VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1
FEBRUARY 2010
IN THIS ISSUE:
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY WITH RIOJA
REMEMBER TO TALK TO US ON FACEBOOK AND TWTTER
RESPONDING TO READERS' COMMENTS - HOTEL ECHAURREN
FROM JILL’S COOKBOOK
TALK TO US
Do you have a favorite recipe and Rioja wine you’d like us to try? Have a great story about wine or Rioja that you’d like us to print? Or a question you’ve been wanting to ask about food and wine pairing, travel to Spain or other Rioja topics? Talk to us! Send us your ideas, recipes or stories. Simply contact newsletter@VibrantRioja.com
February 14th is just around the corner, and if you’re like a lot of us, you still have absolutely no idea what you’re doing with your significant other. Worse yet, you ask your friends, hoping to feel better about your lack of preparation by hearing something along the lines of, “Oh, I don’t know… maybe dinner and a movie? A generic ‘roses are red, violets are blue, you’re my favorite, and I love you’ card? Chocolates and roses? A teddy bear with a heart-shaped pillow that says ‘I love you’?”
Oh no! What are we going to do? No present? No plans? No problem!
Here’s your answer: Celebrate Valentines Day with Rioja!
Nothing says “romance” like Rioja. Speak the language of love by taking your significant other on a trip to the awe-inspiring Sierra Cantabria mountains, or to the fertile Ebro River Valley or the harsh terrain of the Calahorra region – truly an experience to enhance all the senses. After all, in Rioja you’ll find hundreds of luscious and silky reds, refreshing rosés and crisp whites. Can’t afford the trip just now? No problema. It’s all in the bottle.
Going to a restaurant for dinner? Make dinner romantic by pairing your food with a delicious Rioja. You can even impress your date with your knowledge of wine and food-pairing (you can find hints here). How about impressing your date with your culinary prowess? You can use the special Valentine’s Day romantic recipe by our very own Jill Paradiso in this issue or go to the recipes page at www.vibrantrioja.com. Let the romancing begin!
Tell us your Valentine’s Day stories on Facebook and Twitter! Make sure you follow us on Twitter @RiojaWine and become a fan of Rioja Wine on Facebook.
We have received a good amount of emails asking us for places to stay or eat in Rioja. Today, we’re going to focus on the hotel and restaurant El Echaurren. You can always go to the ‘visit’ section of www.vibrantrioja.com to look for options.
Like the mix of old and new traditions, fifth generation Riojanos Francis and José Félix Paniego bring out the best in Rioja at their hotel and restaurant Echaurren, in Ezcaray. Located a mere 30 kilometers from Haro – the region’s wine center – and 17 kilometers from the ski resort Valdezcaray, Echaurren offers a truly unique tourism experience. Boasting the only Michelin star in the region, Echaurren offers a breathtaking, relaxed and rich scenery.
It all began in 1698 when a series of shops opened up in front of the church of Ezcaray, right in the valley of the Río Oja. Then, in 1861, Pedro Echaurren and his wife, Andrea García, acquired the shops and modified them to fit the needs of the time. In 1957, their granddaughter, Marisa Sánchez, placed Echaurren in the gastronomical map thanks to her home dishes and traditional Riojan recipes. Today, Francis and José Félix have expanded the business to include a more informal restaurant (El Comilón), El Portal Echaurrent (only Michelin star in the region) and a renovation of the hotel.
After a satisfying day touring Rioja’s finest wineries, there’s nothing better than coming to the town of Ezcaray and walk its streets or experience the gastronomy offered. Hotel Echaurren will help organize everything you might need: from visiting wineries, to meals, car rentals, wine tastings and much, much more. If you’re planning to visit Rioja in the future, consider Hotel Echaurren as the perfect destination.
Contact information:
Hotel Echaurren
Padre José García, 19.
Ezcaray (La Rioja)
Phone: 941 35 40 47
Website: www.echaurren.com
FROM JILL’S COOKBOOK – Cheese Fondue
Jill Paradiso is a classically trained chef that has worked in the kitchens of Mario Batali and Jean-Georges Vongerichten – you might recognize them. She has also done recipe development for Martha Stewart, Whole Foods Markets, and Dean and Deluca and she’s been kind enough to share some of her recipes with us.
Fondue is for lovers! For our first Valentine's Day together, my boyfriend made me cheese fondue. Needless to say, he won my heart...Use a Rioja barrel fermented white in the recipe and save the rest of the bottle to serve with the fondue!
CHEESE FONDUE
Serves: 4 appetizer portions
Note: if you don't have a fondue pot you can make this in a double boiler
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, peeled
3/4 cup white wine
4 oz gruyere, grated (1 1/2 cups)
4 oz emmenthal, grated (1 1/2 cups)
4 oz raclette, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tsp white pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon kirsch (optional)
1/2 baguette, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups raw vegetables (your choice!), cut into 1-inch pieces
Directions:
1. Rub inside of fondue put with garlic clove, then discard garlic.
2. Heat wine in fondue pot on medium high setting. When wine starts to bubble, slowly add in cheese, 1 handful at a time, stirring constantly.
3. Whisk lemon juice and cornstarch together then add to cheese mixture.
4. Heat another five minutes, stirring occasionally. Mixture should be smooth and bubbling slightly.
5. Finish with white pepper and kirsch- serve immediately!
