Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343109
B AGE OF RIBERA Victor R. Gonzalez, Sommelier, Escarpetta at Fountainebleau; Harrison Kantor, Sous Chef, The Cook and the Cork and Parkland Chef Catering; Keith Blauschild, CEC, Certified Executive Chef/owner, The Cook and the Cork and Parkland Chef Catering; Dena Lowell, owner, The Cook and the Cork and Parkland Chef Catering. Sitting down to taste in an elegant room, we were flanked on all sides by some of South Beach's top somms and buyers, all pictured in the following pages. Robinson led us through an engaging presentation on Ribera's climate, soils and production methods and the group was quite vocal, openly discussing the wine and food pairings. We asked all present to record wines that stood out, and to jot down their favorite pairings. Individual tasting notes, along with TASTING PANEL Deputy Editor Jonathan Cristaldi's own notes, are in the pages ahead. "When you taste these wines, don't pigeonhole them into what you might assume them to be," warned Robinson, "What they care about more than anything in Spain is food—they spend a lot of time thinking about the next meal, drinking and eating local." And with that, the tasting was underway. SOMMS & BUYERS The food pairings included Jose's taco (center) with ossetra caviar, jamón Ibérico de bellota; onion soup (top left) and fois gras espuma; escalivada (bottom left) fire-roasted and charred veggies with blue cheese and mojo chicharrón; chistorra (top right) Catalan sausage wrapped in thin potato paired with quince aiolo; bao con lechón (bottom right) Chinese bun and pork belly. Wine #1: Bodegas Portia 2012 Ebeia ($15) Group tasting notes: A soft and round wine of medium body, showing cherry and cranberry fruit along with rhubarb and hints of violets and herbs; straw- berry notes on the finish. Perfectly paired: "A great wine across the board with each bite for my palate—the acid and fruit worked in perfect harmony." —Krista Grauberger of Market 17 Wine #3: Cillar de Silos 2010 Crianza ($22) Keith Blauschild's tasting notes: Red fruit, redolent of strawberries, meets sweet cedar and tobacco spice notes while light tannins give way to a juicy mouthfeel. Perfectly paired: "The acid cut through the fat of the chistorra, while the fruit complemented the quince component." – K. B. Wine #2: Bodegas Arrocal 2011 Arrocal ($19) Rick Garced's tasting notes: Medium- to full-bodied, bright and clear with high intensity deep red color. Vanilla, cinnamon spice and hints of tobacco on the nose. Dried cherry and ripe raspberry flavors. Medium finish with soft tannins with a slight grip. Perfectly paired: "I picked up some olive notes and thought the tomatoes of the escalivada perfectly mingled with this wine, giving rise to ceremonious flavors, like an unexpected bruschetta explosion." —Jonathan Cristaldi Wine #4: Bodegas Pinord, Vaquos 2009 Crianza ($20) Jonathan Cristaldi's tasting notes: A luscious mouthfeel gives way to bright red and blue fruit, then a subtle cocoa note, all underscored by tea-tannins, dried tea leaves matched by a vibrant acidity and lengthy finish. Perfectly paired: "I loved this wine with Jose's taco. The sweet and savory notes of the wine jived with the salty, briny and sweet notes in the taco—it was an odd marriage, one of opposites attract." – J. C. :: the wines ::