Tom and Melody's wine blog » Cariñena

El Bombero Cariñena 2009

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:27:29 +0000

We had this El Bombero Cariñena 2009 from Spain with goulash that Melody made. The wine was very nice: tasty, soft, not super tannic, very drinkable. Very much a Spanish table wine. It would be excellent a little chilled as a summer wine.

I just got back from Florida and Melody is off to San Antonio in a couple of days. Busy times, but all good. Our sons should be together right about now in Fremantle, Australia, so we’ll be on the lookout for news.

Abrazo Del Toro Cariñena (2007)

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:25:29 +0000

Tom took a rare mid-week trip into Ann Arbor for an appointment and made a point to stop at Trader Joe’s for some serious wine shopping. When I came home from work, I was delighted to see he had purchased 13 bottles of wine (and two loaves of sourdough bread). This is one of his finds.

Very reasonably priced at $6.99, this Abrazo Del Toro Cariñena 2007 is a Spanish wine that is quite nice. It is always tempting to judge a wine by its price (and I have a propensity for assuming the higher the price, the better the wine), but I aim to be objective–so, here it is. The nose is subtle. There just isn’t much in the way of aromas here. Yet while the bouquet is modest, it is entirely pleasant. The taste is also quite subtle but charming with hints of dark chocolate.

One might describe this as a bit thin but I think it is an excellent mid-week quaff. For dinner tonight I am making a skillet of goulash. I have a great recipe (my own) that is so yummy (definitely comfort food). I will also steam spinach. And maybe a piece of that sourdough bread that Tom brought home from Trader Joe’s. A comforting wine and a comforting dinner for a Thursday night. Cheers!

Abrazo del Toro Cariñena 2006

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 01:37:20 +0000

This Abrazo del Toro Cariñena 2006 from Spain is a very nice, soft, dry, medium-weight, fruity table red, tasting of cherry. It’s from the Cariñena region of Spain, made from 80% Garnacha (Grenache) grapes and 20% Tempranillo grapes. It was excellent with hamburgers tonight. Another great value from Trader Joe’s, at way under $10. (Abrazo del Toro means hug of the bull.)