Spanish Wine – Appetite for Wine

Cava, Holiday Wine, Holidays, Samples, Spain, Sparkling Wine

Cava for the Holidays, and All Year Long!

November 28, 2021November 28, 2021 Appetite for Wine

What can be more festive when celebrating the holidays than a glass of bubbles? Sparkling wine adds fizz, fun, sophistication, and…well…sparkle to any celebration, and none more than the holidays. When shopping for sparkling wines, many people automatically reach for champagne. (Of course there are those who think all sparkling wine is champagne, but we are confident that our readers know that champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France. All champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is champagne!) Nevertheless, if you opt for the champagne option, you can expect to drop a minimum of about $35 per bottle, and that’s just the entry level.

We’d like to recommend a more budget-friendly option. One that won’t break the bank but does not compromise quality. One in which you could buy two or three bottles for the same price as that single bottle from France. May we present: Cava.

Sparkling wine from other regions and countries have different regional names. Prosecco is from Italy. Cremant is from regions in France outside of Champagne. Cava is from Spain, a country with many amazing wines and wine regions that we have fallen in love with. The majority of Cava is produced in the Penedès wine region in Catalonia, not far from Barcelona. Cava is not new to us; we’ve had many bottles over the years, and even served it at our wedding in 2019. Cava is often our go-to sparkling wine, whether celebrating an event, pairing with a meal, or just sipping on a warm summer evening. We have tried many producers and have never been disappointed. So naturally, when we received an email offering us a sample pack of six bottles of Cava, we readily accepted.

The following wines were provided as media samples for review. All reviews, descriptions, and opinions are our own. We received no additional compensation.

We include the Suggested Retail Price as provided with the samples. As you can see, all of them are well within reach for even the most over-extended Christmas shopper. And we’ve seen many of these bottles in local retail stores for even less than their SRP listed here.

Giró Ribot Paul Cheneau Brut Reserva

Golden color with vigorous, medium sized bubbles. The nose is nutty, with brioche and citrus. On the palate, lemon curd, lemon, pear, and tangerine, with almond and yeast notes. Crisp and lively with bright acidity, and a clean finish of citrus.

SRP: $15.99

Bodegas Faustino Brut Rosé of Garnacha

Salmon rose color. Vigorous tiny bubbles. On the nose, strawberry, raspberry, and just a hint of almond. Flavors of tropical and citrus fruit; pineapple, lemon, with strawberry, raspberry, yeast, brioche, and nutty notes. Bone dry with vibrant acidity and a long, red fruit finish.

SRP: $20.00

Mascaro Pure Cava Reserva Nature

Rich, golden color. Vigorous streams of tiny bubbles that last throughout the glass. Aromas of citrus, yeast, and vanilla. On the palate, green apple, Asian pear, lemon lime, with almond, brioche, and yeast. Crisp acidity with a refreshing finish.

SRP: $15.00

Segura Viudas Cava Brut

Golden color in the glass. Steady streams of medium sized bubbles lead to aromas of pear, apple, and almonds. On the palate, flavors of citrus, pear, peach, almonds, and yeast. Crispy acidity and a fresh finish.

SRP: $12.00

Maset Brut Rosé

Salmon color with vigorous streams of tiny, rushing bubbles. The nose pops with aromas of strawberry, raspberry, citrus, and hibiscus. On the palate, citrus notes of orange and lemon, with strawberry cream, and raspberry. Medium body with a creamy mouthfeel and brisk acidity. Long, crisp finish.

SRP: $10.00

Vins El Cep Marquez de Gelida Gran Reserva Brut 2016

This is our first time tasting a vintage Cava. Most sparkling wines are non-vintage, meaning the grapes may have been harvested in different years and blended. A vintage wine must be made using only grapes harvested in the year designated on the bottle. Vintage sparkling wines are typically only produced in the best harvest years, an indication of higher quality.

Golden color. Vigorous streams of tiny bubbles. The nose is citrus and tropical, with hints of almond. Flavors of lemon lime, grapefruit, pineapple, and orange peel, with nutty notes. Brisk acidity with a long, clean finish.

SRP: $20.00

Remember, like all sparkling wines, Cava isn’t just for holidays and celebrations. As a wallet-friendly option, you can enjoy Cava all year round! So get yourself some Cava and add more sparkle to your life!

Cheers!

By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael-Reynolds
Photos by Robyn Raphael-Reynolds

Ribera del Duero, Spanish, Tempranillo, Wine, Wine of the Week

Our Wine of the Week: Bela Ribera del Duero 2017

June 13, 2021 Appetite for Wine

We head back to Spain this week for our Wine of the Week. This time we are exploring Ribera del Duero. Though red wines from Ribera del Duero feature the same Tempranillo grape as the arguably more famous Rioja region, there are subtle differences between the wines from the two regions. Ribera del Duero is at a higher elevation, cooler climate, and receives less rainfall than Rioja. As a result, the grapes tend to be smaller, with thicker skins and a more concentrated flavor. With less stringent rules on aging, Ribera del Duero wines can be fresher and lighter, and less acidic, with bright fruit flavors.

