Our First Rioja with Assorted Easy Tapas #worldwinetravel

 Welcome to the inaugural post of #WorldWineTravel. I am so excited to be a part of this new group that explores the world and its wine!  We are hosted by Jeff of FoodWineClick and if you click on his link, you will see the introductory post for this event.  This month we are exploring Riojas from Spain.  I was so excited, because I actually have traveled to Spain and experienced some delicious Riojas first hand. Along with my tasting notes, I am going to share with you some of the wonderful tapas we had.  Many of these we still make today, as they are easy and so delicious!

First, let me tell you that Rioja is an approachable wine.  That means you can find it in a lot of places and at a price point that includes almost everyone.  We find many of our Riojas at Total Wine, but it is fun to go into a mom and pop wine store and see what they have in stock.  Some of our best wine choices have been at a local wine shop here in our town of Saint Charles, Missouri!

My family traveled to Spain in September of 2019.  It was one of those "trips of a lifetime" and even now I yearn to visit again. I had no idea I would feel this way about Spain.  It wasn't high on my bucket list but it was for my family, so when they wanted to go, I knew I would enjoy it, too.  It was incredible!  One of the reasons we travel is to experience the food and wine.  Spain's food and wine scene equal ANYTHING we have seen in any place where we have been.  The freshness of the food, the variety, the skill in preparing... all fantastic.  It was our first taste of the Spanish wine, Rioja, and I am so glad that we were in Spain when we had it.

Some of the amazing tapas we had (tapas means "small plates") that were perfect pairings with the Rioja wine are shown below.  The first is a hummus made with white beans versus garbanzo beans.  It is a lighter hummus, drizzled with fresh olive oil that Spain is known for.

Tomatoes are absolutely the most gorgeous in Spain.  This Caprese salad is popular all over Spain, often with fresh mozzarella and freshly made pesto.

This is simply tomatoes.  Fresh-picked right when we ordered, peeled and lightly salted. The single most delicious dish I have ever had. The bread is fresh-baked, with Spanish olive oil and cracked pepper. Incredible.

Our favorite Riojas were these two, which we were able to enjoy in multiple settings.  The Marques de Caceres wine notes say that this wine is "pretty, luminous pale coral pink color. Floral bouquet of small red berry fruits and a slight touch of aniseed. Luscious flavors on tasting with refreshing acidity and balanced structure. An elegant rosé with character and good length."  Wine Spectator says "This deep-pink rosé offers a core of cherry, with notes of licorice, quinine, and fresh herbs. Firm acidity and light tannins give this the structure for food. Tempranillo and Garnacha Tinta. Drink now through 2023."  It is a reasonable priced wine at $15 a bottle.

This Rioja by Cune is a beautiful wine. As Wine Advocate says, "It has a bright nose with red fruit rather than black, quite aromatic and expressive. The palate is soft and approachable, very easy to drink, with a touch of freshness." Delicious with all kinds of dishes, this is another reasonably priced wine at $11 a bottle from Total Wine.  So delicious!

Check out some more wonderful Riojas and pairings from the wine experts below.  Such good choices!

• Andrea at The Quirky Cork shares "Marqués de Cáceres Crianza with Chorizo Sweet Potato Pockets"
• Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm shares "Mexican Ham Soup and a Spanish Rioja Wine"
• Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares "Catalan Coques + La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Rioja Gran Reserva 2014"
• Steve at Children of the Grape shares "Tasting Rioja With Aging Eyes"
• Allison and Chris at Advinetures share "Rioja: The Confluence of Tradition & Modernity"
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares "Viura - There is more to Rioja than Tempranillo"
• David at Cooking Chat shares "White Bean Stew with Sausage and a Rioja"
• Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares "Revisiting Rioja: Vinedos Singulares with Bodegas Ontañon"
• Nicole at Somms Table shares "One Day in Haro"
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish shares "White Rioja: There's a Style for Every Palate"
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares "Classic Rioja Alta to kick off virtual trip to Spain"
• Terri at Our Good Life shares "Our First Rioja with Assorted Easy Tapas"
• Marcia at Joy of Wine shares “White Rioja: Taste and See What You’re Missing”
• Susannah at Avvinare shares “Exploring Legendary Winery Marqués de Riscal”
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator shares “Regional Rioja: Tempranillo, Viura, Rosado paired with hearty soup, salad, lamb, patatas bravas”
• Martin at Enofylz shares "Reconsidering Rioja Blanco with the 2008 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia"
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! shares "Rioja Oriental - A Cinderella Story"