Wow-Worthy Wine and Food Pairings from DO Montsant

If there’s one skill I’ve honed in the past several years, it’s sipping wine with a variety of foods. Thanks to my wine writing “job” (best position ever, by the way), I’ve had invitations to indulge in memorable breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and receptions that focus on international wines paired with local or regional fare. But that’s not all. Often, these wine and food pairing experiences have included winemakers, winery owners, or others in the wine industry with whom I’ve been able to have a meaningful, if not lively, conversation. Imagine my delight when all of the aforementioned endeavors came true during a recent press trip to DO Montsant.

Our trip was an intense palate-pleasing immersion in all things DO Montsant, a wine region only 90 minutes from Barcelona (click here to read my first article). For each of three days, our group of wine writers and educators visited fourteen wineries and spent plenty of time lingering over delicious food and exceptional wines in local restaurants. Although one winemaker told me “We don’t eat like this every day!” (all of us knew exactly what he meant, because we don’t either), we were grateful to learn from each other, enjoy thoughtfully prepared dishes, and experiment with which wines paired best.

The foods I discovered were simple and authentic, fresh and flavorful. Indigenous to the area are almonds, hazelnuts, olives, and olive oil; they were found on the tables at almost every meal. Dressings on the salads were light, seafood dishes were creatively prepared, and sauces never overpowered the meats. During each meal at Quinoa, Hostal Sport, Celler d’Aspic, and Mas Trucafort, I was in food and wine pairing paradise.

The wines! Those from DO Montsant are flavorful and rich; the whites, reds, and rosés offer natural acidity, an element that helps any wine complement a range of cuisine. Following are a few of my best-loved foods while in Montsant and on-point wines for pairing. I encourage you to click on the link to each wine so that you, too, can explore the stories of these intriguing regional wineries.

Colorful, Textured Salads

What better way to begin a meal than with a fresh salad bursting with color, texture, and flavor? Those we enjoyed included an assortment of fresh vegetables, ripe berries, a variety of nuts, shaved cheese, and so much more. With a light-handed drizzle of olive oil and spices as a dressing, these salads were refreshing, healthy, and incredibly delicious.

Although I tasted a few red wines, I always returned for sips of exceptional, silky whites that were just as captivating as the salads themselves. The Saint Bru Blanc 2013, of 85% Garnatxa Blanca and 15% Garnatxa from Portal del Montsant, exuded floral and tropical fruit notes. Having had the Acústic Cellars Blanc 2016 on a vineyard hillside earlier, I was thrilled to have another sip of this broad and refreshing blend of Garnatxa Blanca, Macabeo, Pansal, and Garnatxa Roja. My first taste of Vinyes Domenech Rita 2016, cultivated on calcareous soil in biodynamic vineyards, was complex and elegant; I anticipated a visit to the winery the following day for more. Last, but certainly not least, each sip of the broad and structured Josep Grau Viticultor Granit, a wine of organically cultivated Garnatxa Blanca, expressed beautiful aromatics, minerality, high acidity, fruit and just a hint of herbal notes.

Fresh Seafood

Thanks to Montsant’s proximity to the sea (only 20 miles from the coastal town of Tarragona), fresh, succulent seafood is readily available. One of my favorite dishes was jumbo shrimp, green peppers, artichokes, and onions grilled to perfection then immersed in a savory, spice filled sauce. Next, lightly cooked (or was it grilled?) sardines held court atop a salad of greens, Spanish olives, and romesco sauce. One evening, our starter was a smoked salmon blini with capers and a dollop of avocado puree. Are you salivating yet? An unusual dish (for me, at least) was salted cod mousse under a basil leaf, green onions, aioli sauce, pine nuts, and a sliver of grilled cod (in another form!). Just delicious…

If you guessed that white wines with plenty of acidity and minerality were my preferred choices for pairing, you’re correct. The Bruberry Blanc 2016, 80% Garnatxa Blanca and 20% Macabeu from Portal del Montsant, was bright and lively with notes of fleshy peach and tropical fruit.  From Mas de L’Abundancia was de Calpino of 100% Garnatxa Blanca. Elements of natural fruit and brilliant minerality led to a lip smacking finish – I was more than satisfied.

Other elegant wines paired beautifully with seafood: rosés. The Coca I Fito Rosa, a dry, rich, and structured rosé of Syrah from a single vineyard, presented notes of cherries, dried currants, and minerality; this was a lovely pairing with the shrimp and vegetables. The Cap de Ruc Rosat 2017, of 50% Syrah and 50% Garnatxa from Celler Ronadelles, offered fresh and intense red fruit aromas and flavors… with a touch of toffee on the finish.

Savory Meats

I’ll be the first to admit: I usually forgo red meat when I’m at home. But during this trip, I had plenty of reasons to bend my own rules!

I quickly learned that chefs in Montsant consider fire and smoke crucial ingredients. If grilled seafood dishes weren’t enough, I tasted blood sausages (for the first time and loved each bite) perfectly arranged in a hot casserole dish filled with fava beans and roasted potatoes. Grilled sausages, artichokes, and pork chops were still smoking from the fire as individual grills were placed on each table. Juicy pork chops, potatoes, and grilled tomatoes satisfied my palate at lunch as did a rich and creamy squid ink risotto with shredded pork and vegetables.

Bring on an array of classic, sophisticated red wines from DO Montsant for exceptional pairings! Coco I Fito 2013 was a mesmerizing choice of 100% Garnatxa from a single vineyard of 70 year-old vines. Aged for one year in French oak, this velvety wine expressed notes of sweet spice, luscious red fruit, and a hint of herbs. I was thrilled to see Cellers Sant Rafel’s Joana 2017 on the table one afternoon. A blend of 83% Garnatxa and 17% Merlot, this deliciousness was young and delicate, but balanced with lively acidity, satin-like tannins, and vibrant red fruit notes.

Having just visited Celler Cairats earlier in the day, I had second sips of two of their stellar wines at lunch. The first was Cairats Seleccio 2014, a blend of Carinyena and Garnatxa. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, I explored notes of licorice, vanilla, spice, plenty of red fruit, just-right acidity and fine tannic structure. The second, Cairats 2015 was a rich blend of Garnatxa, Carinyena, and Tempranillo. Aromas of red fruit, herbs, and a garden of fragrant flowers were notable and the structured palate offered vibrant acidity, integrated tannins, and a persistent finish. Just as magnificent as I remembered at the winery was award winning Les Sorts Vinyes Vielles 2014 from Celler Masroig. Comprised of 85% Carinyena and 15% Garnatxa, the wine spent 17 months in French oak barrels, then aged for 24 months in the bottle before release. I discovered intense aromas of red and black fruit along with notes on the palate of earth, cloves, chocolate, and pepper bolstered by ripe tannins and natural acidity.

Everything Else!

It was a treat to relish in the nuances of simple desserts and I craved each taste of almonds, hazelnuts, and olives with flavors so fresh, it seemed that each was just plucked from the tree. Thoughts of the variety of cheeses and freshly baked bread dipped in Spanish olive oil still make my mouth water! More wine from DO Montsant, please!

I continue to think about the brilliant wines and regional foods that complemented each other so beautifully.  Yet, I found another perfect match. Our group of like-minded winelovers paired quite nicely indeed with a new and compelling discovery: DO Montsant.

Cheers! ~ Cindy