Two Riojas from Bodegas Franco-Espanolas

These were certainly some of the most unique samples I've been sent in the past year. I've always loved wines from Rioja and think the region has gotten a bad rap over the years. Sure, the wines can get distinctly "New World", with uber-ripe fruit and heavy doses of Americna oak, but there are always gems at great price points if you look hard. As always, I recommend chatting up your local wine shop owner. Chances are they've tasted through the available Riojas and can steer you in the right direction.

2011 Bodegas Franco-Espanolas Royal Viura: A 100% viura is rare..unless you're in Rioja! This one has beautiful aromas of melon, subtle tropical fruits, and a zingy lemon-curd thing going on. I was really groovin' on the bouquet. Tasting it brought a smile to my face. So much crackling acidity mixed with ripe citrus and apple. Really an excellent example of viura. I swear this needs jamon iberico or some tomatoes rubbed on fresh bread. The finish lasts a while, with a minerally/saline note carrying it to the end. Highly recommend. 12% abv. $10 SRP.

2004 Bodegas Franco-Espanolas Rioja Gran Reserva: A blend of 80% tempranillo, 10% garnacha, 5% mazuelo, 5% graciano. Opens with aromas of sun-dried tomato, barnyard, red cherry, and baking spices. There's definitely some oak in play but it integrates well. Smooth entry on the attack, with dried fruit and coconut flavors coming through, before it dries out with sundried tomato and tobacco. As it opens up, more barnyard and allspice notes come out, so drink it quickly! A nice, solid, drinkable Rioja for a very reasonable price. Firm tannins beg for some grilled meat. 13.5% abv. $20 SRP.




Who says you have to spend a bundle to get quality wines from Rioja? Both of these are perfectly serviceable, weeknight-type wines that you can be happy about serving to friends and family. I would suggest keeping an eye on vintages for the white Riojas though, because you want to buy the freshest you can. Viura can oxidize a bit and turn boring if it's not fresh.

These wines were samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Tempranillo Makes It Right

Wine geeks love to explore new regions or new styles, it's the definition of a wine geek, after all. We actively seek out the unique or esoteric, the rare, aged, and even the expensive in pursuit of an experience.

Paradoxically, sometimes the most humble of wines can be exactly what we need to re-energize our vinous pursuits. These wines forcefully remind us of an angle often forgotten, that of fun. 

Take for example, the picture of a Spanish tempranillo above. I bought it for a tasting, intrigued that the back label said it was un-oaked. Young too, what the Spaniards would call a "tempranillo joven". We pitted this wine against five others, from the United States, Oregon, Washington, and Spain.

Out of all the wines, it tasted the freshest, and friendliest. Plums, cherries, and black peppercorns mingled with sun-dried tomatoes. Acidity made this wine into a light, food-friendly drink. Flavors, clearly defined, of red fruit, dusty earth, and peppery spice. High-toned indeed. Perfect for sipping while you munch on some jamon iberico and patatas bravas, or other pintxos.

Thanks, tempranillo.

Beau Carufel

Navarra Wine Adventure, Day Three: Bodegas San Martin, Otazu, And More

I pick up the travels of the #Navarra5 returning to the beautiful Palacio Guendulain in Pamplona after another great day of tasting wines, eating food, and getting cultured. Day three was a smashing success in my book, leaving me further impressed with the wines and perhaps more so, the people. I admire the passion for creating world class wines as well as the willingness to take risks in that pursuit.

As much as I've tried to write about day three of this incredible journey, the words just don't seem to want to appear tonight. Sleep beckons and the bed in my room is so comfortable that I would not mind a day spent there, with plenty of Champagne of course. This scribe must take a mental break for a night, and I'll pick up the tale in the morrow.


Reflecting upon today's itinerary makes me realize how much I'd love for my real job to be traveling the world, bringing eager wine drinkers stories from afar. Not schlepping cheap plonk at Trader Joe's. Come to think of it, I said the exact same thing about Day Two! Since I can't go out and travel the wine regions of the world..yet..I suggest anyone reading this try as many wines from around the world as you can. Throw away preconceived notions you might have about a particular grape or region and just taste wine.

