2113 Wine Club 12/18/13 - Northern Spain

Map Courtesy of Cellar Tours (www.cellartours.com)

This week at wine club we focused on Northern Spain. Featuring a Brut Rose from Penedes, a Verdejo from Rueda, and two beautiful Rioja favorites. 

NV Poema Cava, Brut Rose (Pendes, Spain)

"Poema carefully observes the Cava DO’s stringent regulations to craft its top-quality, small-production Cavas which are crafted using the same traditional method used in Champagne. The extremely rare red grape Trepat is used to produce Cava Rosado. The grapes are grown in the Conca de Barberà region of Catalonia, whose limestone soils are ideal for this grape. A green harvest and careful selection helps to ensure that only ripe, pristine grapes are picked. Grapes are harvested manually and pressed in three different wineries close to the vineyards. Grapes are macerated for 16 to 20 hours before fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 15 days. Second fermentation takes place in the bottle according to Metodo Tradicional." - Kobrand Wine


This is a great alternative to regular Cava, or even a moderately priced champagne. Light and fresh with notes of strawberry and rose petals.






2011 Marques de Riscal, Verdjo (Rueda, Spain)

"Bodegas de los Herederos del Marqués de Riscal S.L. has 225 hectares of vineyards planted with, among other grapes, the indigenous verdejo variety. A versatile grape with a lot of character and personality, it is very well suited to the extreme conditions of the region, allowing us to produce fresh young wines or cask-fermented whites. The verdejo grape is stemmed and cooled and left to macerate in order to extract the maximum aroma from the skins and increase the smooth oiliness of the wine." 

"A bright, straw-yellow coloured wine. As you expect from a verdejo wine, on the nose it has high aromatic intensity, with tropical fruit and hints of fennel and fresh grass. In the mouth it is both syrupy smooth and refreshing, with a slightly bitter finish which is typical of the variety making it long and pleasant to drink. Overall it is a fresh, well-balanced wine."

- Marques de Riscal

2009 Rioja Vega, 100% Tempranillo (Rioja, Spain) *

From the pop to the finish this wine is everything I love about the Rioja DOC. Bright deep red cherry color, with a powerful nose of intense cherry, dried fruit, spice, and toffee. A beautiful balance on the palate, a velvety mouthfeel from the tanins and a nice structure. 

This wine is my wine of the week! Pair with MEAT!

"Rioja Vega is today one of the few wine cellars whose winemaking tradition dates back to the dawn of wine culture in this outstanding region. Those were the years when the French maestros, fleeing from the phylloxera that ravaged the vineyards in their country, chose these lands." - Rioja Vega Wineries

2012 Campo Veijo, 100% Garnacha (Rioja, Spain)

Campo Viejo is typically known for their wonderful Tempranillo wines, however they branched out to make this 100% Garnacha, and I thank them for doing so.

Immediately the aroma took me to a field full of strawberries and cherries. The bright fruit flavors paired with the medium body and smooth finish make this an extremely easy drinking wine. (Wine of the week was a hard choice this week.)

I will be interested to how this wine ages over the next couple of years!

"This bright and lively wine has vibrant red fruit flavors like strawberry, raspberry, and cherries with nuances of flowers and sweet spices. Deliciously drinkable with soft, silky, fresh intensity, this will will not disappoint. Very versatile, this wine pairs well with vegetables, meats, pastas, or your favorite appetizers." - Campo Viejo