Last week we received a surprise, a bottle of Spanish wine. We were excited as a couple of months ago we had participated in a tasting of Spanish wines in Washington, DC, which we had enjoyed.

We opened the bottle this week to share with our daughter who was home visiting us. The Valdubón Cosecha 2012, with 13 percent alcohol, was produced with 100 percent Tinta del País (Tempranillo.) The wine was a dark opaque purple with a pinkish rim. The aroma was intense with notes of cherry and cedar. The wine was dry with cherry notes and tannins. Suggested food pairings include Italian sausage, grilled hamburgers and grilled mushrooms.

The Valdubón Cosecha 2012 was imported to the US by Freixenet USA and is reasonably priced.

The Bodegas Valdubón specializing in Tempranillo was established in 1997 near Milagros, Spain. The Valdubón vineyards are primarily located in the Ribera del Duero in the villages of Milagros and Roa.

When contemplating a trip to Spain, plan a visit to Bodegas Valdubón. The winery offers two types of visits. Contact the winery for more information.

Valdubon Cosecha 2012

1. Standard Visit description:

• Winery visit
• Tutored tasting of four wines
• Time: 1 ½ hours
• Cost: 10 Euros per person

2. Educational Visit Description

• Winery technical visit
• Option to visit vineyards
• Detailed tasting of range of red wines
• Written technical specifications provided
• Time: 3 hours
• Cost: 30 Euros per person

Bodegas Valdubón also offers facilities for conferences, breakfast and business lunches.

For more information check out the Valdubón website.

Cheers, Kathy