We’ve been watching Lorraine Pascale’s BBC2 programme “Home Cooking Made Easy” and liked the look of the Rioja-braised Lamb Shanks with Chorizo and Garlic. Our foodie son and his wife were visiting and we thought they’d enjoy it – and they did. The ingredients include black peppercorns paprika and rosemary and the cooking liquid contains a lot of red wine and balsamic vinegar, so the overall effect was fruity, savoury and spicy with a marked sweetness.
We went for a bottle of Palacio del Conde Gran Resrva 2003 from the Sunday Times Wine Club. This medium-bodied Spanish red is from Valencia and is Tempranillo- based and oak-aged for three years. Not surprisingly we tasted oaky vanilla and the wine was smooth, spicy with red fruits and a creamy aftertaste. We weren’t sure at first whether this was a good match, but we persevered and it progressively grew on us.