I love it when I get to tell you about wines that “grab” me.

These wines are different. Compelling. Unique. Doin’ their own thang. And, they’re really, really good.

These are the wines that stop me in my tracks and I take note of.

After just one sip of this wine at the McMinnville Food + Wine Festival this past March, I committed to a bottle immediately. That bottle was Alumbra Cellars’ 2021 Mitote Red Blend, a surprising blend of Pinot Noir and Tempranillo.

I love blends because they become greater than the sum of their parts. Some of the greatest wines in the world are blends (most notably Bordeaux and Rhône GSMs).

But what I love about this wine is that the blend of grape varieties – in this case, Pinot Noir and Tempranillo – is unexpected and exciting, much like another favorite wine of mine which blends Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. It’s not simply another traditional recipe for combining certain grape varieties together; it’s a winemaker’s choice to exercise her vision and realize the potential of two different grape varieties in creating a new style. And in this, winemaker Elena Rodriguez succeeds magnificently! ❤

In Spanish, mitote refers to an indigenous Mexican dance, but it can also mean a party or a scandalous uproar/hubbub. In this case I feel the wine represents less of an  uproar/hubbub and more of a beautiful pas de deux (in Spanish I believe it is “no dos”) between Tempranillo and Pinot Noir; more of a celebration than a brawl, ha ha.

Alumbra Cellars 2021 Mitote Red Blend
14% ABV
60% Tempranillo, 40% Pinot Noir
$32/bottle

Here are my rambling, effusive tasting notes to give you an idea of the fun carnival of scents and flavors I delighted in. Promise me you will sip some for yourself!

• Mesmerizing, mysterious nose hinting strongly at cinnamon, cayenne, cumin, pepper
• Black cherry, bark/wood, blackberry pie à la mode, a sweet minty herbal note (sassafrass?)
• A bouquet of heady, savory spices but also light, sweet spices
• Toffee, gingersnap, vanilla, candied rose floral aroma, whiff of leather saddle to tip me off to the presence of Tempranillo
• Medium ruby with purple core – color actually very close to the purple of the bottle label
• Medium body, silky smooth texture
• Minerality showing up
• No harshness, tartness, bitterness
• Silky, gentle tannins
• Warm, prolonged finish
• More medium body feel even though alcohol level higher

I have no negative criticisms of this wine. Zero.

I foresee this wine going very well with a number of foods, particularly Mexican food.

For a delicious accompaniment to a glass of this wine, grab a bag of your favorite and freshest tortilla chips and whip up this Mushroom Pico de Gallo. I first had a version of this unbelievable dip at a Mexican restaurant in Belfair, Washington. Forget the salsa and bean dips; we couldn’t get enough of this pico and polished off a couple bowls (after that, what’s the point of dinner?). This recipe is the closest thing I could find to what we had in Belfair.

With a little more effort (or another helper), pile some cooked meat on the side and call this dinner!

Some of the best meals to go with wine (I think) are where you just throw a few, simple foods together and then let them all work their collective magic. A mitote. ❤

¡Buen apetito! 🙂

Your new favorite dip.

Mushroom Pico de Gallo
Liberally adapted from a recipe by Nina Lee | Food.com

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