A little Wine in the Afternoon

On this beautiful Friday afternoon we walked over the Brooklyn bridge from downtown Manhattan and on reaching Dumbo, chose a small cafe for lunch. Being rather thirsty from our long walk we would normally have begged for champagne but an Orvieto and a Rioja caught our fancy.

Orvieto is an Italian wine region located in Umbria and Lazio, centered around the commune of Orvieto. It is primarily known for its white wines made from a blend of mostly Grechetto and Trebbiano. The hills in this area with their tufa limestone and volcanic soil contribute to the crisp, dry and slightly bitter style which is best drunk young and paired with cheese, fruit salads, and fish.

The Rioja is a famous wine growing region in Spain categorised into 3 subdivisions- Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. The main grape varietal of this region is the Tempranillo grape, early ripening and hence the source of it's name -Tempranillo, which translates to "little early one". Tempranillo wines can be consumed young, but the most expressive are aged well for several years in oak barrels. The wines are ruby red in colour, with aromas and flavors of strawberry, spice and fresh tobacco.