I need guidance please. Living in USA buying spanish reds for normal home use
as opposed to a special occasion. For years bought rioja now tempranillo

Tempeña tempranillo & granache has been on sale $7.99 bottle & Origen tempranillo for an amazing $5.99 at the local supermarkets Von's & Albertson's.

But I know nothing about the best year etc etc....suggestions?
What do you like?

Hi amsdon,
Best years that you can find in the US market for Riojas-'04,'05.

We've been buying Tempeña as well for daily consumption.

One of those good value '04 Riojas is the Marqués de Cáceres or Campo Viejo, both which I'm sure you've had repeatedly or the '05 Lan.

The '06 Sierra Cantabria is also a good value rioja.

Just checked the "every day bodega" from a recent trip to The Spanish Table and various super markets-keeping our bottles at $10 or below, we've purchased some decent values from other regions for everyday use-

Carineña: D'Aragon (garnacha) or El Jamón (tempranillo)

Jumilla: Wrongo Dongo (monastrell) or Finca Luzón (blend of monastrell & syrah)

Navarra: Marco Real (tempranillo)

Calatayud: Evodía (garnacha)

La Mancha: Paso a Paso (tempranillo)

Yecla: Castaño (monastrell)

Tierra de Castilla: Códice (tempranillo)

Campo de Borja: Borsao (garnacha)

The above all are reds.

Forgot!

Two more cheapies which we buy all the time for having with dinner

Castilla-La Mancha: '06 Protocolo (tempranillo)

Navarra: '06 Vega Sindoa (cab/tempranillo)


O.K. that's all for the reds!

Thanks Maribel,

Yes know the Caceres & Campo Viejo but have a harder time finding CV in local stores. I found it here & there.

I am glad to see the Borsao on the list I thought I was just getting too cheap...oops I mean frugal and justifying the price. I find that & Wongo @ Cost plus.

Is there some store you favor? I live in So Cal.

But the others are now on my list that is exactly what we needed. The whites we save for another thread
Now you know why I titled this tintos...

Hi amsdon,
While I can't say the Borsao is my *favorite* tinto, it suits us just fine, in our frugal stage, for everyday quaffing. We have a tinto every evening with dinner.

Here are some others around $10 or under that have come in (and quickly out!) of our everyday "cave" at some point in these days of la crisis-

Calatayud: '06 Las Rocas (garnacha)

Jumilla: '06 Panarroz (monastrell/garnacha/syrah)

Bierzo: '06 Cuatro Pasos (mencía)

Rioja alavesa: '07 Cortijo (tempranillo)

Rioja: '04 El Coto (tempranillo) only when it's on sale

We buy most of the above at The Spanish Table in Seattle; it's a shame there isn't a branch in the LA area; there are two in the Bay Area. Or sometimes we find them at our local QFC supermarkets.
But in your area of So Cal, I don't know. Are you near a Bevmo?

Yes I need to go to BevMo there is one here in Simi Valley where I live but just have not gone I keep forgetting about them as a wine place.
Thanks!

Is there some rule of thumb re the best years? Or would that be too specific to the type of wine?

amsdon,
You might then check on line at www.bevmo.com to see what they have.

For your bargain basement tintos, one can't really be picky about the year, but...

But the '04 and '05 Rioja vintages have been rated excellent; the '06 and '07 vintages, "muy buena". You can see the classifications here:

http://www.riojawine.com/es/bodegas....2&op2=2&sec=3#

amsdon,
Do you have a Cost Plus World Market nearby? If so, they sell the Sierra de Cantabria, Campo Viejo and Wrongo Dongo (great for barbeques) plus...

Zamora: Venta Mazzarón (tempranillo)

La Mancha: Mano a Mano (tempranillo)

typo-Venta Mazarrón

Maribel - how do you keep track of all of the labels? I buy them willy-nilly and am always trying to remember the label or if I liked this one or that one.

Osborne Solaz 2001 if you can find it.
http://www.osbornesolaz.com/central.htm

The Osborne Solaz of some year should be easy to find; at least I see it everywhere up here, not necessarily the '01.

hi pdx,
I keep track only because I keep a list (well, also because I buy them a lot!!!) We have friends, too, who are wine buyers. And we " hang out" in the wine section of The Spanish Table.

My husband and I will be up to Seattle next month and I'm heading for your Spanish Table store. Sounds wonderful, like a mini-vacation.

Suggesttion: do pair the tinto and cured cheese.
www.cheesefromspain.com/CFS/Default_I.htm

Some of my favourite Spanish reds:
200 Monges, Remirez de Ganuza reserva, Pesquera reserva, Aalto, An (Anima Negra), Torres Mas la Plana...

Hi Maribel - If you see the 2001, buy it! Years ago, before they renamed the lounge (it was Other Topics then) very few people visited that forum and we had a long wine thread.
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...ne-os-only.cfm

The wine thread got so long and people that had dial-up internet had trouble loading it so another thread was started.
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...ines-os-ii.cfm

PDX I was wondering the same thing!
I will keep this list thanks guys.

and Revulgo yes cheese we love of course. Right now in moderation since we are trying to diet.

I had a beautiful wine and food moment in Granada last month. I swear, it was the first and only truly aha! moment of food and wine doing that beautiful thing they do together. I had the appetizer plate of hams, sausage, foie gras mousse, and cheese and asked for a glass of vino tinto. The waiter asked me something but I didn't understand and assumed he was asking which type of wine I wanted so I just shrugged and left it up to him. He brought me something that went with the food so well it stopped me in my tracks. Gratitude, sheer gratitude. The downside is I don't know the name of the wine.
I think the restaurant (we were in the bar) was La Catalana, for those of you who know Granada.

Hi kybourbon,
That's for those links! I had missed them completely because I never went into that Other Topics forum. Now the Lounge is hugely popular! The 2001 year in the Rioja is said to have been "one of the very best ever".

amsdon,
Another reason for the list is that when we're in Spain we don't want to buy bottles that we can easily find and afford in the US. (or that the Spanish Table doesn't have on its shelves).

In Spain we splurge for the really "good stuff", since it's more affordable-although some Ribera del Duero, Priorat and even Rioja Alavesa wines have hit the stratosphere in price-but there are still lots of great bargains, particularly from the up-and-coming D.O.s.

There are so many new producers that it's impossible to keep up with them. Castilla y León now has 9 D.O.s alone!

Forgot to mention that our local Whole Foods also serves as a source for the $10 and under mentioned above.

pdx,
The Spanish Table really is a great store with the largest Spanish wine selection in the country! Not to mention everything else....cheeses, oils, spices, rices, peppers, legumes,C.D.s, books, cookware, ceramics, glassware -even Asturian and Basque ciders-and La Casera. Have fun shopping!

And if you get hungry for authentic Basque or Spanish cuisine, there's The Harvest Vine (with an amazing all Spain wine list), its pintxos bar Txori, El Olivar or Taberna del Alabardero (we go for happy hour from 3-6).