Sparkling Anniversary

In two previous posts, "Getting to Know Sparkling Wine" and "Leftover Sparkling Wine", about sparkling wine I shared what I have learned this year from a closer inspection of sparkling wine. In the first post, for the WineMaker Magazine blog actually, I teased readers with a list of bottles my wife and I had enjoyed around our wedding anniversary this year. All of those bottles are reasonably accessible to people who live near us and make use of the NH state system, and/or can direct ship to home. None of the wine are really bank breaking purchases for those who want to try them. It's not a snobby or specialty list, and I'm not advertising it as such. It covers a range of styles from both well known to smaller regional producers and gave me a lot of new information to consider about sparkling wine.

With "Getting to Know Sparkling Wine" I also shared my concerns that in my experience sparkling wine enjoyment was too often relegated to special occasions and not everyday drinking. There is no reason for this these days, sparkling wine pairs well with so many foods and there are values out there to suit all budgets. Steve Heimoff touched on this same thought last week in "Sparkling wines for the holidays: why not all year long?" After such a profession some of you might be thinking that ending that very article with my own plan to consume a variety of sparkling wines around my wedding anniversary was a conceit to my assertions. Maybe, and I can only say that we enjoyed these wines during what we called our "Sparkling Anniversary", where most were enjoyed with everyday dinners, or snacks; and even popcorn whilst watching TV. No special occasions there! We did indeed take some bubbly in the limo as we rode to our actual anniversary dinner, and I'll explain the significance and sentiment of those bottles a little bit later.

In "Leftover Sparkling Wine" I share my experiences with a grower Champagne tasting which constituted my first formal experience with Champagnes made by the grape grower. My thoughts and those of the host, Adam Japko of the WineZag, are interesting reading for anyone not familiar with the category.

As I alluded to above we didn't really do anything special with the wines for our Sparkling Anniversary and by the time we were through the best pairings we had experienced were with either buttered popcorn or French Fries. We also made cocktails with several of the bottles, both to experiment with different flavors and textures and put wines that didn't pop for us to good use.

Here's that Sparkling Anniversary list again (and in no particular order):

• Chateau Frank Célèbre Rose
• Chandon Blanc de Noirs
• Cuvée Aurora Rosé Alta Langa
• Mumm Napa Brut Prestige
• Gruet Blanc de Noirs
• Fox Run Blanc de Blancs
• Lafitte Brut
• Banfi Rosa Regale
• Raventós i Blanc Reserve Brut
• Mionetto Moscato Dolce
• Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut
• Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad
• Cuvée y Camps Brut Nature
• Montsarra Cava

Best of the Best

It would be hard not to share which of these wines we liked best and why, but since tastes vary and I don't rate wines, take it for what it's worth.

Cuvée y Camps Brut Nature - For both Margot and I this was the most refined of all the sparklers we tried. The nose is tropical with tart citrus in the mouth and through the finish. This is one of the best dinner party or entertaining-worthy sparkling wines I have ever had.

Chateau Frank Célèbre Rose - This is a medium-dry rose colored sparkler that is just simply easy to drink. It is well balanced, delicious and should appeal to both dry and sweet sparkling wine drinkers. It was summer when we drank these wines and this one really pulled off the role of refreshment.

Mumm Napa Brut Prestige - I really liked the balance of fruity and tart character in this wine. The slight creamy texture brought the whole package together. This is another fantastic wine to use for entertaining and a slam dunk with appetizers, including fried ones!

Honorable Mentions

Gruet Blanc de Noirs - This wine was notable for me because of the pronounced strawberry and citrus that actually came off like berry lemonade. This is a fairly full bodied sparkling wine and was a departure from some of the others in the lineup.

Montsarra Cava - Cava performed well in the tastings, but wasn't entirely new to us as a style, and this wine was the first one we tried. Fruity with hints of almonds a slight creaminess, this wine piqued our interests for more.

Cocktail Experiments

Passion Fruit Cocktail - we used the Fox Run Blanc de Blancs for this drink, combining it with passion fruit puree, Cointreau and bitters. The dry sparkling wine lightens up the puree nicely and the blend of fruits in the puree and wine showed nicely in the nose. It's a sweet cocktail, but if that is your thing this one might give you a smile!

