As we finished our stroll in the garden, the dinner group was
able to work up a bit more appetite.
As we finished our stroll in the garden, the dinner group was able to work up a bit more appetite. We sat at the table and passed around a fragrant dish of paella.
Three aspects of this paella captivated me. The first was that for our dinner, the paella was not going to be served as the main course. The second aspect was the use of Arborio rice in the dish. Finally, the paella was lovingly prepared by our host’s wife, who after repeated pleas for her to join us in this feast, politely declined and insisted we enjoy the fruits of her labor.
Her paella had a delicate balance of tomatoes, chicken stock, spices and of course, saffron. The Arborio rice absorbed the flavors of the food much better than long-grain rice and had a unique texture that allowed many flavors in each bite. Ingredients in the paella included fresh lobster, shrimp, peas, chorizo sausage, white fish, clams, mussels and pork loin.
Paella contains so many ingredients that it automatically becomes a great dish to pair with almost any type of wine. We decided to try three bottles: one each of white, red and rose.
The white wine was a 2005 Valminor Albarino Rias Biaxes ($14). This wine offered the same crisp, light-bodied style that the verdujo wine had earlier in the evening, but had a fruiter nose and taste.
The rose wine was from a very reputable producer, a 2005 Muga Rioja rosado ($12). It was soft, fruity and not too sweet.
A 2004 Luberri Rioja Tinta rounded out the threesome. This wine went through carbonic maceration, the results of which produced a wine that was floral and light-bodied.
A quick poll of the group found that everyone liked the choices almost equally, but the rose came out on top of most everyone’s list. Good rose is underrated, and you do not have to look hard to find good ones.
The main course of the evening was leg of lamb. The bones had been removed and some of the fat trimmed to create some smaller chubs of meat that could be tied and roasted. The lamb was marinated for a few hours with oregano, thyme, lime juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. It then was slow-roasted four hours until it reached a beautiful medium rare.
Side dishes served were button mushrooms that had been sauteed in garlic, parsley and olive oil. Garden-fresh green and yellow zucchini, dusted with salt and olive oil, were grilled softly, allowing for a slightly crisp texture.
Two red wines were featured from the same winery that had produced the rose, a 1997 and 1999 Muga ioja Reserva.
Rioja is the most famous table wine district in Spain, lying far up to the north and where the average vineyard altitude is higher than 1,500 feet. Principal grapes in this area include tempranillo, grenache, graciano and mazuela.
The most significant difference between the bottling in the area is based on age. Reservas must be aged a minimum of three years, while others labeled sin crianza receive no wood aging.
Many vineyards in this area are covered with rocks and stone, with the vines barely peeking out of the ground like gnarled fists. This soil and altitude impregnates the grapes with some nice earthy flavors, and keeps the wines light and low in alcohol.
The two wines from Muga definitely followed this pattern, with the 1997 being a bit more rustic and the 1999 being slightly more fruity. Each bottle was around $18. Our group was so taken by the wines, we started to chant “Muga, Muga, Muga” – eerily similar to John Belushi chanting “Toga, Toga, Toga” in the movie Animal House.
For dessert, a very simple approach was taken. Some fresh nectarines were sliced and placed in a bowl. A bottle of 2001 Rivola Castilla y Leon tinta was poured over the fruit and put into the refrigerator for eight hours. The sliced fruit incorporated the flavor of the wine. Not only was the fruit succulent, but we used the wine marinade as a type of sangria and drank that with dessert! Waste not, want not.
The final act of the evening was assorted cigars and a hard-to-get oloroso, another type of Spanish sherry. A NV Royal Corregidor, aged 20 years, was chosen. This type of sherry is usually full-bodied and high in alcohol. It was bursting with color and loaded with flavor, including caramel, honey and a whisper of orange citrus. A 500ml bottle ran about $22. I relished every sip of the oloroso and every puff of my Montecristo!
We were in total nirvana, and even though no one wanted to leave, we knew good guests never overstay their welcome.
Salud!