In our previous Wine of the Week from Spain, we reviewed Asúa Rioja Crianza 2016, part of the CVNE family of wines in Rioja. This week’s wine is a CVNE offspring, from Bela wines. Bela strives to emulate CVNE’s commitment to quality in Ribera del Duero. The official spec sheet explains the three stars on the Bela label represent the three children of CVNE’s founder, Sofia, Áurea, and Ramón. Sofia was known as Bela.

In the United States, Bela Ribera del Duero is distributed by Arano USA. Their website shares a few historical details about Bela. The winery was built in 1999, and the 74 hectare vineyard planted in 2002. The Bela Ribera del Duero 2017 is 100% estate hand harvested Tempranillo. After fermentation, the wine spent six months in new French and American oak barrels, followed by one year in neutral oak. The care and attention to detail in the wine making process shows clearly in the resulting wine.

Deep garnet color. Aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, vanilla, and baking spice. On the palate, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, plum, vanilla, and black pepper. Medium body with smooth tannins and fresh acidity. Soft and delicious, great with flank steak.

Next time you’re looking for a quality Spanish Tempranillo, give Ribera del Duero a try. The Bela Ribera del Duero 2017 is a shining example of what this region can produce.

Cheers!

By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael-Reynolds

Rioja, Wine, Wine of the Week

Our Wine of the Week: Asúa Rioja Crianza 2016

March 14, 2021 Appetite for Wine

This week, our Wine of the Week takes us to Spain. Specifically, the Rioja region in Northern Spain. Rioja red wines are all Tempranillo based. There are many well known producers in Rioja, and wines from this region have gained wide popularity in recent years. One of the more historic Rioja wineries is Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España, abbreviated in their production and most of their labels as CVNE. Many of the CVNE wines are quite affordable, in the $20 or under range, while others are cellar-worthy, top cuvées, with correspondingly higher prices.

CVNE has been producing wine since 1879, and remains under a family owned and operated winery. They own 545 hectares (1,350 acres) of vineyards, and also source fruit from nearby independent vineyards.

In addition to the eponymous label, CVNE offers a number of others, one of which was recently featured by Total Wine & More as a “Top 20 Wines Under $20”: Asúa Rioja Crianza 2016. Eager to see what all the hubbub is about, we added a bottle to our cart and a few days later, pulled the cork.

Despite being produced by CVNE, this wine is currently absent from their website, so finding information about it proved challenging. The back label declares:

“Asúa is produced by the Real de Asúa family, fifth generation winery owners from Rioja and the driving force behind CVNE. The abbreviated wine’s name, Asúa, is a tribute to the founders of this legacy, continued to this day in the legendary wines of CVNE.”

Rioja is one of the rare regions in the wine world where words like Reserva and Gran Reserva have meaning. In most of the world, those are mere marketing terms, with no regulation or control. But in Rioja, you will find these terms, plus Joven and Crianza, on the bottles, and each identifies the treatment and aging of the wine.

Joven wines are young and fresh, with little to no oak aging. They are intended for consumption within two years of production. Crianza wines must be aged in oak for at least one year, and an additional year in the bottle. Reserva wines also spend one year in oak, but must age in the bottle for three years before being released. Finally, Gran Reserva wines age for two years in oak, and another three years in the bottle. As one would expect, prices and ageability increase with each designation.

Asúa Rioja Crianza 2016

A young, fresh, and fruity Rioja. Garnet color with a ruby rim. On the nose, fresh raspberry and blackberry with hints of oak and vanilla. Flavors on the palate include bold, fresh blackberry, blueberry, and cherry, with clove, tobacco, and vanilla. Medium body with vibrant acidity; perfect for food pairing. Medium finish of red fruit and baking spice. We paired with shredded chicken tacos and it was magical.

For a great wine and an amazing price, check out Asúa Rioja Crianza 2016

Cheers!

By Kent Reynolds and Robyn Raphael-Reynolds

Birthdays, Cava, Champagne, Cremant, Holidays, January, Prosecco, Wine

Holiday Bubbles for January Birthdays

January 8, 2018January 8, 2018 Appetite for Wine

Oh, those pesky January birthdays. They are always overshadowed by the holiday season that precedes them. Family and friends are partied out from New Year’s Eve, Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, and other holidays that span from November through the first of January. The earlier in the month, the worse it is.