French 75 - I fall on the Cognac side of the French 75 debate and thus I make mine with it. These are a potent cocktail with a nice balance of tart and sweet. The texture is best with a good sparkling wine with lots of small bubbles.

Champagne Cocktail - This simple concoction using a bitters infused sugar cube and sparkling wine is both tasty and fun to drink. Watching the bubbles ribbon off the sugar cube and head to the top of the glass provides the entertainment. We tried these with both domestic sparkling wine and Cava.

Sentimental Bottles

I'll finish with a few of the bottles that have special meaning for us. Two of them are part of our "wine personality" and elicit great memories any time we drink them.

( We dined at Top of the Hub in Boston for our anniversary dinner. The subset was beautiful! )

First, and maybe the most comical to wine aficionados, is Banfi Rosa Regale. We just like this wine. It's sweet, sparkling and super fruity. I bought it for Margot as a gift a few years ago and she absolutely loved it. Margot calls it a panty remover, which from experience isn't a bad way to describe its merits beyond a beverage. We buy a few bottles of this several times a year. When paired with dark chocolate this wine makes an excellent dessert.

Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut - we received this wine as a gift from friends and chose to enjoy it on the night of our anniversary dinner to honor the joy we take in having such great friends. The wine is also very good.

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad - This is our anniversary wine. I was looking for a delicious bottle of bubbly to celebrate our tenth anniversary in 2007 and came across this one. The bottle is actually a collectible, hand blown and emblazoned with a pewter crest and base. I snapped one up and we enjoyed it the weekend of our anniversary party that year. This is a complex sparkling wine, projecting citrus, peaches, minerality and a touch of graphite or smoke. It has a full bodied feel, but is rather a light, refreshing wine. We opened this bottle in the limo on the way to Boston for dinner this year, and it didn't disappoint once again. I purchased several bottles this time and can't wait to try one with a bit of age at our next milestone anniversary!

Drink More Sparkling Wine!

I hope these three articles on sparkling wine have inspired somebody to crack open a bottle of bubbly and enjoy it with friends (or family or a significant other, all of which are friends to me) just because you can. The diversity in styles, textures and flavors offers a world of possibilities for us to explore.

Cheers!

Jason

Stovetop Paella with Tapena Tempranillo

Making Paella is a time and labor intensive endeavor. A labor of love if you will. Lacking a desire to expend either in pursuit of a dish of paella means you should find the nearest Spanish or Latin restaurant and have them take care of it for you. I wanted to try making it for myself. The recipe and cooking instructions for my paella can be found at the bottom of this post.

What I’ve done here is an approximation of paella in a classic sense for several reasons. I don’t own a paella pan, I cooked it entirely on the stove top versus finishing it in the oven and I’m not Spanish. Such trivial things never stop me, but after looking at lots of different recipes and the background on the dish, and there’s lots to be found by the way, it seems like a fair disclaimer to make.

I also wanted to try the pairing of paella with the Tapena Tempranillo a wine that is included in the Tapena Wines Party Pack I am giving away this week. Read a bit further for details on how you can enter to win wine, a recipe book, corkscrew and wine charms from Tapena Wines.

As my paella cooked I uncorked the wine and gave it a taste. The wine pours a garnet color with purple hues. It is fruit forward projecting raspberries and cherries with no overt funk or earth in the nose. I did pick up some vanilla aromas and light oak influence as well. To me the wine comes off juicy up front shifting to moderate tannins that dry out the mouth a bit and noticeable acidity through the finish. On its own the wine is smooth and drinkable without any aggressive elements requiring close inspection. Tapena positions its wines as what I typically call lifestyle wines, evidenced by the many references to Spanish culture, food pairing and the social aspects of wine drinking on their web site. With that in mind I think this wine fits that mold very well. Margot’s take on the wine was this it was a youthful, drinkable wine without some of the overpowering characteristics (tannins, earthy notes) she generally avoids drinking red wine because of.

