Pour: 2005 Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo

The 2005 Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo is made with grapes plucked from old vines in Castile, Spain

Affordable Spanish bottles crowd wine shelves like mad these days, which means delights such as a 2005 Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo ($13). It enlivens home-cooked chicken, savory sausage, or—better yet—paella containing both. The wine is made with grapes plucked from old vines growing along the north shore of the Duero River in the Zamora region of Castile, and the result is warm and fuzzy flavors, sweet spices, and dark fruits.

Photograph: Michael Boone Photography

This article appears in the March 2009 issue of Chicago Magazine.

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