Robyn and I are both January babies. My birthday falls mid-month, while Robyn’s is at the beginning, just days after New Year’s Day. When I was a kid, my birthday was always disappointing. Sure, my parents tried to make it special. I had parties, outings to pizza parlors, and all the usual kid-birthday adventures. Nevertheless, the general rule was, toys and cool stuff on Christmas; socks, pants, and shirts on my birthday. What self-respecting 8 year old kid looks forward to a new pair of jeans?

As Robyn recounts, family birthday dinners were the norm, but parties not so much. With an early January birthday, school was still out for the winter holiday, so she missed out on the schoolroom buzz and excitement. So often her friends were out of town or otherwise spending the post-holiday season with their families.

So, what do you do when you have a January birthday? How do you compensate for living in the shadow of such major, resource-depleting holidays? You celebrate your birthday for six to eight weeks, starting with Thanksgiving! When fortune shone on us, and we were offered samples of four sparkling wines this past fall, we knew exactly what to do. As we popped the corks throughout the season, we toasted and celebrated our upcoming birthdays.

As you can see from the photos, we didn’t just limit ourselves to birthday celebrations on the high holidays. Some of the nights, we were more spontaneous and busted out the birthday bubbles with a mid-week meal.

We hope you enjoy sharing our birthday celebrations in the images below. The wines were samples. We received no other compensation. All opinions and review notes are our own.

For our first birthday celebration, we opened a Paul Cheneau Cava Reserva Blanc de Blancs Brut, and paired it with sautéed cilantro-lime shrimp and a spinach salad for a mid-week meal.

Paul Cheneau Cava Reserva Blanc de Blancs Brut

Golden color in the flute. Vigorous tiny bubbles tickle the nose. Aromas of apricot, yeast, and nutty notes. Flavors of pear, yellow apple, almond, and hints of tangerine and pineapple with soft vanilla notes on the finish. Super dry and crisp; a very refreshing Cava that paired very well with sautéed cilantro-lime shrimp and a spinach salad with bacon-vinegar dressing.

When we opened the second bottle, a Valdo Prosecco Brut, Christmas season was in full swing. The halls were decked, the Christmas music playing, and it was finally cold enough in NorCal to light a fire in the fireplace. Time for wrapping gifts, and popping some bubbles!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdEIBpNH2aP/?taken-by=appetite_for_wine

Valdo Prosecco Brut

Bright golden color. A steady stream on tiny bubbles rises to the rim. Aromas of ripe apricot and tangerine. On the palate there are flavors of apricot, pear, apple, and hints of citrus, along with notes of yeast and almond. Lively acidity makes this quite refreshing and light. A perfect pairing with gift wrapping, whether Christmas or January birthday gifts.

On Christmas day, it was time for something French. My parents were visiting, and loved the idea of combining Christmas and birthday, and celebrating with a lovely Rosé sparkler. (Wait, maybe they just thought it would get them out of buying me a birthday present.) To honor the day, and to get the celebration started, we popped the cork on a Côte Mas Cremant De Limoux Brut Rosé St. Hilaire.

Côte Mas Cremant De Limoux Brut Rosé St. Hilaire

Salmon color in the glass. An abundance of tiny bubbles flow from the bottle and carry on in the glass. Aromas of strawberry and rose petals. On the palate there are flavors of raspberry, strawberry, red currant, and cotton candy. Creamy mouthfeel and bright acidity lead to a crisp, bright, red-fruit finish. Perfect with Christmas toasts, or birthday celebrations.

With Christmas behind us, our sights now turned to New Year’s Eve. International Champagne Day. Naturally, we’d want to ring in 2018 with genuine champagne, right? Wrong! Robyn’s birthday was just days away, and we decided to save the bubbles from the most famous sparkling region in the world for her special day. Instead, we headed over to our local wine shop and picked up a domestic brut to toast the New Year.

Finally, the time came to celebrate a January birthday on its actual day. Dinner reservations at a local, romantic restaurant made, we chilled a bottle of Barons de Rothschild Champagne Brut to bring with us and toast to another year of life. The hostess was kind enough hold our champagne we stopped in the bar for a pre-birthday-dinner cocktail.

When we took our seats at our dining table, our bottle was waiting for us in an ice bucket. Our server expertly released the cork, and also did double-duty as birthday photographer!

Barons de Rothschild Champagne Brut

Golden straw color. Soft fruit aromas of floral, apricot and pear. On the palate there are flavors of yellow apple, Bartlett pear, apricot, and cream. Bright acidity and vigorous bubbles liven the tongue. The finish is stone fruit with hints of elderflower, almond, and cream. The perfect sparkler to celebrate a January birthday!

The champagne was the perfect accompaniment to our evening, and it was excellent with my seared-scallop risotto. To end the evening, the pastry chef even wrote “Happy Birthday” in chocolate on the plate with our crème brulee.

Do you have a January birthday? Let us know in the comments how you like to celebrate to ensure your day isn’t lost in the holiday fervor.

Cheers!

By Kent Reynolds & Robyn Raphael