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As I write this, I’m wistfully glancing at the calendar, noticing the summer of 2010 slipping away into history. Even though the unique beauty of September should never be taken for granted, bidding adieu to August is at best, bittersweet. So in honor of another summer winding its way into the books, I’ve been toasting with a glass of crisp white wine from a country that’s synonymous with the sun: Spain.
The sun shines regularly and brightly on the region of Penèdes. About 100 miles south of Barcelona, in the reaches of northeast Spain, Penèdes is world famous as the home of Cava, Spain’s signature sparkling wine. Nestled along the Mediterranean and possessing a cooler climate than most of Spain, Penèdes is the perfect spot to grow the indigenous grapes that produce Cava. And while our featured producer, Castellroig, is mostly known for their output of Cava, this week’s featured white is of the still variety.
Castellroig has been watched over by the Sabaté y Coca families since 1760. Now a quarter millennium and many generations later, Marcel Sabaté oversees production at Castellroig. Containing 15 different terroirs/vineyards, Marcel diligently analyzes which grapes are best suited for which terroirs. The estate has playfully dubbed each terroir with different monikers, such as el Mosset, Rigolet, Boja, and so on. This week’s white, featuring the grape Xarel-lo, is grown and blended from three of Castellroig’s different terroirs: Marges, Boja, and Rigolet. An interesting fact about Castellroig’s wine is that they were the first producer to gain DO status in Penèdes. I’ve written in the past about France’s AOC classifications, which ensures consumers of standards for that specific area. Well Spain has a very similar system. After one sip of Castellroig’s Xarel-lo, it is plain to see how the wine meets Penèdes highest standards. Aged for four to five months in stainless steel before bottling, Castellroig produces a Xarel-lo featuring pretty fruit (baked apple, orange, grapefruit) with floral and mineral-filled notes. This wine is awesome with shellfish. $17.99 (sustainable)
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How To Get to Our Store
We are located in the West Chelsea neighborhood, on Tenth Avenue between 19th and 20th streets. Our store is easially accesible by the following mass transit:
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14th Street Station, exit onto 16th Street and Eighth Avenue, walk West two blocks to 10th Avenue, turn right and walk three blocks North. |
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18th Street Station, walk three blocks West to Tenth Avenue, turn right and walk one block North. |
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14th Street Station, walk West three blocks to 10th Avenue, turn right and walk five blocks North. |
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By Bus: |
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Travels South on Ninth Avenue and North on Tenth Avenue, where it stops right in front of our store. |
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West to
the last stop and then walk one block north on 10th Ave to 19th Street. |
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