We return to this blog entry more than a day after the events of Wednesday, when I've had time to sit and think about the experience, reliving some moments in particular. The day saw us visiting a Templar church, Puente la Reina along the Pilgrim's Way of St. James, Bodegas San Martin, Otazu, and the best food and wine pairing I've had all year. That evening, a visit to one of Pamplona's famous fish restaurants (La Runa Sideria) was in order, further stuffing the #Navarra5 with amazing cuisine.

Starting the day off right, with a visit to the Church of Saint Mary of Eunate, a 900+ year old Romanesque hermitage. Think about that for a moment..For all the self-congratulating we do here in the United States about how amazing we are for having a 230+ year old democracy, that church was ancient before this country was even a glimmer in Mr. Hancock's eye. Being able to walk those stones was a humbling, extraordinary experience.

The group's next stop was Puente la Reina, a town along the Way of St. James that ends in Compostela. Here we were exposed to more ancient churches and took a walk down to the famous bridge itself.

After a time spent at the church and Puente la Reina, we re-boarded the wine shuttle for our first stop, a co-op called Bodegas San Martin. I'd tasted their Senorio de Unx label in previous Navarra wine tastings. Those bottles would be priced around $15 here in the U.S. Like Malon de Echaide, Bodegas San Martin also makes a lower end label, called Ilagres. Beyond the Senorio de Unx, at about $25-$30 is the Alma de Unx, a truly outstanding wine despite it's ugly label.

At Bodegas San Martin I discovered a couple of wines that I'm positive would be very successful here. The co-op started in 1914 and now consists of 175 growers making anywhere between three and five million liters of wine a year. The vineyards are all at elevations of 400-800 meters above sea level, in mountainous chalky and gravel based soils. Some areas with more clay based soils are planted too, though the vines there are younger. Currently, distributors in Phoenix and Connecticut bring in the wines, though that may change soon as more progressive distributors bring in wines from Navarra.

Here are some notable wines I tasted at Bodegas San Martin:

2010 Flor de Unx Vino de la Tierra: A rosado with a bit of carbonation and some residual sugar, I think this wine would crush it in American markets. It's 100% grenache and brimming with aromas of strawberry, raspberry and rose petal. It's got sweet red fruit across the palate, a hint of bubbles, and just a touch of acid to keep things in line. At $12-$14, it's a bit pricey compared to cheap Moscato de Asti or Lambrusco but the quality is so much higher than a lot of those wines that I feel this is a smart buy for those who like a little sweet and a little bubbly.

(img: http://bodegasanmartin.com)

2005 Reserva de Unx: 100% tempranillo, aged 15 months in American and French oak. The nose is all smokey meat, spices, and dry soil. On the palate it's smooth with integrated tannin, red cherry, dust notes, cracked pepper and sun dried tomato. If you love tannic, full-bodied red wine, this would be right up your alley. My ideal pairing is a medium-rare steak fresh off the grill with a teaspoon of garlic butter on top. Put this tempranillo against a similarly priced Rioja example and the Reserva de Unx would shine for it's lack of heavy oak and more balanced character. The vines are around 25 years old and show a nice maturity in the fruit characteristics.

2006 Alma De Unx: 100% grenache, aged for nine months in Navarra oak. The nose is full of bright red fruit, mountain herbs, pepper, and a touch of oak. On the palate I picked up more of the herbal note with a streak of minerality racing along the palate. Further along, a complex mix of pepper, cherry, and very firm tannin enhanced the texture. If the bottle and label are changed I think this wine could be a commercial success here in the United States. It comes in around $30 a bottle and is the most expensive wine Bodegas San Martin makes. The price point illustrates something important about wine from Navarra, that you get extremely good quality wine without an exorbitant price tag. That theme repeated itself throughout my stay in the region.

