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Five food and wine pairings from Northern Spain

Nuria Stylianou
Friday 21 October 2016 17:00 BST
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Sherry is originally produced in the region of Jerez
Sherry is originally produced in the region of Jerez

Rías Baixas in north-western Spain has much in common with the south-west of England. With the Atlantic spread out between them, both regions are dominated by a humid maritime climate with mild winters, relatively cool summers – compared to the rest of Spain, anyway – and heavy annual rainfall.

Another common link between these two coastal areas is the abundance of superb seafood and shellfish, for which the Galician coastline is a proverbial “sweetshop”, with scallops, prawns, lobster, mussels, oysters, clams, red mullet, hake and even the speciality gooseneck barnacles all found in abundance. This is also the area that produces one of Spain’s best white wines, Alberiño. Delicate handling in the winery keeps the naturally high acidity and freshness of this grape at the forefront. Drunk young, these wines complement perfectly the salinity of seafood dishes.

Paula Fandiño Pita, technical director and winemaker for Mar de Frades in Pontevedra, says: “Galicia has a privileged advantage from the climatic point of view, as these conditions of humidity and rain during many parts of the year allow Albariño grapes to ripen with the perfect balance.”

The granitic soils in the Salnés Valley also add an extraordinary complexity. “Here you can find very poor soils, with a very poor yield... offering the perfect qualities for pairing with all kinds of fish and seafood.”

You don’t even need to stick with white wines. Rioja red wines are made from the thick-skinned Tempranillo grape which, with its low acidity, also thrives in the cooler climes of northern Spain. Too much heat can easily spoil its red fruit charm. A young or “joven” Rioja is a great partner for clams, their sweetness matched with the strawberry-scented wine.

Luckily, we need only travel to Galicia by way of the bottle, as autumn is one of the best times for eating seafood from our own Devonshire coastline. Mitch Tonks, chef and owner of the renowned Seahorse restaurant in Dartmouth, says: “ The water cools, fishing is good and shellfish like mussels are at their best, and Native oysters are well in season.”

Don’t delay – get your fridge stocked with these:

Mar de Frades Albariño Brut Nature

£21.60, Sommelier’s Choice. Buy it here

Citrus, white stone fruit and trademark high acidity, with toast and almond notes. A perfect match for oysters, according to Diego Muntoni, head sommelier at OXO Tower Restaurant in London’s South Bank. “The wine comes alive with the minerality of the oyster, the bright acidity of the Albariño together with the salinity works as a seasoning, you really don’t need anything else.”

Albariño, Mar de Frades 2015

£16, Sommelier’s Choice. Buy it here

Technical director and winemaker Paula Fandiño Pita describes Mar de Frades as “a wine that brings fresh aromas of the sea with hints of citrus and tropical fruit. The perfect combination of minerality and fruit intensity make it perfect with seafood.” The OXO Tower’s Diego Muntoni enthuses: “Eating sweet, fleshy steamed mussels with Albariño is a simple treat but also gastronomically a great experience... the two together have a synergy that few wines have…You can almost feel a little sparkle on the tongue followed by an iodine minerality.”

Cruz de Alba, 2013, Ribera del Duero Crianza

RSP £17, Ellis of Richmond. Buy it here

A fruity, modern-style of Rioja with careful use of oak to give balance and structure: pure red-berry fruit with subtle spice and a silky mouth-feel. Mitch Tonks pushes for a surprise match of clams with smoked peppers, fino sherry, peas and Romesco sauce.

Bodgas Ramon Bilbao, Rioja Vinedos de Altura 2013

£12.85, Sandhams Wines. Buy it here

Tim Mclaughlin-Green, ex-sommelier and owner of Sommelier’s Choice, says the key message about red wine and fish pairings is temperature. “Serving the wine between 14-16 degrees could be a little controversial in the UK but this is normal when drinking from the winery.” McLaughlin-Green would pair Tonks’s Galician-inspired dish of roast hake with garlic vinegar and Romesco sauce with Rioja Vinedos de Altura 2013, a blend of 50 per cent old-vine Garnacha from Rioja Baja and 50 per cent Tempranillo from Rioja Alta. Served slightly chilled, the combination of high-altitude, fresh red fruit and French oak-ageing allows the wine and fish to balance each other.

Cruz de Alba, Finca Los Hoyales

£85, Sommelier’s Choice. Call 01689 855034

And if all this talk of fish leaves you yearning for some hearty meat instead, Michelin-star restaurant Pepe Solla serves a simple pancake with smoked pork and a glass of Cruz de Alba Finca los Hoyales. This is a full-flavoured dish. “The smokiness of the pork and its soft bite are at the same level as the wine,” adds Muntoni. ”The wine is elegant and intense with a silky texture…with black fruit aromas of ripe brambles and cassis, and opens up with root spice and a dusty smokiness of toast.”

Nuria Stylianou is our WSET-qualified wine and spirits columnist. Email her on nuria.stylianou@gmail.com and follow her on Instagram @nu_on_the_vine

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