Lately, I’ve been drawn to Spanish wine. Actually, with the ground so recently covered in snow, it’s the warm, sun-baked climate that’s pulling me to the Iberian peninsula. Since going to Spain is not in the cards right now, I’ll have to settle for drinking a glass of imported, out-of-season warmth.

Spain, like all the countries across southern Europe, is the source for a wide variety of delicious, user-friendly wines. It has the largest acreage of vineyards on the continent. Although there are some world-renowned, top-flight wines, the vast majority of Spanish wine is delightful, high value, wine, made for everyday pleasure.

Rioja, the most famous of the half dozen or so principal wine regions, is in the high-altitude north-central region inland from the port city of Bilbao and the Bay of Biscay. It’s known for fruit-driven, full-flavored, red wine from the Tempranillo grape.

Other wine regions you might see include: Rias Baixas on the Atlantic coast in Galicia for fresh, Albarino-based white wines; Ribera del Duero on the plain southwest of Rioja, where fine red wine is made from the Tinto Fino grape; Catalonia and Priorat south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast, where Garnacha dominates; and Navarra, with vineyards in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, also a source for full-bodied Garnacha.

Rioja Bordon and El CotoTwo particular bottles got me in this Spanish state of mind. El Coto de Rioja is a white wine from the uniquely Spanish Viura grape. This fresh, crisp, no-oak wine is made by the largest DOC vineyard owner in Rioja. Available at World of Beverage for only $11 bucks, I’m thinking it might be our house wine for next summer.

The red in this seductive pair is Rioja Bordon Reserva 2014. As a Reserva wine, it is aged two years in oak barrels and two years in the bottle before release, one year more that the mandatory three years. Tempranillo is the majority grape at 80% with Garnacha and Mazuelo making up the balance. A perfect weekend wine, it’s around $17.

Once I started looking, Spanish wines started popping up all over. Our friends Beth and Paul served a fresh and fruity Flor d’Englora Garnacha from Montsant in Southern Spain. Neighbors Jean and Lee offered a hearty El Rabizo Rioja with savory braised beef. Stew Leonard’s is featuring a bright, fruity, Sauvignon Blanc-like Naia Verdejo as a refreshing seafood-friendly choice.

Bistro Medeterraniean wine dinner menuSince I had Spanish wines on my mind, a Wines of Spain dinner at Bistro Mediterranean caught my eye. The Bistro, at 36 Westport Avenue (just down the hill from Stew’s) has an excellent reputation for Spanish Tapas and cuisine from around the Med. The dinner last Saturday was co-sponsored by The Rowayton Wine Shop. The plans called for five wines over four courses, plus dessert. I couldn’t wait for all that sunshine in a glass. At only $55.00 per person, it cost no more than a full course dinner and included all those wines, too.

The dinner convened just as a severe weather front passed through, cutting into the attendance. Thirty of us, including some larger groups, several couples, and a few familiar faces from past wine events came in out of the storm for an evening of food and wine.

Lobster and crab bruschetta started the dinner with L’encert Brut ($9), a light, crisp Cava sparkling wine made from Viura and Malvasia grapes. Spain produces vast quantities of refreshing sparkling Cava, an everyday wine great for an aperitif or brunch. Tony Gagliardo of Classic Wines, importer of the evening’s selections, gave an overview of Spanish wine regions and grapes then went on to described each wine as it was served.

Ruby red Hacienda Uvanis

Ruby red Hacienda Uvanis

Hacienda Uvanis ($8), a Garnacha from Navarra, was perhaps my favorite wine of the evening. A translucent garnet color, unoaked, with delicious bright fruit, crisp acidity, and “dusty” tannins, it was delightful to sip and complimentary to the seared steak with Parmesan polenta. A Pinot Noir surrogate at a great price.

Grilled BranzinoThe most controversial and the most expensive (but still very reasonable) wine was a white: Valserrano Blanco ($16) a barrel fermented Viura with a full body, woody notes, and hints of hazelnut. Rich and complex, it was very interesting to drink, but some found it a bit too big for the well-prepared Grilled Branzino with lemon butter, wanting something with a little more fruit and acid. The crisp light red from the previous course would have worked with the fish as well as it did with the steak.

Rack lamb chopMaddi Reserva ($15) was a classic Rioja Tempranillo red, aged three years as a Reseva must be, half in oak barrels and half in the bottle – an ideal match with the grilled rack lamb chop and Mediterranean spiced vegetables.

The meal wound up with an unusual but delightful Reymos ($11) sparkling wine from Valencia, made from the Moscato grape. Tony accurately described it as “fruit salad in a glass” – sweet and tart with lively fruit flavors – great with any dessert.

The wines, all charming, showed off the value of Spanish wines. Each one had a distinctive character – no generic “new world” wines here. You would cheerfully pay much more for what’s in the bottle, but you don’t have to. They’re all available at The Rowayton Wine Shop, 158 Rowayton Ave. Just mention the Bistro Mediterranean wine dinner; Marianne will know the wines. Perhaps you, too, will get in a Spanish frame of mind!

The wine dinner Chefs

The wine dinner Chefs