Madeira tasting at The Spanish Table in Mill Valley

Join us in Mill Valley Thursday, August 4th as we taste through the full spectrum of Madeira styles – from dry to sweet. Madeira is probably theleast-known category of wine here at the store, which is a shame, as they’re fabulous both at the start of a meal and with desserts. Manny Berk, truly an expert on Madeira, will be on-hand to educate us on these varied and unique wines.  He has re-published Noel Cossart’s, “Madeira – An Island Vineyard”, which details the fascinating history of Madeira with notes on vintages, special tastings, etc. (Tasting fee includes a copy of the book.) We’ll set out a variety of cheeses and other snacks that will pair nicely with the wines. There is a lot of interest in this tasting, and space is limited. For more information or to reserve a spot, please call the Mill Valley store: (415) 388-5043)

Joe’s Wine News:

2008 Primitivo Quiles Cono 4
This is one of the oldest wineries in Alicante and is famous for their amazing 1948 Fondillon and Raspay.  The Cono 4 is a new, younger monastrell that is very tasty.  Floral blackberry, rose, cracked pepper, and a touch of chocolate on the finish.  Great balance and acidity, to boot. A tremendous value wine at  $11.99.

2010 Valduero Yunquera Albillo
Best known as a producer of excellent red wines, Bodegas Valduero also makes one white wine from a little known grape called Albillo. Just 2 % of the estate vineyards at Bodegas Valduero are planted to Albillo.

Yunquera is made from 100% Albillo fermented in stainless steel and allowed to rest on its lees to give the wine weight and textural richness. It displays citrus blossom aroma with additional notes of fresh green herbs, petrol and bees wax on a firm mineral foundation. The golden color makes me think of this as a perfect white wine for cooler weather and richer meals. $16.99

New 2010 Albariño

We are receiving numerous new white wines in the 2010 vintage, among them several fabulous Albariño wines from the coastal Rías Baixas region in Galicia. Here are just a few suggestions to get you going:

2010 Pazo Señorans Albariño
The 2010 Pazo Señorans is a standard setting example for top quality Albariño. The interplay of floral aromas and flinty minerality creates an intriguing and refreshing expression of Galician soil and climate. Hints of tropical fruit, green herbs, and granite dust add to the rich complexity of this wine. An ideal pairing is seafood (of course!).  Try it with a salad topped with broad flakes of ventresca tuna or, the Spanish favorite, some braised pulpo (octopus) with pimenton and potatoes. $22.99

2010 Igrexario de Saiar Albariño
Benito Santos is a small producer from Rias Baixas that focuses on natural winemaking and on highlighting the unique terroir of the region.  All of the wines are certified organic and are hand crafted, using native yeasts and very little manipulation.  The 2010 Igrexario de Saiar Albariño is ripe and balanced, with notes of peaches, green apples, white flowers, and tropical fruit.  It’s soft texture is countered by great acid that keeps the flavors fresh and lively. $17.99

 2010 Sete Cepas Albariño
Sete Cepas is a fresh, young 100% Albariño wine that really delivers on quality at a very reasonable price. The most striking feature of this wine is its finely tuned balance of bright, lively fruit character set against a background of flinty minerality. This combination is found in all the best wines from the Rías Baixas region. The mental image it conjures up is of freshly sliced grapefruit served on a bed of crushed seashells. This wine will surely be a contender for most popular white wine of the summer. $13.99

Vinho Verde: White, Pink, Red (but not green)

We have several distinctive  and fabulous Portuguese wines from the Vinho Verde region located along Portugal’s northern border with Spain. Traditionaly thought of as the home of fun, fizzy,non-vintage picnic wines, Vinho Verde can also make elegant varietal wines in a range of styles including rosé and red wines. Here are a few of our favorites:

