Albarinos Make a Great Match in NYC & Houston
October was a busy month for Rías Baixas Albariño, pouring at Wines from Spain’s Great Match events in New York City and Houston.
The New York tasting is an annual happening for food and beverage professionals, press, and over 500 consumers who come out to sample an array of Spanish wines and cuisine. Our Rías Baixas brand ambassadors poured seven Albariño wines: Salneval 2008, Condes de Albarei 2008, Pazo de Señorans 2008, Pazo San Mauro 2008, Laxas 2008, Torre La Moreira 2008 and Don Olegario 2007.
These zippy whites were served with Asian-inspired bites prepared by Top Chef’s Chef Lee Anne Wong. Attendees remembered Wong as the Season One contestant who still turns up on the culinary-competition series. Concealed by Rías Baixas banners, Wong and her team of culinary interns whipped up Togarashi-dusted figs with nutty Goma sauce, crispy curried pork rillettes with peach compote and spoonfuls of fluke sashimi with garlic and soy sauce. Attendees couldn’t get enough of the creations, especially the tender figs described as “grown-up PB&J.” For the later consumer portion, Chef Wong whipped up a calamari salad with pine nuts, basil and grapefruit which accentuated both the floral and citrusy notes of the Albariño wines. After waiting on a line that wrapped around 23rd Street, the crowd was thirsty! Attendees were often surprised at the easy drinkability of the Albariño wines paired with these unexpected Asian flavors.
Tasters also flocked to the Rías Baixas voting stations, where they entered to win tickets to the 2010 People’s Choice Awards® in LA by choosing their favorite recipe in the 2009 Rías Baixas Recipe Contest (Home Cooks! Click here to enter your recipe!)! The area was abuzz with talk of this “hot” prize. After all, no New Yorker would turn down a trip to warmer climates in frigid January.
Speaking of warmer weather, a few weeks later, the Rías Baixas Albariño team hit the road and headed to Houston, Texas for the last Great Match of the year. The Tasting Room in Houston’s Uptown Park neighborhood hosted the event. The day kicked off with an informative seminar led by Spanish wine expert, Doug Frost, MS, MW, and was followed by a trade, press and consumer tastings. Framed by a massive chalkboard bearing the Albariño name in neon green, the Rías Baixas area could not be missed. The crowd, a mix of long-time fans of the varietal, as well as Albariño “newbies”, sampled Paco & Lola 2008, Condes de Albarei 2008, Terras Gauda Abadia de San Campo 2008, Martín Códax 2008 and Aldegas d’Altamira Brandal 2007.
For the first time at a Great Match, patrons were able to purchase the bottles sampled at the event. The Rías Baixas Albariños were real crowd pleasers. The wines’ characteristic apple, pear and subtle citrus notes complemented the authentic smoky BBQ and spicy Mexican dishes that are staples in the Houston area. As the night wore on, the Rías Baixas area became so busy, the wines almost ran out. After all, summer may be over, but there’s always time to enjoy a crisp, cool glass of your favorite Spanish white!
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