From this co-op the #Navarra5 then went to the next winery, called Señorio de Otazu. We met Javier Banales and he proceeded to wow us with some incredible bottles of wine, equal to some of the best of ours here in the U.S. After that, we dined on a sumptuous lunch, one I chronicled in a separate blog entry because the food and wine pairing was just that good. I urge you to take a moment and read that other blog, that meal is a memory I will cherish for a long time. Incidentally, if you're looking for Otazu wines, check out New Age Imports.

Otazu is relatively new, restarted in it's current location in 1990. Today they produce around 350,000 bottles, on 115 hectares of land. The vineyards are unique, they are the northernmost in Spain and close to France, which plays a role in influencing the style Otazu makes. Javier told us that the winemaking philosophy stresses balance over extraction, and the committment to quality includes a program of controlling as many of the variables as possible. I liked the oak program at Otazu, where each barrel is used for about four years and each red wine vintage sees between 20% and 30% new French oak.

Here are some highlights from Señorio de Otazu:

otazu.com

2009 Otazu Chardonnay: An unoaked, Chablis-style chardonnay. No malolactic fermation takes place, leaving a nose bursting of green apple, Bartlett pear, and lemon zest. At 14% alcohol, there is some weight to the palate, but the malic acid does a great job of showcasing apple, pear, and wet river-stone minerality. The finish draws out in a very linear fashion, but that's a good thing. I would love this wine with Dungeness crab, grilled scallops, or any number of chicken dishes. For around $15, the quality is very hard to beat.

otazu.com

2006 Otazu Altar: A blend, 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% tempranillo that pours inky purple in the glass. The nose is gorgeous, full of dried herb, leather, bittersweet chocolate, and black cherry. The Altar spends 18 months in French oak barrels, and the total production run is about 7,000 bottles. On the palate this is an elegant, full-bodied red. Loads of dark fruit, cedar, stunning minerality, and impeccable tannic structure create an outstanding bottle of wine. While at about $50+ it's not cheap, it's also a showcase for what the terroir of Navarra is capable of.

otazu.com

2005 Otazu Vitral: 700 bottles of this were made, a blend of 95% cabernet sauvignon and 5% tempranillo. Javier suggested that future vintages would not include any tempranillo at all, because the cabernet vines were finally producing the quality fruit that is needed to make this wine. The nose is full of licorice, dark earth, chocolate, ripe black cherry and blackberry, along with a whiff of smoked meat. This wine is one you could stand side by side with the best of the world and it would hold it's own. I judged this to be one of the top three wines of the entire trip. At $150+ it isn't cheap, nor should it be. Ideally a filet mignon would accompany the Vitral, with the rich meaty flavor of the steak balancing the firm tannin of the wine.


I fell asleep in the wine-shuttle as we returned to Pamplona, the combination of awesome food and incredible wine just did me in. I think each lunch we had in Navarra lasted between two and three hours, something we Americans are not used to. Upon our return to the hotel, the group was somewhat dismayed to find that we only had a few minutes to get ready for dinner. More food, if you can believe it, was built into the agenda. Our destination was a seafood restaurant called La Runa Sideria (The Rune Ciderhouse) that is also home to great casks of cider. Seafood and cider aren't what I immediately think of as a pairing but I was determined to try this out.

As we all sat around the table ordering plates of freshly caught fish, I went to a cask and drew off some of the Navarran cider. It was bone dry and had only the fainest hint of apple flavor, as well as being practically flat. While not everyone liked it, this seemed an important ritual for us and I happily partook. The #Navarra5 did of course drink wine, but I didn't have my notes with me so I cannot recall what they are. I'll end with some more shots of our delicious dinner, before we climbed back into some taxis and made our way "home".

Our fearless guide Michael Matilla of Argos Wine Consulting is seen drawing off some of the cider at La Runa. He loved this stuff! The picture was my attempt at an action shot, I feel my little Canon Powershot just wasn't up to the task..Or maybe it was me, after a long day.

Some kind of fish, freshly caught that morning, and now prepared into a delicious meal for us. Paired with a chardonnay, it was perfect. I'm glad we did seafood tonight because trying to consume more beef would have possibly been disastrous.

