Hello friends! Sorry for the hiatus- I visited my family in California last week, and have been spending my time readjusting to life in Nashville. But I'm back, and I feel like talking about Spanish wine.

Spanish wine is my jam.

I’ll confess- I never really grew up drinking “Old World” wines (these are wines that come from countries with long histories of winemaking, i.e. France, Italy, Slovenia… basically all of Europe)- instead, the first wines I learned to love were big California wines (usually veeeeeery different style-wise).

As much as the tradition of Old World wines impressed me, I was a little intimidated to buy a bottle of wine that was labeled domaine de something and was followed by a bunch of other words I didn’t know. These bottles usually had fancy flowing script on them, and typically looked too cool and grown up for my twenty-something year old palate. So I avoided them.

Then Nashville happened.

I’ve mentioned in our “About” section that moving to Nashville has dramatically changed not only the way I drink wine, but also the wines I drink. While it’s true that sometimes drinking wine in a place known for beer and bourbon can be frustrating, in a weird way it’s made me a lot more adventurous. When a wine shop has only 1 row of California wines, and acres of international, it’s only a matter of time before you’re forced to branch out from your comfort zone.

I initially chose Spanish wines because they seemed slightly less daunting than French wines (although now I love those too) and I’m a fan of interesting flavors and spices (I live for peppery wines). Spanish wines usually have that in spades. Price-wise, they are pretty affordable as well, which makes them pretty darn appealing.

Look at the cute little swinging girl!!!

The Altes Garnatxa Negra (which is pronounced Garnacha) is from Catalonia, an area of Spain that borders Valencia and Aragon. Although it's not an enormous wine region (compared to Rioja), it has a long tradition of winemaking (interestingly, the sparkling wine Cava originated in this region). The vineyard where this wine is made is located in Terra Alta, which is both the most southern and the most mountainous area of Catalonia. Although the area is mostly known for white wines, they are slowly increasing their red wine production, so it's fun to try the wines coming out of the region. Plus this one was 11.99 (thanks Liquor Express!) so it's an easy way to put a toe into a more Old World wine without breaking the bank.

As far as the wine itself goes, Garnacha (also called Grenache, also called Cannonau) is one of the most widely planted red varietals, and it typically makes up a huge part of both Rhone and Rioja blends.

One thing I love about wine is how a varietal can vary so much, not only from region to region, but also from winemaker to winemaker. Garnacha is a great example of this. Some will have a more cherry or cinnamon notes, while others tend to be more "herbal-y" with scents of tobacco and lavender. So basically, Garnacha is the taco of the wine world- popular, and there's lots of ways to make it unique (we may get a little more into how wines get their flavors in a later post).

Even though it's got a really light color, and usually has berry flavors, there's enough spice that Garnacha can be paired with a lot of foods, (try it with grilled meats or roasted vegetables) and it's complex enough that it's not just like swilling a cup of fruit.

The Altes smells a lot like strawberries (real strawberries, not the fake kind that they blend with sugar and put on sundaes and waffles), but when you sip it, it's also got this cool black peppery taste that makes it really interesting. There's also a little bit of cranberry flavor in there too, so it tastes pretty balanced- not too fruity and not too spicy.

OUR RATING: Interestingly fruity yet spicy wine- perfect for early fall cookouts, or to drink with a semi-fancy weeknight dinner.

I'D DRINK THIS:

At a bonfire, to balance out the amount of s'mores I probably ate

While watching college football, when I don't feel like a beer (War Eagle!)

With cupcakes and reality tv (absolutely no personal experience here...)

Outside, out of those tiny plastic cups while listening to a live band that's just okay, but they do an excellent cover of "Living on a Prayer."