Last Wednesday evening (in spite of quite stormy conditions) we celebrated the first gathering of Tempranillo producers from Washington State, held at Wine World in Seattle.
It was a bit of history in the making and a milestone for the delicious grape, Tempranillo. The panel presentation was very well received with a focused audience and lasted probably up to one hour. I was quite impressed how their interest never waned and some very good questions were asked as well.
It was particularly good to have Javier Alfonso of Pomum Cellars as a panelist. His birthplace (and still his parents home) is the Ribera del Duero, so his inclusion offered great insight into Tempranillo’s Spanish roots, particularly aspects of climate, geography, soils and clones.
Following the discussion, we enjoyed excellent tapas provided by Restaurant Tango (located on Capitol Hill just east above the Paramount Theater at Pike & Boron). Also, Lenny Rede, co-owner of Wine World, made a delicious paello that was as good as it gets!
I felt that one of the most rewarding aspects of the evening was how well the foods paired with Tempranillo. So there’s no doubt in my mind that the wine is as “food friendly” as it gets.
All in all, it was a great evening and we had lot of fun in this inaugural gathering. Hopefully, we’ll repeat next year and expand even more on wineries, foods and venue.
Here’s a link to a review from Wine World’s website:
http://wine-beer-washington.com/wine/red-wine/tempranillo-and-tapas-at-wine-world/