Another fish, also of unknown provenance, but also quite delicious. Often the "fresh fish" we get here is multiple days old, but not the fish at La Runa, or so we were told.









Each day kept getting better with new wineries and experiences. Seeing ancient bridges and churches reminded me of how old this land is. Tomorrow, day four, the group is going to another winery and an excavated ancient Roman winery. That got me thinking; people have been making wine in Navarra for two thousand years, isn't it about time we here in the United States caught on? If this area wasn't suited for wine production and didn't know how to make good wines, they'd have stopped by now.

Beau Carufel

You Could Win Tapena Wine!!

Raise your hand if you'd like to win some free wine. Perhaps that's a rhetorical question, because I don't know anyone who doesn't want free wine, especially good wine. With some help from the Tapeña group, I'm running a contest on this little corner of the internet. The winner of the contest will get a Tapeña party pack consisting of wine (duh!), a Spanish cookbook, corkscrew, those neat fridge magnets with words on them, and some other special goodies.

Now onto the legalese: By entering into this competition you are verifying that you're 21 years of age or older. You also verify that you're living in the 48 contiguous states.

Here's what I want to see from you:
1. Post a comment about Spanish wines and a favorite pairing to go with Spanish wines. That will get you one entry.
2. Post a recipe for tapas that is holiday-party themed, that'll get you two entries! Note: The recipe must be relatively simple and original, please don't cut/paste from a food magazine directly to this blog!
3. Submit a picture, via email, of some tapas you've cooked up, along with the recipe for me to post here. That will get you three entries. I'll then post the picture(s) and recipe(s) after I pick the winner.

Three ways to win, and on December 10th I will pick a winner using random.org and the corresponding entries I receive. All entries must be in by midnight Pacific time on December 9th.

To spread this competition to as many people as possible, anyone referring other wine lovers to this blog competition gets a bonus entry. The person referred must include the name of who referred them to this page in their entry.

I'm making this competition as easy as I can, yet still trying to retain a sense of fun and exploration for us all. I spent a week in Spain this past September and fell in love with the concept of tapas and the Spanish way of going from tapas bar to tapas bar, having a plate of tapas and a glass of wine at each. Call it a sophisticated twist on the British/American tradition of a pub crawl.

Some background will perhaps help to put this competition in the proper light. Tapeña group, the brainchild of the Ferrer house (they of Freixenet cavas), is a way of putting $10 Spanish wine onto American tables. The thing is, a lot of $10 Spanish wine is plonk, with too much oak and other manipulation that covers up what the grapes really are. Not so with the Tapeña wines, which come in four varieties; tempranillo, grenache, verdejo, and a rosado (rosé). All the grapes come from the middle of Spain, in the Tierra de Castilla region.

To learn more about the Tapeña wines, here are some helpful links:
The Website: http://tapenawines.com
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/tapenawines
Twitter: @tapenawine
Tapeña Blog: http://blog.tapenawines.com
Tapeña Rewards program. Details online at: http://www.tapenarewards.com

I hope you'll join in this fun competition and be inspired but what other people create, as well as create a tapas recipe of your own. It's all in fun and you could very well win a few bottles of wine and a cool cookbook, to say the least. That and the bragging rights that go with winning such a highly prestigious competition..

Let the games begin!

These wines were sent as samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Robert Parker Makes Some Predictions

Just came across this article, written by Mr. Parker, on the FoodandWine.com website. He writes twelve wine predictions to take place between now and 2015. The list is an entertaining read, and I noticed a couple of intriguing items to touch upon.

His second prediction is this:
"2 The wine Web will go mainstream
Internet message boards, Web sites tailored for wine geeks and state-of-the-art winery sites all instantaneously disseminate information about new wines and new producers. Today the realm of cyberspace junkies and hardcore Internet users, these sites will become mainstream in 10 years. A much more democratic, open range of experts, consultants, specialists, advisors and chatty wine nerds will assume the role of today's wine publications."

