Tag Archives: wine

How Going to a New Country Can Change Your Tastes

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I used to hate olives.

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I used to hate red wine.

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(I used to be pretty awful at Spanish.) I mean, I took high school Spanish and majored in it. Yet I was still pretty damn bad. How does that work?

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No, but seriously. I was so terrible at Spanish. How does that work?

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Now, however…

I love olives. If you’re in Spain, please go to a bar now. Order some aceitunas pardas. Eat. Enjoy. Thank me later.

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Now, I love red wine. I especially love me some Elías Mora.

Go to Zamora. Go to any wine shop. Any. Find some wine, preferably Elías Mora. You won’t regret it. It was probably one of the wines that convinced me just how good wine can be.

I never have.

I’m actually better at Spanish. (Mario helps a lot.)

Plus, he’s cute.

I can converse with almost anyone, understand almost anyone, and even understand the majority of a soccer broadcast. (¡Hala Madrid!) For me, that’s pretty impressive. Being bilingual ain’t easy.

At the risk of being cliché, how has moving to another country (even if just for a year) influenced you? Do you like that influence?

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Spanish Wine 411

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I’ve written about wine before, but let me just get this out of the way:

There is more to the international wine industry than France and Italy.

I mean, Spain is the third-largest wine-producing country (after our dear friends France and Italy), but it’s the most widely planted producing nation. Spaniards drink about 10 gallons of wine per year. You know, probably way less than amount of Diet Coke I drink (I know - it’s soooo bad for me; give it a rest).

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When I first set on Spanish soil, I didn’t like wine or olives. Those two things changed – and fast. And wouldn’t you know, olives and wine make a delicious pairing!

Want to learn more? Read on, friend.

Classification

You’ll usually see the letters DO, meaning Denominación de Origen, or “designation of origen” followed by the name of the place the wine was made. There are other systems, but this is the main one you will see in places like grocery stores, little wine/food artisan shops, and neighborhood cafés. The most known DO is Rioja, and if you’ve had Spanish wine in the U.S., it’s likely Rioja or Ribera del Duero.

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  • Rioja – Rioja actually has a Denominación de Origen Calificada (qualified designation of origin). It’s actually made in the Autonomous Communities of La Rioja, parts of Navarre, and the Basque province of Álava. It has about 14,000 vineyards and 150 wineries. [1]
  • Ribera del Duero - It’s located in Castilla y León, in Spain’s northern plateau. The region follows the course of the Duero river. Here, they produce mostly red wine.
  • Rías Baixas – Located in Galicia, this region produces mostly white wines. In Gallego (the language of Galicia), rías baixas means “low ria,” where “ria” is a long, narrow tidal inlet. They mainly produce the Albariño grape. [2]
  • Jerez – Located in Cádiz, in Andalucía, this region produces jerez, or as we say in English, “sherry.” (Sherry is an anglicization of jerez.) It’s a fortified wine made of white grapes. In Spain, all wine called jerez must come from the Sherry Triangle, an area in Cádiz. [3]
  • Toro – This DO is located in Zamora (!!) and is one of my favorites. I’m biased, of course, but it produces high quality red wines and has been doing so since the end of the first century BC.
  • Others – I’m sorry to give these the shaft, but that’s not to say they aren’t great wine-producing regions: Jumilla (Murcia), Campo de Borja (Zaragoza), Penedes (Barcelona), Rueda (Castilla y León), and Priorat (Tarragona). [4]

Grapes

White wine grapes
  • Albariño – Generally produces light, high acid, distinctively aromatic wines.
  • Malvasia -Used to produce white wines, sweetened wines, this varietal can be found on the Iberian Peninsula as well as the Canary Islands.
  • Verdejo – Used to make strongly oxidized, Sherry-like wine. These grapes are generally harvested at night, which allows for less oxidation, which in turn allows for less browning of the liquid. [5]
  • Viura – Widely grown in the La Rioja region of Spain; used to make mildly acidic and young white wines.
Red wine grapes
  • Tempranillo – This is the main red grape of Spain. Its name often varies from region to region. The grape is called “tinta de Toro” in the Toro region and “tinta fino” in Ribera del Duero. It produces wines that are quite rich in color.
  • Garnacha – This grape is called Grenache in much of the rest of the world and grows well in arid conditions, making it successful in Spain’s often very dry conditions.
  • Monastrell – Originating in Spain, it is known in France as Mourvèdre. It produces strong, dark red wines as well as rosés.

