Type: Varietal: Garnatxa (39%), Syrah (26%), Merlot (26%), Cabernet
Sauvignon (9%).
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Country:
Spain
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Region: Empordà, Catalonia
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Rating: Very Good
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Price: Around $15 per
bottle
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Recommendation: Strongly
recommended
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Thank you to
my brother for last week’s fine description of Provence and the delicious
recipe. For our third blog we will be whisking you to the Empordà region in
North East Spain. The region is an easy drive several hours north of Barcelona,
close to the Mediterranean Sea at the bottom of the Pyrenees mountain range
near the French Border. Unfortunately I have not been to the region and I don’t
know anyone that has, but I will do my best anyway. The closest I have been is
to Barcelona which I thoroughly enjoyed visiting.
The name of
the wine, Castillo Perelada 5 Fincas, provides several intriguing story lines.
The first part, Castillo Perelada, refers to the spectacular Castle which was
built in the fourteenth century. The
castle is located in the town of Perelada which is a small village in the Empordà
region of Catalonia. Finca, roughly translated means “Estate” in Spanish, and
refers to the five different estates that produce the various grapes that make
up this wine. Each different estate has its own soil type and characteristics,
each contributing something unique to the wine.
For the food, this time we went with something simple. Being a Spanish wine, one of the first
foods that first comes to mind is Paella, which I love. But that would be a
little bit too stereotypical and this is a red wine after all. Although I
suspect it would be just fine with Paella we went with Serrano ham and Manchego
cheese for starters and Lamb and Chorizo skewers for the main course. We cooked
them on the “grill” for the Americans or the “barby” for us Australians.
The wine itself is a dark red blend, with excellent flavor, drinkable
without food it would also go well with all red meats. It has an excellent
flavor with hints of cherry, cinnamon and oak. No single flavor dominates, so I
would describe it as very balanced and very smooth. Overall a very drinkable
wine at any time and I strongly recommend it.
Starters: - Mixture of Spanish cured meats and cheese.
Serrano ham – Spanish cured ham
thinly sliced
Lomo - Pork Tenderloin cured meat
Chorizo – Thin sliced cured pork
sausage
Manchego – Sheep’s milk cheese
from the La Mancha region of Spain
Main Course - Grilled Lamb and Chorizo sausage skewers on a bed of
couscous.
Ingredients:
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Lamb
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Red onions
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Red pepper (Capsicum)
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Chorizo sausage
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Zucchini (courgette)
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Tomato
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Asparagus
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Soak the skewers for 24 hours in
water.
Wipe the skewers with some light
olive oil.
Add the Lamb, Chorizo, red
onions and red pepper to the skewers, alternating each type as desired.
Brush the Zucchini, tomato and
asparagus with light olive oil.
Cook the skewers and vegetables
on the grill.
Cook the couscous about 5
minutes from completion of the skewers and vegetables.
Serve the skewers over a bed of
couscous and the vegetables on the side.
I have purposely left off
portion sizes as I will leave that for you to judge.
There were many excellent
components in this meal such as the Lomo and Serrano ham which my children
loved. The skewers went well with the meats but be careful not to overcook. The
revelation for me however, was the grilled Chorizo, it was really good!!!
Rating: Castillo Perlada 5
Fincas, Very Good and very good value for the price.
Winery Web Site:
Castle:
http://www.castilloperelada.com/about-us/history/the-castle/an-emblem-of-the-emporda/
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