2010 Muralhas Rosé Vinho Verde
Adegas de Moncao makes top notch Vino Verde wines that are very popular in Portugal. They make vintage dated wines (unlike the mass market versions that are non-vintage)from high quality fruit. The 2010 Muralhas de Moncao Rose is made from a blend of indigenous varieties including Alvarelhao, Pedral and Vinhao. This refreshing low alcohol (11.5%) rosé displays fresh berry aroma and citrusy fruit character carried along by the same slight effervescence of the traditional white Vinho Verde. $12.99

2009 Afros Vinhao
Here is a fine example of the rare and elusive red Vinho Verde. Afros is made from the Vinhao grape, distinctive for having red flesh as well as red skin. Afros Vinhao is very dark, inky dark, and, true to style, is slightly effervescent. Youthful, cranberry fruit character and assertive grape skin tannins make for a nervy, taut wine with expressive character. $15.99

2008 Dorado Alvarinho
Marcial Dorado makes this excellent 100% Alvarinho Vinho Verde. After searching in vain for the perfect Albarino vineyard in Spain, he crossed the Minho River and bought a vineyard of 70 year old Alvarinho located just above the little town of Melgaco where he also built a small gravity fed (no pumping of wine from tank to tank) winery called Quinta do Feital. The unoaked ‘Dorado’, the flagship of the winery, is rich with melon and pear aromas and flavors. Bright acidity punctuates the ripe fruit character, creating a long, lingering finish. $24.99

Rioja Tasting:

Don’t forget about our tasting in Mill Valley with Cune on May 26th from 6-8 pm!  There are only a few spots left and they’re filling up fast.  Aside from the lineup of their current releases we’ll be tasting through a number of their Gran Reservas from the ’70s and even one from 1928(!!!).

Time Change

This weekend marks the return of Daylight Savings Time. Now is the moment to celebrate the return of evening sunshine and the impending arrival of Spring. Reset your internal wine clock with a glass of fresh, bright Spanish white wine and toast the upcoming vernal equinox.
While best known for red wines,  it is no longer a secret that Spain makes fabulous white wines too. We continue to find new and interesting choices among the ever growing selection of  vino blanco coming out of numerous regions spread across the Iberian peninsula. We just posted a handful of spectacular Spanish white wines on our website. These wines represent a broad swath of Northern Spain, from the Atlantic coast, up through Basque country, across the Spanish Meseta and finishing up in Catalonia near Barcelona. These crisp, refreshing wines are eminently food friendly and also delicious by the glass with no further accompaniments other than a bit of sunshine and some good conversation.

2009 Albet i Noya Xarel-lo Classic is a bright, refreshing Spanish white wine from the Penedes region in Catalonia. This wine features the Xarel-lo grape most often used in sparkling Cava. Albet i Noya makes this still version of a varietal Xarel-lo from from old vine parcels of Xarel-lo, grown organically. Floral aromas blend well with lemon and white peach fruit character. Background minerality and light texture add further context to this young white wine that pairs well with young cheeses, marinated vegetables and cold seafood salads.

The 2009 Pazo Senorans Albarino is a standard setting example of top quality Albarino. The interplay of floral aromas and flinty minerality creates an intriguing and refreshing expression of Galician soil and climate. Hints of tropical fruit, green herbs, and granite dust add to the rich complexity of this wine. An ideal pairing is seafood (of course!).  Try it with a salad topped with broad flakes of ventresca tuna or, the Spanish favorite, some pulpo (octopus) with pimenton.

2009 Urki Txakolina is a deliciously refreshing white wine from the Basque country. Crisp, bright, white Txakolina wine with a bit of residual spritzy effervescence, abundant grapefruit/lemon notes and a firm mineral foundation is what everybody drinks while wandering through the old part of San Sebastian snacking on Pintxos of many varieties. Urki is an excellent example of this traditional wine. It refreshes the palate and awakens the appetite.

2007 Pecina Blanco is a wonderfully traditional white Rioja. Hermanos Pecina are one of only a handful of producers left in Rioja who produce their wines in this very traditional style.  Made from 100% Viura, the juice is fermented in stainless steel but then allowed to age for a few years in bottle before release.  The extra time gives it a bit more richness along with notes of dried tropical fruit and herbs.  Totally unique and totally delicious.  Fans of the Lopez de Heredia whites take notice!

