Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial is indeed a Special Selection #WorldWineTravel

This lovely bottle of Spanish wine from the Castille and Leon area is a blend of Temperanillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  It is a deep and complex.  It would stand up very nicely to a big hunk of grilled steak but I chose to pair it with Balsamic Braised Chicken.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Welcome to World Wine Travel.  Today we are visiting Castilla y Leon.......

This is a map of the wine regions in Castilla y Leon as found on Spanish-Wines.org.  Castile and Leon is an autonomous community located in Northwestern Spain. It is a high plateau that is ringed with mountains and it borders Portugal.

Castile and Leon is one of the most important wine regions of Spain.  It has several popular DOs (denominations of origin) including Toro, Bierzo, Ruedo and Ribera del Duero.  The Castile and Leon Vino de la Tierra title covers the entire wine region and has much less restrictions than other areas.  (Source:winetourism.com).

I knew absolutely nothing about this area when Allison of AdVineTuresinvited us to join her in this month's event.  You can learn more about this area and our group at Allison's post. 

I am very anxious to read what the others know and will share both in their posts and on twitter chat on Saturday at 11 AM ET.  You will find us by following #WorldWineTravel.  These are some of the topics we will be discussing........

• Allison of AdVINEtures declares Ribera del Duero: Spain’s Rising Star.
• Co-host Lynn of Savor the Harvest introduces us to Unconventional in Castilla y Leon – Ismael Gozalo and MicroBio Wines.
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla pairs Patatas a lo Pobre + Losada Bierzo 2017.
• Steve of Children of the Grape explores Hemingway and the Plains of Spain.
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm explains why Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial is indeed a Special Selection.
• Terri at Our Good Life is Exploring Castilla y Leon Through Wine and Food.
• David at Cooking Chat tempts us with his Steak Picado Recipe with Ribera del Duero Wine.
• Jeff of Food Wine Click! reveals A Different Take on Castilla y Leon.
• Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog discusses Mesmerizing Mencia – The Star Grape of Bierzo; 2018 Raúl Pérez Ultreia St-Jacques.
• Lisa The Wine Chef reveals Castilla y Leon, Home of Spain’s Best Kept Secret: Wine, Dine and Stay in an Luxe 12th Century Abbey Overlooking World-Class Vineyards.
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles shares Rueda and Verdejo Just Keep Rolling with the #1 White Wine in Spain!
• Nicole at Somm's Table tells us about A Phenomenal Feast at Emilio Moro.
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass discusses Rueda Verdejo – A Crisp White Alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.
• Susannah at Avvinare is Exploring Rueda’s Signature Grape, Verdejo.
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish shares Dominio del Pidio Albillo: Tasting an Unusual Spanish White Wine in Miami.
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator posts Cristina Forner Leads Marques de Cacerés: Her Verdejo from Rueda with Barbacoa Tacos.

Having no previous knowledge of this area and it's wines I really wasn't sure what to expect nor what to pair with it.  The wine was not overly expensive but was more than I normally spend for a wine to have with a weeknight dinner costing about $30.  

I read several articles about this wine while trying to decide what meal I would like to make to pair with it.  I was making a recipe for Chicken Braised in Balsamic Vinegar and thought that it might make a nice pairing with this Cabernet/Temperanillo blend.  

Was it a perfect pairing?  No.  Was it a reasonably good pairing?  I believe so.  The wine is fruity with hints of dark chocolate.  It stood up well to the richness of the dish and the sweet tartness of the vinegar.  I will be sharing the recipe on this blog on April 8th and you will want to come back for it because it is a wonderfully comforting dish that I'm sure you will enjoy.

This bottle of Special Select wine is truly special.  It is my kind of wine....deep, dark, and smooth.  My husband and I enjoyed the rest of the bottle after dinner and both agreed that while it was food friendly, food is definitely not needed to enjoy this bottle.