In 2021, Sue and I joined the World Wine Travel group of wine writers to tackle a different region of Spain each month.I learned a lot about the geography of Spain, which grapes grow where, and about the regional cuisines. For December, the theme was “Writer’s Choice” and as a lover of Grenache, it was a no-brainer to feature Garnacha, the Spanish version. Sue found two organic Garnacha in Ojai, and I had three samples. But before we get to those wines. let’s review briefly what we wrote each month; a more thorough article is in the works. And if you don’t want to see the year in review, keep scrolling for the five garnacha paired with a delicious Fabada Stew– and the recipe too! 

• January La Rioja:  
  “Regional Rioja Pairings: Tempranillo, Viura, Rosado with bean kale soup, orange avo salad, rack of lamb, patatas bravas” 

Rioja is located in northern Spain where the primary grape is Tempranillo which offers lots of structure and cherry fruit. We included RECIPES for PATATAS BRAVAS; HEARTY BEAN, KALE, CHORIZO SOUP; and  CITRUS SALAD WITH AVOCADO — all wonderful in winter and with these wines!  We wrote: “The meat, the beans, and the kale are like a holy trinity of flavors, rich, tart, spice. All of it going so perfectly with the wines.” The pairing made both much more exciting! Plus check out these previous articles about Rioja:

•  “3 Rioja For #TempranilloDay: Rojo, Blanco y Rosado.”
• “An American Summer BBQ with Spanish Rioja Wine: LAN Crianza and Beronia Rosado #WinePW”
• “Along the Camino with Spanish Rioja plus Pairings”

• February Catalunya-Penedes-Cava-Priorat-Monstant
  “Sparkling Wine Secrets: Catalonia Cava from Marqués de Cáceres with Spanish Chorizo Kale Bean Stew”

In February, we featured Cava from Catalonia as part of my “sparkling wine secrets” series, and once again we paired the wine with that amazing soup. This region is also in northern Spain below France located east of Rioja on the far eastern coast of Spain beside the Mediterranean Sea. Catalonia (Catalunya in Catalan)  is near the Pyrenees mountains; the region’s capital Barcelona has the second highest population in Spain and it’s the fifth most populous city in the EU. Many of my friends have visited and they LOVE it there!  Interestingly, Cava is not made with “French” grapes like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but with indigenous Spanish grapes like Xarel.lo, Macabeo, and Parellada.

• March Castilla y Leon-Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro
  “Women in Wine: Cristina Forner Leads Marques de Cacerés as Carmen Blanco Makes a Verdejo in Rueda to Pair with Barbacoa”

Next we learned about D. O. Rueda which is synonymous with the Verdejo grape, a white grape grown on the high elevation plains in Spain for over ten centuries, and over 90% of the region is planted in Verdejo, up from 50% in 1980. We featured a grape from Marqués de Cáceres and highlighted their leader Cristina Forner.

• April Galicia-Rias Baixas
  From California’s Camino Real to Galicia’s Camino de Santiago: All Aboard for Albariño 2!

For April, we went to the far west of Spain, Galicia, home to the spunky white grape Albarino. 

• May Cariñena
  Aragon’s Cariñena and Castles + Olive Anchovy Sammies
  

OMG these sandwiches were so darn good! Sue created the sandwich using several ingredients famous from Aragon: “Fresh cheese from Burgos, anchovies from Santoña, black olives from Aragón and walnuts from Extremadura.” Sue made the tapenade which she slathered on fresh soft bread. Then she layered burrata, Himalayan salted roasted walnuts, anchovy fillets, and topped with micro-greens. I preferred mine open face while Sue enjoyed hers with its top on. This is possibly the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life! 

• June Basque Country
  Basque’s Effervescent Txakolina

This grape is catching people’s attention! 

• July Cider from Spain and Around the World
  Anna’s Cider and Pier City Cider in Ventura County

For July, we took the opportunity to share some ciders made in Ventura County– and we visited the Pier City Cider tap room.

• August Murcia and Valencia
  Monastrell from Murcia and Valencia with Lamb-Beef Burgers and El Taberno

This region of Spain is famous for Monastrell (also known as Mourvedre). Our pairing was inspired by a vegetable “tower” of grilled vegetables! 

