House Wine Reviews

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From September to June

These wines have my personal stamp of approval. Don’t be surprised if there are some you do not recognize. I want to do the work for you and introduce some new delicious bottles. On occasion, such as Robbie Burns or St. Patrick’s Day, I may entice you with a spirit or a beer. Let’s have fun!

Conde Valdemar Crianza Rioja 2016

Reviewed on March 15, 2024

Let’s travel to Spain and to the historic wine region of Rioja. It is Spain’s oldest and most famous wine region. Rioja is located in north central Spain. The longest river in Spain, the Ebro River, runs right through the region. Cutting it in half from north to south. It flows west to east for 910 km originating in Cantabria and winding up in the Mediterranean Sea. The Ebro River has 7 tributaries. One of which is called the Rio Oja. This is where the region got its name.

The Tempranillo grape is king and it often blended with other native varieties. In Rioja there are 4 different category levels based on minimum aging. This one is a Crianza, which means that it has been aged for a minimum of 2 years. One of those years must be in an oak barrel. Bodegas Valdemar is owned by the Martinez Bujanda family. The grapes for this wine come from the sub-zones of Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta.

I picked this wine because it is 8 years old and tasting great. It is a lovely ruby red with a slight tinge of orange on the rim. On the nose it has classic Rioja aromas of red plums, strawberry and black pepper. It is medium bodied with silky tannins. Beautiful integration of fruit, spice and tannins. This is a food wine. For a traditional pairing, try it with Manchego cheese and Serrano ham. It would also be tasty with salt & pepper pork ribs, pasta puttanesca and grilled mushrooms.