Wine of The Month - March

A wine and a sherry to match a seasonal tapa dish from Cambridge-based ¡Que rico! Tapas - also broadcast with Estefania Led Ramos on Cambridge105

Estefania's suggested tapa is marinated duck with sun-dried tomatoes; my job was to find a sherry and a wine to match.

With soy, balsamic vinegar and tomatoes, there are some strong flavours in this dish - so it needs a fairly robust wine to be able to stand up to it.

Sherry: Sanchez Romate Hermanos, Oloroso Don Jose Reserva Especiale NV, Jerez 18% 75cl £19.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants

This dark oloroso sherry ages oxidatively to give aromas of roasted chestnuts, raisins, salt, earth, caramel and leather; it starts broad and creamy then becomes long and linear with caramel and a juicy finish.

Wine: Bodegas Pittacum, Bierzo 'Tres Obispos' Rosada 2011 £10.99 Joseph Barnes Wines

Something of an unusual beast, this is a rosé made from the Mencia grape in Bierzo, a remote region of northwest Spain; it's a deep raspberry red in colour, with strawberry and raspberry fruit on the nose as well as something a little more unusual that I can only describe as "workshop" - a mix of swarfega, tyres and used engine oil. It's in no way unpleasant and rather intriguing.

On the palate, there is more red berry fruit, good acidity and a persistent, clean finish.

The recipe for the tapa is on Estefania's website.

Other related articles
¡Que rico! Tapas

Links
¡Que rico! Tapas - website
Cambridge Wine Merchants - website
Joseph Barnes Wines - website