La Mancha!

Last night before heading off to the John Legend and Raphael Saadiq concert at the Northrop, I decided to whip up one of my old cold weather stand bys ~ my famous Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas…so tasty, and perfect on a chilly Minneapolis night! (Guess it’s my answer to Minnesota’s ‘Hot Dish’)  As I chopped up the jalapenos and the serrano peppers for my enchilada filling, the smells coming from the acid in the peppers made me crave a spicy Tempranillo with that dirty, dusty spice that only comes from the soil in Spain. After an hour of mincing, dicing and simmering, I laid my enchiladas to bake with a thin layer of bubbling cheese.  After poking around the cellar for a bit, my need for Spanish ‘dirt’ took me to one of my favorite little Spanish producers.  A bottle that I had stashed in the corner, yet have had a hard time saving ‘for that rainy day’.  Marqués de Griñon Caliza 2004, from the region of La Mancha.  Marqués de Griñon, a winery founded in 1792, has done a phenomenal job with varietals like Cabernet and Petite Verdot, however, basically put Syrah on the map in Spain along with its roots from Bordeaux varietals.  With its deep purple color and enticing lush raspberry and black cherry palate, the wine seemed to waft like ripe raspberry pie from the glass.  Even though I had a hankering for Tempranillo, the Marqués with its dusty, earthy Syrah backbone, and straight-laced spicy Graciano vein, seemed to be the perfect compliment to the cheesy, gooey enchiladas as they came out of the oven.  Not to mention…a perfect way to toast the evening to come. 
As for the concert, Raphael Saadiq gets two thumbs up.  Dude, he is one cool cat!  With his slick, old school motown style, his hot performance was a perfect warm up for John Legend – who, with no surprise, was smooth, smooth, smooth.  Raphael’s sweet sexy tones and Mr. Legend’s sultry and soulful moves were almost as good as the Caliza and the enchiladas.  Yum-my.
Cheers to another perfect pairing!