Greetings, This week, Spanish wines at Auriga. (Normally pronounced Are-eye-ga, but perhaps Oar-ree-Ga for our Spanish tasting.) Sparkling(cava?)/white(alvarino)/ringer/dessert wines always welcome. My guess is the turnout will be light. So if you've been sitting on the sidelines, here's your chance. Come join us for some interesting wine sampled with very good food. Auriga Rest. 1930 Hennepin Ave, Mpls, 55403 612-871 -0777 Who: (mostly guesses) Wine Pro Bob Betsy Bill Jim Nicolai Annette S. Dave T. I'll be away from my desk much of day on Weds and off on Thursday. I will check my e-mail periodically. Alternately, give Bob a call. 612-672-0607 Cheers, Jim washingtonpost.com Spain's Lighter Side By Michael Franz Wednesday, August 24, 2005; F05 The biggest story in wine during the past five years may be the remarkable resurgence of Spanish reds, which emerged from decades of underachievement to challenge the world's best bottlings. But big as this story may be, I confess that it could seem a bit beside the point in the swelter of a Washington summer, when you might well ask: Does Spain also have something great that is light, white and right for this tropical time of year? I'd answer with a resounding yes. Encouraged by booming consumer interest in Spanish reds, importers are now bringing in Spain's finest whites in rapidly increasing numbers. As recently as three or four years ago, you'd likely have needed good luck and multiple trips to find a good albari�o or verdejo, but today they can be found in many retail shops and restaurants in our area. Although the Spanish renaissance has only recently become a two-tone phenomenon here, whites have been improving steadily within Spain for decades. An influx of modern technology started the process, and demand for fine whites has also risen dramatically. Thanks to general prosperity and revolutionary improvements to the country's transportation system, sparkling seafood is now trucked into Spain's interior every day. Madrid is every bit as hot as Washington, and its food-savvy residents now show the same zeal for sipping albari�o with fresh clams that they've long shown for quaffing Rioja with cured ham. Spain's leading whites are crafted from two grapes that are closely associated with specific growing regions: albari�o from Rias Baixas and verdejo from Rueda. Most renditions of both are bottled and released early to maximize their freshness, yet both show enough substance to stand up to moderately robust foods like crab or chicken. Lovely whites are also popping up from elsewhere across Spain, and every wine I've recommended below was chosen not only for general quality but also refreshment value -- in keeping with the season. Recommended wines are listed in order of preference within categories below. Wines sourced from Rias Baixas and Rueda are grouped together, and regions of origin for wines in the "Best of the Rest" category are indicated in parentheses, as are approximate prices, importers and D.C. distributors: RIAS BAIXAS Lagar de Cervera Albari�o 2004 ($25, Europvin/Country Vintner in Virginia; National in the District): Pricey but undeniably superb, this benchmark bottling shows vivid peach fruit with lovely floral aromas and citrus acidity that enlivens the deep flavors. Complete and convincing, this is proof of albari�o's potential greatness. Valmi�or Albari�o 2004 ($13, imported and distributed by Kysela): Tough to beat on performance and almost impossible to beat on price, this features fresh, expressive aromas, substantial fruit and excellent balancing acidity. Palacio de Fefi�anes Albari�o 2004 ($17, Kysela): Always among the most delicate and intricate albari�os, Fefinanes is wonderful in 2004, with light body but plenty of flavor and nicely nuanced aromas. Gran Vinum Albari�o 2003 ($24, Grapes of Spain/Elite Wines): The albari�o grape is capable of producing everything from light, fluffy quaffers to prodigiously powerful wines, and this impressive bottling is from the latter side of the spectrum. Deeply concentrated and very rich, it nevertheless maintains its balance. Santiago Ruiz 2004 ($19, imported and distributed by Touton): This blend of albari�o, loureiro and treixadura is light, bright and flashy, with delicate fruit recalling peaches and apples. Esencia Divi�a (by Gran Vinum) Albari�o 2004 ($19, Grapes of Spain/Elite Wines): Still a bit undeveloped aromatically, this is nevertheless a very satisfying drink, with deeply flavored peach fruit and nice mineral accents. Pazo San Mauro Albari�o 2004 ($19, Billington/Winebow): Ample and deeply flavored, with ripe fruit but plenty of acidity for balance. Abadia de San Campio (from Terras Gauda Estate) Albari�o 2004 ($18, A.V. Imports/National): Lean but still flavorful, this