Mexican Food. Generally you’d think beer or a margarita or even a shot of tequila when you’re having Mexican Food. So, the challenge was to find wines that compliment the spiciness of the food. All of the Front Porch Wine Tasters ordered food from the Manteca Police Dept K-9 Unit fund-raiser that was conveniently scheduled on Winesday.
Read more on the Manteca Police K-9 Unit
I read that sweeter wines pair well with spicy, but I also wanted a Spanish Red. Turns out there are all kinds of Spanish wines! It was really hard to choose just one. So let’s see how I did:
Middle Sister Rose’ ~ Little Rascal’s Sauv Blanc ~ Feeding Frenzy White ~ Antano Rioja
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Middle Sister Blushing Beauty Rose’ $3.99
Elsewhere price $12.99
Terry started us off with the California Rose’, she called it Rosey and Sweet and liked how it went with the spice of the food. Steve found it Fruity and Sweet and thought it paired well with the carnitas. Joe R liked the bouquet and Arvin thought it was more of a desert wine. Larry said it was very mild, I agreed, it was delicate.
On-line review from WineSisterhood.com: What is better than a beautiful pink wine with fruity flavors of cherry and strawberry. Not much! It’s definitely time to get some friends together and drink pink! Try this beauty with grilled hot dogs, white-sauce pizza and picnic foods.
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2012 Little Rascal’s Sauvignon Blanc $2.99
Elsewhere price $9.99
Connie found this sustainably grown Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc spicy. Larry agreed, he said it’s got a bite to it. Terry thought it was pretty good, she tasted grapefruit. Steve commented that it was very spicy and he may be tasting pear…
81 Points from WineEnthusiat.com
On-line review from CheapWineSnobs: Although not a complicated wine, I think Stymie would approve for a first meeting wine. It is very flowery and has a little citrus. It is a little heavier than most (Sauvignon Blancs). One might even guess it to be a Chardonnay. My pal, Stymie and I will give this one a strong 2.5
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Feeding Frenzy White Table Wine $2.99
Elsewhere price $7.99
Feeding Frenzy wines have been a favorite on the Front Porch in the past, and this California White Blend was no exception. Arvin immediately commented, ‘I like this one!’ Steve said, ‘Best one yet. It becomes one with your mouth.’ To which Terry replied, ‘Whoa, that’s deep.’
Again, I could not find much about Feeding Frenzy wines on-line, but Front Porch Wine Tasting came up in the Google search!
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Reseva 2008 Antaño Rioja $5.99 ***Limited Supply***
Elsewhere price $14.99
***Berliner Wein Gold Trophy Winner 2012***
***Concours Mondial Silver Medal Winner 2012***
I’ve been brushing up on my Spanish, let me translate this wine for you: 2008 Antano Red Reserve. Your welcome. ‘Muh Bueno!’ came from Arvin, he added that he noticed tobacco in the bouquet and tasted oak. Connie thought it had a nice bouquet and very long legs. Joe said it was a little dirty, like wine cellar dirt (what!?!), Misty agreed but said more like Spanish dirt. Becky said it had an earthy aroma (oh, that’s what they meant) and she thought it tasted very bold, she liked the pairing with the creaminess of the guacamole.
84.8 points from Cellartracker.com
Tasting notes via WinesFromSpain: Red currants and black cherries are prevalent, but there’s a little white mushroom note underneath it, so typical of traditionalist Rioja. Tart red cherries are in the nose too, and come to the fore in the mouth; it gives a fresh, crushed red fruits crunchiness to the wine. Fascinatingly, the mouth immediately gets darker and richer, black cherries and even more black plums dominate the finish, along with sawdust and vanilla. Stylish and almost lengthy. Drink soon or in the next several years.
Front Porch Wine Tasting 