Cavas, Tapas and More... by Shawn Springer

“I will drink no wine before its time,” declared Orson Welles while promoting Paul Masson wines. One might also use that phrase to describe the aging that Spanish wines receive before being marketed here in the US.

Opening our tasting will be a lovely 2003 Cava sparkling wine from Gramona winery in Penedès. Composed of equal parts Chardonnay, Xarello and Macabeo grapes, this will whet your appetite for the hearty wines to come. The Xarello grape is grown exclusively in the Catalonia region of Spain. The Xarello and Macabeo grapes contribute a balanced acidity to the Chardonnay to complete this wine.

A long winemaking history backs the two women winemakers of Parés Baltà, makers of Ros de Pacs, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet. Wine has been produced in the district of Penedès since the 1700s, and their winery, or bodega as it is known in Spain, has been producing fine wines since the 1930s.

If you like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, then you will enjoy the next wine, a 2003 Solanera from Castaño in Yecla, where many vines grow on their native roots. Made with the Monastrell varietal, known as Mourvèdre in France, it is blended with Tintorera and Cabernet Sauvignon into a wine that rates 91 points by Robert Parker!

The Garnacha (Grenache) grape plays a key role in the next two wines, both from Celler de Capçanes in Montsant. The first combines Garnacha with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cariñena (Carignan) in a robust, mouth-filling wine that you are sure to enjoy. We will also taste a true old-vines wine, coming from 60 year old Garnacha vines and blended with 20% Syrah - the Mas Donis ‘Barrica. This wine is reminiscent of a Côtes du Rhône, without the price tag.

Our sixth wine, from Mas que Vinos in La Mancha, undergoes malolactic fermentation in clay jars known as tinajas. These vessels are a part of the original winery constructed in 1851. The Ercavio Tempranillo Roble is made from 100% Tempranillo grapes.

The finale of the evening comes from the winery Artadi, owned by Juan Carlos Lopez de la Calle and located in Rioja. He believes that Tempranillo, when cultivated at high altitudes and low-cropped from old vines (40-50 years old), could produce an extraordinarily rich, profound wine – and this
belief has “borne fruit.”

In keeping with Spanish tradition, we will enjoy a variety of tapas, or little bites, with our wines. Tapas are typically eaten as appetizers before dinner, although it is becoming popular to “graze” and make an entire meal out of them.

"Each bottle of wine has a story encapsulated within. There is a piece of earth, work and life contained in every vessel.” So says Ken O’Hara, account manager for A&B Imports, who will be our guide for these Spanish wines. Ken has traveled throughout Spain and has found these gems among the small family vineyards of the region.

Bring your friends, and enjoy an evening of tapas and wine as we explore the delights of Spain.

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