Oaxaca Man cannot live on Spanish & food alone (although I try my best). Hence I had to throw in some mescal and fried grasshoppers to round out my diet. We recently spent a long week in southern Mexico wandering the streets of Oaxaca and several neighboring villages, sampling the food as we went. We had a wonderful time trying a variety of new foods and flavors. And I found the people warm, friendly and extremely generous, not unlike my experiences in .

$15 and Under Below are a number of our favorites in our “I can afford to drink that every day” wine department. Tasty, expressive & good for drinking now, these are excellent values. Tres Ojos Garnacha 2003, Calatayud - A juicy, ripe & well-structured medium bodied Garnacha from northern Spain. We’ve received an introductory price on this new arrival. Normally it is $9.99 $6.99 Montebuena 2003, – Formerly known as Labastida, this is a tasty joven that has been a best seller for the previous two vintages. Ripe cherry, a touch of Nora, our hostess from Casa de Mis earth & a hint of tobacco make this a great value from Recuerdos, purchasing supplies for lunch. Rioja. $7.99 Viñas del Vero Crianza 2000, – A new wine from in northern Spain, this is a pleasing blend of & . I used to drink this on a regular basis while I lived in Spain, because it was good & about $4. Here it costs a little more, but is still definitely a great value. Picked by the Wine Spectator as one of the top 50 wines under $15. $8.99 2003, – Another flavorful Garnacha with earthy notes that balance the fruit nicely. Juicy, full and bright, this finishes smoothly. $9.99 Terroso 2001, – Nice floral notes intertwine with ripe fruit, licorice and earth on this wine from . Excellent balance & smooth tannins. $9.99 Reverendo Crianza 2000, Navarra – This is a steal of a wine. Ripe, balanced black berries & cherries and hints of chocolate in this full-bodied treat. $11.99 Painous Brut NV – Check out this new cava with a smooth mousse and pleasant toasty citrus notes. $11.99 Gran Colegiata Crianza 1999, Toro – Juicy, dense & very good. Give this about 10 minutes in your glass & it opens up nicely. Toast, chocolate & spice from the are very well-balanced by the dark fruit. 100% Tinta de Toro & a great value. $12.99 Quinta do Alqueve Ancestral 2001, Ribatejo – This is a great deal from Portugal, with & Tinto Roriz making up most of the blend with some Periquita. A meaty wine with dense black fruit layered with an enticing smokiness. I should also mention their Tradicional, which also fits into this category. It has more fruit & less smoke and is a great bargain at $10.99. The Ancestral is more complex & deep. $14.99 Gran Mets 2002, Montsant – A hefty dollop of & equal amounts Cabernet Sauvignon & Tempranillo make another great bargain. Smooth tannins with ripe,fruit & subtle toasty oak. $14.99 We wandered through the labyrinth that is the Friday market in Ocotlán, about a 40-minute drive south of Oaxaca. The roof above our head was a patchwork of colored, plastic tarps to keep the rain out. But beware! They occasionally twisted to dump their contents and soak unsuspecting passersby. Smoke curled up from assorted grills set up to cook fresh peppers, onions & slices of pork or beef. The smell of roasted chickens, deep-fried fish, and empanadas stuffed with squash blossoms filled the air. We couldn’t resist sitting down for a quick snack of the roast chicken and an empanada. We finished off with the super sweet, vibrantly fuchsia colored tuna (cactus fruit, not fish) sorbet.

Up to $40 A step or two up on the price scale, these are my “I want to drink them every day, but my wife would (fill in the blank)” category. There are still some great value wines in this bunch and I can sneak ‘em home on occasion. Arteaga Reserva 1999, Navarra – A new wine from Navarra that I don’t know much about other than it’s tasty. There is definitely some Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo in the blend. It’s rich & chunky with dark berries, smoky bacon, and some fresh herbs. $17.99 Finca Villacreces Crianza 2000, – This is a sleeper hit almost every vintage. Located right next door to famed , this winery has produced complex, rich & ethereal wines for several vintages with the help of Peter Sissek of Pingus fame. Predominately Tempranillo with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot. Robert Parker calls this winery “one of the best kept secrets in Ribera del Duero.” Lunch is simple at the market in Tlacalula. You buy it, you cook it. Stephen Tanzer says that “this estate’s wine often remind me of Chevel Blanc in the early going.” $18.99 Baron de Oña Reserva 1997, Rioja – Dense cherry, earth, leather & smoke make a complete wine and a staff favorite here. A more “modern” style wine from the traditional house of Alta, this is still much closer to a traditional style than what is currently considered modern. A price increase recently occurred, but we were able to hold our price steady on this until next vintage. $21.99 Quinta do Alqueve Touriga Nacional 2001, Ribatejo – Loaded with spicy, dense fruit, this has great structure and length. This Touriga Nacional will definitely convince you of the power and finesse of which this is capable of. $28.99 Condado de Haza Reserva 2000, Ribera del Duero – Almost everyone is familiar with the regular offering of Condado de Haza from Alejandro Fernandez, who also does Pesquera. It’s a very tasty, expressive Ribera del Duero. Now take that and intensify it. . .three times. The Reserva is long, juicy & penetrating with dense black berries and leather. $34.99 Chivite Coleccion 125 Gran Reserva 1994, Navarra – I visited this winery in 2000 and had a wonderful meal in their wine cellar accompanied with a seemingly endless supply of their wines. The 1994 Gran Reserva is 100% Tempranillo. It has an amazing amount of fresh fruit for a wine that is 10 years old. Great balance, smooth and round with a superb finish. If you like a Rioja style Gran Reserva, I highly recommend this. $35.99 Odysseus 2000, Priorat – Since I first tried this, it has been one of my favorite Priorats. Give it a ½ hour in a and you won’t be disappointed. Ripe cassis, licorice, that distinct Priorat minerality and velvety mouth-feel make this taste like a much more expensive wine. $39.99 Thunder boomed and overhead the tarp covering our table snapped crisply in the wind. Our waiters seemed unworried by the coming rainstorm, but since our long table was covered by two tarps that didn’t quite meet, there was room for concern. Suddenly, the skies opened up and rain fell in sheets of water. People leaped up and scurried under the various umbrellas & tarps placed in the courtyard, slowing only enough to grab their drinks on the way. We scrambled to one side as the waiters ran around moving tables and plates out of the rain. Within just a minute, water was pouring off several of the tarps like spring melt off The Santa Domingo church seems etched against the the sides of Yosemite Valley. rain swollen clouds over Oaxaca. Good-natured laughing spattered off the courtyard walls along with the rain as everyone sipped on the beers and watched the show. The waiters had stopped and huddled with the guests, trading rueful grins and shrugs. Within 10 minutes the rain stopped, chairs where upturned, and quickly dried and we all resumed our seats. Another beer and a plate of pulpo al horno (octopus roasted in a wood burning oven) and the brief intermission was soon forgotten.