It appears that Mr. Parker is giving a tacit nod to wine bloggers as a legitimate voice of wine criticism. He, who infamously called them (us) "blobbers", is basically saying that the role of wine critic, held today by wine publications like Wine Spectator, The Wine Enthusiast, and The Wine Advocate, will be taken over by a wide range of new voices. Obviously that includes wine bloggers.

This isn't surprising to me or my fellow bloggers, indeed we're already seeing guys like Joe Roberts and Alder Yarrow become more and more known as respected voices in the wine community. The aforementioned wine guys are moving beyond the digital domain by having their work exposed to a wider audience. That audience is not the wine-blog-reading type, rather, the people who may google a wine's name and then quickly scan the relevant (to them) article. Enough of the self-congratulations though, because wine bloggers do have a long way to go in order to garner the levels of respect accorded the print publications and critics.

Another prediction, the sixth:
"6 Spain will be the star
Look for Spain to continue to soar. Today it is emerging as a leader in wine quality and creativity, combining the finest characteristics of tradition with a modern and progressive winemaking philosophy. Spain, just coming out of a long period of cooperative winemaking that valued quantity over quality, has begun to recognize that it possesses many old-vine vineyards with almost unlimited potential. Spanish wineries recognize that they are trapped neither by history nor by the need to maintain the status quo that currently frustrates and inhibits so many French producers. By 2015, those areas that have traditionally produced Spain's finest wines (Ribera del Duero and Rioja) will have assumed second place behind such up-and-coming regions as Toro, Jumilla and Priorat."

On one hand, having just returned from Spain on a blogger trip, I agree that it is indeed ascendant because there is a lot of seriously good quality wine just waiting to make it here. I saw evidence of this in Navarra, where winery after winery was producing inexpensive, high quality, expressive wine that would appeal to a large part of our wine drinking population here.

However, Mr. Parker fails in that he notes a region already held in high esteem (Rioja) and a region that still is known for producing high priced red wine (Ribera del Duero) versus a more balanced selection. Instead, Parker needs to elevate Toro, Navarra, and La Mancha into the tiers of wine that we should be seeking out from Spain. First off, with Rioja, Parker completely avoids the fact that the stylistic framework of those wines is evolving away from his signature style. That style being a highly extracted, intensely fruity, heavily oaked wine. Momentum is shifting towards fresher, low-oak wines that have a lot more acid than your typical Rioja. A lot of his high scoring Ribera del Duero wines are the same way, as are the Priorat and Jumilla wines he gives those big 90+ points to. Big, overly extracted, heavily oaked wines that are borderline undrinkable.

Lastly, the 11th prediction:
"11 Value will be valued
Despite my doom-and-gloom prediction about the prohibitive cost of the world's greatest wines, there will be more high-quality, low-priced wines than ever before. This trend will be led primarily by European countries, although Australia will still play a huge role. Australia has perfected industrial farming: No other country appears capable of producing an $8 wine as well as it does. However, too many of those wines are simple, fruity and somewhat soulless. Australia will need to improve its game and create accessible wines with more character and interest to compete in the world market 10 years from now."

Once again, Parker sidesteps the fact that he helped create this fruity, soulless wine currently lapping our shores from Australia. He also completely misses the fact that this style of wine does and will continue to hold immense appeal to many casual wine drinkers. The kind of drinker who probably doesn't read any wine blogs, who buys Yellowtail because they've had it and it's easy to drink, and who thinks a 90 point score means the wine is good.

Another question I ask is whether Australia wants to be known as the world's best producer of $8 wine or not? I doubt it, because at the $20 and $40 level there are some wonderful Australian wines to be had. For $8, there are solid, unimpressive, good quality wines available, but if a consumer has only bought those wines before, what's the chance they'll risk it and take that $20 bottle off the shelf? I would argue that they would turn to France or Italy, even California, to buy that "expensive" bottle. Therefore, in the value-wine segment, I have a feeling we'll see Australia's role diminish from "huge" to more along the lines of California. It will take a concerted effort from the Aussies to make this happen though. Hmmm, maybe they should send me on a blogger trip down there?

What do you think? Care to make any predictions for the next five years?