Spanish Labeling Laws

In order to classify them, Spanish wines are often labeled by the amount of time they spent ageing. There are four major categories:

  • Joven – These wines have undergone very little (if any!) aging in barrels. They should be drunk within a year or so.
  • Crianza – Red wines are aged for 2 years. They spend at least 6 months in oak barrels. White wines are aged for a year and spend 6 months in oak barrels.
  • Reserva – Reserva red wines spend at least a year in oak barrels and are aged for a total of at least 3 years. Likewise, Reserva whites are aged for 2 years and spend at least a year in oak.
  • Gran Reserva - These wines are usually better quality. If red wine, they spend at least 5 years aging: 18 months in oak and 36 in the bottle. In a similar manner, if white wine, they must spend 6 months in oak and 4 years total aging.

So You’re Going to a Bar…What Do You Order?

Of course, it’s all a matter of personal taste. Some people profess to not be able to tell the difference between an $8 bottle of wine and a $50 wine. I wish that were true for me, but I do notice a huge difference. I just say no to Two Buck Chuck (although I think it’s Three Buck Chuck actually). I just can’t deal with it – the taste is so insipid.
I say – order what you like. If you love table wine, by all means order it! It’s your party. But I would recommend branching out from your typical Riojas. They are good and you can find very high quality in the region. Nonetheless, there is more to Spanish wine than just Rioja. I recommend trying the Toro region, located in Zamora. Its wine are bold, daring even, with a high alcohol content (sometimes 14.5%!) . It’s also quite tannic, which I love. Here are my recommendations for affordable quality wine from Toro:
  • Elías Mora – I admit, Mario and I love this wine and drink it a lot. If you’re looking for affordable, this is your best bet. It’s cheap (especially in Spain!) and goes down quite smoothly.
  • Bodega Numanthia Termes 2008 – I had this at Tastings, a wine bar located in downtown Indianapolis. Mario has actually never tried it, so I have one up on him! As the site says, it’s a “solid” wine.
  • Gran Colegiata Reserva - Gran Colegiata refers to the main church of Toro, which is not a cathedral. Yeah, I’ve been there. This wine is quite affordable. I drink the regular version a lot. It’s only ~$16 at this point.
  • Matsu Wines – Matsu is the name of a “trilogy” of wines. The young one shows a young man’s face; the middle one shows a middle-aged man’s face; the older wine shows an old man’s face. It’s a brilliant concept and the wine is striking. Each character embodies the characteristics of the wine that takes its name – “The Rogue,” “The Robust,” and “The Old.” The flavor is unmistakable. I remember drinking the Old Man version with Mario’s family.

Also, if you want to be truly Spanish, have some jamón serrano with your wine. Google says so.
[3] Sherry

Sayings about Wine (Spanish Post!)

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Happy after a meal with my Spanish family. (That little girl named me “Marlin.” Yes, like the dad from Finding Nemo.)

There is nothing like sharing a meal with a group of Spanish people.

Happy to be eating at a Spanish wedding.

Spanish people love food. They let you know. They close their eyes in pleasure, spend the whole meal discussing the flavors, linger over meals for hours. Of course, it’s not all about the food; it’s about the company, too. But I believe that Spanish people love food more than most.

Olives at a market in Zamora.

They also love wine. (Secret: I do, too.) A while back, while using Mario’s parents’ computer I found this little document about wine. Mario’s father is quite witty, always challenging my Spanish with his sayings, plays on words, puns, and refrains. Thus, this document is typical Jesús. I thought I would share it with you all.

Mario and me having some wine (not in Spain)

Citas y refranes sobre el vino

Note: I have bolded my favorites. All translations done by me. Spaniards, if I screwed up, correct me. Si me he equivocado, por favor, ¡corregidme!

