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Home , Greek wine, Retsina

Hello Spanish Table friends!

The name of today's newsletter should be "It's All Greek To Me"... As you know Spanish Table is always on the cutting edge, & with Steve's love of Greek food, our increasing collection of cheeses, cookbooks & everything under the Greek sun, we took the plunge by buying to go with your next meal. I have to say my head hurts a little from having to wrap my brain around these supercalifragilisticexpialidocious names, but I've been very happy to test out some Greek recipes to go with the pile of wine samples we collected. Apparently these don't get shown around a lot, so once they were opened, we were the end of the road!

Strange that more Greek wine is sold in restaurants than in retail stores... I've always been kinda intrigued by the ones I tried as they left me wanting to find more without much luck. So I went to Yanni's in Greenwood to snoop around their menu & sample some calamari & kebabs with their glass pours. Official business! I barely had time to get a few of these in today's newsletter, but I think we amassed a cool selection in a couple week's worth of time. Since is now going through a renaissance & being lauded as one of the hot new wine regions in the world, it's the perfect time for wine aficionado's to get their feet wet. Summer couldn't be a better time to do so!

Salud! Catherine

CHARRED LAMB SALAD WITH PEA SHOOTS, LEMON, AND from The New by Jim Botsacos with Judith Choate $29.95

Serves 6

2 boneless racks of lamb Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon dried Greek 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground fenugreek 2 teaspoons dried mint About 1/4 cup extra virgin oil 1 tablespoon well dried capers 1 cup mixed greens 2 tablespoons Kalamata Vinaigrette

Using kitchen twine, carefully tie each piece of lamb at least once vertically and 4 times around the circumference to hold the meat firmly in place. Season with salt to taste.

Combine 1 teaspoon black pepper with the oregano, Aleppo pepper, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and mint in a small bowl. When well combined, generously coat each piece of lamb with the spices.

As soon as the lamb is completely charred, using tongs, transfer it to a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer to quickly stop the cooking and to firm the meat. Allow to rest in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until the lamb is very firm but not fully frozen.

Remove the lamb from the freezer and untie all of the string. Using a slicing knife, cut the lamb crosswise into almost-paper-thin-slices.

Place an equal portion of lamb in a circle of slightly overlapping slices to completely cover each of 6 dinner places. Drizzle the lamb with a bit of the remaining extra virgin and sprinkle with an equal amount of the capers.

Place the greens in a small bowl and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place a small portion on top of the lamb on each plate. Serve immediately.

KALAMATA VINAIGRETTE

Makes about 1 ½ cups

2 tablespoons vinegar 1/4 Kalamata vinegar (can substitute vinegar) 3 tablespoons ½ teaspoon dried Greek oregano ½ teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste Pinch of freshly ground pepper 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the vinegars, honey, oregano salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Whisking constantly, add the oil in a slow, steady stream, beating until the mixture is emulsified. Taste and, if necessary, season with additional salt pepper.

Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to use. Whisk briefly before using.

GO GREEK!

Kourtaki , GR $7.99 Retsina is one of those wines that provokes a strong response... Even if one server at a tried to talk me out of ordering it, I happen to enjoy it, & I really like Kourtaki's. The started to add pine to their wine as a way of preserving it & they've kept that tradition alive for over 2700 years. I also discovered something very interesting about the way to serve retsina in my research--the trick is to serve it cool, like a red wine, not really cold because that intensifies the flavor. Bingo! Paired with a fresh salad of , tomatoes, oregano & cucumbers and served at the proper temperature, drinking retsina was a whole new experience! Flavors & aromas of rosemary, lemon peel & pine marry perfectly with Mediterranean foods. If you haven't had retsina since your college days or that trip to the islands, I urge you to give this one a whirl!

Kouros Nemea Red 2003, Nemea $9.99 100% --that's a mouthful & so is this wine. Perhaps, that's why they also named this St. George! Dark dusty nose complimented by spicy cinnamon, this is lamb wine. Medium- bodied with warm black currants, wild plums & a mushroom and leather finish. Consistently a best value with both Wine Spectator & Wine and Spirits.

