Classic Pairings: Lamb chops with Ribera Del Duero Reserva, Spain

Many believe wine making is done mostly while grapes were still on the vines.  How grapes taste all depends on the land, soil, water and weather they are grown on,  each region in the world possesses flavor profile unique only to that region.  Not just grapes, but the same can be said to very much all other ingredients, whether it is vegetables or even red meats. 

Wine and Food Living

As the name suggests, Ribera Del Duero region runs along the bank of the Duero River.  Local farmlands thrive and coexist in harmony with the river.  They see lambs with a passion like no others.  Lechazo is a regional dish made with baby lamb raised with only its mother’s milk.  It wouldn’t take long for it to be fall-off-the-bone tender in a clay oven.  Lamb chops rubbed with sea  salt, crushed garlic and herbs then roast to perfection is another local favorite dish, not only in Spain but all over Italy and the Mediterranean.  Sweetness from Ribera Del Duero lamb triggers a mouth-watering experience.  Sheep spend their lives not too far away from vineyards and meadows, spoiled themselves with abundant amount of fresh grass. 

Red wine of Ribera Del Duero now can rival even some of the best Burgundy and Chianti there are.  Ripe, intense and full of complexity, as glass of Ribera Del Duero has just the right structure to handle a juicy rack of lamb chops, while elegant enough to persuade the lamb’s natural sweetness.  It is no coincidence that both wine and food coming from the same region pair better together.  This is wine and food pairing at its best; after all, wine and food marry best when they together shared the land, the air, the water and likely the same farmers. Cheers!