Wine Wednesday: Bodega Monteabellon 2010 "Avaniel"

I feel kind of like a lush bringing you back to back posts on alcohol! From Spirit Saturday to Wine Wednesday this week has been kind of crazy and not allowed me to post something in between. My apologies for another alcohol centric post, but I'll have more recipes, and hopefully, an outfit post coming soon.

This week's wine is a great wine for easy drinking in the fall, winter or with some great bbq! Today I bring you a Tempranillo from Spain, and more specifically, the Ribera del Duero region. This week's wine is the Bodega Monteabellon's 2010 "Avaniel."

Photo courtesy of Portalis Wine Blog

Ribera del Duero is an important wine region in north central Spain. It is a large valley straddling both sides of the Duero river and most known for it's Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) production. It became a qualitative region, by receiving it's DO status in 1982, but is on the rise as one of the most notable regions in Spain. Ribera del Duero has extremete temperature changes from very cold winters to very hot temperatures, averaging 104 degrees Farenheit! It's growing season is short and snakes along the Duero with a variety of soil types of silt, clay, limestone and chalk. The Duero is also known for producing long lived wines, however I will be sharing with you a nice, easy drinking everyday wine.

Avaniel is a great value wine ($9.99 retail) from Bodegas Monteabellon comprised of 100% Tempranillo from various sites in the Duero. This wine is sourced from young vines of 6-10 years and is unoaked giving the wine a beautiful lively, fruit forward and fresh palate. It has aromas of plums, violets, green olives, fried padrons, cigar box and vanilla. The palate has low acidity, plums, cherry, nutmeg, clove, cured meat and fried padrons. This would be a great wine to pair with grilled vegetables, grilled lean steak, bbq, or roasted tomato dishes. We enjoyed this wine with a pesto, cherry tomato and farro salad and paninis.