway withstanding the arduous journey through the Cantabrian mountains just to sample the local wines. It runs 75 miles along both banks of the Ebro river in the remote interior of Northern Spain with three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. Although the majority of wines exported from these areas are red wines made from the tempranillo grape, many outstanding, versatile whites are also produced. I chose the Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Blanco paired with baked scallops with Vidalia onions and Serrano ham for this weekend's dinner because I thought it would be fun to try something a little more off the beaten path. But rest assured, I am not looking for something different just for the sake of being different...everytime I have poured this wine at my house, everyone is looking for another bottle!

Bodegas Ostatu is a true family run winery with all of their vineyards planted, pruned and taken care of by the family ensuring quality. They practice sustainable management within their vineyards thus producing very low yields from the highest quality grapes. The grapes for this wine come from the highest and oldest vineyards within the estate located in the Rioja Alavesa area, which is a bit cooler than the others because it is located further northwest and at a higher altitude. This is perfect for producing grapes that lead to clean, crisp white wines.

Viura, which is known as Macabeo in other Spanish regions including those that produce their famous cavas, produces wines with wonderful, full aromas, mild fruit flavors and good acidity. They are a perfect match for the cuisine of the area which utilizes straight-forward cooking techniques and fresh, high-quality ingredients.

Until tomorrow....

Txakoli: Spain's Favorite Tapas Wine

I thought I would take the opportunity to tease the taste-buds of those attending our upcoming Spanish wine dinner and perhaps tempt those who have not made plans for the weekend to join us! My previous post talked about the culture and cuisine of Spain, so now let’s talk about one of the pairings we have put together: Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina with shrimp and Manchego cheese croquettes.

I think it is safe to say that most of us hesitate to try new wines from the old-world because let’s be honest: 1. It is hard to know what is going to be in the bottle without what sometimes feels like an Oxford education and 2. They are often pretty darn hard to say leading to what I lovingly refer to as “pointy-talky,” which is okay in a rustic shop buying one-of-a-kind trinkets, but perhaps not so nice in a restaurant with your date witnessing your stuttering charade. So let's get Txakoli 101 out of the way so you can confidently enjoy a bottle of this wonderful wine anytime.



Ameztoi is the producer of this wine. The winery owns 20 hectares (or roughly 50 acres for us Midwesterners) in the best of locations with a view of the town of San Sebastian and the Atlantic Ocean from the vineyards. It is often referred to as one of the top producers of Txakoli with a seventh generation winemaker, Ignacio Ameztoi, carrying on the family traditions.

Getariako Txakolina is the name of the D.O. (Denominacion de Origen,) which is part of a regulatory classification system denoting the highest quality wines within defined regions. These wines not only need to be of superior quality, but also typify the specific characteristics of region. Admittedly it takes a bit of time to learn the individual D.O.s throughout the various countries of the old-world, but it is well worth your time as you now can be sure that you will know precisely what you are buying. On the contrary, can you ever be completely sure what you will taste when you open a new-world Cabernet?



Getaria is located in the Basque region of Northeastern Spain near it’s border with France. The vineyards are located near the coast where they are protected from the spring frost and from the summer heat. The slopes are often very steeply terraced and the region receives the highest rainfall of all the Spanish wine regions.





Txakoli (CHA-koh-lee) is produced from the native grapes Hondarrabi Zuri (white) and Hondarrabi Beltza (red). The wine has a slight fizz similar to Italian frizzante wines, is low in alcohol, and has great acidity that is balanced by minerality. According to Anthony Bourdain of t.v.’s “No Reservations,” it is the tapas wine. In Basque eateries it is served fully chilled in tumblers and is often poured from great heights without missing a drop. I openly admit I tried this at home and failed quite miserably.

It is hard to imagine a more wonderful pairing than fresh seafood and cold white wine. The bracing acidity and fizzy bubbles of the Txakoli will cut right though the breading and cheese of the croquette while bringing out the slightly sweet taste of the shrimp. I am a big fan of simple, fresh wines that work effortlessly well with food and this one in my opinion is a must try!

Txakoli 101 complete. Next stop Rioja.

Spanish Cuisine and Wine

Our upcoming Spanish Wine dinner over Valentine’s Day weekend has finally inspired me to sit back down in front of the computer and write another post.

I have very fond memories of Spain. My husband and I went on holiday 6 years ago starting in Malaga in the Costa del Sol and wound our way up through Andalucía to Alicante and eventually on to Madrid on a self-guided driving tour through the back-roads of the region. We traveled 600 miles moving through tiny towns on an admittedly comedic navigational journey often with only our tiny guidebook map. Needless to say there was lots of last minute finger pointing and excited exclamations of “turn NOW!”

We stayed in coastal towns and although we were not focused on sampling the local wines as I was waddling with the expected arrival of our first child, the trip did leave a lasting impression with regards to the local cultures and cuisine of Southern Spain. First and foremost, the people we encountered were kind, welcoming and extremely friendly moving through their days with an effortless sense of style and seeming to savor every moment that passed. Their cuisine focused on fresh ingredients native to the area often with uncomplicated preparations celebrating one of my new favorite ideas: “the brilliance of simplicity.”

I have had the opportunity now to taste many Spanish wines and have become a true fan. There is an attention to detail and unpretentious desire to communicate the environmental qualities of the regions and the grapes native to that specific place that make these wines irresistible. Delicious, food-friendly, and elegant are words that often come to my mind when tasting Spanish wines.

It was this combination of excellent wines, simple yet delicious food perfect for pairing, and the undeniable passion of the Spanish people that led me to create the Valentine's Wine Dinner. Check back in the coming days to read more about the regional cuisines we will be serving and the wines that will be paired together to create a meal that hopefully will leave you celebrating “the brilliance of simplicity” too.

Here is a link to the menu to tempt you! http://theflyinghorse.com/uploaded/Flying_Horse_Spanish_Wine_Dinner_Menu.pdf