2010 Vino Viura Verdejo Blanco La Mancha DO – Relincho Spain

Let’s face it, when you hear someone say, “La Mancha”, you think of windmills and a certain self-styled knight rather than wine. It’s time to connect this region’s name not only to Miguel de Cervantes’ famous novel Don Quixote, but also to La Mancha’s wines. After all, La Mancha isn’t just Spain’s largest wine region, it’s the largest in the world. The region is fairly flat and has a continental climate. This means that Relincho must contend with extreme temperatures as well as frequent droughts; La Mancha doesn’t get much rain because mountains encircle the region. Winters are cold, with temperatures as low as 10°F, and summers are blazing hot, with highs in the low 100’s. All this adds up to stressed vines and stressed vines are the forbearer to great wines. Relincho’s 2010 offering is a 50/50 blend of Viura (also known as Macabeo) and Verdejo: The indigenous Verdejo, which contributes its aromas and structure, and Viura, which gives a touch of acidity and finesse. The wine is a pale straw color with brilliant highlights. It has a very fresh bouquet that brings to mind mineral notes, apples and pears with a slight exotic touch. The intensity on the nose comes through again in the mouth with full fruit flavors and outstanding freshness that lingers on the palate. This wine is ready now and should be consumed by the end of 2012. It is an ideal wine for a light aperitif and a perfect accompaniment to salads, poached or grilled seafood, prawn cocktail, and poached, fried or grilled fish. It also complements sushi and sashimi dishes.