Garnacha de Fuego: Still En Fuego

A long while back (when I first started the blog) I did a quick review of a wine in a horrible looking bottle. I remember liking it, but I hadn't seen it in a while and completely forgot about the bloated-Elvis-on-drugs-in-flame-licking-jumpsuit label.

The other night, I was picking up some stuff for dinner at the store and I saw a huge display of the heinous label of Garnacha de Fuego staring me in the face. Given that Rick and I had just done Garnacha as the Grape of the Week on the July 4th podcast, I was moved to throw down the $7.99 and try the wine again.

The wine is from the northern central province of Zaragoza (I love that name, BTW) in the Catalayud region of Spain. This area has produced wine since 200 BC and has the traditional Spanish wine story -- Romans started the industry, Muslims shut it down, monks picked it back up.

Catalayud is pretty high in the mountains with tons of rivers running through and a continental climate that's kind of cold for half the year. 85% of the wine made here is red and the same percentage is exported, so the 15 bodegas that make wine here definitely cater to an international palate (meaning, these are not exactly Spanish-style wines -- they make what they think we will like).

Most of the wine made in Catalayud is from the native Garnacha grape, and it's usually made well in my experience. Garnacha de Fuego follows suit. So although the bottle is really tacky, I'm still loving this inexpensive wine and calling it my guilty pleasure...

The Wine: Garnacha de Fuego
The Grape: 100% Garnacha
Where it's from: Catalayud, Spain
Alcohol: 14.5%
Vintage: 2009
Price: $7.99

Color: Opaque, violet, gloppy-legged blackberry juice...What a color. The only clue that it was Garnacha (which is usually much lighter): the color lightened to a cherry or raspberry color at the rim. The wine was definitely made of some very ripe grapes to give it all that color.

Smell: With raspberry and black cherry with lots of pepper, black licorice, and cinnamon spice, this was a wine with an opinion. There was a sweet oaky smell and there was a floral bouquet thing going on too. The prodigious alcohol in the wine was apparent: it burned the inside my nose. That burn and the other scents gave an impression of hot spicy fruitiness.

Taste: So textural -- you feel an alcohol burn that's warm, prickly and tingly. It's almost like drinking brandy, which I normally don't love in a wine, but given the rich fruit and spice the sensation reminded me of a yummy liqueur and I loved it. Raspberry, blueberry, and plum with licorice or anise (a spice that's like a mild licorice) balanced the prickly texture from the acid and alcohol. There was a little bitter almond flavor too. The warmth from the alcohol, cinnamon, and the carmelized berry flavor made the wine like liquid pie. It fills your mouth with deliciousness.

Pairing: Whip out the big, charred flavor. Steak, grilled stuff, portabella mushrooms, and anything cooked on an open flame is best. You need that burnt flavor to counterbalance all the fruit and alcohol. Although stay away from spice because your mouth will burn!

Drink or Down the Sink?: OMG, drink. For $8 this wine drinks like $20 and it's such a guilty pleasure. Is it the most complex wine around? No, but it's a tasty treat and all the rich, ripe fruit makes it a decadent, unbelievably yummy wine. Readmore »»

Wine For Normal People Radio : Episode 020 Best Wines for July 4th/Summer

Of course I love M.C. Ice and for those of you who are with me, don't worry -- he'll make appearances again, but Rick is back from hiatus (which he took because his business is en fuego, not for any other weird reason as some people speculated...).

We returned with bang for the 4th. We give some great red, white, and rosé wine recommendations for your 4th of July and Summer outings AND include some stuff on sparklers too (not the kind you light on fire). We focus on food pairings and gift ideas.

Here are the Show Notes:

• A new, shorter intro to get right into the good stuff

Main Topic - Wines for 4th of July festivities and other Summer sippers

• Red Wines - Pairing suggestions for grilled foods, light reds for sipping, and which red wines to bring as gifts
• White Wines - Refreshing choices for the Summer heat, some food pairing ideas, and which white wines would go over well at a party
• Rosé Wines - Not all are created equal... We provide some tips on picking the best rosé wines

...and the Grape of the Week - Grenache (or Garnacha): The flavor profiles and a little history on the grape

Have you tried a Grenache/Garnacha? If so, join the conversation on the Wine For Normal Peopel Facebook page

Click here or download the 'cast below...

Wine For Normal People Radio : Episode 019 Best Wines for July 4th/Summer

Send us questions, comments, and some love on Twitter @NormalWine

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Dig the podcast? Please review us on iTunes and we'll give you a shout out!

