Unfiltered, Unfined

Steve Lewis of Giuliana Imports

Sustainability doesn’t have a textbook definition in the same way that organic or biodynamic does. But most of the wineries in Europe are sustainably farmed, probably due to the demands of the centuries (if not millenia) that the land has been used for this purpose. At the dinner, Steve discussed how the rise of a new Spanish food culture has also heavily impacted the production of wine throughout that country by increasing the pairing options and opening eyes to new food-and-wine possibilities. I’ve often discussed how intimately wine and food interact, and nowhere is this more currently evident than in these sustainable beauties from the Iberian peninsula. Even better news, most of the wines we tried were very reasonably priced.

Omni Interlocken in Broomfield, CO

Appetizers often match best with bubbles, and the small toasts David and Mario served with various toppings were no exception. Steve decided to go with the Gran Sarao Cava Brut here, and I really enjoyed the pairing. At first the wine smelled of nothing more than sour cream, but with time it opened up and began exuding laser-like, finely tuned boysenberry aromas. A lovely wine that couldn’t have been a better choice.

With a first course of charred cocas (baby octopus), Steve chose to pour the Bodegas Botani Moscatel Seco from Malaga, one of the many fine choices that emanate from Jorge Ordonez’s stable. The green grape and olive tapenade elements of this wine worked very well with the earthiness of the seafood, and there was a refreshing, bitter lime pith element at the finish that tied everything together. Tart and long in the mouth, it really worked well with the octopus.

Next Chef Clapes came up with a playful variation on ham and cheese by grilling Consorcio Del Jamon Serrano ham and Manchego cheese on thin bread and serving a fig basil jam and mustard on the side. With this Steve served the Finca Luzon Verde from Jumilla, a Mourvedre-based beauty that oozed spicy cherry, cola, white pepper and raspberry cream, followed by caramel and thick, rich tar on the back-palate. Another terrific match that combined the deep flavors of the wine with the somewhat lighter sandwich.

Having fun at dinner

There were two main courses, one traditionally Spanish and the other more new wave. First, a Roasted Branzini (Mediterranean Sea Bass) alongside a bit of pork belly and sauteed sea beans snuggled up to the Bodegas Shaya Rueda made from Verdejo, full of lime zest, limeade, green grape juice and boysenberries. The zesty aromas were juicy enough for the fish, and the fish was oily enough for the wine’s rapier-like texture.

Next we had Garnacha-braised Wagyu beef short ribs, not traditionally Spanish but certainly in line with what avant garde Spanish chefs have been experimenting with as they work to redefine their native cuisines. The Bodegas Alto Montoya Campo de Borja was a great match with the succulent beef. The wine’s bloody, tomato-laced, peppery attack greatly enhanced the meat in the mouth, and the roasted coffee, strawberry, black raspberry and milk chocolate finish felt quite succulent as each morsel was swallowed.

Finally, we had churros, traditional Spanish doughnuts, for dessert along with sherry marmalade, pistachio cinnamon caramel and blue cheese mousse. To complement this complex but homey dessert Steve chose one of my favorite Spanish dessert wines, the Bodegas Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Anada from Montilla-Moriles. It’s not technically sherry (because it comes from outside the delineated region), but it might as well be. Toasty caramel, banana and rum combine on the layered, thick palate, making it a great accompaniment to anything sweet and fried.

Both Giuliana Imports and the Omni Interlocken should be commended for their attention to regional wines and cuisine. Sustainable food and juice is an unbelievably hot topic right now, and will probably be so well into the future. Based on this limited sampling, Spain may very well be leading this charge. And that’s something we can all cheer for. Olé!

Recommended:

Sparkling

Gran Sarao Cava Brut NV (Cataluna, Spain) $13

White

Bodegas Botani Moscatel Seco 2008 (Malaga, Spain) $19

Bodegas Shaya Rueda 2008 (Rueda, Spain) $14

Red

Finca Luzon Verde Jumilla 2007 (Jumilla, Spain) $10

Bodegas Alto Montoya 2006 (Campo de Borja, Spain) $10

Dessert

Bodegas Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Anada 2004 (Montilla-Moriles, Spain) $18/375mL