{"id":16351,"date":"2014-07-21T05:36:16","date_gmt":"2014-07-21T12:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=16351"},"modified":"2018-10-28T13:42:25","modified_gmt":"2018-10-28T20:42:25","slug":"rioja-wine-and-suggested-food-pairings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/rioja-wine-and-suggested-food-pairings\/","title":{"rendered":"Rioja Wine and Suggested Food Pairings"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n This delicious post is sponsored by RIOJA WINE<\/a>. I hope you’ll join me in learning about Spain’s famous food-friendly Rioja wines. The name Rioja (pronounced ree-OH-ha) can refer to the region (in north central Spain along the Ebro River) or the wine made in that region.<\/p>\n In your wine tasting experiences you may have come across Tempranillo – this is the main grape varietal used to make wine in Rioja. Other grapes – graciano, mazuelo, garnacha – are often blended with tempranillo to make red or ros\u00e9 wine. I received my Rioja wine 101 education at Potatopalooza, an FBLA (Food Bloggers Los Angeles) \u00a0event, where the wines of Rioja were paired with all manner of scrumptious potato creations.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The character of tempranillo is largely shaped by the conditions in which it’s grown – what the French call <\/span>terroir<\/em>. Rioja wines can be elegant, subtle, and ethereally light like a great Burgundy; or have the assertive, velvety lushness and minerality of a Columbia Valley Merlot. Most Riojas are red, but there are a number of very quaffable ros\u00e9s and a broad array of whites produced as well.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n I selected a Benjamin Romeo Predicador Rioja 2009<\/a> for my little tapas party for two. It was a very reasonable $24.99 at Costco which has become renowned for their wine buying program. Did you know that Costco is\u00a0the largest retailer of fine wine in the country<\/a> – which means they can get good deals and better access to top vintages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A visual person, I was attracted to the simple image of the dark fedora… and the fact that it was rated 93 by Robert Parker\/Wine Advocate. Aged 14-16 months in French oak barrels, the wine has a beautiful scarlet cherry color, with intense aromas of dark juicy fruit, spicy notes along with coffee and smoke. The flavor delivered silky, jammy dark fruit and an elegant, well-balanced acidity with a pleasant minerality in the lingering finish. I was very happy that I had bought two bottles because I’m sure it wont’ be there when I return.<\/p>\n