This month’s feature -
The Other Spain
 Navarra
Navarra borders the Rioja region in the north of Spain. In fact
some Rioja denomination wines are actually grown in the geographical region of Navarra. So
Navarra shares both the climate and much of the soil conditions of Rioja. Producing
predominantly red wines, the grape varieties are also those used in Rioja - Tempranillo
and Grenacha being the most dominant and again, as with Rioja, the wine is frequently aged
in American oak barrels. It's not surprising then that Navarra wines taste
quite similar to Rioja. Navarra can't compare with Rioja's finest Reservas and Gran
Reservas, but at the lower end of the price range it can often be superior. £5 spent on a
Navara is more likely to deliver a better wine than a £5 Rioja. Try Gran Feudo Reserva
1998 Waitrose £6.15
Valdepenas
Valdepenas is in the centre of Spain near La Mancha. It shares
many of the same grape varieties of Rioja and Navarra. As with Navarra, Valdepenas doesn't
command the price premium of the Rioja brand and there are some very good wines at
reasonable prices. Waitrose have Torneo Reserva made with Tempranillo and aged for 2 years
in oak. This has many of th qualities you might expect from a Rioja and is good value at
£4.59.
Spanish white wines
 We
have focused on red wines so far but Spain has some great white wines too. Pazo de Seoane
is a delicious white wine that is great drunk as an aperitif. Made from the Albarino grape
in Galacia in the North West. Pazo is highly regarded in Spain and is dry and full
of fruit. Waitrose have it on special offer of the moment, £6.99 reduced from £8.99.
Of course we must not forget Cava - sparkling wine produced in the
methode champenoise. I went to a blind tasting of champagnes a few years ago. There
was a range of champagnes and sparkling wines ranging from carbonated white wines to
vintage Krug at £80 a bottle. Most of us - when tasting blind rated the Spanish cavas as
good if not better than many of the French champagnes at 2 or 3 times the price. Try
Freixnet Brut, a nutty easy drinking cava on offer at Tesco at £5.57.
Other Spanish Recommendations
Majestic and Tesco have Senorio los Llanos Reserva at around
£5, another Rioja style red at a reasonable price. Waitrose have Monasterio de Santa Ana
at £5.15.
Sloe Gin
 Nothing to do with Spain, but this is the time of year for you to
make sloe gin. If you haven't tried it, sloe gin is a delicious deep red liqueur almost
like a port or madeira and it is so easy to make. This method makes two bottles of sloe
gin. Pick about 450g(1lb) of sloes (sloes are the berries of the blackthorn) Wash
the sloes and leave them in a strainer to dry. When dry prick the sloes to break their
skin. Take an empty 75cl or litre gin or spirit bottle and a full bottle of gin of
the same size. Add half of the sloes to the empty bottle and then add 125g (4oz) of sugar.
Top up with gin leaving a bit of space at the neck, as the contents will need to be
shaken. Repeat for the other bottle. Shake the contents each day for a week. After a week
of daily shaking put the bottles into a cupboard and shake occasionally. After 3 months
strain off the berries and it is ready for drinking. Some say that you should keep it for
a year, but I think it is very palatable after 3 months.
There is no point in using the best gin. Use the cheapest you can
find. Most supermarkets have an own label gin for under £7 for 75cl.
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September 2003
Personalised
Champagne and Wines for celebrating laterlife events
