In conjunction with all the wonderful wine bloggers out there, this is my installment of Wine Blog Wednesday! As this Wednesday’s focus is all about Spain, I figured I would introduce you to one of my favorite producers we are fortunate enough to work with, Coto de Gomariz. While I’ve written about them quite a bit, it’s mostly for their amazing white wines that have garnered some knockout attention. However, today I want to introduce you to the relatively unknown and highly underrated red wines they are producing in D.O. Ribeiro.

D.O. Riberio is located in Galicia, northwestern Spain, where it sits on the border with Portugal. In my opinion, it is the most beautiful part of Spain, with lush green valleys and wideflowing rivers dominating the landscape. It seems more similar to images from Ireland than it does to the blazingly hot plains of central Spain that I’m sure many people imagine the entire country to be -The people are of Celtic origin so I guess the similarity to Ireland isn’t such a far off concept to grasp. However, once you get past the similarities in culture and landscape, you realize this is a world apart from Ireland, and interestingly enough, Spain. Fiercely independent, the people of Galicia speak their own language (Galego) and have maintained their way of life, isolated in the northwestern pocket of Spain for centuries. This isolation and pride of their Galego way of life is one of the major factors in why there are so many different grape varieties grown in this region.

Historically, when the Moors occupied Spain, they ripped up vines for religious purposes, but as the Galegos were so isolated, the Moors never managed to gain control of that part of Spain, saving the indigenous varieties. Unfortunately, when the dictator Francisco Franco took complete control of Spain in 1947, he made it his mission to stamp out any autonomous communities throughout Spain, including the Galegos. He made their languages, customs, and basically their entire way of life illegal. He also began ripping up native vines all over Spain to plant grains, cereals, and bulk producing grape varieties. Galicia’s native vines were hard hit during this period, and an undocumented amount of native vines have since vanished from the region. However, some vines managed to survive being ripped up, and today are seeing a resurgence as more and more producers in the region are making it their mission to restore and use their native grapes for both white and red wines.

On that note, the wine I chose for today’s Wine Blog Wednesday utilizes several of the regions indiginous red varieties; Sousón, Ferrón, Brancellao, Caiño, Mencia and Carabuñeira, to name a few red varieties. The wine, Coto de Gomariz’s VX Cuvée Caco, is a blend of Sousón, Caiño, Garnacha Tintorera and Carabuñeira, which is known as Touriga Nacional in Portugal. The wine is ruby red in color, with spicy red berry and cherry notes on the nose. The berry and cherry notes are also all over the palate, with a definite dollop of smoky oak, but it’s well integrated and dominated the other flavors.  The finish has wonderful mineral elements to it (due to the schist soil dominating the region I imagine) and a beautiful spiced quality rounding out this unique wine. Fans of oak probably won’t find this wine their cup of tea, but they definitely won’t dislike it either- it’s a very unique wine that will pair well with all types of cuisine, from a great steak or burger, to a thick cut pork chop. On my last visit to Galicia, we even had this slightly chilled  with some grilled pulpo (octopus) that was one of the more memorable pairings I’ve had. The charred taste from the pulpo went perfectly with the smoky oak hints in the wine!

Unfortunately, the red wines from Galicia are still a tough sell here in the US, with most wines imported from the region being Mencia based wines from Bierzo. However, if you are are lucky enough to live in Pennsylvania, the VX Cuvée Caco, as well as the entire line up of Coto de Gomariz wines are available through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

Here’s to exploring new wines and regions!

Cheers,

Michael

El Mundo, Spain’s largest and most popular news source, has recently announced their top Spanish Wines of 2010 through their wine division, elmundovino.com. Since 1994, El Mundo and Elmundovino.com have tasted thousands of wines every year in search of the best wines in Spain- quite a daunting task if you ask me! On January 15th of this year, El Mundo and Elmundovino.com announced their selections for the top three Spanish wines of 2010, and on that list was none other than a wine from Coto de Gomariz, a producer we have been working with for several years now. Coto de Gomariz has been incredibly dynamic in pushing themselves every year to achieve the highest quality possible – something that we have seen year after year when we are fortunate to taste their latest vintage. It seems all this hard work and dedication has been recognized within Spain as well, as their 2008 Colleita Seleccionada was selected alongside the world famous producer Vega Sicilia, as one of the top three wines of 2010. Now, any of the Spanish wine geeks reading this right now will understand the importance of being on a list with Vega Sicilia, the winery that basically put Spanish wines on the map. To put in perspective, this would be similar to a small, young, unknown winery in an unknown region of the US being on a “best of” wine list right next to Opus I or Caymus Special Selection- quite a great honor and validation for a young producer!

