January's selections have arrived; please come to the shops to pick up your allocation. 

Viña Sulpicia Albillo Also known as Abilla, Albillo de Toro and Blanca del Pais,  Albillo is a well-kept Spanish secret. Grown almost exclusively on the Iberian Peninsula, even at a young age Albillo has a distinct golden-yellow hue. This grape is heavy with glycerin and usually exhibits touches of residual sugar and expressive notes of tropical fruits. Often Albillo is blended with Muscat à Petits Grains in versions of the Spanish wine Moscatel or used as a blending grape with Grenache to lighten red wines.

Albillo is found most frequently in the Spanish DOs of Toro and Rueda in the region of Castilla y Leon northwest of Madrid. It grows elsewhere in both Spain and Portugal but remains a rare and indigenous grape.

Bodegas Borsao's Tres Picos cuvée is always a high scoring cult wine, and we buy as much as we can every year.  100% old vine Garnacha (Grenache) from the Campo de Borja appelation.

While the 2008 has not yet been reviewed by the pundits, Parker gave last vintage a 91, and raved:  "The 2007 Tres Picos Garnacha is a worthy successor to previous vintages of this always remarkable value. Sourced from low yielding vineyards on the slopes of Moncayo Mountain, the wine was aged half in stainless steel and half in French oak for 10 months. Purple-colored, it offers up sexy aromas of cedar, underbrush, mineral, and black cherry. This leads to a layered, intense, spicy, rich Garnacha with gobs of succulent fruit, excellent balance, and a plush finish. This may well be the finest Tres Picos to date. It is likely to improve in the bottle for 2-3 years but there is no reason to delay your gratification."

Year in and year out this is simply one of the most delicious wines out there, and also one of the most-requested by our customers. While big and juicy this displays great openness and complexity of flavor for under $20. A continuation of the black raspberry found on the nose is presented in a bright, tangy way backed by finely ground white pepper, dried herbs and a warm clay-like earthiness. This wine is packed with flavor and it keeps coming throughout the meaty, iron rich finish.

RECIPES

For the Abillo:  Stuffed Olives with Rosemary and Smoked Paprika Aioli Serves 8

These spicy, meaty, tangy stuffed olives will make excellent cocktail bites paired with this month's Spanish white.

* 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
* 2 egg yolks
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
* 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
* 40 large green olives, such as green Bella di Cerignola
* For deep-frying: vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups plain flour
* 4 eggs, lightly beaten
* 7 ounces fine fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
* 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
* 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
* 1 lemon, finely grated rind only
* 4 ounces dry mild salami, coarsely chopped
* 4 ounces ground veal
* 4 ounces ground pork
* 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, dry-roasted and finely ground

Combine the garlic with a pinch of sea salt in a mortar and, using a pestle, crush to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in egg yolks, rosemary, smoked paprika and mustard, then add olive oil in a thin steady stream, whisking continuously until incorporated, adding a little warm water if aïoli becomes too thick. Season to taste with sea salt.

Process the salami in a food processor until it forms a fine paste. Add the veal, pork and fennel seeds and process until mixture just comes together. Season to taste and roll into 40 even balls. Refrigerate until required.
Remove pits from olives, either by peeling the flesh from around the pit in one piece using a small paring knife, or by using a pitter, then cutting a slit in the flesh to open into a flat piece.
Stuff each piece of olive with a ball of mince mixture and set aside. Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate bowls and, working with one stuffed olive at a time, coat in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. Meanwhile, preheat oil in a deep fryer or deep-sided saucepan to 350F. Deep-fry the olives in batches until golden and cooked through (4-5 minutes).
Meanwhile, combine rosemary, sea salt and lemon rind in a large bowl. Reserve half for serving, then toss olives through remaining salt mixture and serve immediately with the extra salt and alioli for dipping.


For the Garnacha: Pomegranate & Cherry Braised Pork serves six

This seasonal spicy, fruity and succulent pork dish works incredibly well with young fruity Garnacha based wines.

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds pork shoulder
salt and pepper
* 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 onion, diced
* 4 garlic cloves, halved
1 cup pomegranate juice
* 1 cup dry red wine
* 1 cup light beef stock
* 2 Navel oranges, juice with skin removed and cut into strips
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup dried sour cherries
* 2 sprigs of thyme
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

The night before rub the pork shoulder with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and the smoked paprika. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Set the oven to 275F.

Set a large oven-proof casserole over medium heat. Heat the olive oil, then sear the pork for about 5 minutes on each side until a golden brown char forms. Add the onion and garlic cloves to the pot, and cook a few minutes until the onions soften. Add the juices, wine and stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes to slightly reduce the liquids and skim and skim any fat from the top. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and transfer to the oven and cook for about 3 hours until the shoulder is very tender. Remove the meat and cherries from the pot and place on a large platter. Strain the liquid and return to the pot and reduce to a nice syrupy consistency. Pour over the pork and serve.

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