Back to the paella. As you will note from the recipes below I had to cook before I could cook. From start to finish I spent at least two hours in the kitchen. One of the key ingredients to paella, and many other Spanish dishes as I understand it, is sofrito. Sofrito is a slow cooked mixture of garlic, onion, green pepper, tomato and paprika. The big takeaway from cooking the sofrito was the aromas. I am sure I have smelled them before, but I have no recollection of specifically where.

Would you like to win some Spanish wine from Tapena Wines? You must be 21 or older to enter. Leave a comment here with a Spanish wine & food pairing question for a chance to win. If you missed your first chance to enter click over to Win a Spanish Wine Pack from Tapena Wines and comment on how you would entertain with the party pack if you win.

Having never made paella before I can’t really say how well it came out. It was tasty though. The rice was cooked to the right texture and the meats & seafood were flavorful meaning they had had enough time to soak up the spices from the dish. And my wife and I scarfed down our helpings.

How did the wine pair with the paella? The wine didn’t overwhelm the food. While that might seem like a veiled concern, balance is key in wine & food pairing so when the wine plays nice overall it’s a good start. I don’t feel like the wine accentuated the dish in any specific way, but its attributes were in balance with the paella and a measure of earthiness did come out with the bites of chicken, sausage paired with the wine. Nice.

What I am sure of after this experience is that I need to make paella several more times trying different recipes and styles. I saw recipes with all meat, all fish, the combination similar to what I did here, big vegetable presentations and an array of spice levels. With a better sense of what is possible and improved technique I am sure I could take this dish to the right place. I also need to try different wine pairings with Spanish wine. Wine clearly has a special place in Spanish culture and learning more about how it works with different foods is an exciting opportunity.

Leave a comment with a Spanish wine pairing question for a chance to win the Spanish Wine Party Pack from Tapena Wines. The drawing ends at noon on Wednesday December 7^th , and the winner will be chosen randomly, so don’t miss your chance! Follow Tapena Wines on Twitter and Likethem on Facebook for updates on Spanish wine & , information on their Rewards Program and lots of food pairing ideas for their wines!

Cheers!

Jason

{ Recipes }

Sofrito

1 can crushed tomatoes (28-29 oz)

1 large Cubanelle pepper

1  onion

2 cloves garlic

olive oil

1 tsp paprika (not smoked)

salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop the onion and garlic. Chop the pepper into 1/4" (or smaller) pieces. Heat a large frying pan with a heavy bottom over medium heat. Pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Put the onions into the pan and sauté them until they are transparent, reducing the heat if necessary so as not to burn them. Add the green pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes, adding olive oil if necessary. Be sure to stir often, to vegetables do not burn. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Pour the crushed tomatoes and paprika into the pan and mix well. Continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Paella

2 cups Basmati rice

4 tablespoons Sofrito

1/4 + 1 Tbsp cup olive oil

5 cups vegetable stock

1 teaspoon saffron

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs

¾ lb ground pork sausage

20 large shrimp, tail on

16 Steamer clams

1 sweet red pepper, cut to strips;

1 cup frozen green beans

Lemon wedges

Salt and pepper to taste

Take 1 Tbsp parsely, 2 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp oil & salt mash into paste.

Use a wok to steam the mussel and keep ready for use; Clean the wok

Warm the vegetable stock over medium heat, add the saffron, stir well, keep warm

Using a large fry pan reheat the Sofrito over medium high heat, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Add parsley, garlic, oil emulsion, mix well. Add the chicken thigh and cook until slightly browned. Add the rice, stir thoroughly to make sure that the dry rice are sauteed well in the Sofrito;

In the wok heat the olive oil and sautee the pork sausage (chunks) and chicken thigh on medium-high heat until no pink is visible. Add the green beans & red pepper, stir.

Add the Sofrito, chicken and rice mixture to the wok. Continue to stir.

