SI, SI, I’LL TAKE SOME MORE!
My kids are “selfie” experts. I will go to take a picture of something and find I have thirty pictures of a foot and then forty pictures of the dog. The subject matter is completely random, and laugh-out-loud funny. I was given the opportunity to interview a wine maker and Sommelier “on camera”. Its been a loooooong time since I’ve been on camera. Unless you count the countless videos and photos my kids produce, without my knowledge. There is me driving to school singing, “Shake it Off”, or walking the dog… You get the point. It’s not flattering.
I’ll call last week Spanish week. It kicked off with a Chef’s Dinner with the talented chef, Alex Raij at Txikito restaurant (Chelsea,NYC). A Basque style restaurant with which we were given a taste of Spain while tasting our way through Rueda and Ribera del Duero. Which, if you haven’t been reading, is the HOT region you should be buying your wine from.! As any parent can attest, getting to any event outside of school pick up and drop off, is stressful. I missed the train into the city, which has basically never happened before. It’s the end of the year and among the three kids, the schedule is FULL. I don’t think they can add one more event that could possibly make navigating the next few weeks worse than it is stacked up to be. I glided into the dinner, just as it was starting. The Chef’s Dinner is a rare treat for anyone. It is a “private dinner club” that gives us a glimpse into celebrity chefs and pairing dinners. It’s always hosted by the gregarious Ronnie, who could not be BORING EVEN if he tried! A few drinks in and it’s a party!
I’ll walk thru a few wines that I really enjoyed and you should be able to find:
RUEDA:
Basa Rueda Blanca 2013 $13.00
Bodegas Shaya Verdejo Rueda $12.00
Palacio de Bornos Rueda Verdejo 2013 $15
Belondrade y Lurton Rueda 2103
Verdeo Torres 2013 $8.00
RIBERA DEL DUERO:
Emilo Moro Finca Resalso 2013 $13.00
La Planta Ribera del Duero $11.00
Bodges Ismael Arroyo Val Slotillo Crianza, Ribera del Duero $20.00
Celeste Crianza Torres 2011 Ribera del Duero $17.00
Next up was “lights, camera, action” as I had a chance to talk with Jean of Belondrade winery, one of the top wines from the Rueda region in Spain. The highlight of my day was listening to him talk about the passion behind the winery and wine making which is evident in the quality of the wine. He was so fun to talk to and we got to DRINK while we talked! I’m not sure this gig could have been any better. Oh, wait!? Did I say he was charming? As “Into the Woods” belts out “Was he charming? I hear he is charming…? You get the point. He was charming and I might have blushed on camera. (That’s a story for another day!) The best part was watching a fellow wine writer try to “set him up” with a friend!! I don’t know what happened with that!
What’s better than meeting another cool mom? A mom that happens to be a Sommelier? I’m not saying all moms are drinking wine, but we are drinking enough to become wine experts! The next victim of my on camera time was Natalie Sans at Tio Pepe and Las Ramblas. She told me a great deal about the region of Rueda and Ribera del Duero. The tapas bar at Tio Pepe and Las Ramblas only carries Spanish wine which is the perfect pairing for their food. Even though Rueda wine is white, it held up to a number of tapas including, peppers, shrimp, chorizo, lamp chops and so much more. Rueda wine is really an expression of the region and produces crisp, clean, good quality wines. They are perfect to try as we approach summer. The biggest hurdle is consumer perception. As customers of restaurants or wine stores, we tend to ask for the wines we know, not the wines we don’t know. The more we branch out and try something new, the easier it will become to find wines from these regions. The price point of the wines coming out of Spain, really make these wines an amazing value. The wine making quality can stand against many of the top wine-producing areas. So start asking!
After twenty years of living in NYC, little surprises me. As we were filming outside, a few patrons of the tapas bar joined in and were suddenly doing the segment with me. Next, a random stranger walking by began directing and getting on camera. As in “I’m a director from Italy, Move closer to him, and hold your glass up.” It was quintessential New York. Everything is right in the world, when you can end with a glass of wine in hand with total strangers and sharing a laugh! Pick up your wine and enjoy! YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN!
