Talking wine at Spanish food-and-design exhibit at SMU’s Meadows Museum

by Rosie Carbo

Wine lovers travel vicariously through Spain’s famed wine regions.

Spanish wine tasting with notes and catalogs

Patrons and friends of Southern Methodist University’s Meadows Museum traveled through five of Spain’s prolific wine regions Thursday evening to learn more about Spanish wines and their sparkling counterparts.

The vicarious visit through Spain’s well-known Rioja region, and some up-and-coming regions, was sponsored by California-based Freixenet USA and hosted by Sarah Pearson, brand manager.

"Spain is the largest wine producing country in the world," Pearson told Meadows patrons and guests at "Spanish Wines and Sparkling Conversation," a wine tasting and wine education program.

The wine tasting was one of three events held in conjuction with Foodjects: Design and the New Cuisine in Spain, a tabletop exhibit featuring more than 100 Spanish avant-garde cooking and dining instruments. The Foodjects exhibit runs through July 25.

Freixenet USA's Sarah Pearson

"Spain has 70 denominaciones, which are comparable to appellations. And of the 12 varietals found in the United States, six are from Spain. So these six are a good place to start your wine education," Pearson said.

First, wine aficionados traveled to the Penedes wine region with the help of a color slide presentation. Penedes is about 20 miles south of Barcelona and steeped in the ancient tradition of winemaking.

"In Penedes, wine has been produced since Roman times. Penedes has been making cava, or sparkling wine, since the 1800s. Three varietals go into making cava. It is forever bubbly and goes with lots of things, including caviar," said Pearson.

Cordon Negro Brut is Freixenet’s most popular sparkling wine, which uses the famed methode champenoise-style. Often referred to as “black-bottle bubbly,” Cordon Negro retails for about $10 a bottle.

Spanish cheese and ham from Central Market

Freixenet distributes sparkling wine for one of the last family-owned wineries in Spain. Spanish winemakers Gloria and Jose Ferrer continue to cultivate and produce their cava proudly under the auspices of a 100-year pedigree.

The next sparkling wine sampled was Segura Viudas Brut Rose. It had cherry notes and a fruity artisanal style. Segura Viudas Brut Rose is available in the Dallas area, sells for $10 a bottle.

“The color reminds me of red grapefruit, Texas ruby red grapefruit,” said Janet Kafka of Kafka and Associates public relations firm and Honorary Consulate of Spain in Dallas.

The next stop on the vicarious wine tour was Rias Baixas in the northern Spanish region of Galicia. Often called the “Green Spain,” this area distinguishes itself with Vionta white wines made with 100 percent Albarino grape.

Spanish wine tasting drew festive crowd

“This area is known for its crisp Albarino wines, sometimes compared to sauvignon blanc, but with minerality. One unique feature is that in this area of Spain you’ll see vines on trellises. This is done to ensure they don’t mold because of the high degree of rainfall in this region,” said Pearson.

The land of Don Quixote and Tierra de Castilla, not far from Madrid, was the next stop. Tempranillo, the quintessential red wine grape of Spain grows in this dry, red soiled region.

The Tapena brand of red wine gets its name from the word “pena,” which means group of friends. This deep purple colored wine had berry and black cherry flavors, with a hint of chocolate. Tapena tempranillo is food friendly and available locally for $10 a bottle.

Rioja, Spain’s most venerated wine producing region, runs along the Ebro river and is situated in north central Spain. It is comprised of three distinct subregions, Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja.

Spanish red, white and sparkling wine

Guests savored the rich red tempranillo Vaza wines, from Rioja’s hot, dry Baja region. Originating from the word “Baza,” which means new beginning, Vaza tasted like a mix of vanilla, black plum, rasberries and toasted oak. A bottle of Vaza retails for $15.

In the final leg of the wine tour, guests traveled 100 miles from Madrid to Ribera del Duero. Known for a red wine called “tinto del pais,” this region grows tempranillo grapes in an area that is very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter months. The wines are aged 12 months in oak and 12 months in bottles.

Kafka said last week’s Spanish food-tasting event, this event and next week’s Creative Musings: Designs to Whet the Appetite are sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, the Consulate General of Spain.

“This program is being offered to celebrate the Foodjects traveling exhibit here at the Meadows Museum, and to educate people about food and wine from Spain,” said Kafka.

For more information or to reserve a spot at next week’s event, call 214 768-2765.

Rosie Carbo is a freelance writer who specializes in features, food, and wine.