Tempranillo is an interesting red grape.
Depending on the winery, the color in the glass might go from a light red that is translucent all the way to a dark red that is opaque. When you sniff the wine in your glass, you might be thinking lush plums, black pepper, dark berries, and maybe an earthy smell. It is a wine that will bring back memories. I thought of my grandmother's house for some reason.The Tempranillos I have had so far, all tasted better after allowing the wine to breathe for about an hour before pouring into the glass.
As far as food pairings go, this grape and the wine it produces have been paired with lamb, chicken, chorizo sausage, pork and beef. So the Tempranillo can be the wine of choice with a variety of dishes.
La Chiripada Winery
New Mexico Red Table Wine
Vintners' Reserve Red 2006
Alc by Vol 13%
(800) 528-7801
Going north out of Santa Fe, La Chiripada Winery is located on north of Espanola on Highway 68 North. Passing through Espanola travel for another 25 miles and look for Highway 75 heading east from Highway 68 at Dixon. The winery is three miles from the junction, on your left.
There are good directions on their web site: La Chiripada Winery
A word to the wise - if you are traveling in an RV, the short road down to the winery is a bit tricky. You might want to park above on Highway 75 and walk the short distance.
Or if you are going to Taos, I would suggest that you skip the winery visit and go the La Chiripada Winery shop located under Ogelvie's Restaurant in the Taos Plaza. There is plenty of off street parking for RVs and it is a short walk to the Taos Plaza.
We had the Vintners' Reserve Red 2006. Like I said, the wine was much better after we let it breathe for about an hour. The color was dark red and the taste was cherries or maybe plum.
On the back label was the following text, "Vintners' Reserve Red is a blend of Tempranillo, Ruby Cabernet and Sangiovese. Ripe fruit and currant aromas combine with the oak from our Hungarian oak casks to create a medium wine with light tannins. A good choice for cellaring. Good with New Mexican cuisine."
Here is a shot of what the bottle looks like: La Chiripada Vintners' Reserve Red 2006 .
Let me know what is on your mind, and how you are doing, O.K.? I sincerely hope that you are doing O.K. and that things in your neck of the woods are alright.
Jim Fortune - Bella Online Wine Guy
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