Wed Nov 14, 2012
Food and Drink

The Wine Ponce: Beyond Rioja

Try to name a Spanish wine region other than Rioja. Can you? That’s what we thought. Here are three bottles from the country’s less famous but just as deserving locales.

BY: The Wine Ponce

Pazo Pondal Leira Albariño 2011, $15.95

Located in cooler Galicia in Spain’s northwest, Rías Baxias is famous for whites made from Albariño grapes. Serve with spicy garlic shrimp.

Ponce notes: “A bouquet of fall orchard fruits and white peach tempts the nose. On the palate, it has the steely minerality and tangy acidity of a good Riesling, but a creamier texture, with a long, orangey finish.”

Tilenus Envejecido en Roble 2007, $17.95

Bierzo, in the northwest province of Léon, is known for Mencia-based reds. Pair this excellent example with braised lamb shanks.

Ponce notes: “With a seductively floral nose, layers of dark fruit flavours, and zesty acidity, this wine is more polished that Samuel L. Jackson’s dome. Buy one bottle to enjoy now, and another to savour at the end of the decade.”

Alejandro Fernández Tinto Pesquera Crianza 2009, $26.95

North of Madrid, Ribera del Duero is Spain’s second most famous wine region, yielding powerful reds. Open with aged Manchego cheese.

Ponce notes: “This iconic Spanish wine is highly concentrated and shows rich coconut notes, not to mention oodles of black Twizzlers. Wait five years for this hombre to really strut his stuff.”

TAGS

post a comment

france simard

well, about time that fermentations makes it into your magazine, even if it is only in a posted comment. I have been making wine for over 10 years with them, and they are really knowledgeable about wine. I was there to help press some of the Spanish grapes, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon from Niagara. i have never been steered wrong by them on a wine that i made, or a suggestion they have from the lcbo. Fermentations rocks!
1 0

Report

6:41 pm on November 15, 2012

Reply
charles fajgenbaum

Thanks for pointing out that there is life beyond Rioja. I bet though that you were unaware that you could actually make wines from Spanish grapes in Toronto. Last September, I went over to the Montsant Appleation in Spain, an appleation that completely surrounds Priorat. I brought 20 tons of Merlot, Grenache Noir, Syrah and Tempranillo (called Ull de Liebre in the Catalan language), and have been making these grapes available to Fermentations clients for winemaking. Since 1993, Fermentations located at 201 Danforth Avenue has been a mecca for people wanting to push the envelope as to the exceptional quality that can be done with access to the finest grapes grown. There are a few videos posted on our youtube channel fermentations201 and on our web site fermentations.ca I hope you take the opportunity to find out about about our unique services. Cheers!
6 0

Report

3:28 pm on November 15, 2012

Reply