Thansgiving Favorites

Thanksgiving Day, fast approaching, is, for all its historic significance, really all about the food. This is a time when traditional recipes, true family heirlooms, take center stage. Every family, it seems, has at least a few time tested recipes that, were they left unmade, would diminish if not ruin the occasion. Forgetting, or purposely omitting, the creamed onions, candied yams, chestnut stuffing, ambrosia, or whatever family favorite is firmly entrenched in memory risks making everyone around the Thanksgiving table just a little less thankful.
Here at The Spanish Table, as we celebrate our ninth Thanksgiving in Berkeley, we feel particularly thankful that many of you, our loyal customers, have come to rely on us year after year for wines that compliment a traditional Thanksgiving meal. This week we present a few of the wines that have become traditional favorites on Thanksgiving Day (plus one new idea that we know you are going to love). We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day but we are open the rest of the week to help you get ready for the start of the holiday season.

Barros 10 Year Tawny Port
This barrel aged tawny Port is a blend of  mature stocks with an average age of ten years (some older, some younger). This wine displays a golden amber hue tinged with salmon pink reflections. Aromas of almonds and toffee caramel are matched by gentle fruity flavors of apricot and peach. This lightly sweet wine is warm and nutty on the finish. Serve after a nice meal to assist with the contemplation of life’s big questions. $28.99

Musva Sparkling Moscatel
This is a non-vintage sparkling Moscatel that works its magic best at the end of a meal. It is medium sweet, low in alcohol, aggressively bubbly and aromatic. Notes of baking spices (cloves, nutmeg, allspice) make this an excellent wine to serve with an autumn pear tart (or, even better, good ol’ American pumpkin pie). $11.99

2007 Goliardo Loureiro Tinto
This rare red wine,  from the Atlantic coastal Rias Baixas region best known for white Albarino wines, is made by Raul Perez, a Galician winemaker known for his high level of skill and eccentric style. This lavender hued wine offers up cool climate floral mulberry fruit character with spicy white pepper in the background along with finely tuned minerality. If you appreciate American PInot Noir, French Burgundy or cru Beaujolais, this may well become your new favorite wine. Originally this was a $58 bottle. We have the last of the 2007 vintage at a very attractive price. $29.99

Rioja Bordon

Just in time for the Holiday season, a new supply of Rioja Bordon has arrived at The Spanish Table. The 12 month aged Bordon Crianza is now available in the 2006 vintage. The fabulously elegant 2001 Gran Reserva makes a repeat appearance after selling out earlier in the year. Put tradition on the table this year with either of these Turkey friendly reds.

2006 Rioja Bordon Crianza
This is a classic Rioja Crianza at an outstanding price. Bright cherry fruit character balances mature oak barrel aroma and firm tannins. The flavors of tart berries and Spanish earth intermingle on the palate. This is a perfect wine for serving with cured meats and hot tapas. $13.99
2001 Rioja Bordon Gran Reserva
In Rioja, Gran Reserva wines are only produced in the best years. 2001 was one of the best vintages in recent memory. Perfect growing conditions (hot days, cold nights, rain in the spring, dry at harvest time) produced the kind of fruit that make wines worth ageing for a decade before sale. Faded brick red color, fully resolved barrel character and delicate fruit flavors. This is a classic Gran Reserva for one knock out price. $23.99

