Drink this one by the glass, by itself, or drink it for the halibut. Mozares Rueda Verdejo 2006 is an ideal accompaniment to a wild halibut taco and broccoli slaw.
Verdejo is the predominate grape variety in Rueda, a trendy white wine region located northwest of Madrid. The Rueda wine industry dates back 1000 or more years, but has seen a resurgence since the end of Franco's rule (1975). White wines from Rueda are required to be at least 50% Verdejo, with Sauvignon Blanc typically blended in.
Mozares Verdejo is bright, pale lemon gold in the glass. You get aromas of green apple and quince, plus herbal undertones of fennel or dill, plus a flinty minerality. The taste is tart, crisp, and refreshing, without a hint of manipulation or wood anywhere to be found. Those herbal tendencies are just perfect for cold water mild fish, which for me means halibut - when I can find and afford high quality wild caught from the northwest. The fish is the star, and the Mozares Verdejo makes it sparkle plenty.
Price: $10 (Nashville). Closure" Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.
Besides wine, Spain is also known for its sunflowers. The bright sunny quality of Mozares inspired me to capture this photo in my Tennessee garden today. The sunflowers are all mixed in with the heirloom tomato plants this year, a result of feeding the birds this past winter. We resisted the temptation to "weed" them out and they make great companions to the tomatoes, as they help hold up the tomato vines and attract bees and butterflies.
"The butterfly is a flying flower, the flower a tethered butterfly." - Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun










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