The Sky’s the Limit These wines comprise the “If I won the lottery” part. Rotllan Torra Amadís 2001, Priorat – A wine that I have known since I lived in Spain. I’ve always been impressed with the depth and length on this wine. With the strength of the 2001 vintage a six-pack of these could easily find its way into my cellar. $52.00 Leda Viñas Viejas 1999, Castilla y Leon – One of Mariano Garcia’s (formerly of Vega Sicilia and currently of Mauro) nephews is involved in this fairly new project in Tudela de Duero. A deep core of ripe fruit, expresso, roasted game and earth. I had this last winter with braised oxtail and couldn’t imagine a more perfect pairing. $58.00 Viña Sastre Pago de Santa Cruz 1998 Magnum, Ribera del Duero – Less dense than many of Riberas, but with a level of complexity that is not often found. And the fact that we managed to get over a 20% discount off the regular price for a limited number of these magnums, makes it hard to pass up. $85.00 Neo Punta Esencia 2001, Ribera del Duero- A newer project that another of Mariano Garcia’s Maguey worms, garlic & dried chiles make up the relatives is the winemaker. Layers of intense flavors ingredients for a salsa to go with stuffed squash unfold as the wine opens. Robert Parker said this blossoms. wine is “more similar to a Bordeaux first or second-growth than a Spanish Ribera del Duero. $89.00 Finca Dofi 1997 Magnum, Priorat – One of the most well-known Priorats, this is lush, seamless and dense. A great value in the large format bottle too. $150.00 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva 1968, Rioja – Do I really need to say more? One of the most memorable and unique white wines I have ever tried. $156.00 Pesquera JANUS Gran Reserva 1995, Ribera del Duero – I have not had the 1995, but I have had previous vintages of the JANUS. The powerhouse of the Pesquera line, this wine is amazing. Stephen Tanzer wrote, “Imploded nose of roasted red & black fruits, sun-dried tomatoes, truffle, smoked meats and coffee. Huge, rich & backward, with strong soil tones of minerals, iron & tobacco (like a rare steak). Lush, smoky & full, with extremely smooth tannins and subtle finishing flavors that go on & on. Yum.” 94 points. $163.00 Mauro Vendimia Seleccionada 1994 Magnum, Castilla y Leon – I first tried the 1994 vintage of this stunning while I worked at Restaurante Arzak in San Sebastian. I turned to Mariano, the and said “Joder, tio.” Which loosely translates to “Man, that’s goooood.” $215.00 Vega Sicilia Unico 1974, Ribera del Duero – I’ve looked other places for this wine and have found it for almost double. Even in Spain, I couldn’t find it for as good a price. A classic bottle of wine that will continue to evolve for decades. $250.00

October Wine Club Selección de Valor Talai Berri 2003, Regular retail $15.99 Tres Ojos Garnacha 2003, Calatayud Regular retail $9.99 Our price $6.99 Selección Privada Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva 1995, Rioja Regular retail $39.99 San Vicente 2000, Rioja Regular retail $38.99 Our price $28.99 Mariner’s Society Dios Baco 30 year Oloroso, Jerez Regular retail $100.00 Offley Boa Vista Vintage Port 1997 375ml, Oporto Regular retail $18.99

The latter of half of this month I will be in Spain visiting wineries in Priorato, Montsant, Penedes, Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Rias Baixas. I’ve also got some exciting wines coming into the store this month, so keep an eye out for next month’s news.

A night shrouded street in Oaxaca.