Dear Friends,
 
As summer approaches we are all reminded of memories and times past, even an old shop kitty like me.
 
Take my summer in Spain for example, it was my own " Summer of Love" so to speak, as you can tell by the photo's, I fell in love with a handsome Tom cat and Rioja all at once.
 
I hope that after reading the notes below that you will know why Rioja and Tom are as they say, " the loves of my life".
 
Were it not for his bad judgement on ship jumping, he and I would be on our 3rd litter by now, but as fate would have it we are not, I do still think of him fondly every time I see the lace wire around the Rioja bottle.
  
Viticulture and grapes
 
Rioja wines are normally a blend of various grape varieties, and can be either red (tinto), white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). La Rioja has a total of 57,000 hectares cultivated, yielding 250 million liters of wine annually, of which 85% is red. The harvest time for most Rioja vineyards is September-October with the northern Rioja Alta having the latest harvest in late October.The soil here is clay based with a high concentration of chalk and iron (which provides the redness in the soil that may be responsible for the region's name Rioja meaning red).There is also significant concentration of limestone, sandstone and alluvial silt.
 
The "old vines" of the Alavesa regions can produce very concentrated grapes but in low yields.
Among the Tintos, the best-known and most widely-used variety is Tempranillo. Other grapes used include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavors and aging potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavors and Graciano adding additional aromas.
 
 
This lovely wine is an excellent red wine for warmer weather, beautiful and expressive smooth fruit, velvety tannins and a clean finish. It is ideal for pairing as it has enough body to stand up to a steak and at the same time a great wine with salmon.
 
Another great way to enjoy this wine is to chill it for roughly 15-20 minutes and have it with such foods as antipasto, lunch meats, and even chocolate and nuts.
 
So please, get a bottle, sit on out on the porch or deck one evening and think of your memories of summers while sipping a glass of this Rioja.
 
Cheers,
Smoochie