• September Navarra
  Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms with Navarra’s Galimatias Cuts Through The Rigmarole

Navarra is located in the hilly north of Spain just south of France, and the Camino de Santiago winds it’s way through the region. Yes the recipe is there at the link! 

• October Andalucia
  Spanish Songs in Andalucía with Soup and Sherry: Oh My Corazón

Andalucia is all about sherry! And you might be surprised how well sherry pairs with food! Yes, we did another ham and bean soup– this time with Morrocan spices and garbanzo beans. 

• November Castille La Mancha
  Dreaming Impossible Dreams: Tilting at Windmills with Tempranillo and Verdejo from Castilla La Mancha
  

Spanish Inspired Menu for Garnacha 

• Butternut squash empanadas
• Bistec con Patata
• Shiitake mushroom tapas
• Manchego rosemary roll up. 
• Fabada stew (recipe below)
• Ginger cookies 

5 Garnacha Wines from Spain

• 2018 Care “Tinto Sobre Lias

• 2017 Care Garnacha “Nativa”

• 2016 Las Mordas de San Martin “Senda”

• 2018 Bodegas Tres Picos Borsao Garnacha

• 2017 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Veraton Garnacha

2018 Care “Tinto Sobre Lias”

ABV14.5%
SRP 2 for $30 
Grape Juice Wine Importer; Sue purchased.

A blend of sustainably grown grapes: 75% Garnacha, 25% Syrah. 

Color: Ruby with a pink rim, very bright, very pretty, give me jewelry this color

Aroma: Beautiful bouquet, violets, raspberry, baking spice, roses, potpourri, spice and florals, forest floor, the nose is so inviting 

Palate: Light in body, clean, fresh, nicely balanced between the fruit and the acidity, juicy raspberry on the front of the palate, rose water , watermelon finish. Great wine for the price. 

Pairing: Think grilled fish tacos with a fruit salsa, fantastic with our spicy fried chorizo, great with the manchego rollups, so great with the mushroom tapas the blue cheese and earth from the mushrooms brings out more fruit in the wine. Oh so good with the Fabada Stew the smoky richness of the soup love the fruit in the wine. This is such an assessable wine on its own, and with food it handles it well taking on different nuances. This affordable screw top wine can carry through from appetizer, to main dish to spice forward dessert. 

2017 Care Garnacha “Nativa”

ABV 14.5%
SRP 2 For $30
Grape Juice Wine Importer; Sue purchased.

100% Garnacha

Color: Deep ruby, fuchsia rim

Aroma: Cherry, plum, clove, menthol, 

Palate: Very rich, dry, sweet vanilla, cherry, minty herbasciousness,  chalky texture, cherry pie, watermelon and strawberry on the finish, 

Pairing: The spicy fried chorizo on our cheese try was quite nice with the wine bringing out very nice fruit. Great with the manchego rosemary roll ups. I loved it with the butternut squash empanadas. the wine becomes full of sweet fruit when paired with the mushroom bruschetta. This wine loved the Fabada Stew because of the creamy beans and the smoked ham in the soup. Brings out perfect fruit in the wine and tames the oak that is present in the wine. Don’t bother to do this wine with a dessert, it does not do well with sweetness in the meal.

2018 Bodegas Borsao Garnacha

ABV 15%
SRP $18
Sample for review from Winebow Importers.

Old vine Garnacha vineyards cling to rugged terrain on the slopes of the famous Moncayo mountains yielding less than two tons per acre for a rich aromatic wine. From the D.O. of Campo de Borja, Bodegas Borsao’s mountain vineyards range in age from 35 – 60 years grown on stony soils with clay and limestone.

Color: Ruby with a mauve rim, looks to be fined and filtered. Pinot nourish in the glass. 

Aroma: Raspberry, earth, eucalyptus, sweet oak, vanilla, cherry tobacco, leather, 

Palate: Bright tart cherry, caramel, vanilla, the oak in the wine balances the big tart fruit, mushroom, earth, eucalyptus, very dry. this is a big bold wine. 

Pairing: The wine becomes very grounded with the mushroom tapas. The wine is very earthen, and the mushroom tapas is very earthen,  together they are quite grounded. The wine is a bit tart with the squash empanadas. Fabulous with the Favada Stew. I thought that this was the best wine with the soup. Everything together is rich and creamy and sweet together.

