Vaza 2014 Tempranillo, Rioja

Stuck in a red wine rut? Tempranillo is making inroads into the American market. Tempranillo wines are medium bodied wine, food friendly and affordable.

Better Than Beyoncé

This Super Bowl was a little different for me. I didn’t have “a dog in the hunt.” My team found dozens of different ways to lose games in the fourth quarter and was eliminated from post-season contention early on.

So, rather than a massive Super Bowl party, Green Dragon and I enjoyed this game from the comfort of our family room. We uncorked a great bottle of Vaza 2014 Tempranillo and enjoyed watching Peyton Manning shock the world.

Rioja Is Always A Winner

While the outcome of the Super Bowl was hotly debated leading up to the game, there is no question about Rioja. Some of the world’s best wines come from this winegrowing region in Spain.

It’s a pleasant surprise to find that Rioja wines can be very affordable and great values. The Vaza Tempranillo has a SRP of only $12. But it is as impressive as the Denver Broncos pass rush.

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Pizza And Tempranillo – A Winning Score!

For our Super Bowl noshing, Green Dragon whipped up two styles of mini-pizza. We had Hawaiian pizza with pineapple and ham and also a barbecue pizza with chicken and spicy sauce.

The Vaza is very food friendly. There are no heavy tannins. It paired very well with the pizza and also lends itself to fun, informal occasions.

It is refreshing and youthful and is awash with ripe, red berry flavors. Tempranillo and this bottle from Vaza, are great options for entertaining. If you are thinking of a Pinot Noir or a Merlot, Tempranillo is a good option instead.

For a little bit of spare change, you can enjoy wine from one of the world’s great wine regions. Viva Vaza!

Full disclosure: We received this bottle as a marketing sample.

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