Today is a day to celebrate a specific varietal of the red wine family, namely the Tempranillo grape. If you asked me 5 years ago if I ever thought I’d be celebrating a grape variety, let alone a specific wine, I would’ve laughed at you. But, here I am: just a crazy food blogger searching for relevant content! I am by no means an expert in viticulture, but the Tempranillo grape is actually a black grape used to make red wine. While you can find monovarietal bottles of Tempranillo-only wine, it is more often combined with other red grapes, such as Garnacha, and bottled as Rioja, and should be served slightly chilled, around 50-60 degrees. Rioja, of course, is also the name of a region in northern Spain surrounded primarily by the Castile y Leon, Basque, and Navarro regions.
What does Tempranillo wine taste like? Well, it’s lightly fruity, pretty acidic, and is tannin forward which provides texture to the wine and coats your tongue, and leaves a dry sensation afterwards. All that being said, not a wine you’d just pour for yourself while relaxing and watching a show on television. It is meant to be paired with some delicious food…and that I do know! Primarily, you want to go fatty and flavorful and have I got a lovely seasonal-specific dish for you: lamb stew. The stew comes together in about 2 hours and is reminiscent of pot roast, and even similar to Irish Shepherd’s Pie. The bright acidity of Tempranillo/Rioja really strikes a balance on your palate and the wine shines as the co-star to this hearty meal.
Spanish Lamb Stew
This is a hearty, albeit lighter, stew which incorporates white wine. But, if you’re looking for a deep, dark, rich stew, try this other Tempranillo-braised Lamb Stew which I made earlier this year during my Culinary Ridealong of La Vuelta. If you use a boneless leg of lamb, be sure to trim the meat of its silverskin at the muscle junctures.
⅓ cup olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 lbs of lamb shoulder or boneless leg, cut into rough 1” chunks
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 garlic clove, minced
3 carrots, sliced ¼” thick
Ground cloves
Thyme
Bay leaf
⅓ cup Albariño (or other dry, acidic white wine)
2 medium-sized turnips, peeled and diced
3 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
½ cup each of chicken and beef stock
Heat the oil in a dutch oven, over medium heat. Add in the onion, with a pinch of salt, and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add in the lamb and season liberally with Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 12 minutes, until the meat is browned and the contents begin to foam.
Then, stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and a pinch of ground cloves, cooking for about a minute, until fragrant. Add in a sprig or two of thyme, the bay leaf, and the wine. Stir to combine and cover, reducing the heat to medium-low, cooking for 45 minutes. Give the pot contents a stir every 15 minutes.
After 45 minutes, add in the turnips and potatoes, along with the stocks and a cup of water and a pinch of salt. Stir, cover and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low, crack the lid, and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Taste for any seasoning needs. Serve in bowls with some fresh thyme and a glass of Rioja or Tempranillo wine.
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Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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