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Vall Llach Embruix from Priorat: A Bewitching Wine from an Awesome Region

Spain is a remarkable country. I was lucky enough to get there a couple of times in my youth -- way before I got into wine and way before there was significant Spanish wine to get into. I found it to be a surreal and awe-inspiring place. I remember traveling on my Eurail pass on the AVE (the bullet train) and looking out the window at this barren, beige landscape with cute little old men and women in teeny towns watching as the train passed by. Most of Spain seemed rural to me and it wasn't much of a stretch to understand why authors and artists dreamed up such fantastic ideas while living here -- Picasso, Miró, Dalí, and Cervantes needed color and bright, quirky ideas to spruce up the dry, rocky land that pervades the Iberian Peninsula on which they lived.


In some respects, the modern wine industry has experienced that same freedom that these cultural icons probably felt. When faced with a barren landscape it's easy for imaginative people to dream up something amazing to fill it!

Spain is, without a doubt, a wine nation. There's evidence that wine has been made here since 4000 - 3000 BC, and that more sophisticated methods were brought to the country by the Phoenicians who hung out in Spain around 1100 BC. The country is home to over 600 native grape varieties (although 80% of the wine is made out of 20 grapes!), and monks, Romans, and even the Moors (yes, they were Muslims going rogue) produced and consumed Spanish wine. The wine was shipped to South and Latin America to satisfy the colonists. Rioja was designated as a quality region for wine in 1650 and the French sought disease free vineyards in north-central and northeastern Spain when fleeing grape plights at home (that spread mostly from the U.S. Don't WE feel guilty? Although I have to say, my family was still bumping around Russia, Germany, and Austria then, so I'm not taking blame for it!).

But even with that rich history, the last 75 years have been what wiped the slate clean for Spain's wine world and made it start from scratch more recently. Military coups that resulted in a Civil War, World Wars, and a 40 year oppressive dictatorship under Franco removed nearly all investment and innovation from Spain's wine world (Rioja and Jerez/Sherry were the only areas that were somewhat spared given their long-standing reputations). With no regard for wine quality or artistry, liquid plonk made from the worst quality grapes poured forth en masse and Spain gained an embarrassing reputation for easily browned, over-alcoholic wines...until it started getting some EU cash, that is.

In the last 15 years, Spain has learned that membership has its privileges. Once it joined the EU, money flowed in and winemakers -- old and new, foreign and domestic -- got capital to invest in the vineyards and the wineries (I think it's hilarious that most wineries who have Web sites mention how clean the facilities are. Don't we usually assume that's the case? But they feel they have to mention it given the legacy of crap wine, I guess.). With money and democracy, the barren landscape shaped by Franco started filling in and the results are impressive.

Now Spain's star has risen. Quality wines from native grapes grown in their native areas, and some French varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, to name a few) that complement the indigenous ones have found great success. Spain now has a thriving industry with amazing wines from nearly every region and the ability to build and maintain wineries that make great wine -- they are clean, they are modern, and they've got ownership who know what they are doing. That's a good thing.

Let's face it, Americans benefit from the EU subsidies too. Spanish wine prices are way lower than what the wines are worth, and that makes them fabulous values. Mostly, you'll find great wines for under $15 but there are some regions in Spain where the wines command high prices, and there is a reason for it. Priorat is one of them.

Priorato or Priorat as it is called in the native language, Catalan, is a small, isolated region 100 miles west of Barcelona, in northeast Spain. It's steep, with horrible, rocky soils that cause the vines to struggle to produce few measly grapes. Funny enough -- this is THE recipe for great wine. Grapevines that produce fewer berries, that need to dig deep for nutrients, but that are grown at elevation and have a good amount of sun exposure and low rainfall produce the finest wines in the world. Priorat is a candidate for this title.

The area has a special soil called llicorella (I can say that in Spanish, but I don't know how it's said in Catalan, if you know, let me know please!), which is brown slate and mica. It reflects sunlight and conserves heat to really ripen the grapes, which grow on steep terraces at altitude. The topsoil is thick and heavy, so the vines have to dig deep down into the ground for water and nutrition. The temperature is extreme -- with long, freezing winters and very hot summers. There's nearly no rain here. Sounds kind of harsh, no? Well, it is but that's why the wine is so damn good!

The region follows the same pattern as the rest of Spain from an historical bent -- Carthusian monks came in and set up shop. The Prior had control (hence Priorat, the name of the region). About 2000 years later, in the 1830s, the state took over the land from the church. Unfortunately a few decade later the vineyards were destroyed by disease and replanted with almonds and olives. Wine wasn't put on the map again until the 1980s when René Barbier and Álvaro Palacios came from Rioja and started making kick-ass wine mostly of Garnacha (Grenache), Cariñena (a native grape called Carignan in France), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Robert Parker, the then Don of the wine critic world (you know, before Wine For Normal People came along, of course! I kid, I kid!), gave rave reviews. Prices shot up and this little region never looked back.

Priorat and Rioja are the only two regions that can claim to be regions of the highest quality or DOCa. Pretty big stuff and easy to understand once you've had one of the wines from either of these places, but especially Priorat. The Vall Llach Embriux (means bewitching, FYI) is the bottom of the line for Priorat and is still one of the most delicious wines I've had all year. The winery is the pride and joy of opera singer Lluis Llatch, who founded it in 1992.

