Spring has finally arrived, and with it, the desire to change our culinary regime and drink lighter wines for the season - example: Valdelapinta Verdejo Rueda 2004.

On a perfect evening in April 2006 when the day's temperature was in the 70s, I was trying to decide on what to make for dinner, my daily ritual whenever I am actually at home to cook dinner, and I thought that it was the perfect opportunity to try one of the new recipes in the Chefs' Recipes section. Now that I had selected the recipe that I would make for dinner, it was time to select the wine to pair with it, another one of my more pleasurable daily rituals.

In the mood for seafood, I decided to make Pagello in Crosta con Carciofa (Fillet of Wild Red Snapper Oreganato with Artichoke), however I took a chef's liberty of substituting wild salmon for the wild red snapper, and decided to pair the salmon with a Valdelapinta Verdejo Rueda 2004 from Spain. The salmon was first seared in a pan with olive oil, a sliver of butter and some white wine, (I used the Valdelapinta Verdejo Rueda 2004), topped with breadcrumbs and then it was baked in the oven until the breadcrumbs created a crispy golden brown crust, and was served with roasted baby artichokes. The pale gold wine provided a perfect complement for the salmon and roasted baby artichokes with its aromatic honeysuckle nose, that was crisp and fruity on the palate with rich flavors of mango, white peaches and pineapple, with a nice balance of acidity and a great finish.

The Valdelapinta Verdejo Rueda 2004 has 12.5% alcohol, making it especially very desirable as a spring and summer wine when you are looking for lower alcohol wines without sacrificing flavor. Although the Valdelapinta Verdejo Rueda 2004 is perfect as an accompaniment to fish, it is also delightful to enjoy as an aperitif. The Valdelapinta Verdejo Rueda 2004is an affordable wine that is definitely worth trying.

Winery:           Hermanos Del Villar, S.L. in Rueda, Valladolid, Spain
Wine:              Valdelapinta Verdejo Rueda 2004
DO:                 Rueda
Type:              White wine
Grapes:          100% Verdejo grapes

For information on the Valdelapinta Verdejo Rueda 2004, please contact Parador Selections, LLC at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or +1-551-655-4748.

© May 2006. Luxury Experience. www.luxuryexperience.com. All rights reserved.