In the north you eat very well. One of those phrases repeated a thousand times and, although absurdly unfair to the rest of the country where the food is also great, is unquestionable. What is less common is to hear that in the north they also drink very well. The so-called Atlantic wines have been marking their particular trend for years and, more recently, also the wines most closely linked to the Cantabrian Sea have claimed their prominence. So, thinking about the winery and festive pairings to close the year, we are going to tour and drink this north with a small selection of wines that are worth knowing and trying.
A good clue to map this route is given by the wine list of the Islares de Bilbao restaurant. There Julen Bergantiños has been practicing Cantabrian cuisine for years and, as far as we know, it is the only place with this philosophy that combines recipes and products from all the territories bathed or influenced by this sea. Something that is also reflected in the wine list. “For me, Cantabrian wines are those that take you to a landscape of contrasts with mountain wines and other coastal wines, which are very saline. They are normally very low-alcohol references, which also helps make them very easy to drink,” he tells elDiario.es.
Euskadi, Cantabria, Asturias, the north of León, Galicia… The borders do not need to be precise because, in a way, it is a philosophy of wines rather than being limited to certain regions. The offer is very wide, but here are a dozen references that we like.
Euskadi, Cantabria, Asturias, the north of León, Galicia… It is a philosophy of wines rather than being limited to certain regions
Itsasmendi 7
Although txakoli deserves its own chapter as one of the wines with the most interesting evolution and the most promising future, now we turn to the most obvious: few wines better represent that Cantabrian character than the whites made in the Basque Country.
In Bizkaia there are many wineries that do it very well, but Itsamendi is a reference, both for the most traditional txakolis and when it comes to trying new things. This Itsasmendi 7 is a good example: a fresh and elegant white, which holds up very well over the years and where the Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia grape rules. It costs about 15 euros and its value for money is magnificent.
Gargalo
In order not to follow a linear route, we jump to the other end of the map with a red that we have had on our books for many years and that never disappoints. Less considering its price: it does not reach 12 euros.
Made with mencía and the unknown arauxa –in the no less unknown DO Monterrei (Orense)–, the elegant point of the winery, and what makes a lot of sense when opening it on the table, is that it is owned by the designer Roberto Verino. Fresh red, easy to drink, with that Atlantic character very well marked from the first glass and perfect to surprise with something different and delicious.
Vionta Fuscallo Forest
Albariño and Rias Baixas. It is surely the most obvious combination when talking about Atlantic wines and the truth is that it is an equation that usually works very well. A very versatile grape that has interesting potential to create complex wines, but at the same time fresh thanks to its marked acidity.
At Bodegas Vionta they do it well, and this Bosque de Fuscallo is a perfect example. There is a small passage through wood in 500-liter barrels that, far from hiding that freshness, gives it personality and a certain creaminess that we love in whites. It costs 20 euros and can be a great purchase.
Pittacum La Maragata
Although the sea does not reach León, the Bierzo area and its wines perfectly represent that Atlantic character that we are looking for. The León winery Pittacum produces red wines with Mencía with an excellent quality-price ratio, but this time we are going to focus on its most special white, the one that we will uncork on a slightly special occasion.
La Maragata is its most exclusive reference, although it does not reach 50 euros – don’t panic. A 100% Godello that demonstrates everything that this grape is capable of giving. We will find the 2018 vintage and the 2019 vintage on the market, the most recent. It is a white wine for aging, that is, it holds up very well over the years and even evolves, but right now it is perfect for drinking.
Barrel Viewpoint
But is wine made in Cantabria? Historically yes, as throughout the country. But also in recent years, small wineries have emerged that, supported precisely by this search for light and fresh wines, have found a good formula. The Miradorio winery of the IGP Costa de Cantabria is a good example.
Small and careful production and few references to which he has now just added a version of his Mar de Fondo, aged for a year in barrels. All the freshness of the combination of Riesling, Godello and Hondarrabi Zuri grapes, but with the structure that this step gives it through bottling. The bottle costs 32 euros.
Lusco Pazo Piñeiro
We return to Galicia and the Albariño grape. Pazos de Lusco is one of those wineries that always works, and their Lusco white for less than 20 euros is really good: fresh, but with that structure that aging with lees gives it. A rich and fruitful wine.
But, since it’s Christmas, we’re going with Pazo Piñeiro. The idea is the same, but here we are talking about a farm Albariño. That is, all the grapes come from a single vineyard, which allows us to further highlight the characteristics of that territory. The passage through French oak barrels gives it an elegant touch, without giving up the characteristic acidity and freshness of this grape. It costs about 30 euros.
Color
What happens if we combine one of the best winemakers in the country who has put El Bierzo on all the maps with an artist from Cantabria? The answer is Kolor, a wine resulting from the unique collaboration of Raúl Pérez with the plastic artist Okuda San Miguel.
Considered by many “the magician of wine” – a documentary about Pérez titled precisely this way has just been released – this red wine made from Mencía grapes is aromatic and very expressive, as if the colors of the label designed by Okuda San Miguel had also slipped into the wine. inside the bottle. The 2020 vintage can be found for about 35 euros.
Lives 100 mountains
Asturias, another of those areas that is not usually thought of when talking about wines, but where it is possible to find very interesting projects that, we are convinced, will get people talking. Vidas is a small winery in the Cangas DO where Beatriz Perez makes half a dozen wines with native grapes.
100 mountains is one of their red wine references and has a very limited production, of less than 700 bottles. Heroic viticulture in the Asturian version with vineyards on slopes, completely manual work and a wine that is out of the ordinary. For 20 euros, perfect to put something different on the table, including the topic of conversation about wines from areas where it is believed that there is no good wine.
Domain of Tares
In gastronomy we usually talk about “comfort food” to refer to those dishes that, without many complications, comfort and transmit a certain feeling of welcome. Something similar happens with the wines that Dominio de Tares produces in El Bierzo: they have just the right amount of character to arouse interest, but they also know how to appeal to everyone, including those who do not need a master class on Mencías and Godellos or old vines.
We love their Paisano de Tares and the Godello Cepas Viejas is a sure hit, but with the excuse of Christmas, we are going to stretch the budget a little more to reach P3, their most exclusive wine. 100% Mencía from a single plot that spends 16 months in barrel and another 36 in bottle before reaching the market. It’s close to 60 euros.
Veiga Naum 2023
We finish this trip to the north in Galicia, with more Albariño and more Rias Baixas for those who do not want to complicate their lives too much and are looking for a light white to accompany their lunches and dinners these days.
That is just what this Veiga Naúm from the latest vintage offers. An Albariño that we tend to link to summer but that works perfectly all year round, because after that first display of aromas and flowers it has consistency and character to show off on the table. And for just over 12 euros a bottle.
#wines #Atlantic #influence #Years #Eve #dinner #touch