Moscatel & Chestnuts

Halloween is coming up next Sunday, followed closely by the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos. A fall tradition popular in Catlunya but less familiar here is “La Castañada”. On November 1st All Saints Day  (Dia de Todos los Santos) is marked with a traditional meal of roasted Chestnuts and sweet Moscatel wine. Panellets (little round cookies made from Marzipan and pine nuts) and Boniato (roasted Sweet Potato) are also traditionally served during this autumn day dedicated to remembering loved ones who have passed away.
In support of this tradition The Spanish Table is stocking up on Moscatel wine in a broad range of styles. We have the traditional sweet Moscatel made in Alicante that is lightly fortified and abundantly sweet as well as others that range from lightly sweet wines from Catalunya, aromatic yet dry Moscatel from the Malaga region further south and even a fabulous sparkling desert wine from Valencia that is lightly sweet and abundantly bubbly. All of these wines will fit perfectly into a menu featuring the flavors of autumn and  may well inspire a new tradition in your home. Here are just a few suggestions (among numerous others) to get you going:

2008 Viña Esmeralda This medium sweet blend of Moscatel and Gewürtztraminer is floral and aromatic with notes of rose petal and lavender. Honeyed melon fruit character is held in check by bright acidity. This is one of the most traditional wines to serve for ‘La Castañada’ accompanied by roasted chestnuts, almond cookies and sweet potatoes. $15.99

2009 Botani Botani is a dry Moscatel from the Sierras de Malaga region. The floral, concentrated aroma is classic Moscatel, redolent of honeysuckle and orange blossom,  but the palate is crisp and dry with citrus and mineral notes. This pale straw colored wine possesses a finely tuned balance of flavors that express a fresh and unique side of this ancient region. $19.99

Musva This is a non-vintage sparkling Moscatel that works its magic best at the end of a meal. It is medium sweet, low in alcohol, aggressively bubbly and aromatic. Notes of baking spices (cloves, nutmeg, allspice) make this an excellent wine to serve with an autumn pear tart (or, even better, good ol’ American pumpkin pie). $11.99

Salvador Poveda Moscatel Here is a sweet dessert wine from a well known and long established company located in the town of Monovar near Valencia. The wine is dark amber in color with abundant floral perfume and flavors of ripe figs, dates and golden raisins. Serve this wine with full flavored cheeses, nut desserts or in a small glass all by itself after a big meal. $10.99

Gual & Baboso

Let me introduce you to Gual and Baboso. No, they are neither law partners nor ice dancers. Gual and Baboso are autochthonous grape varieties that grow on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. These are two of the varieties that are championed at Bodegas Viñátigo, one of several Canary Islands wineries that are just becoming available in the US market thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Bay Area based importer José Pastor.
Founded in 1990, Bodegas Viñátigo makes several unique wines from vineyards in the Ycoden Daute Isora wine region on the western side of Tenerife. Juan Mendez, born and raised on the island, started Viñátigo with the aim of recuperating indigenous grape varieties. His vineyards are all planted on original rootstock in rocky black volcanic soil. Each vine grows in a small depression in the earth to protect it from the ever present trade winds. Indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation. The wines are all produced as single varietals.
The small Viñátigo winery, built from rough hewn local stones, takes advantage of many elements of modern winery design. Wines are moved by gravity rather than pumping from one stage of elaboration to the next. Fresh fruit is delivered to the top level of the winery where sorting and crushing takes place. The wines are fermented in temperature controlled tanks one level down, and bottling and packaging are done on the lowest level.

2008 Viñátigo Gual is made from the Gual grape. Cold maceration and fermentation preserve the maximum of aroma and flavor in this richly textured white wine. Green almond and sesame seed aroma blend with tropical citrus flavors. The textural weight comes from extended skin contact. A foundation of volcanic minerality creates a lean, almost austere, first impression. Only with a bit of air does the complex tropical side of the wine come forward. This off beat varietal wine will pair well with elegant seafood preparations featuring scallops and lobster or even the silky monk fish liver preparation known in Japan as ‘ankimo’. $22.99

2008 Viñátigo Baboso is made from the red Baboso grape. This dark skinned juicy grape creates bold, expressive wines. In this particular example the ripe fruit character adds contrast to a wine that at its core is deeply mineral and rocky. 10 months in French oak gives this wine tannic structure. Barnyardy aromas of hayloft and meat locker add a note of funky intrigue to this unique expression of local soil and climate. A slow cooked braise of beef and mushrooms would be a nice match here. $42.99