It is huge honor for any Spanish producer to be selected as one of the top three wines from Spain. The wines were selected by Spanish wine drinkers (who understands Spanish wine better than a Spaniard?) and without a mention of a score, which I love. The wines were selected because, simply, they were the best wines and there isn’t any need to provide a number to justify why it was selected.

Here is the link to the article published on elmundovino.com in its entirety (sorry, Spanish only), but here are several important paragraphs which have been translated;

“Since 1994, El Mundo and elmundovino.com have selected the best wines tasted throughout the year and that were in the market that same year: therefore this time we will not reward two immense riojas of the legendary crop of 1947, Imperial and Marquis de Riscal, that we have had the privilege of trying again during the last several months. But the supreme elegance of those two wines that inspires, in great measure, the prizes to the best of 2010. These reflect a tendency increasingly more palpable among ours best producers, in all regions, to the refinement and also to the rediscovery of the soil, after years of wines of great power and concentration.  And particularly it is appropriated, in that context, to see the name of Vega Sicilia among the prizewinners.

In effect, our Wines of 2010 are Vega Sicilia Unico 2000, Coto de Gomariz Colleita Seleccionada 2008 and Turo d’en Mota de Recaredo Brut Nature 1999. The most historic bodega from Ribera del Duero, a young, small wine making property but in a region no less historic, and an atypical, family owned property in the world of Cava.

For their part, the Coto de Gomariz Colleita Seleccionada 2008 is one of the best best Gallego white’s that we have tried, with a depth born in the great soil, a complexity without a doubt favored by its multi-varietal character – treixadura, godello, albarino, loureiro and lado-, that is one of the great strengths from Ribeiro, and with the personality that Xose Lois Sebio instills in his wines. It is a white that arrives where we always thought Ribeiro wines could arrive, recovering the place that this region occupied during the Renaissance which was being lost throughout the centuries and –above all- with Phylloxera. Better late than never.”

We couldn’t be happy for Ricardo, Xose and the entire Coto de Gomariz team!! This is a great honor- keep up the good work.

Enbuenahora chicos!!

Michael

All you Portuguese wine lovers will be happy to know that the 2008 Oscar’s Douro red is now available online through Esprit du Monde! Many of you might be familiar with Quevedo and it’s line up of wonderful port wines, but this is Oscar Quevedo’s personal project to create a fun, delicious, Douro red still wine. The wine recently received a great review from Roger Voss at the Wine Enthusiast;

“Oscar Quevedo, a new star of the Douro, has produced a stylish wine, suffused with tannins, fresh acidity, solid black fruits and a lively bright feel. It is ready to drink, but could age 3–4 years.” – Roger Voss (11/1/2010) – 88 POINTS

Please click here to learn more about the project, interact with Oscar through his blog, as well as leave your own comments for Oscar!

Drink up!

Cheers,

Michael

We’re excited to announce a P.R. Grisley Co. exclusive wine pairing dinner at Iron Chef Jose Garces‘ Chicago restaurant, Mercat. If you follow Food Network as much as I do, you are well aware of how Chef Garces has exploded onto the restaurant scene in the past few years, with seven different restaurants currently enjoying success. We are lucky enough to have eaten at several of Chef Garces’ restaurants in Philadelphia, as well as Mercat in Chicago, and each time the experience and food has been incredible. Needless to say, we’re VERY honored to be able to share the spotlight with Mercat’s chef de cuisine, Michael Fiorello, and feel he has put together an exciting menu that will surely pair well with the Spanish and Portuguese wines we will be featuring.

