Food Tips
Say Yes to Spanish Wines This Holiday
Food Tips
Say Yes to Spanish Wines This Holiday
Rocio Osborne, sixth generation Spanish vintner, pairs her favourite wines with our holiday recipes in the December issue.
Spanish wines have been trending in the marketplace for the last few years, and for good reason: "Rioja is the world's friendliest food wine,” says Rocio Osborne, a sixth generation vintner and brand ambassador for the Osborne Group, one of Spain's oldest wine and spirits houses. Because these are fruit-forward, complex wines with pleasant acidity and soft tannins, they're easy drinking. Plus they're great value too. Price points range from $12 to $45 and are found throughout many liquor stores across Canada. Even better? These are wines you can drink right now—Osborne's Riojas are first aged in oak barrels in caves beneath the winery, then finished in the bottle for a few years before they even hit the shelves, so you don't need to cellar them for years before opening.
Like any Rioja, Osborne's Montecillo wines have the Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOC) seal. This qualification is similar to the Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) in France and our Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) here in Canada, and is a guarantee of high quality and authenticity of origin.
Here's what Rocio picked for food matches:
Recipe: Citrus & Herb Rib Roast
Wine Pairing: Montecillo Rioja Reserva 2010 ($18*)
Made from grapes grown on 40-year-old vines, this a dry, medium-bodied wine with aromatic herbaceous notes, dark black fruits and a hint of liquorice and mint. It's a great complement to the seasonings in the beef rub and the piquant gravy too.
Recipe: Buttery Herbed Seafood
Wine Pairing: Solaz Tempranillo & Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 ($12*)
Even though the recipe is made with white wine, Rocio advises serving with a light red to balance the robust garlic and light chilli flavour. Solaz is an elegant blend with a light, bright fruit flavour (think strawberries and plums) undercut with a hint of vanilla. Medium bodied with good acidity, this brightens any seafood dish.
Recipe: Nutty Quinoa & Mushroom Strudel
Wine Pairing: Solaz Tempranillo & Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 ($12*)
The bright berry and hint of sweet vanilla pairs well with the nutty earthy flavours of pine nuts and mushrooms. There's enough acidity and rounded tannins to stand up to the peppery notes from the arugula, Dijon and balsamic vinegar.
Recipe: Herbed-Rubbed Roast Turkey
Wine Pairing: Montecillo Rioja Crianza Tempranillo 2011 ($15)
This wine is fresh, fruity and lightly oaked with a smooth finish—a perfect match for turkey or chicken. The bright notes of cherry and spice complement the turkey rub without overpowering it. Be sure to add a splash of wine to the Fresh Sage Gravy too.
*Prices range according to province
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