As the countdown to Christmas begins, it also means the start of dinner party season. If you’re planning to host, Campo Viejo has revealed its top wine tips to impress any party guest and make this festive season memorable. Sit back, pop a bottle and enjoy!
Food and Drink on Female First
Pair your bubbles with something unusual, for a welcome with a wow
Pass on prosecco and pimp any glass of sparkling with a visual display of herbs, stone fruit or even rose petals for a show-stopping welcome which will truly wow your guests. A delicate glass of bubbles looks so pretty with fresh roses, so set the scene and start your dinner party in style – plus the floral scents will relax your guest into the evening. Win win.
Wine Tip: Adding crystallised rose (edible) petals, lemon and some grenadine/rose syrup will turn Gran Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva into a fantastic sparkling cocktail.
Take your guests on a journey of discovery
Surprise your party guests by having a bottle of Tempranillo Blanco, a white version of the beloved red Rioja grape varietal. The elegant wine is the result of more than three years of hard work and dedication from Campo Viejo’s all-female wine making team. Discovering a new classic will be hard to forget – so choose a unique bottle of something different but from a winery you trust.
Wine Tip: Serve a glass of chilled Viura Tempranillo Blanco with a cold seafood platter or alongside a lovely cheese plate featuring salty cheeses like parmesans and goat’s cheese.
Still deciding on your menu? Stock up on versatile wine
The distinctive Spanish grape Garnacha is your perfect partner-in-crime when you’re still deciding what to serve up, as it’s a tremendously versatile grape. This spicy and intensely fruity wine goes beautifully with a flavourful fish dish like cod.
And if you are not a fish-lover, never fear, the spiciness of Garnacha pairs well with a variety of spiced and herb-filled dishes such as roasted or braised red meats like beef, game and pork. It also goes with roasted root vegetables, grilled peppers and aubergines, and tomato-based dishes. For fans of Asian dishes, Garnacha complements lightly spiced Asian dishes like Thai-style grilled skewers.
Wine Tip: It is a little-known fact that Garnacha is actually the same grape as the renowned French Grenache, one of the most planted grape varieties in the world; even ahead of the popular Sauvignon Blanc.
Take comfort to the next level
Winter dinner parties are all about making your guests feel extra cosy and instantly at home. Even if you don’t have your own roaring fire, bring them a cuddle in a glass by serving up a beautiful Gran Reserva.
Campo Viejo’s impressive red is aged for a minimum of five years and spends at least 24 months in French oak casks and American oak casks before rounding off in the bottle for a minimum of 24 months. The result is a complex yet elegant expression of premium Rioja vines that packs uniquely fruity characters into a modern classic.
Wine Tip: There’s a lovely story behind the tradition of the gold wire netting on bottles of Gran Reserva, which dates back to 1858 when the oldest bodegas in Rioja was founded. Enterprising thieves would steal empty bottles of popular wine, fill them with cheap table wine and sell them on. The gold mesh, which was too expensive for counterfeiters, was introduced bywineries to separate their quality wines and other leading winemakers of Rioja quickly adopted the same practice, which led to the mesh becoming an indicator of quality in itself.
Sharing dishes work well; no need for those individual portion sizes
Recently we visited the Casa Campo Viejo supper club, where we were treated to a delightful five courses paired with differentwines – the whole concept was ‘made for sharing’ which proved to be an instant success and the perfect way to host your own dinner party.
Bringing people together - whether that’s friends and family or even complete strangers who have never met one another before - to share dishes encourages conversation and laughter and ensures no one will go hungry.
Wine Tip: Campo Viejo’s three entrepreneurs: Juan Alcorta, Jose Ortiguela and Jose Bezares wanted to share their passion to create a world that would bring families and friends together around a table to share food, wine and laughter – so the brand they created continues to embody the ethos of made for sharing.
Night cap? Think sparkling
Traditionally sparkling wine is consumed at the start of an evening but why not end the night by popping a bottle of Gran Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva; a refined, highly versatile and dessert friendly wine. It is the ideal partner to serve alongside a lime or lemon sorbet, sweet strawberries, fresh pears or crispy apples.
Wine Tip: Serve a glass of Cava with a fluffy ball of candy floss on top. When it breaks it melts with the cava to make wonderfully delicious bubbles – a dessert and night cap in one.
Tagged in Wine