Top Shelf Vinho Verde

2009 Deu la Deu Alvarinho

Adega de Monção is a cooperative winery in the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. Deu la Deu is the top wine from this well known and well respected winery. It is made of 100% Alvarinho (rare in Vinho Verde) from the highest quality fruit of each vintage. This wine combines the traditional spritzy effervescence and grapefruit aroma of Vinho Verde with a deeper, more expressive balance of aromas and flavors. Notes of white peach and orange blossom combine with finely tuned minerality and leesy textural weight. This well made wine can be enjoyed right away or held back for a few years as they do in Portugal. $19.99

Workers Of The World, Imbibe!

Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer, is upon us. School is back in session, Cal football starts up again this Saturday and Berkeley is shifting into busy season as the academic year gets under way. Of course, for those of us ‘townies’ that live here all year long (nobody really calls us ‘townies’, that’s just my east coast heritage showing) it feels like summer just got started now that several months of  ever present coastal fog (the source of much envy from my sweltering friends back east) have abated and hot, sunny days have finally arrived. Now is our opportunity to go out and catch up on the warm weather pursuits that have eluded us all summer long.
At The Spanish Table we will be open every day to satisfy your need for unique and delicious refreshment in all its guises. We have Spanish and Portuguese beers, several versions of hard apple cider, fun and fruity pink rosado wines, numerous spritzy Txakoli wines from Basque Country and a boat load of Vinho Verde from Portugal (in both white and pink versions). We have light red wines to serve cool and bone dry Sherries to serve ice cold. Appropriate snacks (olives, chorizos, cheeses) are also available so come stock up on your favorite flavors from the Iberian peninsula.

We just got a stack of seasonally appropriate wines from one of our favorite bodegas in Rioja. Cune (the initials C.V.N.E. are short for Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana, but in common practice everyone says “coo-nay”) is a well known winery in the Rioja region that works in a very traditional style. Founded in 1879 in the town of Haro, C.V.N.E was a major force in creating the style of Rioja that has since been emulated by many other bodegas in the region. Over a century later the winery is still in the same location and and continues to make a range of traditionally styled wines.

2008 Cune Monopole

Cune Monopole is a dry, crisp white wine made from the local Viura grape. It is pale green/gold in color with aromas and flavors of grapefruit and wild herbs. This unoaked white Rioja is lean and lightly mineral in character. It is very refreshing and pairs well with marinated vegetables and fresh seafood. $12.99

2009 Cune Rosado

Cune Rosado, made of 100% Tempranillo, was macerated on the skins for a few brief hours to produce a bright, dry, lightly fruity wine with beautiful light watermelon color. This is an unusual rosado from a region that mostly uses the Garnacha grapes for pink wines. The use of Tempranillo creates a lighter balance, relying on fresh berry aroma rather than sweet fruit character to create a food friendly wine that awakens and refreshes the palate on a hot day. $10.99

2006 Cune Crianza

Cune Crianza is well loved in the Rioja region. Ask for a glass of red wine in a little bar in Logrono, Haro, Laguardia or any number of Rioja towns and this is most likely what you will be served. Made from 90% Tempranillo with small additions of Mazuelo and Garnacha, the wine spent 12 months in oak before bottling with additional cellar time in the bottle prior to release. Well balanced barrel tannins give a cedary aroma to the wine while bright cherry-like fruit supports earthy foundational structure. Serve Cune Crianza with hot tapas such as sauteed mushrooms or slices of crispy fried morcilla sausage.  $13.99

