Pintxo & La Rioja Alta Tapas and Paella Event
Join Pintxo Restaurant on Thursday June 8th from 7pm-9pm for an evening of wine, tapas, and paella tasting! The restaurant will be tasting four wines from La Rioja Alta paired with pintxos and paella. A tasting experience that is not to be missed! For more information about this event click the following link.
Dequmana Naturally Cured Olives $6.99
This elegantly designed line of olives is cured the traditional and natural way, with water and salt. The olives are hand harvested and processed in small batches in barrels to ensure the highest quality product. No dyes, preservatives or overwhelming vinegar to get in the way of your taste buds.
Arbequina Olives
Cured three to four months, these tiny olives have big flavor. Distinctly nutty-tasting and loaded with buttery flavor, they have a fine texture that is smooth without being soft. Catalunya’s olive of choice. If you’ve wondered what those little-bitty olives you nibbled on in Barcelona were, here they are!
Gordal Olives
Grown primarily in Andalucia, these olives are super-plump and succulent with lots of meat on them. While they may be a little hard to eat if dainty-ness is your concern, these large green globes serve as delicious tapas! If you just want a mouthful of tasty olive, these are the way to go.
Empeltre Olives
These aren’t your mother’s black olives. Unless your mother was from Spain, in which case lucky you! If green olives aren’t for you, try these. Cured 10-12 months, these tender Empeltres are full, ripe and almost sweet on the finish. Absolutely delicious!
Mixed Olives with Fine Herbs
Using a traditional Andalucian recipe, Dequmana takes four Spanish olive varietals and marinates them in a mixture of herbs and small natural red peppers. Why choose from one when you can enjoy four of your favorites! Mild hojiblancas, meaty gordals, rich, ripe cuquillos and nutty little arbequinas combine to make the perfect ready-to-serve appetizer.
Losada Aloreña Olives $6.49
The Aloreña olive, also known as Malagueña, are the only Spanish olive with Designation of Origin. Grown in the province of Malaga, these light green olives are naturally brine cured for 9 to 12 months. Crisp in texture with sweet, buttery notes. Enjoy on their own or sprinkle with olive oil and a bit of fresh thyme.
Some New Spanish White Vermouths
While Spanish vermouth (vermut) has become quite popular in recent times, most of us are familiar with the red or sweet variety. The Spanish bodegas also produce white vermouths, although in some cases, they are a recent development. Most are dry, but run the gamut from extra dry to a ’bianco’ level of sweetness. The label should give an indication of the style. All are uniformly excellent as an aperitif, and can also be used to fashion vintage cocktails, or even as an ingredient for cooking.
Lacuesta Vermouth Blanco, La Rioja $19.99
A new white vermouth by Bodegas Martinez Lacuesta; this a new product from this winery located in La Rioja, which has been producing vermouth since 1936, and recently decided to introduce a white version, after 4 years of development.
Lacuesta’s vermut blanco is prepared with more than 20 plants and aromatic herbs, it has a pale yellow color with subtle aromas of chamomile, mint and sweet vanilla. On the palate, the vermouth starts soft, with notes of licorice, cinnamon and ginger until it reaches its aromatic expression, with a light hint of bitterness. Serve on the rocks, with a slice of lemon and an olive as a garnish.
Yzaguirre Vermouth Blanco Reserva, Tarragona $23.99
Yzaguirre Reserva White Vermouth, with its deep, yellow color, is highly aromatic, velvety and quite pleasant on the palate, with woody, herbal and spicy notes, reminiscent of ripe fruit. Its initial flavor is very tasty and balanced, in perfect harmony with its acidity. Twelve months in oak barrels give it consistency and character. Perhaps closer to a ‘bianco’ vermouth in style, rather than a dry vermouth. Perfect as an aperitif, or an early evening drink. Also excellent served in a tall tumbler, with a few drops of Campari, 3 or 4 ice cubes, a slice of orange, a twist of orange peel and fresh mint leaves. Try it in a Gibson cocktail!
Ingredients
1.6 fl. oz. dry gin
3-4 drops Yzaguirre Reserva dry vermouth
1 cocktail onion
Quickly mix all the ingredients (except the onion) in a tall glass full of ice. Strain the liquid into a cocktail glass. Put the cocktail onion in the glass.
Miró Extra Seco Vermut de Reus $14.99
The town of Reus, near Tarragona in Catalunya, is the historic epicenter for vermouth (vermut) production in Spain, where for over a century the name Miró has set the benchmark for its wormwood-forward style. All production is today overseen by the family patriarch Pere Miró.
This extra dry vermouth has a distinctly Catalan character, and embodies many of the savory flavors found in the famed preserved olives of the region. Truly dry – with no added sugar – it is made with herbs sourced from the Pyrenees, and citrus from the Mediterranean. Its wine base of Airén, from La Mancha, and Macabeo from Penedes, adds a nice minerality. Enjoy neat chilled or in a classic 1:1 Martini.
Grilled Artichokes Bathed in Olivada
Recipe from The Spanish Table Cookbook by Steve Winston
Serves 4
2 large artichokes or a dozen baby artichokes
Water to cover
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Olivada
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 lemon
To make the Olivada: Crush 1 cup pitted black olives, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and pinch coarse salt with a mortar and pestle or put in food processor and pulse gently until well blended. It should have a coarse texture.
Cook the artichokes in boiling water until the bottom can be pierced with a fork. Drain and let cool to a comfortable temperature. When they can be handled, split them in half lengthwise and remove the choke with a spoon.
While coals are heating, slowly cook the garlic in the oil. When the garlic is soft, stir in the Olivada and set aside.
Place the split artichokes face down over the hot coals and cook until brown and the leaves start to curl. Turn over onto their backs and drizzle the garlic oil-Olivada mixture over the cut side. Grill until brown on the back side. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with lemon as you serve.