Craft & Cork >> Food

Have you ever had a memory so profound that a mere aroma takes you back to that specific time and place? They say that the human sense of smell is the strongest memory trigger of all of our senses so I’m not surprised we have them as often as we do.

My memories are generally food and wine related and the most recent was during a visit to a local tapas bar. The bar itself was not particularly interesting but the experience was remarkable. As I swirled a delightful Spanish red wine in a large goblet and allowed the aromas to billow and rise slowly to my nose, I took that first sip and I was instantly transported to a Barcelona holiday we had a few years ago. It’s an experience I wanted to share with my dearest friends so I made sure my latest batch of craft wine was ready and I planned our tapas dinner party.

Having a tapas dinner party is something like a cocktail party only it lasts a lot longer and instead of cocktails, it’s served with wine. Small plates of food are served slowly throughout the evening, allowing each bite to be savoured with the wine of choice. Of course, we often do individual food and wine pairings but we decided to keep it simple this time and serve this popular Spanish varietal that pairs wonderfully with most flavours. This type of dining lasts for hours so make sure you have some beautiful Spanish background music, lots of candles and of course a few bottles of your very own craft wine.

We chose our Cellar Classic Winery Series Spain Grenache Syrah because of its luxuriously layered dark fruit with a hint of tobacco followed by spicy black pepper notes. There is a long elegant finish that lingers just enough to make that next bite of food even better than the first.

We’re sharing four of our favourite tapas recipes because they are not too complex. Feel free to prepare and make each dish as the evening progresses to help break up the eating, or you may wish to get everything ready in advance so all you have to do is cook (mise en place, as the French like to say). Kitchen parties are the best and your guests will want to follow you into the kitchen and watch you work as they continue to sip on your delightful craft wine.

May we suggest you have a plate of pickles and olives on the table during the evening. We’ll begin the evening with a traditional Pan con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread) — so flavourful, yet so simple. This is served instead of traditional bread in most restaurants in the Catalonia Region.

Moving onto some heavier flavours with Datiles con Tocino (Bacon Wrapped Dates). These little treats will surprise you — they are beautifully contrasting flavours of sweet and salty and are extremely addictive, so have more than you think you need on hand.

Gambas al Ajillo (Prawns in Garlic) are succulent prawns cooked to perfection in a fragrant emulsion of Garlic and olive oil, a perfect marriage with the rustic flavours of the Cellar Classic Winery Series Spain Grenache Syrah.

And last but not least, we’ll complete this meal with a simple Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish Potato Omelette), a dense omelette with cooked potatoes. You may also flavour with various cured meats and cheeses but we like to savour the creamy potato in this simple delicacy.

If you are inclined to have dessert, why not make (or buy) your favourite brownies or squares and cut them into 2.5 cm cubes (1-inch) for a single bite to finish the evening on something sweet. Fruit and cheese are also a lovely option.

*Recipes are ideations with ingredient suggestions and rough quantities, please do not hesitate to adjust to your personal taste.