  • El buen vino resucita al peregrino. – Good wine revives the pilgrim.
  • En casa del rico, el vinagre se vuelve vino. - In the rich man’s house, the vinegar becomes wine.
  • No hay cuestión ni pesadumbre que sepa amigo, nadar; todas se ahogan en vino, todas se atascan en pan…” (Francisco de Quevedo) - There is no question nor regret that I know friend, to swim; all drown in wine, all are mired in bread.
  • Si al mundo vino y no tomó vino, ¿a qué vino? - If he came to this world and didn’t drink wine, why did he come at all?
  • El hombre que bebe agua teniendo vino en la mesa, es como el que tiene novia y la mira y no la besa. - The man who drinks water having wine on the table is like one who has a girlfriend, looks at her, but does not kiss her.
  • Si el vino perjudica tus negocios, deja tus negocios. - If wine is detrimental to your business, leave your business behind.
  • El agua hace sudar; el vino, cantar. - Water makes you sweat; wine makes you sing.
  • Uva moscatel, no llega al tonel. - The muscat grape never reaches the barrel.
  • El español fino con todo bebe vino. - The refined Spaniard drinks wine with everything.
  • Comer sin vino es miseria y desatino. - Eating without wine is misery and folly.
  • Con pan y vino se hace el camino. - The way is made with bread and wine.
  • Si el mar fuera vino, todo el mundo sería marino. - If the sea were wine, everyone would be a sailor.
  • Cuando Dios llamó a Gabino no dijo Gabino ven, dijo ¡VENGA VINO! - When God called Gabino, he didn’t tell him to come, he said, “Come! There’s wine!” (Play on words involved here – vino is wine, but also the third person past tense of the verb “venir” ["to come"].)
  • Al cuerpo hay que darle lo contrario de lo que quiere: si pide agua, darle vino, y si pide vino… darle más vino! - The body must be given the opposite of what it wants: if it asks for water, give it wine; if it asks for wine…give it more wine!
  • No es ningún desatino, postre, café, y vino. - It is not folly: dessert, coffee, and wine.
  • El buen vino no merece probarlo quien no sabe saborearlo. - Good wine does not deserve to be tasted; it deserved to be savored.
  • Quien vino bebe, despacio envejece. - Those who drink wine age slowly.
  • Bebe el agua a chorro y el vino a sorbos. - Drink water in gulps and wine in sips. (I am unsure of how to translate “chorro” in this instance.)
  • Quién no gusta del vino, tiene otros peores vicios. - The one who does not like wine has other, worse vices.
  • Da vino por vino y pan por pan, y todos te entenderán. - Give wine for wine and bread for bread and everyone will understand you.
  • Al viajero, jamón, vino y pan casero. - To the traveler give ham, wine, and homemade bread.
Who can say no to that?

Shut up, Spain is Better

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This post title is harsh because I am angry. (Okay, not really. Just irritated. Sometimes.)

A lot of people romanticize Europe. It’s cool; I did it, too. I used to think of Europe as all cobblestoned streets, cafés filled with a low yellow light, and freshly baked bread carried under your arm. It paints a pretty picture, doesn’t it?

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But the reason why I’m – grrr – angry frustrated is that most people, when they think of places they want to go, do not think of Spain. I admit it, I’m jealous. Tengo celos. (I said it in Spanish so you know it’s goin’ down.)

When I say wine, do you think Italy? France? California?…Spain?

I think of Spain, now and forever. It has great wine, and heck, if you’re actually in the country, it’s cheaper than water (the house wine, that is). I never liked red wine until Spain and now I’m very partial to it indeed.

My dad, however, may never really get wine. And that’s okay. But he gets it – Spanish wine is tops.

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If I say delicious European food, what do you think of? Italy? France? Greece? … Spain?

You should. I mean that. I know, I know, it’s easy to go to a restaurant with the menu in English that serves you greasy fries and dried out pork. It’s not good. But guess what? That’s not true Spanish food. True Spanish food is fresh, delicious, made from the very best ingredients.

So sorry so yellow. Again, Dad looks odd. Sorry Dad?

If you want the good stuff, I suggest making a Spanish friend (boyfriend / girlfriend works too – ahem) and going to his or her house. Usually, almost always in fact, the food is good. My favorite meals were the simple ones – lentejas being one of them. It was hearty, delicious, and good for you. Cha-cha-ching!

When you think of a beautiful country, do you think of Spain? I do. Spain has it all – the climate in the north is like Ireland’s (rainy and green), the climate in the south is more like the southwest of the U.S. (dry and hot), and in the middle you have a temperate climate like where I’m from, the Midwest. Oh, and you also have beautiful beaches. And some islands thrown in for good measure.

Best Beaches  Canary Island Beaches

When you think of nice people…you should think of Spain.

Now, at first glance you may think to yourself, these people are not so nice (unless, of course, you are in Andalucía where they are a bit more, shall we say, exuberant). They don’t usually say anything as they shove past you in the grocery store. People don’t smile at strangers. Waiters don’t coddle you.

But, but, but…if you take the time to get to know – really get to know them – you have friends for life. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through the past year without Mario’s parents to take care of me, feed me, worry about me. How would I have known about getting my hair appointment for the wedding? Who would have made me endless bowls of soup and worried way too much about me when I ran outside in the freezing temperatures? I am blessed. But there are so many Spaniards like Pepita and Jesús.

I came off as rather negative at times about Spain this past year and by writing this I wanted to clear things up – it was my problem, not Spain’s. Right now, Spain’s problems do not include any of the following: wine, food, beauty, people, or lack of stupid things to do with bulls.

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They do, however, include unemployment. Boo.