Beau Carufel

Navarra Wine Adventure, Day Two: Malon de Echaide and Finca Albret

Today arrived way too early in Navarra because we (the "#Navarra5") were out eating a stunningly good meal until 11:30pm the previous night and I didn't fall asleep until 12:40. My alarm went off at 7am, when it was still dark outside in Pamplona. Luckily the jet lag either hasn't hit me or won't hit at all. After discussing it with Ward and Mike, I think it may have something to do with the arrival-night's festivities. Those activities helped re-set my body clock to Spanish time, which is nine hours ahead of San Diego.

Breakfast was quick, we had to meet downstairs at 7:45am to get a start on the day's activities. Our schedule consisted of visits to wineries, tastings, a huge lunch (more on that later), and a walking tour of Pamplona. After that, another sumptuous dinner was scheduled but that ended up being cancelled in favor of more pintxos! Instead of boring you with words, and in the interests of keeping things concise, I'll post some pictures below.

After about an hour, we began with a tour and tasting at Malon de Echaide. This is a cooperative of growers, around 200, that grow then sell their grapes to the Bodega, which makes wine to sell. We spent some time touring the cellars and tasting their wines, all were great examples of why wines from Navarra are QPR smashers.

A Farmer Brings In His Load Of Muscat

New Oak Barrels from America

500,000 Liter Tank!!!

After tasting and the tour, we headed to another winery, Finca Albret, to taste a different style of Navarran wine. At Albret, the emphasis is on expression of terroir, letting the grapes do the talking. Perhaps the biggest difference between Albret and Malon de Echaide is that Albret owns all it's land, controlling literally every step in the winemaking process. As a result, the winemaker and oenologist can work together to ensure optimum ripeness levels in the vines before they're harvested.

Ripe Graciano at Albret

Bodegas Finca Albret

Lineup of Albret Wines

After this tour we headed to lunch to gorge on more awesome Spanish foods, including fresh vegetables grown right in Navarra. Unfortunately I failed to take any pictures during lunch, my bad. Two days and two big lunches made it clear which meal is the "big meal" of the day As such, getting used to eating a six course lunch, complete with wine, then dessert is in fact difficult. But that isn't to say that I'm not having fun trying!

Following the giant lunch, our group loaded back up into the rented van and drove back to Pamplona (roughly an hour away) to take a walking tour through the heart of the city. For me this was a highlight of the trip (yes, my interests go beyond wine) because I got to see some real, live history. The pictures above and below highlight the amazing things we saw as we walked the route of the Running of the Bulls, saw the ancient city walls, and even witnessed Basque musicians.

Ancient church

Countdown clock for next year's Running

Basque musicians

Returning to the hotel tired, still full, and maybe even a bit thirsty, I sat at my computer and began to compose this blog. We had a long day and will be up and at it tomorrow for more winery visits plus an old church and town. Seeing this history somehow makes the wine mean something more, the buildings are a part of the land and have been here in the first vineyards were planted, could we consider them somehow part of the terroir? A romantic notion perhaps, but Spain has given me a heady sense of romance so far.

I didn't finish this blog entry before bed, so what you're reading now was composed a week after I returned home.

As I look back, Day Two of the Navarra Wine Adventure was everything I had wanted out of the trip. Touring the vineyards, tasting the wines, and learning the history of the place I was in checked off the three main "needs" I had for this trip. Since the trip, I have become even more interested in visiting wine regions and reporting back what I find. Perhaps the beginnings of a wine journalism career were formed in Navarra, drinking wine.

Beau Carufel

A Perfect Wine and Food Pairing in Navarra

Last week I was in the Kingdom of Navarra on a wine blogger trip, and while I tasted some amazing wine, I also was fortunate enough to eat delicious meals at multiple restaurants throughout Navarra and the city of Pamplona. One of those meals came at a restaurant on the third day of our trip through Navarra wine country. The account is below.