I do warn you about this wine, if you like rich wines and try it, you are in trouble. This can only lead to more desire for more Priorat wines and complete annihilation of your wallet...but I gotta say, it may be worth it. It really IS kind of bewitching!

The Wine: Vall Llach Embriux
Where It's From: Priorat(o), Spain
The Grapes:38% Garnacha, 26% Cariñena, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 6% Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Price: $29.99

Color: Nearly opaque, this wine was crimson or blood red. It looked dark and rich, and was unique in color. Since this didn't show any purple tones (usually wines that are purple are less acidic) and was red as red can be, I was thinking that the wine would be on the acidic side, which I really love.

Smell: This was so perfumed and it had a dozen layers to it. First it was like dark violets and wet potting soil. Then it was blackberry, blueberry, and plum. The wine required a ton of decanting or swirling -- with that aromas just kept on coming, as more air broke up the chemical compounds in the wine and let it come out of its shell. Tobacco, cedar chips. and dark cinnamon/nutmeg smells popped out of the glass. It had high alcohol, so there was a bit of the cilia singe effect, but with all the other cascading aroma it just added to the mix of goodness. What a wine.

Taste: Stunning. The taste was like the smell and the texture just added to the experience. It was creamy and silky and soft but also had great acid and was dry. My mouth felt both massaged by the wine and cleaned out by it. It was a great sensation and one that you can only get when you start heading up the quality scale in wine. This fired on all cylinders.

Food: As I am wont to say -- this requires some sort of brown food/sauce. Mushrooms for the vegetarians (always a staple in Spanish tapas, FYI), tuna for the fish-etarians, and beef stew, roasted or stewed red meat are what this wine requires. Anything lighter in flavor and this wine will kill the dish. Powerful wine needs rich, powerful food.

Drink or Down the Sink?: This wine (or their higher tiers which I'm sure are otherworldly) or another equally delicious wine from one of the 85 producers in Priorat HAS to be on your list of reasonable splurge wines. As normal people, we're not drinking $30 bottles every night, but next time you're in the market for something a little nicer, do it. I swear you won't regret it if you like rich red wines. There are three places, in my opinion, where Garnacha/Grenache blends kick serious butt -- Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhöne, South Australia, and here, in Priorat. Drink it.

How to Shop For a Wine Similar To This One: Here's the deal: It's easy to find the Spanish reds section these days, but not as easy to find wines from Priorat. I find a lot of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, some Monastrell (great bargains and delicious, so grab that too! We had the brand Hecula and it was rad), and an occasional Garnacha but shops are a little light on the Priorat. I'd recommend seeking out a shop that has more than one wine from here and asking about the difference in profile. They should all be really high quality, but the person running the shop may be able to tell you the small differences between the brands (if not, hop online and look for tasting notes, or email me and I'll try help you!). Either that or just order the Embruix online -- you won't regret it!
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Garnacha de Fuego -- good stuff in a tacky bottle

So the marketers completely messed up on the packaging, making this look like an Elvis costume after everything went bad (there are flames on the bottle)...but the wine is pretty damn good so give it a shot.

The Wine: Garnacha de Fuego
Grape: Garnacha, aka Grenache, aka delicious
Vintage: 2007
Price: $7.99 in Atlanta

Where it's from: Calatayud, Spain (in the northeastern part of Spain, but inland)

Normal Description: As I mentioned, this bottle is so hein that I wasn't sure what to think. A gamble for sure. This woman in the shop that I sometimes go to recommended it, and, to be honest, I wanted to see what she defined as good so I could see if I could trust her taste (I'm bad, but I swear this is a good technique to test your local wine talent). Turns out -- she's not half bad.

The wine is no pansy garnacha with wimpy flavor or brown edges. It's kind of a big deal, actually, and that may be because it's made from old vines (story of why old vines make kick ass wine is for another time). The wine is super dark and plum colored. Good sign for a garnacha. The nose BOWLED me over. Unbelievable dark spice. M.C. Eis (my husband) and I were so excited about its nose that we hit the spice rack to figure out what we were smelling (YES, we are HUGE nerds). We came up with nutmeg, tamarind, and agreed that there were also some other non-curry Indian spices that we're too uncultured to know. The flavor was similar to the nose. Not much fruit character (typical of European wines. Even in a hot climate like the one this grew in, you still get less fruit and more mineral/earth flavors). Tons of spice and pepper, which is from the grape, and also from the oak barrel it was aged in. Such a good wine for grilled stuff, meats with brown sauces, or just sipping.

Got snap or is it crap?: SNAP. I hope it's consistent and the next bottle stands up to this one. I guess I'm a believer. Viva el Fuego...

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