This week starts a new series on Spanish wine regions. A couple of summers ago we did a series on Spanish wines which we really enjoyed. We love Spanish wine and wanted an excuse to drink more and learn about lesser known regions within Spain. So this week we are kicking things off with Ribera del Duero.
On this week’s episode we discuss:
- Where is Ribera del Duero?
- Brief wine history of the area
- Climate and geography
- Grapes grown and the amazing wine it makes
- Wine classifications
- Food pairings
Wine Recommendations
Convento Oreja Crianza 2014 – priced around $25. This wine has aromas of black cherry, spice, vanilla and a hint of tobacco. It’s dry with medium acidity, medium plus lush, smooth tannins with flavors of black plum, blackberries, vanilla and leather with a long finish. We love the texture of this wine, not as fruity as we were expecting but it has a lovely, long finish.
You can purchase this wine here
Quintana de Cue Crianza 2011 – this wine is a Winery Direct selection from Total Wine and is priced around $20. This wine has a nose of black cherry and a hint of red berries and dried fennel seeds and vanilla. It’s dry with medium acidity, medium plus tannins and flavors of chocolate covered cherries and raspberries. We loved this wine, it’s intense, fruity and complex.
You can purchase this wine here
Valtravieso Reserva 2011 – priced around $32. This is actually a blend of 90% Tinto fino, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot that spent 18 months in barrel and another 18 months in the bottle. This wine has aromas of black cherries, forest floor with a meaty undertone. It’s dry, medium plus tannins, medium acidity and black plum and flavors of dark chocolate covered espresso beans. This wine has such a beautiful texture – satin like tannins and it’s less rustic and more refined than the other two wines.
You can purchase this wine here