Bodegas Berberana Rioja Viña Alarde Reserva ~ A Great Summer Red

Once the temperatures start soaring, I tend to put away red wine until Fall. The scorching Florida heat paired with extremely high levels of humidity completely put me off red and instead I search for chilled, fruitier, lighter wines. That was until I discovered Bodegas Berberana Rioja Viña Alarde Reserva (2006). Tempranillo isn't a grape that I often tried, but this bottle will definitely have me exploring other labels. Florida obviously has a strong Spanish/Latin history, and Sarasota certainly has no shortage of that flavor. I suppose it is only natural that a Spanish wine would suit our summer climes.

The predominant flavors were black cherry and plum, but had subtle notes of tobacco, which made it the perfect pairing for our evening...

We had half a Cuban cigar from a recent trip to Ybor City, so decided to finish is off on the lanai with an Uno marathon. The Latin Jazz and Salsa program on WMNF provided the perfect soundtrack for the evening.