Meanwhile, bring the stock back to the boil, pour over the mixture and distribute over the mixture in the wok. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer 8-10 minutes, mixing occasionally.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the prawns on top of the mix; Stick the mussels halfway into the mix. Cover and simmer another 8-10 minutes

Garnish with parsely and serve with the lemon.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Win a Spanish Wine Party Pack from Tapeña Wines & the Ancient Fire Wine Blog

The Ancient Fire Wine Blog is teaming up with Tapeña Wines to give away a Spanish Wine Party Pack to one lucky reader. The Party Pack includes wine, charms, a corkscrew and other goodies. How exiciting!

Tapeña Wines is a new take on Spanish wine combining socializing, food and Spanish style to create a line of wines that are valued priced and ready to drink. Tapeña produces four styles of wine covering wine lovers of many stripes with Tempranillo, Garnacha, Verdejo and Rose. I know I’ve had the Tapeña Temrapnillo in the past, but sadly I can’t recall my impressions. My take on reading the producer notes is that the wines are dry with a focus on balance and long, clean finishes.  

With food and entertaining in mind the Tapeña Wines blog contains weekly updates of recipes, pairing ideas and style tips. While Tapas is one of the inspirations for the wines, many dishes can be successfully paired with them, and specifically a range of seafood dishes. Recent Thanksgiving themed posts are a peek into the breadth of Spanish wines when pairing them with food.

So how is this giveaway going to work? Your first chance to win will be accepted with the following actions:

• Follow @tapenawine and @ancientfirewine on Twitter (if you don't use Twitter don't worry)
• Like Tapeña Wines and the Ancient Fire Wine Blog on Facebook (same here)
• Leave a comment here with how you would entertain with a Tapeña Wines Party Pack.
• The winner will be selected randomly from the valid entries.
• The comment and Follow/Like period for the giveaway will be open until 12:00 PM EST December 7^th.
• Must be 21 years or older to enter, and that by entering you verify you are over 21
• Apologies to my readers outside the U.S. but you must also be a legal U.S. citizen to be eligible to win

Next week I will be posting a Spanish Wine pairing of my own matching Paella and the Tapeña Tempranillo. A second chance to enter the giveaway will be available via a comment on that post with your Spanish wine pairing questions.

Thank you to Tapeña Wines for the great party pack giveaway. Like Tapena Wines on Facebook and enter to wine an Ibiza trip for two!

Locate Tapeña Wines at your local wine shops using the Retail Locator at the Tapeña web site.

Don’t forget to follow @tapenawines on Twitter to get frequent updates on expressing your Spanish wine style with Tapeña Wines.

Cheers!

Jason

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Ribera del Duero - Spanish Wine

This visit is virtual, and hopefully our descriptions are enticing to anyone wanting to explore winemaking all over the globe.

Ribera del Duero. Located on the northern plateau of Spain within the community of Castilla y Leon, it is one of nine recognized winemaking areas in the community. It is believed that viticulture has been part of this region and its culture for over 2,000 years. What we recognize as winemaking today became part of the local culture in the twelfth century, most likely introduced by Benedictine monks from the Burgundy region of France. Even with this longstanding history it was not until the 1970’s that the region became internationally known for its wines.

Heralded for its natural beauty with sweeping views of the Duero river Valley, this region has maintained it sense of history. Along with the modern winery facilities that dot the landscape the region also boasts testaments to its past through the various monasteries, churches and the Peñafiel castle, in the town of Peñafiel. This castle not only provides breathtaking views of the valley but it is also home to a wine museum. This wine museum is known as a must see if you are visiting the region and is geared towards serious wine lovers who really want to know the details of winemaking and viticulture.


The heart of this wine region is the Milla de Oro, or Golden Mile, which is a parcel of land that runs alongside the Duero River. The area is said to have been the land that proved vineyards could grow and florish in this sometimes harsh region. Along the Milla de Oro you will find many of the cornerstone wineries of the region including Vega Sicilia, Pingus, Abadia Retuerta and Mauro.

Wines from this region of Spain are almost exclusively red wines and the white wine that is produced from the Albillo grape is consumed locally. The predominant red grape is Tempranillo under its regional name Tinto Fino. Though the majority of the bottlings are blends with Grenache (Garnacha), Cabernet, Malbec and Merlot there are some varietal bottlings that get high praise.