Spanish Vermouth

Walk around Barcelona’s Barri Gotic neighborhood and you will notice numerous bars serving Vermouth. Unlike dry French Vermouth these herb infused wines are gently sweet and spicy. Visitors to Spain have returned with the desire  to replicate the drinks they tried over there but we have been unable to satisfy the demand until now. We just received not one but two different versions of Spanish vermouth from the venerable Montana-Perucchi winery, founded in 1886 and located on the outskirts of Barcelona. We have both the young white Vermouth and the aged red Gran Reserva Vermouth. Both are perfect for pouring over ice as they do in Spain but they are also well suited to cocktail usage in Martinis or Manhattans. These fabulous new drinks come in full sized 750 ml bottles and are both $19.99
(for a great review of Perucchi Vermouth and the most awesomest Dog & Vermouth Bottle photo ever, check out the Umamimart blog )

The Path Less Traveled

Sometimes the most interesting wines are the ones you don’t expect. A little known grape variety or a region that is off the beaten path can provide the most unexpected pleasure.
This week we offer you two examples of unusual wines that will delight your sense of taste as well as your sense of adventure.

2008 Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas
It used to be that Portuguese Vinho Verde was simple, spritzy, fun in a bottle. While those wines still exist (and we stock them enthusiastically), a new breed of Vinho Verde can be found that features estate grown grapes with distinct pedigree, vintage specific bottlings and finely tuned wine making skills. Soalheiro Alvarinho Primeiras Vinhas is a standard setter for top shelf Vinho Verde. This 100% Alvarinho wine from Soalheiro’s oldest vineyards is crisp and elegant. Greenish tint (from whence the region gets its name) and spritzy effervescence are in keeping with regional style. The use of 100% Alvarinho as well as the detailed level of winemaking skill sets this wine apart from all other wines in the area. Grapefruit aroma and a palate of fresh citrus blossom and flinty minerality give this wine a distinctiveness that is truly unique. This ain’t no back porch Vinho Verde. This is some serious juice! $33.99

2009 Bermejo Tinto ‘Maceracion Carbonica’
Wines from the Canary Islands have been few and far between in the USA but thanks to the intrepid folks at Jose Pastor Selections numerous intriguing bottles from this string of Spanish islands off the coast of Africa are about to become much more prevalent around here. Bermejo Tinto from Lanzarote, made from the local Listan Negro grape, comes in several styles. This one is made in the “Maceracion Carbonica” style (whole cluster fermentation, a technique used to make fresh,youthful wines quickly) and tastes like a French Beaujolais grown in rocky, volcanic soil. Pure, bright fruit character combines with quartz crystal minerality. This light bodied red will work its magic equally with seafood, poultry and meatless meals. $19.99

Paella Class

Our friends at Kitchen On Fire Cooking School are hosting us once again for our semi-regular Paella class. The date is Monday September 20th at 6:30 PM.

This is a hands-on class that teaches all the skills needed to make fabulous paella in all sizes and flavors. We will work together to make a large  paella that will include meat, chicken, seafood and vegetables. We will also make several quick tapas to nibble on while we wait for the paella to cook as well as a light dessert. Several paella friendly wines will be sampled along the way. Details and registration are all to be found on the Kitchen On Fire web site at:

www.kitchenonfire.com/classes/view/id/1220/

Luis Pato

Luis Pato is one of Portugal’s best known winemakers.

Working from his family’s Quinta do Ribeirinho estate in the Beiras region of central Portugal he has almost single handedly rejuvenated the reputation for the Baga grape, a local variety that had long fallen from favor. His Baga wines are distinctively spicy and a bit wild. He also works with other Portuguese red grapes such as Touriga Nacional but has earned some notoriety over the years for his refusal to cultivate traditional French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. His white wines are also created from traditional Portuguese varieties such as Maria Gomes, Bical and Sercialinho.

His daughter Filipa is a trained winemaker too and participates in the making of Luis Pato wines as well as wines made under her own label.

The name Pato means ‘duck’ in Portuguese so duck imagery appears regularly on the wine labels.

