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Whether it says Albariño or Rias Baixas, you have a refreshing wine, summer in your glass.

Wine Pairing Weekend Blogging Group Explores the Refreshing White Wines of Spain and Portugal
This month, our Wine Pairing Weekend group is off on a virtual trip the the coastal regions of Spain and Portugal to enjoy the refreshing white wines available from the region. Bonus: since they are less familiar in the US, many of these wines are both delicious and very affordable!

You can scroll further down in this post for links to all our blog posts from the group. My wine this month is a refreshing wine made from the Albariño grape, and I’ll be trying my hand at serving tapas at home. You just might find something worth trying before the summer is out.

What is/are Tapas Anyway?
Wikipedia defines tapas this way:

“A tapa (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtapa]) is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine and translates to small portion of any kind of Spanish cuisine. Tapa may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot. In some bars and restaurants in Spain and across the globe, tapas have evolved into a more sophisticated cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal.”

The above definition is certainly informative, but I think the Urban dictionary here is way more fun:

“Tapas; an unfulfilling, miniscule, whore of a food that is as overpriced as it is unfulfilling. Involves foodstuffs that are halved and then halved and then halved about 10 more times, so that it can be ‘shared’.”

Best reason to make Tapas at home – it’s fun and relaxing to enjoy an extended evening enjoying all the flavors and textures in various small bites. Multiple courses encourage more time for easy conversation.

Best reason to go out for Tapas – Four Tapas = 4 x the grocery shopping, 4 x the cooking, 4 x the dishes….

Look to the far top left on the map. Rias Baixas is located close to the cold North Atlantic, the wines are guaranteed to be fresh and lively! Map courtesy of http://www.winefolly.com

Rias Baixas and Albariño
Rias Baixas is a region in Spain right on the western Atlantic Coast (just north of the border with Portugal). In contrast to the hot interior, the coastal region is quite cool with a maritime (moist and cool) climate.  It’s called “Green Spain” in part because it looks more like Ireland than the rest of the interior of Spain!

As in much of Europe, most wines in Spain and Portugal are named for the town or region of their origin. If you see a Spanish white wine labeled “Rias Baixas”, it’s made from Albariño. Some wineries have caught on that their international customers appreciate the grape name being on the label as well as the town, so you can see both being used.

Granbazán Winery
The Granbazán Winery is located in the Salnés Valley overlooking an estuary which leads directly to the ocean. It doesn’t get much more maritime than that! Similar to other wine regions directly in view of the coast, the vines are trained in a pergola system to allow plenty of air circulation under and around the grapes due to the moist coastal climate.

Granbazán Albariño Etiqueta Verde Rias Baixas DO 2017 (winery sample, 9.5€ SRP in Spain or around $15 online in the US)
Eye: Clear, pale lemon
Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity. Super fresh aromas of white flowers, wet stones, fresh pears
Mouth: Dry, medium intensity flavors. High acidity and so refreshing! Medium body, medium alcohol, flavors are slightly saline and mineral, with fresh floral accents. Underripe pear flavors linger into a medium+ length finish. A very high quality wine.

Disclosure: I received the Granbazán Albariño Etiqueta Verde Rias Baixas as a sample from Rias Baixas wines. All opinions are my own.

(click on any photo for a full size slide show, hit “escape” to return)

Our Minnesota backyard would look inviting to someone from Green Spain, I think!

We didn’t serve each tapa on it’s own plate in deference to the kitchen crew (me).

On the left, a salad of farro, leeks, oranges and blue cheese. On the right, Patricia’s Gazpacho from José Andrés cookbook.

We’re in Minnesota in August, so sweet corn counts as a tapa for sure. The scallops come from a recipe in José Andrés cookbook, and one we’ll be repeating. A highlight of the meal.

Fresh flavors, lighter dishes and seafood all paired beautifully with our Granbazán Albariño

Albariño and Tapas
Albariño is very fresh, lively, and refreshingly acidic. Our Granbazan Albariño paired beautifully with everything we served tonight. From the fresh gazpacho, through the grain salad to the scallops, I couldn’t have imagined a more appropriate wine.

Wine Pairing Weekend with the Refreshing White Wines of Spain and Portugal
If you see this soon enough, please consider joining our chat. We’ll be live on Twitter on Saturday, August 11th at 10am CDT, just look for us at the hashtag #WinePW.

• Lori of Dracaena Wines is Celebrating International Albariño Day with #WinePW.
• David from Cooking Chat offers up Rias Baixas Albariño with Summer Party Nibbles.
• Sarah of Curious Cuisiniere puts together Galician Style Mussels In White Wine And An Albariño WinePairing.
• Jill of L’Occasion says What We’re Drinking Now: Chill White Wine from Spain andPortugal.
• Jeff of FoodWineClick! writes Tapas and Albariño: A Winning Combination.
• Lauren of The Swirling Dervish features Wines from Cariñena, Spain: Perfect for Summer Sipping.
• Cindy of Grape Experiences is Summer Sipping: Pazo Pondal Albariño 2017.
• Rupal of Syrah Queen lists Top White Wines from the Douro Valley.
• Michelle of Rockin Red Blog tells us to Beat the Summer Heat with Rias Baixas Albariño.
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm shares Albariño and Seafood Stew: the Perfect Pairing.
• Jane of Always Ravenous serves Grilled Clams with Spanish Albariño.
• Nicole of Somm’s Table is Cooking to the Wine: Adegas Gran Vinum Nessa Albariño Rias Baixas and an Umami-packed Twist on Fish and Chips.
• Susannah of avvinare offers Albariño paired with Shrimp Paella – A Summer Delight.
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator is having an Albariño Adventure on Anglesey.
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla pairs California Central Coast Albariños with Spanish Bites.

Cookbooks for Your Consideration
I’m still a newcomer to Spanish cuisine, but I have been enjoying José Andrés’ “Made in Spain“. The gazpacho and scallops recipes I used today are from this book. It’s beautifully photographed and the recipes are doable, with reasonable ingredients lists. I especially appreciate the recipes are organized by region, which is so useful to pair them with appropriate wines.

The second is not Spanish at all, but we have been learning a lot and enjoying ancient grains this year.  Don’t make that face!  They can be delicious.  I have found the right additions and dressing make all the difference, and “Simply Ancient Grains” may get you started if you’re inclined.

José Andrés “Made in Spain” is a great introduction to spanish cuisine. Create a taste of Spain at home!

Give ancient grains a try, really!

Our Tapas
Our tapas dishes today came from two cookbooks. This has been our summer of ancient grains – we have been exploring good recipes for these nutritious food items.  The bonus is that you make the “salad” on one day and you can eat them as part of a meal for several days. Unlike lettuce based salads, they are just fine several days later.

Patricia’s Gazpacho (José Andrés’ wife) recipe is here. text

Kamut Salad with Oranges, Leeks and Blue Cheese recipe is here. I haven’t found kamut locally, so I substituted farro, another ancient grain.

Corn on the Cob – You got this.

Taylor Bay Scallops with Albariño Wine – José Andrés recipe is here. No Taylor Bay scallops in Minnesota, so I purchased (dry) sea scallops.  When you shop for scallops, try to find “dry scallops”, these are processed without a chemical that causes the scallop to retain water, so you are getting a better scallop.  They are more expensive, but worth it! Take your time carmelizing the onions in this recipe, it is worth it! This will become on of our scallop recipe staples;