The Navarran Coat of Arms

Today while reading Matt Kramer's latest piece in Wine Spectator, I saw a passage that reminded me of one of the best wine and food pairings I've ever had, at a restaurant in Navarra. Matt wrote: "At a dinner with friends, we opened a bottle of 2008 Tokaji Furmint Sec from Kiralyudvar with a lemon risotto. We collectively gasped with pleasure and sensory surprise so striking was the wine. You could practically feel the universe expand, if only for an instant"

The theme of his column in the October 31st issue of Wine Spectator, was the romance of and in wine. While the article makes a good point that for some people, the romance has gone, the quote above is what stirred my memory. Experiences like what Matt describes are for me, rare, but that makes them more special and perhaps that's the romance of wine. Creating experiences such as what I'm about to describe won't come about from pairing a burger and Coca-Cola, or a glass of ice water and some suckling pig. Wine is integral to great meal experiences, and that's the truth.

After tasting some delicious wines at Senorio de Otazu with Javier Banales Vanes, he took the #Navarra5 to lunch at Sarbil, a small restaurant overlooking the valley which holds Otazu. The pictures do not do the location justice, as Restaurante Sarbil sits out over the cliff itself, leaving it's diners sitting on air! This was one of the most beautiful sights during my time learning about Navarra wine.

There you can see the restaurant and amazing view we had, the perfect setting for an equally amazing lunch. Sarbil was founded by a local man who had previously worked for years in industry before coming to his senses and realizing he and his wife could make amazing food. Javier said it was one of his favorite places to lunch and after our meal there, I can see why.




After tasting at Otazu, Javier brought two bottles of wine with him to the restaurant, the 2006 Altar and 2005 Vitral. Both are red blends, the Altar featuring 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% tempranillo and the Vitral taking the cabernet even further, at 95% with the rest tempranillo. When I do my Otazu writeup, you'll read more detailed tasting notes on each wine, and their commensurately high scores.

(img src http://www.otazu.com/vinos.php/senorio_de_otazu/4/Vitral/en)

My choice of entree was suckling pig, something I've had and enjoyed a few times here in the United States, and to be honest, an alternative to the multiple kilograms of steak I'd already consumed during the trip. That's not to say the steaks weren't bad, quite the opposite. However, eating more steak would have been like going to France and having escargot at every stop.

After going through multiple courses to even get to the suckling pig, and consuming multiple bottles of the amazing Otazu rosado, I witnessed the sight of a perfectly cooked portion of suckling pig make it's way to the space in front of me. The skin was crackly and crunchy, and underneath, the flesh came apart as if by magic. I thought to myself "this is just not fair" and remember looking over at Mike Wangbickler who was also sporting an ear-to-ear grin.

My "moment" came when the Wine Harlot was trying to engage me in conversation. I'd just taken a bite of the suckling pig, part skin and part flesh. The salty, crunchy skin giving way to creamy, decadent flesh that itself was marvelous, without any wine! Then, I took a sip of the Vitral and my world stopped. I was speechless, my brain exploded into colors, purple, garnet, ruby,  and electric blue fireworks inside my head. 

My eyes were closed as I savored this perfect synergy of food and wine. THIS is why I drink wine, THIS is why I pair wine and food. The Vitral, all $105 dollars worth, seamlessly complemented the flavors of the pig. The skin, glazed to perfection, gave way to earth and dried herbs from the tempranillo, the creamy flesh of the baby pig bathed in the cassis and black cherry fruit of the cabernet. The entire experience is seared permanently into my brain. I couldn't tell where the wine stopped and the food began, or vice versa.

I held up a finger to the Harlot, begging her indulgence and after a second, she understood what was going on. Right then, there, for me, the entire world was perfect.

Beau Carufel

Navarra Wine Adventure, The First Day (Officially)

So begins the first day on my Navarra Wine Adventure.
After a bit of a blow out on the night we arrived, I found myself in my hotel bed thinking that perhaps I needed to nurse my drinks in order to survive the trip. Whenever a group of wine bloggers get together, things have the potential to get a bit fun. That realization caused me to get out of bed, while still remembering the events described below, and begin my first day in Navarra.

