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The Great Match – Spanish Wines and Tapas 04, presented by Wines from Spain
The Great Match – Spanish Wines and Tapas 04, presented by Wines from Spain, www.winesfromspain.com, was held on October 6, 2004 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street in New York, and featured a combined effort from the Spanish wine producers, Spanish cheese and olive oil producers, as well as some of New York’s finest restaurants showcasing their tapas creations for the event which benefited City Harvest.
Debra:
While Edward was searching out new wines, I made my rounds of the tapas tables and sampled some of the cheeses and olive oils, as well as saffron and other Spanish products. Of the cheeses I tried, I especially liked the Cabrales, a rich blue cheese, the Alt Urgell-Cerdanya, a sweet and smooth cheese, and the Roncal, which is described as the soul of the Pyrenees. Tapas were provided by Gerry Hayden of Amuse, Andy Nusser of Casa Mono, Marc Murphy of Landmarc, Dan Silverman of Lever House, Richard Sandoval of Maya, Damon Gordon of Mix in New York, Brad Farmerie of PUBLIC, Pichet Ong of Spice Market, Franklin Becker of Trinity and Wylie Dufresne of wd-50. Some of the restaurants provided items you would normally see on a tapas menu, and some chefs put their own spin on the tapas they presented. A few of the tapas available: from Franklin Becker of Trinity, Truffled Sea Scallops with Lemon and Arbequinn Olive Oil served on a scallop shell which I really enjoyed, as well as a Grilled Shrimp with Shaved Fennel, Mint, Grapefruit and Chorizo Oil, Dan Silverman of Lever House presented Spicy Braised Baby Cuttlefish and Smoked Trout with Fresh Goat Cheese and Scallion on a Brioche, Gerry Hayden of Amuse presented Chilled Gulf Shrimp with Piquillo Pepper and Cucumber with Roasted Garlic Almond Sauce which was definitely a winner on my list, Richard Sandoval of Maya had me make a second trip to his table to sample his Corn Soup with Cuitlacoche Sauce, Wylie Dufresne of wd-50 offered an unusual tapas treat of slow poached egg with Parmesan Broth and Tomato, and Pichet Ong of Spice Market offered a Spiced Rice Cream with Orange and Pistachio, as well as Chocolate and Rose Sorbet.
Edward:
Before Debra and I were able to enjoy the wine and tapas tasting, we participated in an energetic “Spain Goes Native” seminar by Doug French, MW, MS, who is one of only three people in the world to hold both MW and MS titles. A few of the white wines we tasted included Pazo Pondal Albariño 2003, D.O. Rias Baixas a crisp dry wine, Marqués de Alella Pansa Blanca 2003, D.O. Alella, which had floral notes of honeysuckle, sweetness and is grown in a slate soil, which was very much like a Riesling smell. Our red wine selection included Prineos Moristel 2002, D.O. Somontano, which was aromatic and earthy, with a taste of berries and little tannin, and a Ribas de Cabrera 2000, Bodegas Herederos Ribas, V.T. de Balears, which had complex flavors and layers of black raspberries, berries, and spices and made from Montenegro grapes. After the seminar, I decided to focus on reds wine with some character. Selecting Spanish red wines with character from such as large selection was truly a labor of love. Strolling though hundreds of red wines I found the following three reds to be my picks of the day: Amaren Tinto 1998 Reserva from Tricana Imports that featured an intense cherry nose with a rich full palate along with expressions of oak and dry tannins; Marqués de Tomares Gran Reserva 1996, Unión de Viticultores Riojanos from Parador Selections, LLC, which like the 1995 that was reviewed in the Gastronomy of Spain article in Luxury Experience (see Gastronomy section), is a mix of Tempranillo and Mazuelo, and like the 1995 this traditional style Spanish red is a very complex wine, with deep, rich flavor, and a long finish; and my final selection of the day was the Mas La Plana 1998, Miguel Torres, D.O. Penedés from the small but prestigious vineyards of Miguel Torres, the wine is a deep dense cherry color and has an intense bouquet with a palate that of hints of cranberries, cherries and truffles with a very long and full finish.
© December 2004. Luxury Experience www.luxuryexperience.com All rights reserved.
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