Due the fusion of Mediterranean and Continental climates (due to being on a high plain), fertile soils and moderate-to-low rainfall the grape growing areas are especially suited to the production of excellent red wines. The Tinto Fino grape has a thicker skin and smaller berries which translates into surface area and an extraordinary extraction of color and body in red wine vinification.

Wines bottled under the region’s DO (designated Spanish wine region) come in several classes, Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva and Rosado. Starting with no oak we then have oak aging and bottle aging for one year each, one year in oak and two in the bottle and then to a select category only made in the best years, requiring five years of aging two of which are in oak. Rosado wines are early released wines made without skins with fresh fruit flavors and easy drinking.

There are some similarities here to Rioja to the north, but ultimately differences in local geography and climate (terroir if you like), the grapes, and thus the wines, are quite different between the regions.
The regional cuisine is dominated by the Castilian-Leonese style where you might find chickpea based stews as a signature dish. Made in many styles, they often include vegetables, sausage and meats. They are found alongside soups, both used to fend off the cold of the winters of the region. Roasted lamb and suckling pig are other specialties found within in the sub-regional cuisines. This area is also known for its long history of bread making.

We chose to recreate two dishes, a Garlic Soup and Olla Podrida, a slow cooked stew of meats, beans and vegetables. Its name means “rotten pot” which is a reference to the method of letting it cook so long it turns into a mess of a dish!

The Castilian Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo) is a very simple soup made of sautéed garlic and ham with water, salt and paprika to give it some zip. We used the recipe at About.com as a guide and served the bread on the side rather than in the soup. We let is simmer for a longer time only because we had the time. Looks good!

While it may be simple, we assure the soup is really, really good! It is light with a subtle heat. The egg is essential adding its own flavors and textures. We feel like this soup celebrates garlic as a flavor and not just an accent or spice. Margot thought this might be excellent for breakfast and during the colder months here at home.

The Olla Podrida was a bit more of an experiment, something that never having had can’t clearly be considered authentic. The name translates to “rotten pot” or “putrid pot” or “messy pot”, a reference to the long slow cooking time and the eventual breakdown of the dishes’ ingredients.

I smelled this dish cooking in the slow cooker all day! Here is what is looked like when I assembled it. The recipe follows.

(stew combined and ready to cook)

  

Olla Porida (Messy Pot, Slow Cooked Stew)

4 meaty pork ribs
2 Linguica sausages
1 ham steak
3 leeks
1 medium onion
3 carrots
3 cloves of garlic
2 - 28oz cans of garbanzo beans
1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 medium tomato
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 cup of water
Salt & pepper to taste

(10 hours later)

Spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Turn on to high. Sear the ribs on all four sides for few minutes before using. Cut the sausage and ham into chunks and sauté briefly. Slice the onions, leeks, carrots, diced the garlic and chop the tomato and place in the slow cooker. Add the sausage. Add the cumin, chili powder, paprika, 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp of black pepper. Mix well. Open the cans of beans and drain. Add to slow cooker. Open the can of tomatoes and dump into cooker. Mix well. Remove 6 cups of the mix in the cooker and place the ribs on top of the remaining mix. Add reserved mix and 1 cup of water to slow cooker and cover. Cook on high for 3 hours and low for 6-8 hours. At 4 hours and beyond, stir stew twice per hour. Serve with crusty bread and Tempranillo based wine.

We paired both dishes with the Gazur 2007 Ribera del Duero we sourced from Wine.com. The wine has a wonderful fruity aroma and strong raspberry flavors. Some dark cherry tartness was easily recognized as was some smoke and spice. The mellow tannins would make for a nice smooth introduction to bold red wines.
The wine made the garlic and gameyness in the ham pop! The flavors in the wine and the meat in the Olla Porida were so well matched. The subtle heat of the stew was not extended by the wine which made for consistent enjoyment.

Margot said “I do not have words for the deliciousness we just had.” I guess that says it was good.

Somehow I think we did a good job capturing the spirit of the Ribera del Duero region and have an appreciation for some of the food culture one might find when visiting.

