what it is

Monastrell. Yes, it's a grape. Some people call it Mourvèdre and some call it Mataro, but in the land where it was born - Spain - it's called Monastrell.

And this bottle of Spanish Monastrell on my kitchen table, is a happy reminder of one of the joys of having good wine friends. I woke up one morning after a dinner party to find a nice bottle of wine that had been shoved to the back of the counter in the fog of the evening's events. I ate my poached eggs and mulled over the label. Then I went about my day pondering the wine, anticipating dinner, and melding the two in my mind. I consulted my copy of What to Drink with What you Eat and left some beef and tomatoes in the oven to slowly roast for the day. Alongside rice and garlicky roasted jalapeno peppers, it was all good.

Casa Castillo Monastrell, 2010, is a dark, inky glass of wine with a nice earthy roundness on the nose that compliments all the dark berry fruit. It's got a little chewy texture and a sweetness on the finish that worked well with the spice in the meal ($13.95).

Thanks Nita! Check out Nita's recipe for a Friday Manhattan at her blog, Tip My Tumbler.