Pairing: Tapas Tuna Salad Paired with a 2013 Laventura Rioja Blanco (Viura)

Food: Weather here in New Hampshire is finally warming up. It’s snowed three times in May, two to four inches each time. But now the apple trees and lilacs are in full bloom, and the mock orange are not far behind. The Monarch butterflies are poking around ready to feed on the abundant blossoming flora.

So … we’re ready for dinner salads. Tapas Tuna Salad is a simple, delicious, Spanish-inspired dish we found in the cookbook, Everyday Tapas. It can be made with either canned or fresh tuna (if using fresh tuna, grilling it adds just more complementary flavors). Chopped hard-boiled eggs, garbanzo beans, diced tomatoes, tiny boiled potatoes, and baby greens all tossed with a light vinaigrette made with olive oil, white wine vinegar, parsley, salt and pepper. Brighten it up further with a few colorful edible flower blossoms (e.g., pansies). It’s almost too pretty to eat … almost.

Wine: The Rioja wine region located in northern Spain is perhaps the county’s best known wine region and focused mostly on red wine production. Tempranillo and Garnacha are the reds that people around the world frequently  associate with Spanish wine and Rioja is where these grapes are most widely planted.

Far lesser known are the white wines produced in Rioja, (Rioja Blanco), accounting for less than 10% of the total wines made in this region. Viura (Macabeo) is the grape most commonly used in the production of Rioja Blanco. Viura is used to make age-worthy single varietal wines, as well as blended wines that may be created by combining with Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca. MacRobert and Canals, located in Lagroño, the capital of La Rioja, are the makers of Laventura Viura, along with other artisanal wines unique to the Rioja region.

Tasting Notes: A pretty gold color. On the nose one gets a touch of citrus (lime) and maybe some pineapple, along with some herbs. The palate reveals some nice lemon and lime flavors, green melon and green apple. A little acidity brightens it all up. Nice complement to the diversity of tastes in the Tuna Tapas Salad.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Tapas Tuna Salad: Rosé (Provence), Vernaccia (Tuscany), Verdicchio (Marche, Italy), Sauvignon Blanc (California)

Other Food That Pairs Well with White Rioja: Steamed Mussels or Clams, Serrano Ham, Paella, Grilled Shrimp, Fish or Chicken

Maps and Views of the Rioja Wine Region:  Rioja Wine Region

A Source:  www.klwines.com