But back to the title – Italy is cool; France is all right; but shut up, Spain is better.

Wedding…¡a la española!

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This was not my first wedding. No, that already happened (actually, about a year ago). This was one, as deemed by one of Mario’s relatives, “de mucha etiqueta,” meaning fancy. Fancy as in top of the line food, with the reception in a beautiful country winery, lots of drinks, food, and dancing. Good stuff.

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Oh yeah, and they rented a Rolls Royce to take them to and from the wedding/reception. No big deal.

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Here’s where we were: Bodegas Monte la Reina, a relatively new winery located in Toro, Zamora, Spain. In case you didn’t know, Spain has turned me into a bit of a wine snob (at least when it comes to red wine), and Toro wine, while relatively unknown due to the immensity or Rioja and Ribera wines, is amazing. Do not miss it, especially a little wine that is one of my favorites for quality and bang for you buck: Elias Mora.

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After the wedding, held – of course – in a Catholic church, comes the cocktail party, wherein everyone dutifully waits for the bride and groom to arrive. Luckily, food and drink is always involved, and where there’s food in Spain there’s probably ham. This wedding just happened to involve top-of-the-line jamón ibérico, so moutherwateringly good that you can’t eat just one (slice).


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Say hello to Mario’s parents, Pepita (Josefa) and Jesús. They’re probably two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, always willing to lend a hand or cook for you until your stomach threatens to burst the seam of your pants, not that I would know anything about that sort of thing. Pepita works for the government of Castilla Leon and Jesús is a schoolteacher (geography and history). When I say schoolteacher, I mean it. I don’t think anything makes him happier than teaching, even if he has to settle for teaching an American girl how to properly speak Spanish.

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This is Mario’s mother and me after we were given our parasols (sombrilla in Spanish) to block the sun. It was such a nice detalle (detail) as they say here. Isn’t it nice how they match our outfits rather well?

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After the cocktail party with lots and lots of delicious food comes more food. Are your surprised? First, we ate a refreshing salad of crab-stuffed monkfish, accompanied by fresh lettuce, tartar sauce, and shrimp. Next came a lemon mint sorbet, followed by the main plate, a huge tenderloin ox steak, cooked to perfection with a mushroom foie sauce. Last but not least, a hazelnut cream dessert accompanied by chocolate ice cream. Lest you think we were thirsty, no worries. There was lots and lots of water, wine (white and red), and Moet Chandon to finish off. Mmmm.

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As I’ve heard my American (girl) friends say, we weren’t mad. No siree.

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What’s that, friends? Open bar. I’ll say nothing except – gin and tonic. Classy, delicious, and a hint of lemon. No objections here.

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Then, after imbibing a bit, comes the dancing. Spaniards young and old know how to get down on the dance floor. No shame here, and I love it. Mario’s parents also love a good dance, and I love them for it.

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(L-R: Me, Mario, Víctor (brother), Manu (groom), Gema (bride), Pepita, Jesús)

Spanish weddings are quite different from the American weddings I’ve attended. They have theirs ups and downs, goods and bads, but who can say no to good friends, good food, and unlimited beverages? Not I. Not I.

Greener Grass

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So, I’ve told you the things that annoy me. Why don’t I tell you about the enchanting parts? Here, a post in pictures and in words.

Must I say more? The coffee here is good. I love the richness of the espresso, the whole milk, delicate little glasses and spoons.

Plaza Mayor, Salamanca HDR

The breathtaking beauty of Salamanca.

The walkability. It’s nice to be able to walk, not drive, to appointments, to the grocery store, to a restaurant…

Good memories of great towns like Toledo. I will never forget Spring 2008 there.

What? Are you surprised I’m writing about wine? Good wine, that is. Way cheaper in the U.S. You can get seriously good wine for less than €10. Way less.

My Spanish abuelos. They are everywhere, and they are adorable. They walk with their hands clasped behind their back and say funny things to you if you happen to be running in one of “their” parks. I got told I’d catch a cold by one of them once. I wasn’t surprised. Pepita (Mario’s mother) had probably put them up to it.

Learning Spanish. As much as I piss and moan about it, I am grateful. There is nothing like living in a foreign country to really get a handle on the language.

Seeing what a real, everyday Spanish family is like. Different, and not so different than mine. (P.S. The above picture is the President of Spain, Zapatero, with his two daughters. Goth?)

I’ve already gotten all mushy on you (twice!), so I won’t go there again. But…I really came here to Spain to be with this boy that I kinda sorta dig, ya know? I think he’s worth it, and that makes Spain more beautiful than it could ever have been without him here.

The grass isn’t always greener, at least I hope not. Living here, I’d say the grass is just fine.