by contributor Donna Shor
Photo credit: Courtesy of Taberna
Sommelier Gustavo Iniesta provoked a battle, though a friendly one, when he invited guest presenters Estebe Salgado and Inés Oro to lead a Tapas Wine Pairing dinner at Taberna del Alabardero, when both proudly proclaimed their favorite bottles were the best. (Gustavo Iniesta Sommelier in Taberna Washington and Jaime Sommelier in Taberna Seattle shown above)
Estebe is the CEO of Tradewinds Specialty Imports, and Inés, the export manager of Terranova Group.
Both have very definite opinions on their choices, and they made the case for their preferences and got the audience involved.
No blood was drawn, but it was lively. Diners learned from the discussions and discovered excellent wines in the budget-priced range, with generous discounts for those ordering that night. They were thrilled by “finds” priced under $20 which were rated with a handsome score of 90 by wine-rating-guru Robert Parker.
Inés Oro, with a sprightly sense of humor, did a yeoman job describing the characteristics of the various wines, first pinpointing the regions on a napkin Estebe helpfully held up for her.
Here is what everyone ate:
The first of the five courses brought: Mussels in a Creamy Shallot-bacon sauce accompanied by lovely cool goblets of Gazpacho from orange-hued tomatoes. The sherries were Estebe’s Alexandro Manzanilla, and his Alexandro Amontillado, named for is brother. Alexander…
The Alexandro Manzanilla was a fine example of the sherry. There was just a bit of the chamomile and ocean spray scent manzanilla fans descry in this pale yellow wine from the San Lucar de Barrameda vineyards near the sea. The dark Amontillado, chocolate-y and luscious, is the favorite, Estebe told us, of his wife Casandra, a 5’10” tall blonde with long golden locks who nodded that it was indeed true..
Next came baby squid in its ink, and grilled octopus with boiled potato, Galician style, paired with the straw-colored flowery and award-winning LaVal Alberiño 2010, also from Galicia. The Munia Verdejo Viura 2011 from Rueda combined the two grapes, Verdejo and Viura to produce a dry white wine, fragrant with the light scent of stone fruit.
Two styles of ham tapas were next: Rustic Toast topped with the Serrano Ham so beloved of gourmets, and crusty light-as-air Croquettes of Iberian Ham with an herb, garlic and oil sauce The red wines were an appealing Bohigas Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, from just south of Barcelona, and a Temperamento Bobal 2009 from the nearby Valencia region, a velvety wine with a pleasing farewell.
Hanger Steak topping a Vegetable Ragout came with succulent Pork Cheek Sliders, paired with two excellent reds: a Valsotillo Crianza 2006, its slightly oaky bouquet showing it had been “nurtured” in oak, as befits a “crianza”-stored wine, and a dark Munia Especial 2007 with a rich mouth feel foretold by the “legs” when the glass was swirled.
Taberna chef Javier Romero finished the evening in style with a Catalonian custard and Red Wine soaked Sponge Cake. They were set off by two sherries, a rich Alexandro Cream and Alexandro PX, a dessert wine made even sweeter by the classic Pedro Ximenez grapes that produced it.
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