A Spring Menu with Muriel Wines

Pairings with dishes by Camarena, Noor, Lera and Echaurren

We are embarking on a sensory journey across Spain this spring with four (plus one) wines that pair with as many dishes. The really interesting thing about this experience is that the dishes were selected from the menus created this season by four outstanding restaurants. Located on the four cardinal points of our country, they represent four different culinary traditions in Spain's diverse cuisine, with a wealth of influences, products and different climates. Bon appétit!

1. Originality in Ricard Camarena

We are surprised and captivated by the seafood suggestions of chef Ricard Camarena in Valencia. In his eponymous restaurant located in Bombas Gens Art Centre, Camarena prepares recipes that combine the essence of simplicity and the sophistication of centuries of wisdom. That could perhaps be a good definition of the luminous Mediterranean in Levante, bursting with joy and baroque-style glimpses. We choose the salamander-roasted scampi seasoned with its own juice. Technique and research are essential to create this dish with sheer intensity. The experience does not end here: a second variant of the crustacean, this time as a velouté, combines scampi, vanilla and jasmine, in a transition of flavours ranging from spicy to sweet and then salty... To pair these wonderful dishes, we begin with two of our whites. First, Muriel Fincas de la Villa Blanco 2018; and then we move onto Viña Muriel Blanco Reserva 2010.

2. Sophistication in Noor

After Camarena, we travel south ?geographically, spiritually and mentally. At Noor, we embark on a journey to the roots of traditional Andalusí cuisine, passed through the filter of modernity. Chef Paco Morales triumphs with his praise of the exotic, although in fact this exoticism is thoroughly peninsular and very much ours. From his dishes, which are an exercise in memory, sensations and sensuality, we choose the oyster with kalamata olive juice, baby lamb gelée and kefir. Unctuous gelatines blend with the cold kefir, the oaky reminiscences of a full-bodied wine and the subtly viscous texture of the baby lamb fat. A genuine combination of ancestrally refined aromas, from the days when cities interacted in a wholesome and natural way with the surrounding fields and farms. The perfect match requires a white wine with body, a silky palate and balanced acidity. Conde de los Andes Blanco 2016 is the ideal choice.

3. The taste of the countryside in Lera

What is the true essence and character of Tierra de Campos in Zamora? Lera helps us to understand this region with his sublime interpretation of the rural cuisine that is typical of these endless plains. A few years ago, Luis Alberto Lera took over the reins of the family inn in Castroverde de Campos. Armed with tastily solid foundations, Lera propelled the inn onto a dimension that borders on the eternal. Game is the cornerstone of his cuisine: Partridges, hares, quails, ducks, rabbits, woodcock. On the tables of his inn, Lera presents a festival of intensity and natural balance; there is an affinity to the land but he also embraces universality. The pigeon breast prepared by Luis Alberto blends in the thrifty cuisine of rural areas with an elegant interpretation of the dish. The combination of flavours "soft, profound and wild", could be accompanied to perfection with our red Viña Muriel Reserva, sourced from Tempranillo vines in El Gallo. Ripeness and energy.

4. Renewed traditions in Echaurren

We return to the great Ebro valley, to our Rioja lands, to culminate our journey in Portal del Echaurren, the legendary restaurant that has spearheaded the region's cuisine for years. Much has been written about a restaurant that continues to evolve and open new paths under the guidance of Francis Paniego. The latest is set to be launched next summer in festival format: called Mama, this event will pay tribute to the cuisine of mothers and grandmothers.

The family legacy, the taste for traditional flavours, live on in Echaurren. Along with his contemporary cuisine, Francis Paniego still maintains an exciting connection with traditional stoves. His glazed snouts dish is a perfect example. Gently stewed, its texture and flavour suggest a pairing with Marqués de Elciego 2010, our top-of-the-range wine. Sourced from old vineyards in the village of Elciego, it displays the elegance and vital character of the best Tempranillo grapes from Rioja Alavesa.

A Spring Menu with Muriel Wines Ricard Camarena (Valencia)