TAPAS AT CENTRAL MARKET

I sit down with my wine distributor and s/he pulls anywhere from 4 to 10 bottles from his/her bag. (Anybody that walks by the back side of the bar at Capriccio would think that we are a couple of winos getting drunk!).
I go through the normal process: look at color, body, smell the aromas, check the tannins, acidity, any oak, etc.
Make notes that I save for future reference.
Any impressive wines I buy right away.
Some of my vendors leave behind the bottles for me to try again or share with friends (not a bad thing!)

So anyway... this past week i took home 3 bottles of good wines but not "buy right away" impressive types. One of them was the Zenato Valpolicella Classico from the Italian region of Veneto.

So here I am coming home after a very long day. My wife (Adriana) is away on a business trip and my son already in bed. In the kitchen counter there are two tupperwares; one with beef braised in wine and some plain white rice in the other. Our son's nanny (Carmen) loves to cook and takes good care of us. She knew I was coming home late and hungry and knows to leave me some food to reheat when i get home (she is a real blessing in our lives - we love you Carmen!)

So I proceed to reheat my dinner and pour myself a glass of that lonely bottle of Zenato Valpolicella. SURPRISE!! WOW!! what a difference!! with food this wine was amazing!! I was really impressed so I am buying it and putting it on our featured wines list.

If you decide to try it this week I highly recommend pairing it with our Osobucco, our Braised short ribs (Brasato al Barolo) or our Tuscan Pork Stew. You would be impressed too!

Lesson learnt: do not make wine decisions without food at hand! Of course, the job gets increasingly more difficult!!

FEATURED WINES

MEZZANOTTE

Valpolicella Classico - Zenato DOC - Bottle $32; Glass $8
A blend of 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and 10% Sangiovese from the Valpolicella Classico area. Aged for six months in stainless steel tanks and six to eight additional months in oak barrels. Ruby-red in color tending toward garnet as the wine matures. Dry and robust on the palate with an excellent, velvety texture, this wine offers fleshy aromas of wild berries, currant, black cherry and spice, framed by intriguing hints of chocolate

Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore DOC - Tommasi - Bottle $54
Considered the "little brother" of the estate's Amarone, the Tommasi Ripasso has a dense nose of earth, mint and deep blackberry. Pronounced raisin flavors emerge on the palate, the result of a portion of the grapes being dried on bamboo racks in the sun before being pressed. A spicy undertone of cinnamon and thick fruit help extend the long, warm finish. It's an opulent wine at a modest price.

Rosso di Toscana IGT - Santa Martina - Bottle $36 - Glass $9
The Sangiovese in this wine comes from the Chianti Classico property while the Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are from the Vigne a Porrona estate in Maremma. This is a bold potent wine with plenty of dark cherry fruit and toasty oak along with hints of dark chocolate. It is hard to believe that this a $36 wine! Absolutely outstanding.

CAPRICCIO
Rioja Crianza - Lopez Heredia Cubillo '02 - Rioja, Spain - Bottle $48

Cubillo is Lopez's answer to Rioja Crianza. Following the style of all their wines, this wine could be labeled a class above - as a Reserva - but they keep it a Crianza. It compares to most other Rioja wineries' Reservas since the wine is aged 3 years in oak, followed by another 2-3 years in bottle. The resulting wine is fruit-forward but with developed, older wine aromas of cherries and spices. This wine pairs very well with cheeses and jamones.

Rioja Reserva - Luis Canas '02 - Rioja, Spain - Bottle $51

Award wining wine, 4 stars in Nov'06 Decanter review. Luis Cañas has taken Rioja to a new level. This wine is packed with fruit and wrapped in silky oak laced layers of flavor. It represents the cutting edge of Riojan winemaking. Produced from low yielding, very old Tempranillo vines, this wine is surprisingly soft and approachable with ripe wild strawberry and cassis fruit coupled with vanilla and spice from oak ageing in American and French wood. Outstanding!

Rioja Gran Reserva - Montecillo '01 - Rioja, Spain - Bottle $ 54
91 points by Wine Enthusiast. Cherry-garnet color, deep, covered, clean and brilliant. Complex and elegant aromas of ripe fruit, dominated by scents typical of the Tempranillo grape, but with balsamic tones and touches of oak. Full-bodied, rich, spicy, intense, flavorful, concentrated, very complex, and extraordinarily lively. Warm and powerful, with notes of pepper and cloves. Thanks to its excellent structure and great tannic strength, it has a very long and persistent finish. Excellent with all kinds of meat. It also pairs exquisitely with any dish made with strong cheeses or with very aromatic sauces.