Cheers!


--Margot & Jason




Picture citations

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DO_Ribera_del_Duero_location.svg
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catedral_zamora.JPG
(3) http://cityguidesblog.com/files/riberadeduero.jpg
(4,5,6) Our own

World Cup Kick-off

In honor of the World Cup we selected two wines from countries participating in the cup to take with us on our first visit to Margot’s sister Celeste’s new home.

From the host country, South Africa, we selected the Indaba Sauvignon Blanc 2009 and from Spain, the Marques de Caceres Rioja Reserva 2002. My brother-in-law Bob is not as much of a wine drinker as the rest of us so I also put some of the homemade Belgian White and Belgian Trappist on ice for the trip. We didn’t know what was on the menu so I hoped my wine choices would have broad enough food worthiness to work.

Upon arriving Celeste indicated she had used a new recipe and was openly nervous about how it had come out. Unfortunately being so food obsessed makes people think I never have a so-so or bad experiences. I do, and often. With the amount of stuff I try not all of it can possibly succeed the first or ever!

We all sampled the Sauvignon Blanc and the beers with some snacks and tours of the new house. The Sauvignon Blanc was universally liked and clearly demonstrated some citrus and cut grass flavors. It was crisp and acidic, but not overwhelmingly so. I had also brought along some of the 2010 Thomas Hooker Watermelon beer to try. I had been told it was better than the previous year, their first, and that information was correct. Both the flavors and aromas were more pronounced with a bit more of the citrus aftertaste I had expected when I had first had it. It wasn’t a fan favorite, but it was being sampled alongside my Belgian White which has proven to be a strong competitor.

With the secrecy of the menu finally removed we sat down to a wonderful dinner, good wine and hilarious conversation.

Baked Chicken with an Apricot Preserves, Onion Soup Mix & Oregano Glaze

Creamy Red Mashed Potatoes

Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

So the apricot preserves on the skin of the chicken had worked its magic and become crispy and well cooked. Celeste was so hung up on this. The skin peeled off easily and underneath was a flavorful and delicious piece of chicken. We finally had to tell her stop going on about it, and I told the story about Cuban-style pork I made a few weeks back that took tools to find the meat inside the charred exterior!

I spent a few minutes with the Rioja before I ate just to get a feel for the wine. It had nice red fruit flavors, some wood and had a long smooth finish. Later Celeste remarked how much she loved the wine as she killed the bottle. She and I love to hang out and drink wine. It had been too long!

Both the Rioja and the Sauvignon Blanc went well with the chicken and it was a toss up on which one could be deemed a better match for it. The spinach and the Sauvignon Blanc went very well together, although the potatoes made it taste a bit sour, not a surprise at all. The Rioja worked better with the potatoes, but seriously, they were so good on their own I wasn’t struggling for a good pairing.

Dinner with family was spectacular. We never did get the name of the person who made the chocolate and peanut butter cake we ate for dessert. We do know they work at one of the local Shaws Supermarkets though…

We did watch some of the USA vs. England World Cup match earlier in the day and I am hoping to have some more fun pairing wines to the games as the tournament plays out. What a great excuse to try some new wines and yell at the TV for a while.

Cheers!

--Jason

Lets do Spain for Lunch!

The recipe for "Basque-Style Grilled Cheese with Etorki, Piquillo Peppers, and Chorizo" from the Foodbuzz Daily Top 9 caught my attention this morning. Check it out here.

http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/2196438-basque-style-grilled-cheese-with-etorki-piquillo-peppers-and-chorizo

I have to admit that the most familiarity I have with the Basque people is from their riders in the Tour de France each year. I am not familiar with Basque wines as a subset of Spanish wine so I won't try to recomend a regional wine with this dish. I am recomending a pairing of Tempranillo or Rioja Crianza (Tempranillo is likely the majority grape in Rioja blends) that is on the young side. The youth of the wine should ensure the fruit flavors are present which should meld well with the spice in the Chorizo and creaminess of the cheese. Varietal bottlings of Tempranillo are often low on acid which will help the peppers and chorizo be represented well.

Cheers!

--Jason