Winery Location: Spain
Day 5’s wine is a Grenache from Latitude 40, a Spanish winery named for the wine-friendly 40 degree latitude that cuts through much of Spain’s wine country, much of which supports the lovely Grenache, or Garnacha, grape. A colleague of mine remarked that Grenaches, especially those from Spain are often versatile, easy to drink and perfect of any occasion, from fancy dinners to parties and gettogethers, basically the Swiss Army Knife of red wines.
This Grenache from Latitude 40 is a perfect example of this. Light but not lean, this is a pleasing, approachable wine with dark cherry and strawberry flavors and a peppery spice that gives it a tiny bit of zing. The tannins are very silky, providing a nice structure that isn’t overwhelming to the palate. The finish is long and surprisingly fruity. If there was a wine that defined “comfort food” I would say this comes pretty close. It is very easy to drink, with good fruit and flavor, and it’s versatile. Costco’s tasting notes made a number of food pairing recommendations, including spanokopita and chili dogs. They even suggest that it can be served slightly chilled and the locals prefer it that way, which really gives points to its flexibility as a wine. I tried it both slightly chilled and room temp and while I prefer this Grenache at room temp (the fruit flavors are more pronounced) if you like reds on the chilled side, you’ll be pleased with this one.
Ed's Wineglass Adventures 