Tasting Note Tuesday - A Good BBQ Wine

With this past weekend being the Fourth of July, BBQ’s were surely in abundance. And though most people love a cold beer with burgers or ribs, its just not me. I love to drink inexpensive reds when I’m grilling up typical cookout fare. I don't look for anything too complex - I keep the food straight forward (burgers, hot dogs, chicken), which means I keep the wine jsut about the same. Give me a wine with some nice fruit, limited complexity and a simple quaffer, and I'll be golden. I even perfer to drink my wine a bit on the cooler side during a BBQ. A slight chill decreases the sense of the alcohol (the heat and burning), plus makes it more enjoyable than something warm when you're basking in the sun.

One of the wines I opened this past weekend was all that... a Spanish “bang for your buck" if you will...

2006 Santa Quiteria Almansa Loma Gorda - Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Almansa

Purchased for $9... which is an OUTSTANDING deal! Upon opening, this wine really shows it's fruit side with scents of strawberry, cherry, plum and blueberry. As this sits open, it really gains complexity with scents of dried herbs, dark chocolate and earth/dirt. When you first take a sip, the dark fruit notes of plum and blueberry really fill your mouth, and it's quite rich in flavor. On the finish, the 'old world' notes of dried herbs and stone really stand out - in fact, its a great balance of old and new world. The wine still has some firm tannins, so it can age for a few months. But this wine really opens up with some air, so I'd open it about 30 mins. before drinking.

My Take: Very Good