This wine makes the ginger cookie quite sweet and hot. there is no mid palate. It has the simplicity of cinnamon heart candy. It did not work so well. 

2017 Bodegas Alto Moncayo “Veraton” Garnacha

ABV 15.5%
SRP $32
Sample for review from Winebow Importers.

Founded in 2002 to produce high quality Garnacha wines, Bodegas Alto Moncayo “Veraton” from the D.O. of Campo de Borja in Northern Spain comes from Old Vine Garnacha 30 – 50 years old. 

Color: Dense dark maroon, ruby rim, blood red when swirled in the glass

Aroma: Bright tart cherry, eucalyptus, cherry tobacco, rhubarb, raspberry, sweet vanilla, 

Palate: Bright tart cherry, cherry bark, pine tar, cocoa nibs, cinnamon stick, chalky tannins, buttered toast, raspberry finish, 

Pairing: Fabulous with the Favada Stew. The stew is salty, smoky and a bit sweet which plays so nicely with the wine. With food on the palate there is an herbal complexity that is present with the wine. The palate becomes alive, awake and excited with the wine. Aged manchego becomes sweet and nutty with the wine. Nice with the mushroom tapas, but it was not over the top. Great with the super spicy ginger cookie. We thought that a spicy curry ginger soup would be perfect with the soup. The finish is all about the ginger with this wine. 

2016 Las Mordas de San Martin “Senda” 

ABV 14.5%
SRP
Single Vineyard Garnacha – 
Sample for review

Writing on the bottle is in Spanish. something about hugs, smiles, happiness, and kisses. They are trying to send all of that to you in this bottle.

Color: Light bodied, garnet, copper rim, a bit cloudy

Aroma: Cherry tobacco, raspberry, mushrooms, earth, baking spices, ginger, clove, dusty rose, potpourri, eucalyptus. 

Palate: Bright tart cherry fruit, raspberry finish, very dry tannins, fresh fennel, 

Pairing: Wonderful with the fried chorizo. bringing out the bright fruit in the wine. The empanadas are also perfect loving the spice in the wine. Sue did not care for the wine with the empanada finding that the sweet squash fought a bit with the fruit in the wine. however, I found that I liked it when I ate it with the creamy sweet smoky salty richness in the soup. Ginger cookie and wine are a very nice. The wine is fruity and the cookie is super spicy making a great pairing. 

• 1 ham bone
• 1 cup cubed nam
• 1 log spanish chorizo
• 1/4 onion chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup white beans
• 1 qt chicken broth
• 2-3 Cups water (to cover bone)

  Directions

  • Saute onion,garlic, chorizo and ham in instant pot 15 to 20 minutes 
  • Add ham bone, beans, broth and water
  • Cook on high pressure 75 min
  • Let pressure release naturally

   

  HERE’S TO MY FELLOW WORLD WINE TRAVELERS! AND HERE’S THEIR LINKS FOR THIS MONTH!

  • Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm is getting in the spirit wIth “Merry Christmas; Let’s Celebrate with Cava“
  • Deanna from Wineivore is comparing “Albarino from Monterrei vs. Monterey + Monterey Bay Cioppino“
  • Susannah from Avvinare shares “VIlla Conchi Cava + Paella to Celebrate the Holidays”
  • Linda from My Full Wine Glass will be “Revisiting tried and true Rioja“
  • Terri from Our Good Life shares “5 Great Wines from Spain Perfect for Gift Giving“
  • Jeff from Food Wine Click! is confessing “Shh! Cream Sherry is My Guilty Pleasure“
  • Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is “Commemorating Setbacks and Success with Bodegas Tradición Palo Cortado VORS|“
  • Gwendolyn from Wine Predator…Gwendolyn Alley will be sharing “5 Garnacha from Spain with Spicy Spanish Pairings“
  • Lynn from Savor the Harvest is “Ending the Year with Wine Family Suertes del Marqués in Tenerif“
  • Nicole from Somm’s Table will be “Re-introducing Cava!”
  • Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla is pairing “Mushroom Soup with Manzanilla Sherry“
  • David from Cooking Chat is pairing “Steak with Carrot Top Chimichurri and Spanish Wine“to 3 cups water (to cover ham bone)

 

Want to travel with me in 2022?