Rioja Bordon Reserva 2007 & Roast Beef

Wine Name: Rioja Bordon Reserva 2007

Wine: Rioja
Country: Spain	Region:  Rioja
Rating:  Good	Price: $15
Recommendation: Recommended, the wine is mellow, subtle, and drinks well with or without food. For this week’s installment, we bring you a wine from the Rioja region of Spain, with Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding. The Rioja region is in north central Spain, south of the Cantabrian mountains, near the Ebro river, and around two hours drive south of the French border.  Winemaking in Rioja has a long history, dating back to mediaeval times. Rioja wines are famous for Oak aging with influences from Boudreaux winemakers. There are four classifications of wines from the region and the Rioja Reserva classification specifies wines that have been aged for at least three years and at least one year in Oak barrels.   The Franco-Españolas Winery has existed for over 120 years and is the result of a Spanish and French partnership that was created when the French settled in the area due to the devastating Phylloxera plague in France. Today the winery is owned by the Equizábal family and is one of the largest in the region. http://riojabordon.francoespanolas.com/en/ The wine is bright to medium in color, has a slightly earthy bouquet with only hints of oak. The taste includes; blackcurrant, plum, a touch of  chocolate, and slight acidity. It went well with the meal however, it may be a little mellow for beef if you like a full bodied bold red with dark red meats. It may complement meals like lamb and tomato pasta dishes better than beef. Rioja can be made from several different varieties of grapes, the varieties used in this wine are Tempranillo (80%), Granacha (15%) and Mazuelo (5%). Tempranillo is historically the main ingredient in It is a native grape to Spain and has been used as long as wines have been produced in the region. Tempranillo grapes typically provide color, bouquet, and flavor to the wine but lack acidity and sugars and therefore need to be blended. Tempranillo grapes characteristically ripen several weeks prior to most other Spanish red grape varieties. Grenache (Grenache) is a common grape worldwide. It depends on hot dry conditions, which is perfectly suited to many Spanish winegrowing regions. The Grenache grape is often used to add body, and fruit flavors to wines. Conversely to Temppranillo, Grenache is a late ripening variety. Mazuelo is common throughout the world and particularly common throughout the western Mediterranean. Often used to provide “coloring” to wines, the grape is also a late ripening variety. The meal was a simple roast beef with roast potatoes, vegetables, and Yorkshire pudding. I will not provide a specific recipe for the roast beef as it was a relatively straightforward roast, I will however, provide a recipe for the Yorkshire pudding.  Yorkshire Pudding This is a traditional English accessory to the traditional “Sunday roast”. Strangely, the origins of Yorkshire pudding are unknown, the first written record dates back to the early 1700’s. I had not even heard of it before I left Australia to travel the world, but now that I have discovered Yorkshire pudding, I must admit, I love it! Ingredients Plain lower – 1 cup Eggs – 2 Milk – ½ cup Vegetable oil Activity Mix ingredients into thinish batter Let stand for 30 minutes Heat oven to 395° F Place ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil in the wells of a muffin pan Place pan in oven until piping hot Add a splash of cold water (approximately one tablesppon) to the batter Beat vigorously Remove pan from oven Add pudding mixture immediately while pan is very hot. Place in oven for around 10 to 15 minutes until the puddings have risen and are golden brown. Do not open the oven while the puddings are cooking as they may not rise properly or may deflate. Rating: Good. Would blend well with mild red meat like lamb and with tomato pastas, represents good value for money. Available from HEB supermarket in Houston.