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Decoding My Spanish Wine Fixation

Spanish wines shall always have a special meaning for me. Author: William Pollard Do you remember the last time you visited with your best friend? The meal you shared, the place, the wine? This is a self-indulgent post, but I’m sharing it because the sentiment and revelation are sincere. And I need to sleep at night. I have an obsession with Spanish wines. I don’t talk of it, but I have wondered to myself, "Where does this attraction come from?" Could there be an underlying impulse which draws me to the Iberian Peninsula? Some clarity emerged recently while reading .  “Twirled on a fork and lifted to the mouth, they whisper secrets. This, you tell yourself, is a flavor one shouldn’t speak of.”  Anthony Bourdain,  Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook One of my Father’s Day gifts was the book “ Medium Raw ” by Anthony Bourdain. I’m fond of how Mr. Bourdain puts words together. His style is in a word, "picante"...

A Change of Pace

We've had cooler than usual weather in Washington state this season. It should feel like summer, but it still feels like early Spring. My son had his final baseball game today (a chilly game yesterday in the wind and rain). And surpise, suprise, I've been enjoying Spanish wines for a change of pace. As much as I love Washington wine, it is fun and healthy to explore wines from around the world. You can blame my cousin José for tuning me into Spanish wines in April. Which Spanish wines have I been enjoying? Tempranillo wines from Spain. Tempranillo is THE indiginous varietal from Spain. Tempranillo is grown in many places in Spain, from southern Spain, the Penedes, Ribera del Duero to Rioja. It does very well when grown in high-altitude vineyards. And it enjoys a wide range of flavor and styles - which is what toots my horn. Tempranillo is also known as, Cencibal, Tinto de Madrid, Tinta de Pais, Tinta de Toro, Tinto Fino and Ull de Llebre. My most memorable Tempranillo experienc...