Sipping Cava and Sherry for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so if you haven’t already made a plan now is the time to do so. To aid you in planning your celebration we are sharing three Spanish wines today, all were sent to us as tasting samples, that will get you off to a delicious start and then finish your evening with something sweet. We leave everything in between for you to plan.

Vilarnau Brut Reserva NV, Cava — pale yellow in the glass with vigorous bubbles. Aromas of citrus, yellow apple and hints of white flower are followed by flavors toasted almonds and oat hay. The bubbles are mouth filling and long lasting. 11.5% abv. SRP $14.99

This sparkler is bright and easy sipping. It’s also fairly complex and well balanced, which makes it worth the SRP. 

Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada are all vinified separately before the blended base wine is made. The second, bubble producing, fermentation takes place in the bottle with at least 15 months of aging in the bottle.

Vilarnau Rosé Delicat Reserva NV, Cava — pale salmon in the glass with generous bubbles. Aromas of ripe raspberries are generous and are followed by flavors of mixed berries, toasted almonds and citrus zest. Bubbles are long lasting and the finish is moderate in length. 12% abv. SRP $15.99

The gorgeous color of this cava makes it a natural choice for Valentine’s Day and the flavor profile is a bit more generous than the Brut. 

The base wine is comprised primarily (85%) of Garnacha along with 15% Pinot Noir. As with all cava, the second fermentation takes place in the bottle and this wine is aged at least 15 months in the bottle.

With their pleasant flavor profiles and low alcohol levels these wines are perfect for sipping before a meal. We found they both paired deliciously with soft cheese. If your meal includes mild white fish or chicken, either of these wines would be delicious to take to the dinner table.

González Byass Noe Pedro Ximénez Sherry, Jerez — black-amber in the glass with a viscous consistency. Generous aromas of dried fig, iron and dates are followed by similar concentrated flavors along with toasted hazel nuts. The wine is sweet and round in the mouth, but with excellent acidity. 15.5% abv. SRP $49.99/ 375 ml bottle.

This sherry is brilliantly concentrated, round and very sweet. That marked sweetness is balanced with good acidity leaving it tasting very well balanced. No need to plan dessert, a small glass of this dark elixir will suffice.

Pedro Ximénez sherry is made using a grape variety of the same name that is harvested later so it is very ripe. The grapes are dried in the sun (using a process is called soleo or asoleo) resulting in dehydration and concentration of sugar. The grapes are then pressed and the juice fermented to about 7% alcohol. At this point the wine is fortified to about 15% alcohol and then aged in casks for an average of 30 years using the traditional solera system.

González Byass is a family-owned collection of wineries based in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. The winery was founded in 1835 and now includes wineries in many major Spanish wine regions. These wines are imported into the US by González Byass USA.

Thanks to Donna White Communications for sending some wine love our way.

Cheers!