Overheard

New York Times' Asimov, Fabricant: Ambitious Monastrell wines inspire bold pairings

There is some wonderful coverage today in The New York Times of monastrell wines - and some savory pairings.

A Grape Adds Distinction to Its Workhorse Status, By Eric Asimov 

"In the last 25 years, though, monastrell has redefined itself. More precisely, the producers of the Levant, primarily in sun-drenched appellations within sniffing distance of the Mediterranean like Jumilla, Alicante, Yecla and Bullas, have invested in the potential of monastrell. They’ve vastly improved the viticulture and the winemaking, and have raised their ambitions accordingly. If they are not producing great wines exactly, the best bottles are a far cry from the indifferent wines of old, and offer a new and welcome expression of what monastrell from this land can offer." ...

Read the whole article here >> http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/dining/reviews/monastrell-grapes-add-distinction-to-their-workhorse-status.html

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Pairings: Lusty Food Tailored to Monastrell Wines, By Florence Fabricant

"A SEASONING here, an ingredient there, and a dish assumes an identity of choice. Fill your shopping bag with bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic, buy saffron and paprika, and you have Spain on your culinary GPS. Some of the dominant aromas and flavors of the Monastrell wines in our tasting were smoke, earth and spice, bound by a decided meatiness suitable for all kinds of lusty food." ...

Read the whole article here (and see a beautiful image) here >>  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/dining/lusty-food-tailored-to-monastrell-wines.html

 

 

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Food & Wine Pairings

New York Times: Putting Spain Back in Spanish Food

One of our favorite chefs, Jose Andres, sees a boom coming for Spanish food in the U.S.

"Over the next decade, dozens of American cooks schooled in the authentic cooking of Spainand trained in Spanish restaurants will begin to populate the United States. In due time, hundreds, then thousands, will serve up a cuisine that is not Mexican, or Caribbean, or Latin American, but one faithful to Spain. Not only will they staff a national roster of credibly Spanish restaurants, but they will go on to create new ones. Ultimately, that will ramp up American demand for the wine and products of Spain."

Read the whole article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/dining/jose-andres-sees-a-future-filled-with-spanish-kitchens.html?smid=tw-share&_rmoc.semityn.www

 

 

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Recommendations & Commendations

The New York Times' Pour: A Gentle, Complex Style in a World of Bold Fruit

By Eric Asimov

"ONLY a few years ago, some Spanish wine experts were suggesting that the gran reserva style of Rioja would fade to extinction in a decade or so. Their rationale seemed clear. The worldwide consumer swoon in the last 20 years for plush, dark, bountiful flavors had marginalized these smooth, pale, harmonious wines, which are aged for years in barrels and convey their complexities more through finesse and shimmering textures than bold fruit flavors.
 
Gran reserva style had gotten a bad name. An unthinking embrace of technology and industrial agriculture in the late 1960s and ’70s had resulted in many grim, diluted, dreary wines. Nonetheless, the experts’ concern was overstated. I believed the style would survive, if only on the fringes, because a few adamantly traditionalist producers like López de Heredia and La Rioja Alta will never stop making gran reservas. More important, good Rioja gran reservas are so beautiful and distinctive that I believed they would always have an ardent audience, even if a small one.
 
My conviction was reinforced recently by a tasting in New York of 11 vintages of Muga Prado Enea, one of the great gran reservas still produced. These graceful, elegant wines captivate both sensually — their polished textures feel so good in the mouth that you are drawn irresistibly to the next sip — and intellectually, by almost demanding your attention as you seek out each elusive nuance."
 
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Announcements

All the details about Great Match: Wine, Food, Design, Oct. 24 in New York City

 

What is Great Match: Wine Food Design, set for Oct. 24 at Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City?

The Great Match provides an opportunity to sample and learn about a variety of the world’s most sought-after Spanish wines and craft beers paired with fare from NYC’s Spanish restaurants in a setting featuring Spanish music.

At the daytime portion of Spain’s Great Match, renowned wine experts will lead trade and media seminars highlighting the various wine producing regions of Spain.  The event’s walk around tasting will feature more than 200+ Spanish wines and, for the first time in the U.S., a selection of Spanish craft beers. 

In the evening, New Yorkers can enjoy culinary creations from some of New York City’s most renowned Spanish restaurants against a backdrop showcasing award-winning collections from the contemporary Spanish furniture designer, Expormim.  The list of restaurants includes: Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant, Boquería, Casa Mono, Gastroarte, La Rioja,  Salinas, Socarrat Paella Bar, Solera, Tertulia and Txikito/Quinto Pino. A portion of the proceeds will benefit New York Cares, New York City’s largest volunteer organization that helps people in need throughout the city.

Great Match is presented by Wines from Spain, a division of the Trade Commission of Spain, with support from Expormim, Sovereign-Santander, Goya Foods, Spain Arts & Culture, Fagor and RS Barcelona. All the details about Great Match and links to tickets can be found at: greatmatch.org.

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