refreshing wine shows notes of pears and bright citrus fruits. RUEDA Jose Pariente Verdejo 2004 ($18, Grapes of Spain/Elite Wines): Vivacious and peerlessly fresh, this delightful wine features notes of apples and melons accented with interesting aromas of dried herbs and hay. Pass the shellfish! Fuente Elvira Verdejo 2004 ($14, Grapes of Spain/Elite Wines): This is just a bit less detailed in aroma than the Pariente reviewed above but is even more generous in terms of flavor and body. A serious wine for the money, this seemed as fresh after being open for two days as when the cork was first pulled. Mantel Blanco Verdejo 2004 ($14, imported and distributed by Country Vintner): The makers of this wine seem to get it right every year regardless of seasonal conditions, and the 2004 is a lovely wine with intense citrus notes and interesting aromas of herbs and freshly cut grass. Pasil Verdejo 2004 ($13, Kysela): This textbook verdejo boasts intense fruit with notes of green apples, ripe lemons and dried herbs. Valdelainos Verdejo 2004 ($11, Grapes of Spain/Elite): This excellent value shows relatively rich fruit recalling melons as well as citrus fruits, with nice aromatic accents and bright balancing acidity. Palacio de Bornos Verdejo 2004 ($11, Kysela): Lean and brightly acidic but still flavorful, this must be one of the most refreshing wines available from anywhere in the world at this price. BEST OF THE REST Arabako Xarmant Txakolina (Txakoli de Alava) 2004 ($12, De Maison/Bacchus): Tough to pronounce but easy to like on a hot night, this wine from the Basque country is almost glaringly bright, with green apple and lemon-lime fruit that is tart but not sour. Creu de Lavit (Penedes) Xarel-lo 2003 ($15, Freixenet USA/National): Interesting and aromatically complex, this wine shows lovely notes of baked apples and ripe pears, with wonderful undertones of wood smoke and straw. Medium-bodied, it is amply flavored but totally dry, with a long, detailed finish. Marques de la Villa (Toro) Malvasia 2004 ($7, Touton): A surprisingly delicate white from a region that produces some of Spain's most muscular reds, this features lovely floral aromas, fresh fruit and plenty of acidity. Los Monteros (Valencia) Blanco 2004 ($10, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners): Light and impeccably dry but still very expressive, this offers floral aromas that are flashy but not overbearing, followed by light-bodied fruit and a clean, refreshing finish. � 2005 The Washington Post Company washingtonpost.com Spanish Discoveries By Michael Franz Post Wednesday, June 15, 2005; F05 The dollar's value has been taking a wicked pounding from the euro until very recently, making it seem impossible that anyplace in Europe could currently rival the world's greatest sources for high-value wine. Yet the Levant region in southeastern Spain is sending us a surprising slew of remarkable reds that are packed with flavor and value. My recent tastings turned up 18 wines that I'll recommend to back up this claim. Only two of them top the $20 mark, and 10 will ring up for $12 or less, so we're dealing with wines in a popular price range. However, I'd wager that few readers are familiar with more than one or two of them, so we're also dealing with wines that offer the pleasure of discovery along with all that flavor and value. The wine-growing portion of the Levant is a relatively large area served by the Mediterranean port cities of Alicante and Valencia. Most of southeastern Spain is wickedly hot during the growing season, but some of the prime portions of the Levant enjoy cooling from the nearby sea or from the effects of altitude. The growing regions of Jumilla, Bullas, Yecla and Utiel-Requena include vineyards reaching heights from 2,000 feet to nearly 3,000 feet above sea level and are consequently capable of producing wines marked not only by ripeness but also by real complexity and class. Winemaking in the Levant extends back to Roman times, but consistent quality wasn't achieved until temperature-controlled fermentation technology was widely adopted during the past two decades. Technical progress made the wines reliable, but they became salable here only in the past few years, as American consumers began displaying openness to Spanish reds other than famed Riojas. This has encouraged importers to begin working with Levantine wines, and though Utiel-Requena isn't likely to become a household word anytime soon, you'll probably be able to track down several of the top wines with a couple of calls to retailers. Recommended wines are listed in order of preference, with regions of origin, approximate prices, importers and Washington distributors indicated in parentheses: Coronilla (Utiel-Requena) Reserva 2000 ($24, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners): The Bobal grape is even more obscure than the Utiel-Requena region, but this wine suggests that both should be taken seriously. Made entirely from 60-year-old Bobal vines, it shows dark color and impressive density, with dark berry fruit and interesting accents of roasted meat, smoke and spices. Ready to drink but still capable of further development. Vi�a Honda (Jumilla) 2001 "Allier-Finesse" 2001 ($17, Grapes of Spain/Elite): A blend of 85 percent Monastrell (known as mourvedre in France) and 15 percent Tempranillo, this is mature enough to show excellent softness and integration of flavors but also young enough to feature fresh black cherry fruit. Full-bodied and deeply flavored, it is nevertheless soft and smooth in texture. Casa Castillo "Valtosca" (Jumilla) Syrah 2002 ($22, Jorge Ordo�ez/Henry Wine Group): Traditionalists may frown at a wine made from a French grape on Spanish soil, but their disapproval will likely wilt after a single sip of this. The dark, dense blackberry fruit is intense but drinkable, and so concentrated that it has already soaked up a serious dose of spicy oak, resulting in a bold but balanced profile. Alceo (Jumilla) 2001 ($17, Grapes of Spain/Elite): A heady blend of 50 percent Monastrell, 25 percent Tempranillo and 25 percent syrah, this displays intense aromas and flavors of ultra-ripe plums, dried black cherries, roasted nuts, black licorice and wood smoke. Full-bodied and deeply flavored, this is ill-suited to cocktail-style sipping, yet grilled meats should tame it sufficiently for near-term enjoyment. Casta�o "Solanera" (Yecla) Vi�as Viejas 2002 ($15, European Cellars/Henry): Dense, deliciously ripe fruit from old vines is the prime attraction here, and the winemaker has wisely let it stay in the forefront by eschewing fining [a clarification technique that can lessen flavor impact as it removes suspended particles from wine], filtration or excessive oak aging. Powerful but pure. Rozaleme (Utiel-Requena) Bobal/Tempranillo 2003 ($16, De Maison/Bacchus): Complete and convincing, this features complex fruit flavors recalling dark berries and red cherries. Admirably balanced between ripe richness and bright freshness, it shows well-proportioned accents of oak and culminates in a long, symmetrical finish. Casa de las Especias (Yecla) "Forte del Valle" 2004 ($17, De Maison/Bacchus): Impressive and tasty if still a bit raw and undeveloped, this powerhouse would benefit from a protracted timeout. However, if paired with robust meat dishes, its intense blackberry flavors will win many admirers. Dominio del Arenal (Utiel-Requena) Crianza 1998 ($10, Country Vintner/Country Vintner): I've tasted this wine several times over the past couple of years, and whereas it sometimes seemed to be overly oaky, it has now matured into a well-balanced beauty offering outstanding value. A blend of 50 percent Tempranillo and 50 percent syrah, it shows alluring scents of ripe berries, wood smoke, vanilla and roasted meat. Casa Castillo (Jumilla) Monastrell 2002 ($12, Jorge Ordo�ez/Henry): With substance, elegance and symmetry, this is an exemplary rendition of Monastrell and an achievement at this price level. Given a little time to aerate and unwind after opening, it shows medium-bodied fruit that is expressive and generous without seeming chunky or obvious. Strong but soft, this is a steal. Alce�o (Jumilla) Tinto 2003 ($12, Grapes of Spain/Elite): Fruity and fun but hardly frivolous, this shows dark, concentrated blackberry fruit that is delightfully expressive, thanks to a light touch of oak. The fresh fruit can take a light chilling for use with grilled meats throughout the summer. Coronilla (Utiel-Requena) Crianza 2002 ($13, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners): Another winner crafted from the Bobal grape, this features vivid flavors of dark berries and cherries, and reserved accents of smoke and spices. Wrongo Dongo (Jumilla) 2003 ($9, Jorge Ordo�ez/Henry): Generous to a fault, this is a bit chunky for a Spanish wine, yet it remains far less obvious than most California zinfandels. Ripe and juicy, it will work well with almost any sort of barbecued meat. ALSO RECOMMENDED: Finca Luzon (Jumilla) 2003 ($10, Jorge Ordo�ez/Henry); Castillo del Baron (Yecla) Monastrell 2003 ($9, Europvin/Bacchus); Travitana (Alicante) Old Vines Monastrell 2003 ($11, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners); Los Monteros (Valencia) 2004 ($10, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners); Carchelo (Jumilla) Monastrell 2004 ($10, Classical Wines/Henry); Agarena (Utiel-Requena) 2003 ($7, Tasman Imports/Wine Partners). � 2005 The Washington Post Company -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *