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+--- Thread: Tapena (/thread-16889.html)
- winophite - 04-03-2008
Well, another novice post today for me. I've had miller time this afternoon, but with a pasta/marinera sauce/ turkey sausage dish my wife has prepared I thought I'd have some wine. Opened a Spanish 2006 "Tempena" of the tempranillo grape dinner will be ready soon, but have the wine open now! Real dark in the glass and very opaque, ruby at the rim. Fruity aroma, berryish, hint of cherry. light mouthfeel with a mild drying tannin in the back,silky. Pretty tasty overall and I suspect the bottle will be emptied soon, not allowing more notes. Simple wine yet interesting. 13% and about $13.00
- winophite - 04-03-2008
Had fresh raw veggies; carrots, celery and brocc, (no ranch dip). Also had garlic bread, (texas toast). The toast was a spoiler! The rest was OK (with garlic breath). Usually I'm a midwesten sort of meat and potato kind of quaffer sort, but...
The complexity of the dinners flavors, mixed with the simple flavors of the wine, made for a neat dinner experience. Again... the garlic bread played sort of a spoiler for both. Does simple wine with complex dinner make sense?...if so, does a simple steak and potatoe dinner beg for a more complex wine?
(maybe too much early afternoon Miller time) Still much to learn! WP
- dananne - 04-03-2008
Being a veg now, I don't get to enjoy steak anymore, but when I did, I always tried to find something younger and with some tannins that'll work with the fatty, rich meat. So, complexity wasn't necessarily needed, just the "brawn," as it were. However, in general, when I pull a more complex wine to pair with food, I don't look for a complex mix of flavors that might overwhelm the wine. I want something simpler that will allow me to experience the wine to full effect. At this point, whenever I have a dish that has some complex and/or overpowering flavors, like a chickpea red curry dish or some such, and I'm wondering what to open with it, I go to my house white -- and my house white always sparkles [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]
Whenever I pair an aged wine, one with more subtle complexity, I almost always put it with a simple dish.
- Thomas - 04-04-2008
As others who've known my posts for a long time will tell you, with wine and food, I'm usually in the camp that opposites attracting is a lot more interesting than same-same.
- winophite - 04-05-2008
Thanks, I beleive I'm tending to feel the same. I don't know why sparklers never seem to come to mind for me, I certainly enjoy them. Even when shopping I just don't think about them. I suppose they will sit in the cellar just like any other wine OK right? I need to make a point of picking some up. Speaking of; the "favorite sparkling" at the top of the page sure sounds tasty. Seems a little over my budget though. I may have to try a couple anyway one of these days! Thanks again. WP
- Thomas - 04-05-2008
Try some Prosecco (Italy, lighter, refreshing, Charmat method) or Cava (Spain, Champagne method). Better prices from Europe, even with the worthless dollar...
Unfortunately, I have yet to find a domestic sparkler that is as qpr as either of the two above.
- dananne - 04-05-2008
Foodie is absolutely correct in the Prosecco and Cava values. Especially Cava -- we can find Cristalino's Brut and Rose for near $5 a bottle, where it's a steal, even if there are better Cavas out there. At $5, though, we drink quite a bit of it -- especially the Rose. For domestic stuff, our favorite for the $ is from Gruet -- runs around $14, and we particularly like the Blanc de Noirs.