The Casa Manolo journal
Spanish Food Blog
Good food starts with a little curiosity. Discover Spanish ingredients, find your next favourite wine, and bring more Spain to your table.
Showing: Spanish Wine
Spanish Food Blog
Conservas pairings become easier when you look beyond “fish with white wine”. Tuna belly, anchovies and boquerones differ in oil, salt, acidity and texture, so each asks something different from the glass.
Bottle planning is easier when you count servings, not guests. A standard 750ml bottle contains six 125ml measures or a little over four 175ml measures, before allowing for spillage or unfinished glasses.
“Room temperature” is an unreliable wine instruction because modern rooms can be much warmer than traditional cellars. A red wine that sits beside an oven or radiator may feel heavy before the food arrives.
A home wine tasting needs less equipment than many people imagine. Three bottles, one consistent glass shape, water, plain food and a clear order are enough to produce useful comparisons.
Decanting is a tool, not a ceremony every red wine requires. It can separate a wine from sediment or expose it to more air, but neither goal should be assumed simply because the label says Rioja or Ribera del Duero.
Rías Baixas and Rueda are two of Spain’s best-known sources of white wine, but the useful choice is not which region is “better”. It is which bottle has the structure and flavour profile for the food you are serving.
Oloroso can look like a dessert wine in the glass, yet a traditional dry Oloroso belongs firmly at the savoury table. Its deeper colour, fuller body and oxidative character make it useful with foods that would overwhelm a very light white wine.
A clear guide to Fino, Manzanilla, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez, with serving temperatures, food pairings and the easiest style to try first.