August Cellar Society Wine Is In!
Now We Certainly Know How to Wine and Dine!
Hello fellow winos! We had a fantastic night with all of you at our Cellar Society dinner on August 21st! The wine, the food, the company; it was absolutely spectacular, and the best is yet to come. Here are the wines that Heather handpicked for you all this month:
Sophisticated Things Wine Package:
Avancia Cuvée De O Godello
This beautiful white wine from the coastal Valdeorras region, smells of citrus and sea salt translating onto the palate as pears, lemon, peaches, and melon. Starting off fruity and finishing with a little cream this partially oaked 100% Godello pairs perfectly with the fan favorite of the evening, Patatas Bravas. A roasted potato dish topped with crispy prosciutto, fresh chives, and house aioli.
Muga Rioja Blanco
A white blend made of Viura, Granacha Blanca, and Malvasia de Rioja that comes from the Valle del Oja in Rioja, Spain. It is aged in new French oak casks and is stirred with a process called, “bâtonage” or lees stirring. This white blend nose reveals lemon, white blossoms(giving it a nice floral vibe), and stone fruit. All culminating on the palate with notes of citrus, vanilla, and peach. We paired it with a light seafood paella. A beautiful shrimp, mussels, and clam entree served with rice.
Sophisticated & Bolder Things Wine Package:
Bodegas La Cana Albariño
This 100% Albarino was grown in the Rias Biaxas region and aged in stainless steel casks through a process called Sur Lie, an eight-month fermentation process involving bi-weekly bâtonage. This wine starts off crisp on the nose with hints of citrus, herbs, and stone fruit, then tastes wonderfully on the palate as apricot, thyme, creamy minerality, and the perfect amount of acidity. So when we paired it with a tomato and cucumber gazpacho, minds were blown, with how perfect the pairing was.
El Chapparral de Vega Lindoa Garnacha
An excellent red wine from the Navarra appellations is 100% Garnacha aged in French-oak barrels. Harvested from vines that are up to 130 years old that are planted 600m (in America that means .37 miles) about sea level. This wine, a red-violet color, smells of spice, berries, and a touch of floral notes meets the palate of blueberry, baking spice, and vanilla followed up by the perfect amount of tannin.
Bolder Things Wine Package:
Muga Rioja Reserva
This Rioja red blend is a wonderful combination of Tempranillo, Garnacha tinta, Mazuelo, and Graciano varietals. It is aged three times: Once in wooden vats during fermentation, second in 80% French oak & 20% American oak barrels for 24 months, then a third in the bottle for another year! This tantalizes the nose with earthy notes that combine with dark fruit such as blueberry or blackberry, a little spice like vanilla and oak, with a touch of leather that you can taste on the palate.
Can Blau Red Blend
Another exceptional red blend, but this time it’s from Montestat, Catalonia, Spain. The main varietal is Mazuelo (aka Cariñena) is followed by equal parts of Syrah and Garnacha. This wine offers spice, fruit, and floral notes on the nose complimenting the juicy blackberry, lavender, black pepper, and woodsmoke taste. We paired both this wine and the Muga Rioja Reserva with braised pork cheek and white bean sausage stew. The pork was cooked to perfection, fell right apart with a fork, and melted in your mouth.
Finer Things Wine Package:
Brega Garnacha
Not going to lie folks, in my opinion, this one was the best… A 100% Garnacha de Aragón, a relative of the Grenache varietal we all know and love(at least I do), was grown in the Munébrega, Zaragoza Spain. The vineyards are in the highest altitude for Garnacha in Spain, which helps concentrate the flavors of the fruit. Once picked, it goes through its fermentation process, and then is aged in oak barrels for 18 months. On the nose, you get hints of dark fruit, spice, and herbs which is fully expressed in your mouth as black cherry, strawberry, a touch of white pepper, and beautiful mineralities that balance perfectly.
Vatan Tinta de Toro
This wine is 100% Tinta de Toro, a form of the tempranillo that is only grown in the region of Toro. The Vineyard was planted in 1900 which makes these vines almost 125 years old, which means it falls into the category of Old Vine. After fermentation, the wine is transferred to Bordelaise and Burgundian barrique(fancy French word for barrel or cask) and aged for 16-18 months. All this brings out the notes of black and blue fruit, espresso, and floral hints which tantalize the nose. Followed swiftly with the taste of blackberry, cherry, vanilla, and licorice.
Celebrate Good Times, C’mon…
If you were at this last Cellar Society Member’s dinner, it was definitely one to remember, but don’t forget we’ve got September’s event coming up on 9/11. We’ll be celebrating the Napa, California region! To sign up, call us at (417)882-0399 or next time you’re in, tell your server and they’ll help you! Thank you all and don’t forget to sip, smoke, savor! Check out more information here.
