Dinner Tonight: Tapas and Tempranillo from Bodegas Beronia

Although I can’t travel internationally yet, I’ve been musing about past journeys to favorite countries. One of those places is Spain where I indulged in my fair share of tapas and Tempranillo! Why Tempranillo? Thanks to its variety of styles, there was a wine for anything I happened to choose from the broad tapas menu. From croquetas (fried bite sized croquettes of shrimp, cheese, or ham) to higados de pollo al vino de Jerez (chicken livers braised in sherry) to garlic laden shrimp scampi to chewy chipirones (small, grilled squid), I found a Tempranillo ready to be poured into my glass!

Just recently, I was sent as a sample Beronia Crianza 2017 produced in Rioja. The Rioja region in the northeast area of Spain is surrounded by mountains and the River Ebro runs through it. Rioja wines are mostly made from the Tempranillo grape, a base of most blends that may include Garnacha (Grenache), Mazuelo and Graziano grapes. For more about the region of Rioja, click here.

Bodegas Beronia was founded in 1973 by a group of business friends from the Basque country who came to the Rioja region in search of the best wine to accompany their “gastronomic get-together,” called Txoko in Basque. Not satisfied with the offerings available at the time, they flexed their entrepreneurial muscles by forming Bodegas Beronia, soon to become a multi-award winning Rioja winery with a motto “The Best Foods Deserve the Best Wines.” By 1982, Bodegas Beronia was integrated into the Gonzalez Byass Family of Wine group and began their expansion into international markets.

The first of two bottles sent was a 750ml ($14.99) and the second, a 350ml ($7.99). (I love the smaller bottle, offered by the producer for the first time, since it’s perfect as a single serving for social distanced gatherings!) Beronia Crianza 2017 is a blend of 94% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha, and 1% Mazuelo produced in a traditional Rioja style while simultaneously expressing plenty of its own personality.

Paired with a rich, flavorful sandwich of Jamon Iberico (ham from acorn fed black pigs of the Iberico breed) the Beronia Crianza 2017 was mouthwatering. On the nose, I found herbs such as thyme and hint of rosemary, baking spice, bright cherries, and crushed blueberries. The palate was balanced with integrated tannins and food friendly acidity and suggested elements of cocoa, vanilla and red fruit. Aged in mixed oak barrels made of American staves and French tops for 12 months, vanilla notes from the American staves and spice from the French oak were up front and center. Drink now or anytime before 2022.

According to legend, tapas originated in Andalusia in the latter 1800s as a complimentary snack to be enjoyed after breakfast coffee and before lunch.  The small nibble was placed on a saucer covering the top of a glass of mid-morning sherry with hopes that the flies would stay away from the drink! Restaurateurs discovered that patrons lingered with their small bites, asked for more in their glass, and stayed for a mid-afternoon lunch. Now tapas are served everywhere and enjoyed with a variety of wines…including Beronia Rioja Crianza 2017!

Cheers! ~ Cindy

For more, enjoy the following video from Crush on This where profiled are three outstanding wines, one of which is Bodegas Beronia 2015 Rioja Reserva. 

For your free infographic, “4 Keys to a Stellar Wine Pick,” click here.