The "#Navarra5" had a blast on Sunday night, visiting various tapas bars around Pamplona. In fact, tapas is not used by the natives of Navarra, they kept reminding me that the term was "pintxos", pronounced "pinchos". As those of you who speak Spanish know, a slight mis-pronunciation of that word could have dire consequences. Pintxos are single-serve bites, sort of like a large amuse bouche. They can be anything from a small roll with Jamon Iberico on it, freshly cooked eel, tortillas (not that kind), cheese and jamon bites in a crunchy shell, even smoked sardines. You go to the pintxos place and order a bunch of small plates, usually for about one Euro or so, wash it down with a glass or two of wine, then head out for dinner or to a show. I love this idea!

The group's favorite restaurant/bar for pintxos quickly became El Gaucho, located only a half kilometer from our hotel, Palacio Guendulain, making it very conveinent. We ended up visiting El Gaucho multiple times throughout the trip, always in search of delicious pintxos, and of course, Navarra wine!

Meeting downstairs in the overcast, cool light of a Navarran morning (September 19th), our van was quickly loaded with camera gear, bags, and wine bloggers. The first stop was 30 minutes away, at the headquarters for the D.O. Navarra. Set in a beautiful postmodern building, this is where Navarran wine is administered. The facility also acts as a research station for Spanish viticulture.




Thankfully there was coffee and water for us all, and we were introduced to the D.O. of Navarra via a slide show from the wonderfully enthusiastic Pilar García-Granero, who is the head of the administrative agency. Some of what was covered includes the history of the Kingdom of Navarra itself, Navarran grapegrowing, and an overview of some of the rules that wine from Navarra must adhere to.

Given a proper sense of context, we were ready to explore the area, starting with the Castle at Olite, where we got a guided tour of the grounds. The pictures below make an effort to capture the beauty and sheer scale of Olite. To view more pictures of my trip to Olite, visit my Flickr photostream.

With that tour complete and the #Navarra5 getting thirsty, it was time to visit a winery! Another 30 minute car ride brought us to Bodega Inurrieta, where we met Jose Antonia Pellicer and winemaker Kepa Sagastizabal who gave us a tour of the winery before leading a tasting of their wines. I've written about Inurrieta previously, one of their wines was in a Wines of Navarra Live Tasting and showed well.

After tasting and discussing the wines, we were treated to a magnificent lunch, with the winery owner himself doing the cooking. Lasting a full two hours, we ate summer greens, piquillo peppers, chickpea soup, steak, and a dessert called cuajada, one of the most interesting things I've ever had.

Stuffed with both food and information, the #Navarra5 journeyed to the next stop, Bodegas Ochoa. That name should ring a bell, I've written about their wines in my Dessert Wine blog post as well as the Wines of Navarra Live Tasting post. Talking to Beatriz Ochoa and Pablo Aguirre, I enjoyed their enthusiasm and passion for the bodega. It also didn't hurt that the wines were superb. We even got to talk (via translator) with the founder himself, Mr. Javier Ochoa Martínez.

In the span of one day, I had visited two wineries producing deliciously accessible wines which are primed for the American market. Considering how we Millennials are growing more adventurous in our quest for good bottles, I really hope my generation starts asking for Navarra wine at our local wine shops. These kinds of wines, priced at around $7-$15, would sell like crazy one wine lovers tasted them. That is a fact.

Back into the van, a somewhat tired group headed back to Pamplona for a few hours of rest before heading to dinner at Enekorri, a restaurant of great renown. In the pictures below you'll see that I ate some amazing dishes, all paired with Navarra wine. The freshness of the ingredients combined with the care at their preparation left me impressed (and full!)

The food was amazing, one of the best meals I've had all year and each dish paired very nicely with the wines. Our host for dinner, Conchi Biurrun, picked wines from all over the region to showcase the versatility that is Navarra wine.

After the meal the #Navarra5 headed back to our marvelous hotel for a much needed break, to rest our minds, bodies, and palates for the next day. On our second day, September 20, we were to tour more wineries and take a walking tour of the city of Pamplona. That blog entry will be a lot of fun, and I promise some wonderful pictures are to come.

Beau Carufel