An Evening in Spain…

Presented by

Mercat’s Chef de Cuisine, Michael Fiorello & P.R. Grisley Company

Thursday, November 18^th, 2010

Reception 6pm-7pm

N/V Chozas Carrascal Cava – D.O. Cava, Utiel-Requena, Spain (Macabeo, Chardonnay)

2009 Quinta de Gomariz Espadeiro – DOC Vinho Verde, Portugal (100% Espadeiro)

Dinner 7pm

First Course

Fetge de Pollastre en una Olla

Potted Chicken Liver Mousse with Caraway-Onion Jam and Foie Gras

2008 Coto de Gomariz Blanco-  D.O. Riberio, Spain (Treixadura, Godello)

Second Course

Montadito de Atún

Sous Vide Blue Fin Tuna, Caper-Olive Oil Jam &  Spicy Red Cabbage

2006 Bodegas Ondalan Crianza – DOC Rioja, Spain (80% Tempranillo, 20% Graciano)

Third Course

Mar I Muntanya

24-Hour Pork Belly with Charred Baby Octopus,

Marcona Almonds & Smoked Green Olive Escabeche

2006 Bodegas Miguel Angel Muro Bujanda Cianza – DOC Rioja, Spain (100% Tempranillo)

Fourth Course

Pato con Peras

Grilled Muscovy Duck Breast, La Peral, Red Wine Seckel Pears & Confit leg Crêpe

2005 Bodegas Ondalan 100 Abades – DOC Rioja, Spain (100% Graciano)

Fifth Course

Butifarra con Judias

House Smoked Catalan Lamb Sausage with Ham Hock-Tomato Stew & Black Eyed Peas

2005 Bodegas Medrano Irazu Reserva – DOC Rioja, Spain (100% Tempranillo)

Dessert

Pastel de Calabaza

Pumpkin-Brown Butter Cake, Hazelnut Escabeche, Rosemary-Olive Oil Ice Cream

Porto Quevedo, N/V Special Reserve Tawny – DOC Oporto, Portugal (Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca)

$75 per person, non-inclusive of tax or gratuity

Reservations are Required

312.765.0524

www.mercatchicago.com

Please call or visit the Mercat website to reserve your seat today- We look forward to seeing you there and sharing a wonderful evening with amazing food, wine and friends!

Cheers,

Michael

We’re very excited to be attending this year’s Miami International Wine Fair, one of the largest wine tradeshows in the US. Approximately 500 producers from all over the world will be attending, and an estimated 1,500 wines will be available to taste through, so make sure your palate is trained if you’re planning on attending! We’ve never attended this event before, so we’re anxious to make it to Miami to take a look and present our wines at this amazing event. We’ll be pouring several wines from various producers- Quinta de Gomariz from Portugal, Domaine du Gros Pata from France, Bodegas Ondalan and Coto de Gomariz from Spain just to name a few. (We have to keep some surprises!)

If you are planning on attending, please make sure to stop by and taste the amazing wines we are fortunate to represent. We will be located at stand 400 and will be sharing the space with Bodegas Medrano Irazu from Rioja and J. Miquel Jané from Penedes region of Spain, so there will be a wide range of fantastic wines to try.

Hope to see many of you there, cheers!

- Michael

I want you to drink Rioja Wine!

Good news for all you Rioja wine drinkers! Due to your impeccable taste in wine, sales for Rioja wines in the U.S. rose nearly 30% in the first half of 2010. Not only are we drinking more Rioja wines, but there are a growing number of new and exciting wines from the region being imported/distributed and available all throughout the US.

According to the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja, total shipments in the first two quarters totaled 5.4 million bottles. Here is the percentage breakdown for each style of wine:

Cosecha/Vino Joven: +34%

Crianza: +32%

Reserva: +13%

Gran Reserva: +27%

Based on these numbers, and with the holiday season right around the corner, I would expect these numbers to rise slightly higher. With the Rioja region FINALLY getting up and not resting on it’s laurels as “the premier wine region” of Spain, I think the proof is in the pudding. Something had to be done in Rioja to remain at the top of it’s game, and I think the region is accomplishing this. With the help of various organizations such as Vibrant Rioja and Wines From Spain, I think Rioja is here to stay. There has been some concern lately from many people in the wine industry that Spanish wine might suffer a similar fate as Australian wine, but I don’t feel that this will happen. The concern is that there are too many “bulk” wines being brought in from Spain to hit that sweet $7 to $10 mark. While I completely agree that there are too many of these wines entering the market- I’m not too concerned with Spanish wine sales dropping off like Australian wines have. With more people 21+ years old drinking wine in particular, I think wines of all price ranges/styles from Spain will see a boost in sales.