Kourtaki of , Samos GR $10.99 The Seattle Spanish Table has a legion of tasters with a sweet tooth & they were talking about buying some for themselves before it even made its way to the shelf! A bargain in the department, this Muscat comes from the island of Samos where apparently 70% of their wine is exported to . One would think that's a good sign. Sauterne-like nose of honey, apricots & wildflowers with a silky richness this begs for or a bowl of fresh local strawberries from the farmer's market & some pound cake. A wonderful warm weather dessert wine that takes you right to an island in the Mediterranean!

Boutari Moschofilero 2005, Mantinia GR $12.99 I first tried this as a glass pour at Lola, Tom Douglas's venture into Greek cuisine, with a pacific prawn kebab with curried muscat glaze... Heavenly! It sent me into a brief Greek wine buying spree (for my own wine rack), which ended all too quickly since they're so hard to find. When Steve said to order some Greek wine this was the first one I thought of, simply because I remembered it as being so refreshing. The tropical nose is similar to a Gewurtztraminer with a tropical splash of white rose, lychee, cantaloupe, pineapple & citrus trees, but the taste is pleasantly tart with a soft Pinot Grigio-like softness. Boutari's Moschofilero is one of the important wines in Greece, as it signifies the "Greek Renaissance". This would be as at home with some gambas ajillo as it would with steamed salmon in grape leaves.

NEW & NOTABLE

2005 Torremoron Tinto, $9.99 Arrives Friday Back in stock! "The 2005 Torremoron is an unoaked cuvee of 100% from 60- to 90-year-old vines. Medium ruby-colored, it has a terrific perfume of wild berries including raspberry, strawberry, and cherry. On the palate the wine is youthful, very concentrated and structured. The finish is long and fruity. It seems unlikely that many people will cellar a $10 wine but this amazing effort should continue to evolve for 1-2 years. Drink it with pleasure over the next 3-4 years. It is an outstanding value." -90 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Arcaeli Gonzalez M5 Monastrell, Yecla $12.99 Arrives Friday Back in stock! "The M Series wines are all 100% Monastrell aged in stainless steel. The 2005 M5/Mourvedre from Yecla is the class of these wines. It has a lovely kirsch-scented nose, oodles of fruit, excellent balance, and a long, pure finish. It should be consumed over the next 2 years. The name Vinos Sin-Ley means “wines without laws.” According to importer Patrick Mata, these cuvees are produced by an array of serious winemakers who wish to have their own personal projects apart from those of their employers and to not be bound by the various D.O. regulations. The G Series wines are composed of 100% Garnacha while the new M Series wines are 100% Monastrell. The Zestos wines are blends. They are reviewed in the order they were presented. All of the recommended wines are excellent values." -92 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

COLLECTOR'S CORNER

Clio 2004, Jumilla $42.00 EXTREMELY LIMITED! "The consulting winemaker at Bodegas El Nido is Chris Ringland of Barossa Valley fame. The 2004 Clio is 30% and 70% Monastrell (from 63-year-old vines) which received in new followed by 26 months of aging in new French and American barriques. A glass-coating opaque purple, it exhibits a sensational nose of earth, mushroom, leather, blueberry, and blackberry jam. On the palate the wine is supple-textured, complex, with vibrant flavors of spicy blue and black fruits and a big-time WOW factor. This is a totally hedonistic effort with exceptional length and balance. It is remarkably light on its feet for such a powerful wine." -97 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Kripta Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2000, $60.00 New ! This is truly exciting news... THE cult has made it here to Washington. Kripta has an international reputation as the ultimate cava, garnering 18/20 points from influential critic Michel Betanne who wrote that it was on par with some of the most exclusive from France. Extremely limited, Kripta has a stunning package that makes this the most impressive bottle in the store: http://www.agustitorellomata.com/torello3.html The one-of-a-kind -shaped bottle is designed perfectly for your bucket with gorgeous Italian artwork that completes this knockout . Think ahead to 4th of July guys...

Catherine Reynolds Seattle Wine Manager

The Spanish Table 1426 Western Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 (206)682-2827