Most people who have been to Spain – especially wine lovers who have toured Bilbao and the Rioja region – are familiar with tapas, the small traditional snacks that look like grownup hors d’oeuvres and which are also known as “pintxos.” Traditionally, various shops along a street would serve different tapas, so you and your friends could spend an early evening moving from shop to shop, drinking wines (or local ciders) and eating snacks.
When Rioja producer Bodegas Valdemar established its Valdemar Estate winery in Washington State, it brought with it the idea of wine and tapas when it also opened a restaurant, Pintxo by Valdemar, in Woodinville.
This Double Dozen has a couple of Valdemar wines from Rioja that pair well with tapas. For collectors and connoisseurs, also check out the Venge and Eleven Eleven Cabs as well as the wines from Early Mountain.
2022 AlmeritaTascante “Buonora” Etna Bianco ($24). Fresh green fruits – apples, kiwi, citrus – with a bit of a tang and a slightly savory finish.
2023 White Horse Outer Coastal Plains Albariño ($26). From New Jersey, nice stone fruit and white grapes flavors with some minerality and tannins around the edges.
2022 Almerita Capofaro “Didyme” Salina Malvasia ($30). Fragrant green fruits, some minerality, good acidity in the finish.
2021 Early Mountain “Quaker Run” Virginia Chardonnay ($40). In addition to tart apple, there are also flavors of green fruits such as kiwi, a hint of cocoanut and a kiss or two of oak.
2018 Ixsir Lebanon White Wine ($60). A complex wine that will not please all palates – unusual Viognier (70%) and Chardonnay blend with lovely, oxidized flavors of beewswax, dried apples, spices and a hint of carbon.
2020 Early Mountain “Intention” Virginia White Wine ($90). An exquisite, aged Petit Maneng, wonderfully structured, with complex flavors of apple, honeycomb and light spices – vibrant, yet with substance.
2023 Ixsir “Grande Reserve” Lebanon Rosé ($36). A full-bodied, heavier pink – flavorful but definitely a wine for food.
2021 Fiol Italy Prosecco Extra Dry ($22). Refreshing bubbly intensity satisfy the thirst, with light, slightly creamy strawberry flavors.
2020 Marcelo Pelleriti “Signature” Valle de Uco Cabernet Franc ($19). Very lively yet substantial red with blackberry flavors, lots of acidity and mostly gentle tannins.
2021 Marcelo Pelleriti “Signature” Valle de Uco Malbec ($19). Ripe, textured blackberry fruit, very smooth yet somewhat complex with touches of tannins around the edges.
2019 Conde Valdemar Rioja Crianza ($20). Very enjoyable fruitiness with good barrel notes and moderate tannins – perfect for a tapas crawl.
2019 Pedro Molina “1853 Grand Reserve” Mendoza Malbec ($20). Very smooth with good purple fruits, a hint of chocolate and a little “bite” at the finish.
2021 Inama “Carmenère Pìu” Veneto Rosso ($22). On the border between black and red fruitiness, slightly tart and appetite-inducing acidity.
2015 Conde Valdemar Rioja Reserva ($30). Generous red and black fruitiness, medium body, some tartness and dusty tannins in the finish.
2018 Famiglia Cecchi “Villa Cerna” Chianti Classico Riserva ($30). Very fruity, almost grapey with some hints of creaminess and raspberry flavors in the finish.
2015 Ixsir “Grande Reserve” Lebanon Red Wine ($35). Syrah-Cab-Merlot blend with good depth of flavors, with ripe red cherries, a kiss of barrels, firm tannins – all very satisfying.
2021 Early Mountain “Quaker Ridge” Virginia Tannat ($46), Full-bodied, with lots of spicy red fruits, moderate tannins and good acidity.
2022 La Crema Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($50). A very enjoyable sipping Pinot with a nice, but light, cherry flavors – a companionable drink that doesn’t try to overpower.
2021 Eleven Eleven Wines “XI” Oak Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon ($86). Although this is least expense of the four Venge and Eleven Eleven wines in this column, all made my Kirk Venge, it is my favorite – beautiful smooth creaminess across the palate with mainly blackberry fruitiness and fine tannins in the finish.
2021 Early Mountain “Eluvium” Virginia Red Wine ($90). Good flavors of blackberries and elderberries, linear though not lean, somewhat tart, with savory notes in the finish.
2021 Venge “Bone Ash” Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon ($141). Rich and rounded, very ripe flavors of blackberries and Bing cherries with great texture and loads of tannins for aging potential.
2019 Early Mountain “Rise” Virginia Red Wine ($150). Very enjoyable combination of dark fruits, savory accents and lots of barrel notes with a touch of tanginess.
2021 Eleven Eleven Wines “Laki’s Vineyard” Oak Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon ($152). Very satisfying with more savory notes to go along with the purple fruits and lush tannins – a shame to drink it now because it will age so well.
2019 Venge “Family Reserve” Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon ($189). Delicious blackberry flavors with lots of creaminess, but is just a tad hot with lots of bite in the finish.
Prices listed are generally SRP or from wine-searcher.com. As more wineries are now shipping direct-to-consumer, check the winery website if you can’t find a bottle in your retail store.
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