Based on the numbers from the Rioja consejo, I think we’ll continue to see an increase of Spanish wines, and in particular, Rioja wines. I was most impressed with the stats about Gran Reserva wines, also a hot topic lately from Rioja. There has been some fear that Gran Reservas might go the way of the Dodo bird due to Rioja bodegas elaborating wines to hit the 90+ points from US reviewers, rather than focusing on making the best wine THEY feel possible, not reviewers. (Here is a great article that touches on this on this from Catavino.net) However, I think as more and more people are drinking Spanish wines and exploring the various regions of Spain, they are also exploring new wine styles within particular regions, such as Gran Reservas from Rioja.

My question to you, the Rioja drinkers of the world, what category of wine do you prefer- Vino Joven, Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva? Why?

Stay thirsty my friends…..

- Michael

It seems Quinta de Gomariz continues it’s campaign of winning over US wine drinkers! The 2009 Alvarinho has been selected as the best candidate for Alvarinho on the website  “Fifty Best Wines,” a division of “The Fifty Best.” . It also recently received 90 POINTS from Wine & Spirits Magazine, as well as being selected as a “Best Buy” for the second year in a row. As summer continues to heat up across the US, the Alvarinho is a great choice for your summer BBQ’s, whether pairing with chicken, pork, ceviche or fresh seafood. So, if you’re looking for amazingly fresh white wine, check out the Quinta de Gomariz Alvarinho!

Cheers,

Michael

We’re very pleased to announce that after several years of hard work and determination from Oscar Quevedo and ourselves, the amazing port wines from Quevedo are available on US soil! These incredible ports, as well as a still red wine which is a special project of Oscar’s, are being sold in Pennsylvania through the PLCB, as well as a very limited quantity online through www.flickingerwines.com. While a relatively young company, Quevedo is already making a name for itself for producing ports as good as any of the “big names,” and were included in the Wine Enthusiasts March 2010 issue on port producers. They have also been very well received by  Roy Hersh of “For The Love of Port” (FTLOP) and the Quevedo Vintage 2007 was included in his amazing review of the 2007 vintage. Whether you are a port expert, novice, or just looking to learn more about port, I highly recommend you visit the FTLOP website as there is an amazing wealth of information available, and subscribers to the FTLOP newsletter always have the most up-to-date info there is on port in the US.

Our hats are off to Oscar for staying determined and not giving up on the US market, especially in the tough ongoing economic conditions!

–Michael

It seems Portuguese producer Quinta de Gomariz isn’t finished yet! After being recognized as one of the “Top Portuguese Value Brands” in the June issue of Wine and Spirits for their 2008 vintage, the 2009 vintage looks to be just as impressive. As reported by Decanter, Quinta de Gomariz swept the board at this years Vinho Verde awards, bringing home the “Best Of” awards for their Avesso and Branco wines, as well as six gold medals and two silver medals for their various other wines. Equally impressive is the fact that Quinta de Gomariz released their first wines in 2005, so this comes as a huge accomplishment for such a young producer. We’re very excited and extremely happy for the team at Quinta de Gomariz and can’t wait to see what the future holds for this amazing producer- Congratulations!!!

Cheers,

Michael

It has been a year this month since we first started importing the amazing wines from Quinta de Gomariz, and they are already making a name for themselves! In the recently released June issue of Wine & Spirits Magazine, both the 2008 Alvarinho and 2008 Loureiro were recognized as “Top 100 Values of the Year” and the winery itself was recognized as one of two “Top Portuguese Value Brands.”

This is quite an honor for such a young winery- the first vines were planted in 1999 and their first harvest was in 2004. We’re very excited to be working with such an up and coming producer, especially as the Vinho Verde region gains more attention in the media and the competition stiffens. We’ve been fortunate enough to be working with Vitor Mendes from Vinixa, who has been instrumental in helping to make these wines available in the US.

I will be in New York City next week for an event hosted by the Vinho Verde Commission and will be pouring these fantastic wines, so if you live or work in New York please register for the event and make sure to stop by and try the new 2009 vintage!

Cheers,

Michael