Tasting: Spanish White Wines

I will post about this tasting held on Saturday 19th August, I promise!

Vinoteca, London

Vinoteca
7 St. John Street
London EC1M 4AA
http://vinoteca.co.uk

Amongst other things, such as finally meeting a virtual friend in person, Saturday provided me with a new appreciation for the "wine bar," a term that is so liberally used that I no longer have faith in Google search results for such labelled places in London or other cities that I travel to. It seems that too many chain pubs or bars somehow think that by simply combining the sale of wine with the venue of a bar, they are allowed to market themselves as such. Tsk tsk.

Before I sing the praises of Vinoteca, where I dined and drank most of Saturday afternoon away, let me propose an illustrative wines-by-the-glass list at an typical establishment which too liberally labels itself as a wine bar.

Whites by the Glass

• Pinot Grigio, vintage and producer name optional
• Silly-named kangaroo-related Australian Chardonnay
• A Sauvignon Blanc from a warm climate region, or a Viognier from a cool climate region
• A token glass of Riesling

Reds by the Glass

• Californian single-varietal, such as a Merlot or Cabernet, by a producer the size of which could flood the Thames with their annual production and at the price 4x what it should be at the bottom shelf of a supermarket.
• French Burgundy at the bottom of the price threshold for that style of wine and surely a name you've heard of before because Tesco had it on sale last week.
• Unnamed Cotes-du-Rhone, from the latest vintage (i.e. barely drinkable yet)
• Token Australian Shiraz
• Spanish Rioja, Argentinian Malbec or Chilean Cabernet for "variety"

Now, you may have just read this list and thought, what's wrong with that? Sounds like some good options! If so, I smile sweetly at you and suggest that I choose where we dine the next time our paths cross. Here's why.

A wine bar should be an oenophile's heaven, providing an array of varietals, styles and regions (by the glass as well as by the bottle) that will intrigue and challenge any wine lover. It should have some crowd pleasers, such as a recognizable varietals, but also offer palate-provoking variations. This is where Vinoteca wins my approval.

Located on St. John Street in the Islington area of London (just around the corner from Farringdon tube), Vinoteca is a casual wine bar, restaurant and wine merchant. Its wines by the glass list is intriguing enough that my companion and I never felt the need to stray to the bottle list for inspiration.

Tasted:

1. 2007 Arneis, by Coopers Creek, Gisborne, New New Zealand - Aromatic sweetness of a peach, but a bit short on the finish, with a tartness that did start to ease up as the wine breathed. One suggestion is that this wine needs a bit more time in the bottle to grow into its own.
2. 2006 Navarra Garnacha Rose 'Artazuri' from Artadi, Spain - Beautiful strawberry colour and nose, with great structure from the Grenache. Strong acidity paired excellently with the the spicy lobster linguine.
3. 2004 Cadillac from Chateau Fayau, Bordeaux, France - Sauternes-lite, with all the typical honey and viscosity you'd want in this style wine.

Eaten:

1. Salad of Roasted Figs, Creamed Feta, and Pesto
2. Lobster, Chilli, Tomato and Parsley Linguine
3. Cheese Plate of English Cheeses

A browse through the wine merchant corner of Vinoteca showed a promising selection of over 275 wines. I felt the need to restrain myself from buying anything, not least because I was heading to a music festival and I already have over 50 bottles of wine at home that need to be drunk in the next two months. The selection was tempting...

All the food was excellent, allowing this wine bar to be a place you could settle into for the day, or the evening, or heck, can I just move into a room above the bar?

Well done, Vinoteca. I look forward to when we meet again.