Here are a few Luis Pato wines in a range of styles, red, white, young, mature, still and sparkling. I recommend all of them highly. These wines are all available at spanishtablewines.com

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2009 Luis Pato Maria Gomes The entry level white wine from Luis Pato is this varietal Maria Gomes (known elsewhere in Portugal as Fernao Pires) made in a young,fresh, unoaked style. Pale lemon hue with gentle aromas of wild herbs and citrus blossom. White peach and green melon fruit character is held in check by a subtle note of flinty minerality. Fabulous warm weather refreshment. $10.99
2008 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Branco This blend of traditional Portuguese grape varieties from the Beiras region is made up of 50% Bical, 30% Cerceal and 20 % Sercialinho, all sourced from old vine vineyards. The yellow gold tint and dense texture create an expectation of age and weight but the wine is quite fresh and lively. A short few months in cask give a bit of gentle oak aroma to the wine but not so much as to obscure the apricot/white peach fruit character. At present this wine is reticent and somewhat muted but with age (or a few hours in a decanter) it will reveal its proper complexity. A whole baked fish stuffed with fresh green herbs would be a perfect match here. $17.99
2008 Luis Pato Espumante The sparkling wine from Luis Pato is made up from 95% Maria Gomes(known elsewhere in Portugal as Fernao Pires) combined with 5% Arinto to create an assertively bubbly wine with floral aroma, tart citrus peel flavor and flinty minerality. Serve this on a hot day alongside some grilled fish (sardines are traditional). $13.99
2007 Luis Pato Baga Tinto In the Beiras region of central Portugal the Baga grape is a traditional variety that is enjoying a bit of a renaissance thanks in large part to the work of Luis Pato, a relentless champion of this little known variety. In this young, unoaked version the Baga grape expresses a bright, lean character that evokes scents and flavors of cranberry and  tea leaf. Delicate berry-like fruit character is present but not obvious or intrusive. A lightly bitter/twiggy note at the end is reminiscent of Cabernet Franc from Chinon or Mencia from Bierzo. This wine makes a fabulous accompaniment to chicken grilled  in the Portuguese style with piri-piri pepper sauce. $13.99
2005 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Tinto Vinhas Velhas (translates as ‘Old Vines’) is a bold red wine made from 100% Baga sourced from vines that are at least 40 years old. After fermentation the wines spend fifteen months in large used oak barrels. It displays dark garnet color and aromas of ripe berries with a bit of Amarone-ish raisin. The flavor is spicy and earthy at the same time with  dark berry fruit character and background minerality. Roast pork in all its forms will work well here. $29.99
2003 Luis Pato Primeira Escolha Luis Pato blends equal proportions of old vine Baga and Touriga Nacional from his best estate vines (primeira escolha translates as ‘first choice’) then ages them briefly (4-5 months) in oak after fermentation with several additional years of bottle age prior to release. The dark mulberry color and lightly funky/gamey aroma give way to pure elegant dark berry fruit character supported by gentle tannins. This wine presents an intriguing contrast between the precise and the rustic. It will pair well with grilled pork chops and white beans. $32.99
1990 Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Tinto This mature version of Vinhas Velhas is 100% Baga like the current release but with decades of age the wine has fully come unto its own. The high acidity of the tart Baga grape has evolved and softened. The initially firm  tannins are now supple. This wine is brick red in color with notes of dried fruit, tea leaves and dusty minerality. Only 10 cases were imported to the USA and we have just a few bottles to offer. $47.99

Clay Cazuela Cooking Class

In this class, we will learn all about cooking in the traditional Spanish cazuelas (terracotta cookware) as together we prepare several classic Spanish recipes. All of the fantastic foods for this class, from quick cooked appetizers to slow braised stews and even dessert, will be prepared using Spanish cazuelas. Cooking in clay is an ancient way to transform simple ingredients into delicious meals. In Spain, the earthenware cazuela is the required vessel necessary to prepare any number of  recipes both ancient and modern.
The class is on Monday August 9th at 6:30 pm. The location is Kitchen On Fire cooking school, located in Berkeley at 1509 Shattuck Ave. the cost is $65 per person which includes hands-on instruction, printed recipes and dinner. Details and registration can be found on the Kitchen On Fire web site at: https://www.kitchenonfire.com/classes/view/id/1174