Abacela's Tempranillo makes the cover of the Oregon Wine Press!
Flame for Spain
By Kerry Newberry
When George Bernard Shaw wrote: “There is no love sincerer
than the love of food” it’s easy to imagine he had just returned from a
trip to Spain. From the vibrant paellas of Valencia to the sea-salt
kiss of mejillones in Galicia, the romance of food can sweep you off
your feet from coast to coast. The Spanish proverb “barriga llena,
corazón contento” rings true ... full stomach, happy heart.
In tiny villages, during the evening tapas hours, locals
dress up and stroll the cobblestone streets, gathering in tapas bars and
bodegas to eat and drink, flirt and debate, reveling in simple
pleasures.
The tapas that adorn the bar can be as simple as slices of
chorizo sausage and fresh figs wrapped with jamón Serrano to tuna
stuffed in scarlet-hued piquillo peppers and classic tortilla española
de patatas. An evening eating tapas is like a courtship should be: long,
leisurely, tantalizing.
The cadence of culinary life in Spain is slower, and like the food — the wine, especially Tempranillo — tastes rich and lusty.
It’s easy to fall in love with Spain. This is why OWP
asked local food and wine experts with a fiery passion for Spanish food
and culture to share Tempranillo and tapas tidbits in hopes of making
sparks fly during the month of February.
Earl & Hilda Jones - Abacela Vineyards & Winery
When reminiscing why he and his wife, Hilda, decided to
crisscross the country from Pensacola, Florida to a small town in
Southern Oregon in the mid-1990s to cultivate Iberian varietals and
craft internationally acclaimed wines, Earl Jones often recounts poetic
evenings eating tapas in Spain.
“We fell in love with Spanish wine,” says Jones. “But we
really fell in love with the Spanish culture; it’s such a beautiful
culinary way to live.” Jones, the co-owner of Abacela Vineyards &
Winery, planted the first Tempranillo in the Pacific Northwest in 1995.
The name Abacela stems from an ancient Latin-Iberian verb, “abacelar,”
meaning, “to plant a vine,” paying homage to the wines of the Ribera del
Duero and Rioja.
The Tapas: Chorizo with roasted red
peppers, jamÓn Serrano and, of course, Manchego, preferably aged nine
months and served at room temperature.
The Romance: Dinner in Aranda de Duero
Spain at Rafael Corrales. Hilda and I enjoyed the perfect pairing of el
lechazo (suckling lamb) and a bottle of 1987 Vega Sicilia Unico.
Fabulous!
The Spark: Abacela Tempranillo takes your mind on a magic carpet ride with traditional Spanish tapas.
Your Love: I love Spanish Tempranillo.
While an American varietal wine had never been produced from the grape, I
accepted the challenge, believing strongly that the world’s fifth most
planted red grape could be made into fine wine in the
Spanish-Tempranillo homo-climate of Southern Oregon. It worked!
Kerry Newberry is vineyard-hopping, Pinot-sipping food and wine writer in Portland.
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