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Great Spanish wine values- Mead Festival in Boulder

Edited by Darryl Beeson

Take a turn to the Spanish section of your fine wine merchant and investigate some great values for year-round enjoyment. Not only are there plentiful selections from the classic regions of Rioja, Cava and Jerez, but new discoveries have also emerged.

Hosting a casual get-together?  Bring out some chilled copitas  (the customary stemmed sherry glass, tubular 5 ounce size) filled  two-thirds with fino Sherry, such as Tío Pepe ($10) or La Ina ($12).  These two Sherries are extremely dry and are best served with roasted almonds, green olives and thinly sliced Italian or Spanish ham.

Celebrate with Cava (the méthode champenoise sparkling wine from Spain’s northeast region), such Freixenet Brut Nature 2000 ($12) or seek out some of the less well-known Cavas, such as Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva 2001 ($12) or the Mont-Ferrant Rosé ($12).

If splurging on oysters or grilled jumbo shrimp, consider the many crisp, dry whites from the Rías Baixas region, such as the Salneval 2004 from Bodegas Condes de Albarei ($8) or the Maior de Mendoza 2004 from Bodegas Coto de Xiambre ($10), made from the Albariño grape, one of Spain’s many indigenous varietals.  Rueda is another region seeing a revival of its dry white wines from the indigenous Verdejo grape, and an increasing number of these are coming into the U.S.  Look for the Viña Cantosán 2004 ($8) or the Naia 2004 from Viña Sila ($13).  Not only are these white wines unbeatable values, but they also offer wine aficionados refreshing alternatives to the less than subtle, heavily oaked Chardonnays.  For summer sipping and grilling, try Spain’s many dry rosés, such as Muga Rosé 2004 (Rioja - $10) or Señorio de Sarría Rosado 2003 (Navarra - $10).

Spain is especially famous for the legendary reds from Rioja.   For budget-conscious Rioja lovers, some suggestions would be the Conde de Valdemar Rioja Crianza 2001 ($11) or the Montecillo Rioja Crianza 2000 ($10). There are even more value  choices becoming available from the newer regions.  For entertaining at home, when dishes call for flavorful, medium-weight reds, a few good choices are the Carchelo Monastrell 2004 (Jumilla - $10), the Fra Guerau 2004 (Montsant - $12) and the Viña Alarba Old Vines 2004 (Calatayud - $10).  When spicy tapas or hearty roasts are on the menu, try the Finca Luzón 2004 “Luzón” (Jumilla - $8), the Osborne Solaz Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (V.T. de Castilla - $8) or the Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Tres Picos 2003 (Campo de Borja - $12).

When it comes to the cheese course, try these reds that offer surprising elegance for the price:  Condesa de Leganza Crianza 2001 (La Mancha - $10) or the Palacio de la Vega Tempranillo Reserva 1999 (Navarra - $13).  And what better finale to a special cold-weather dinner than to serve the Lustau Cream Sherry Capataz (Jerez - $11) or the Sanchéz Romate Cream Sherry (Jerez - $8) – their sweet, rich fig and nut flavors can complement dessert or be savored on their own.  These cheese wines also work either as an apéritif before the meal, or the later fortified are great for after-dinner wines.

For information, log onto www.winesfromspainusa.com for a complimentary copy of the new Wines from Spain:  Far From Ordinary Wine Guide, featuring more than 100 wines with photos of the bottles and tasting notes by Doug Frost, MS, MW, along with a winemaking history, glossary and other useful tips on the wines, grapes and regions of Spain.

International Mead Festival- Boulder, Co, February 10-11

The word "honeymoon" stems from honey wine and the tradition of drinking it for one full lunar cycle starting on the first night of a couples' wedding. This ‘drink of love’ will be celebrated at the fourth annual International Mead Festival -- Honey Wines of the World, in Boulder on February 10-11, 2006. http://www.meadfest.com .

The event is the largest festival and competition for commercial and now home made mead entries.  Last festival over eighty five commercial meads from seven different countries were entered for judging and available for tasting by the public.

The drink, arguably the world's first fermented beverage, has been made for centuries and is popular in countries including the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Poland, Ireland and now the United States.  

Supporters of the festival include: Redstone Meadery, Honeywine.com, The Brewers Association, The Brew Hut, White Labs Yeast, Corpo, Long Island Meadery, Medovina Meadery, Mountain Meadows Meadery, Pirtle Winery, Sky River Meadery, Spruce Mountain Meadery, and Stawski.

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