Memories of Wines Perfect for the Holidays

Tempranillo and Time - by Amy

I first fell in love with wine while drinking Spanish Riojas.  It was the early 2000s in Chicago where tapas was all the rage and in addition to drinking Sangria, I often sought out a wine from the Spanish region of Rioja, made with the Tempranillo grape.  I felt so fancy pairing this classic medium bodied, high acid wine with my overpriced nibbles.   This was my wine a-ha moment.  I loved the silky tannins, the notes of black cherry, strawberry jam, cedar, fig, chocolate, baking spices, dill and a hint of fresh leather jacket.  But I also loved the oak!  Oh, the oak. (Don't judge!)  Traditional Spanish Riojas are aged in American Oak barrels that impart more of that vanilla and strangely enough, an oddly enticing dill aroma (referred to as a marker, meaning if you smell dill in wine, chances are it is aged in American Oak!)  The wine from this grape held up nicely with sausages, grilled shrimp, patas bravas, and goat cheese-stuffed figs…oh, and don't forget the paella! An interesting side note to this story, Tempranillo gets its name from the Spanish word “temprano” meaning “early” as it’s usually the first grape picked in Rioja, ironically, its the also one of the first grapes I picked along my wine journey.

We only made about 60 cases of this wine in 2020 as our neighborhood bear family ATE about half the harvest before the grapes were ripe enough to be picked!

With the fruit we did get into the cellar, Aaron gave a familiar nod to the Tempranillos of my youth, aging our estate wine in one neutral American Oak barrel and two old French Oak barrels for 18 months, as this wine just needs time to fully mature and integrate its classic flavors and structure. Our very first “Gold Dust Vineyard” Estate Tempranillo starts off with savory aromas of dried figs and tomato leaf, but don’t stop there. As you get into this wine you’ll be surprised how such savory aromas give way to luscious notes of cherries and strawberry compote before finishing off with significant freshness and mouth drying tannin. The duality of this wine is what I love about it the most. Its savory, yet fruity. You experience mouth-watering acidity and mouth-drying tannins at the same time. This Tempranillo takes me on a journey to my early days learning about wines, and at the same time, keeps me present, as I now discover and learn about the wines from our own special vineyard.

This Holiday Season, join me as I enjoy our 2020 divergent vine, “Gold Dust Vineyard” Tempranillo with friends and family at the Holiday table. This wine pairs great with winter stews, Steaks (Prime Rib!) and other game, as well as all the dishes I mentioned above. - Cheers, Amy