Zestos - tempranillo / grenache, 2009

Recently I dove into a simply delicious bottle of Spanish red wine over dinner, a bottle so delicious and so exemplary of the perfect light summer red that I had to share it. Although this wine isn't a traditional winter wine, it's perfectly drinkable any time of year and is rather cheap, to boot. I'm talking about a tasty tempranillo / grenache mix by Zestos.

It was lush, fruity, bright, a little watery (which is fine), ripe and delicious with a very straightforward strawberry flavor.The finish was smooth, bright, with no alcohol flavors at all. It was a bit dry but finished well and left no lingering tastes.

As you can see, it had a gorgeous garnet color.

This wine exemplifies everything I want in a grenache or a tempranillo. Whether you are having a picnic or a  a cheese course or even just looking for a bottle to open on its own, I can't recommend lighter, jammier wines like tempranillo or grenache enough. Combined, these two varietals blend nicely. I would serve this with pasta, or anything light or citrusy - I'm thinking about serving it with my famous vitello alla francese or perhaps some lemon pasta or even a basil and mozzarella salad. These types of wine are great pairings for lighter, subtle foods. The brightness of the wine makes up for any wateriness that you might find, but I really don't think it's that noticeable.

I was asked which cigar would pair well with this wine - and the answer to that is an Avo XO Preludio.

So seek this out, for sure - I would also pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving. You'll enjoy that little edge of cold in the wine.