jueves 05 de febrero de 2004 - 20:50 viernes 25 de junio de 2010 - 15:04

Need expert assistance - Spanish Wines

17 respuestas

Juan Such
en respuesta a WaltZalenski 06/02/04 20:56

Sherries in USA

Walt, what is the availability of fortified wines from Jerez and Montilla-Moriles in US? Do you like this type of wines?

Finos, manzanillas, amontillados, palo cortados, olorosos, sweet PX ... they are Spanish treasures but it’s seems they are out of fashion nowadays.

¡Descubre los próximos Eventos de Verema!

Responder

#10

WaltZalenski
en respuesta a WaltZalenski 06/02/04 21:31

Re: Sherries in USA

Ver mensaje de WaltZalenski

Good question because this is one of the mysteries of the US marketplace. Not many of these wines are imported and they are relatively hard to find. Most evey wine store will have a bottle or two of low-end Harveys cream sherry or a comparable Tio Pepe. Very good stores might have the basic Lustau products. One has to search high and low for something special. Nobody has even heard of almacenista sherries.

This makes no sense to me because these are great values. We would be so much better off if all the bars that now are serving countless glasses of cheap California chardonnay offered a decent fino or manzanilla instead. Because I hardly ever drink hard liquor, I always try to order sherry at a bar, but it is very common for bars to have no sherry at all. The paucity of sherry in the US market may be somewhat more understandable on the sweeter end of the sherry spectrum. I suppose Americans really do not drink ver much of sweet wines. But even in this category, a good PX is so much better and so much cheaper than the alternatives.

Responder

#11

Juan Such
en respuesta a WaltZalenski 06/02/04 22:08

Re: Sherries in Spain

Ver mensaje de WaltZalenski

Walt, can you believe that you can find finos like Quinta (very regular high quality in the last year), La Ina or Tio Pepe for less than 6 euros in most Spanish supermarket chains? An incredible QPR and cost a lot to sell...

The trouble with this wonderfully complex wines is that they aren`t easily understood by newcomers, that prefer, in my experience, more fruit-driven and direct wines.

¡Descubre los próximos Eventos de Verema!

Responder

#12

WaltZalenski
en respuesta a WaltZalenski 06/02/04 23:46

Re: Sherries in Spain

Ver mensaje de WaltZalenski

Oh, I know. I go to Barcelona and Palma fairly regularly and everytime I go to the supermarket I waste 15 minutes looking and wishing that I could get such offerings so easily back home. Bear in mind that in most places in the US, supermarkets have no wine at all.

I’ve also been tempted to one day get a basket of all those super-cheap Spanish supermarket wines - the stuff they don’t even stock at Vila Vinateca - and do a tasting of 1-3 Euro wines. I’m sure I’m not going to find great wines, and almost all of it would be poured down the drain. (I’ve tried a couple of these, such as the confusingly labeled ’Rene Barbier’ - ";Look! $2 Clos Mogador!!!";) But it would be fun and it would satisfy my curiosity.

Responder

#13

MaJesus
en respuesta a WaltZalenski 07/02/04 11:37

Re: Recommedations on Spanish Red Wines

Ver mensaje de WaltZalenski

We just bought AN in Durham a couple weeks ago (but I do not remember the vintage), and I have seen Lustau often in wine shops and even (nice) supermarkets (in Durham again), and also some PX’s in (nice) restaurants (in fact I was quite surprised), but in general, no one seems to drink ";Generosos"; at all. Even when special Spanish wines tasting are organized, and in spite of my insistence everytime they ask my opinion, no fino or manzanilla is ever present (I am talking about my very limited, personal an idyosincratic experience).

A good wine to bring to USA is ";Santa Rosa";, from Enrique Mendoza, I have not seen it there yet. Continuing with other wines that I have not seen there, other Valencia options are also good : ";Maduresa";, ";Finca Terrerazo";, ";Quincha Corral"; (this is more expensive). Also, ";Coma d’en Pou";, from Barbara Fores is excellent. I am not so sure about ";Venus La Universal";, but I do not recall seing it. Other excellent options are ";Enate Merlot-Merlot";, ";Marbore"; and ";Blecua"; (way more expensive). Other wines that are never seen in the USA (nor in the continental Spain for that matter) are the Canary Island wines, but, IMHO, even if very personal and interesting, they are overpriced (except for the sweet Lanzarote ones).

Good Luck!

MaJesus

Responder

#14

Juan Such
en respuesta a WaltZalenski 07/02/04 15:59

Borsao

Ver mensaje de WaltZalenski

Try Borsao. It’s available in some supermarkets (Mercadona for instance). 2,5 euros and fruit, fruit, fruit...! Great QPR.

¡Descubre los próximos Eventos de Verema!

Responder

#15

JoanF
en respuesta a 1946061m 08/02/04 11:19

Re: Need expert assistance - Spanish Wines

Ver mensaje de 1946061m

Hello, if you are interested on Shiraz you can try ’Roigenc’, a rose wine made from this grape. I really like it and I think it is very interesting. However, I don’t know where you can find it in Malaga. Perhaps somebody will help about that.

Regards!

Joan