Hispanic Heritage Month: celebrating Spanish wines and Sancocho

October 9, 4:08 PMWine ExaminerLeslie Cramer

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I live in the Caribbean, and have for the better part of my life.  The proximity of my island home is in the vicinity of Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

  Though other wines of the world are enjoyed in these island nations as well, Spanish wines are impressively prominent in these Hispanic cultures. 

Puerto Rican friends first introduced me to sancocho, a soup/stew made, served, and savored with reverance in most, if not all Spanish homes.  Family recipes are wide and varied, but the meal is served with a mixture of honor and respect.  Read on for an easy-to-read guide to Spanish wines and a recipe for the beloved Sancocho.
 

 Few of us are expert in the field of spanish wine - we just know what we enjoy!

And Spain is becoming an increasingly respected producer of wine.

Wine tours Spain are now extremely popular and sangria has long been a "must" when visiting the country.

On top of being a delicious experience for your taste-buds, a glass of red wine a day is meant to be beneficial for your health.

So, sit back and sip your glass of Rioja and enjoy this simple guide to spanish wines - categorized by colour and region.

It´ll make your selection easier when browsing through all those bottles on supermarket shelves!

spanish wine - reds

• Valdeorras is a small area in the east of Galicia and its fresh-tasting reds - made from the native Mencia grape - are highly recommended.

   

   

• Toro produces extremely powerful reds - using a mutation of Tempranillo.

   

   

• Campo de Borja wines - made from the Garnacha grape - must attain a minimum 13% alcohol content, resulting in some stunningly alcholic reds!

   

   

• La Mancha - located in arid plains stretching from Madrid to Valdepeñas - produces classy reds from the Cencibel (Tempranillo) grape.

   

   

• Valdepeñas is famed for Tempranillo reds that have been cask-aged and labelled "Reserva" or "Gran Reserva". Oakey and full-flavoured.

   

   

• Rioja is one of the best-known areas for wine. Its red wine has a thick, creamy texture and fruity flavour. Grape varieties of this region, production methods and names of wine are too many to list, but a good guide to quality is the length of time matured.

   

   

  
  
   

  spanish wine - whites

   

   

• Rías Bajas - in the region of Galicia - has a reputation for fragrant, floral, dry white wines produced from the grape variety Albarino.

   

   

• Ribeiro - meaning "riverside" - produces excellent whites with strong overtones of orange blossom.

   

   

• Rueda produces white wine only - some of Spain´s most agreeable, light dry whites.

   

   

• La Mancha also grows the Airen grape, producing a refreshing, lemony white wine.

   

   

• Valencia is renowned for its Moscatel de Valencia - a sweet white wine. This wine doesn´t undergo normal fermentation, but is made by adding grape spirit to freshly-pressed Muscat juice.

   

   

  
  
   

  spanish wine - rosé

   

   

• Navarre - located on the River Ebor - is know for its fresh, fruity rosada or rosé wine.

   

   

• Cigales principally makes dry rosados and a little red, using the two main grapes of Rioja.

   

   

  
  
   

  spanish wine - sparkling

   

   

• Penedès - near Barcelona - is the centre of the Cava industry and base for the mighty House of Torres. A prolific region, it also produces a wide variety of good quality red and white wines.

   

   

• Asturias is famed for its cider - both sparkling and flat - locals pouring out their cider in a very unique way.

   

   

  
  
   

  spanish wine - label

   

• Bottles labelled Joven (Young) are the juniors.

   

   

• Crianza is aged for one year in a barrel and one year in a bottle before release.

   

   

• Reserva spends one year in a barrel and a further two in the bottle.

   

   

• Gran Reserva is aged for a minimum of two years in wood and held in the bottle for three.

   

  You may also notice the initials DO on a bottle.

  It stands for Denominación de Origen - literally meaning "Denomination of Origin", portraying where the wine comes from.

  This now has an "upper level" for the very best wines - Denominación de Origen Calificada - or DOCa.

  Rioja was the first region declared a DOCa in 1991.

  However, as with everything else in life, the main thing is to choose the one you - personally - like best!

  ¡Salud! ¡Qué aproveche!

  Puerto Rican Beef Stew
  Sancocho

  Serves 6

   
   

  It is said of a person who has been under the sweltering sun that he is sancocho—blistering hot or "stewing." This Puerto Rican stew best illustrates the one-step cooking method, a typical food preparation that has prevailed for five hundred years in Puerto Rican homes, primarily because it allows the latitude for batch cooking a nutritious meal in a single pot.

  The barbacoa technique employed by the Tainos has evolved more sophisticated and complex cooking technology, but the spirit and the legacy of the barbacoa are constant as we struggle against the drudgery of the modern work day and subsequent meal preparation. When you come home, why not spend 15 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of "R and R?" The pot over the heat does the cooking you end up with a delicious beefy stew.

  Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-1/2 pounds top round beef, cubed into 1-1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup chopped yellow onions
  • 1/3 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped celery
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
  • 1 chili pepper; seeded and minced
  • 5 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon pulverized rock salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/3 cup burgundy wine
  • 4 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped
  • 4 quarts beef stock
  • 2 green bananas, peeled and slice into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 yellow plantain, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 medium sweet potato (1/2 pound), diced into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 medium new potatoes, scrubbed clean and quartered
  • 1 large chayote, peeled, cored, and diced into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 ears of white corn, cleaned and sliced into 6 parts each

  Preparation

  1. In a preheated kettle over low-to-medium heat, combine olive oil, garlic, beef cubes, and onions, stir until beef is brown on all sides and onions begin to caramelize. Fold in chopped pepper, celery, gingerroot, chili pepper, cilantro, cumin, salt, white pepper, burgundy wine, tomatoes, and 1 quart of beef stock. Cook down until stock is reduced by half.
  2. Stir beef, then fold in all the remaining vegetables and beef stock. Continue to cook until meat is tender and the vegetables soft.

  Serving Suggestions:
  Since this soup contains beef and vegetables, it is hearty already. Serve alongside a fresh bread and use the bread to soak up some of this delicious flavor