Tapas and a taste of Spain : July 2022

I love tapas; small plates packed full of flavour, texture, colour and character. One moment you’re tasting sea salt fresh anchovies, the next spiced sausage before moving on to creamy Patatas Bravas. There are two great wine pairing options for tapas. My first recommendation is dry Spanish Rosado. Served deliciously chilled it has a summer fruit aromatic with bright, clean acidity; exactly what you want with seafood, shellfish and cheese. Spanish Rosado is usually made from the Tempranillo variety, a red grape that is used in Rioja, Spain’s famous export. The Tempranillo grape provides a little tannin, giving the rose a griping texture and dry sensation on the palate. Red grapes also provide delicate red fruit character and hint of warm spice, perfect for handling the different textures and flavours in the tapas.

My second recommendation is Vintage Cava, a sparkling wine from Spain created using the same techniques found in Champagne production. Cava is made from a blend of three white grapes, Macabeu, Parallada, Xarel-lo. The blend of grapes gives Cava amazing complexity of flavour and depth.Cava is also pocket friendly, similarly priced to Prosecco but compared to Prosecco’s delicate simple flavour profile,vintage Cava has delicious rich baked apple and almond notes. Cava is also served chilled, the bubbles, acidity and extended aging on lees, make this wine an ideal partner to a great variety of foods.

A simple rule of thumb when food and wine pairing: If in doubt, bubbles go with everything!