Win a fantastic case of Ribera del Duero wines

If you’re already a fan of Ribera del Duero wines you’re going to LOVE this case of wine. If you’ve never tasted them before you’re in for an absolute treat. THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

Ribera del Duero, if you’re not familiar with it, is up in the north of Spain and one of the country’s most highly regarded wine regions. Its wines, which are almost all red, are based on tempranillo, known locally as tinto fino and are made in a typically rich full-bodied style.

There’s a fascinating variety of styles - some youthful and brimming with fruit, others more concentrated and ageworthy reflecting the age and location of the vines (there are a lot of old vines in the region) and diversity of winemaking philosophies.

The Consejo (the official body which represents the winegrowers) actually gave me a chance to select the wines I wanted to put in the case which include a number of vintages that are not easy to access on the UK market. In alphabetical order they are.

Aster Finca el Otero 2016 www.armitwines.co.uk
Superbly supple elegant red, drinking well now but with great ageing potential

Cillar D Silos Crianza 2018 nakedwines.com
Intensely full-bodied red made at high altitude from old vines. Part of a Naked Wines project.

Dominio de Atauta 2017 www.thevineking.com
Fine, powerful red produced in high altitude vineyards in the Valley of Atauta (Soria), on the eastern edge of the region

El Lagar de Isilla San Juan del Monte 2017 www.stonevine.co.uk
A real heavyweight in terms of both contents and presentation from a relatively new winery owned by hoteliers of the same name

Lopez Cristobal Roble 2019 thegoodwineshop.co.uk
Smooth, polished and velvety - a very elegant style of Ribera

Pago de Los Capallanes 2017 www.ndjohn.co.uk
An intense, vibrant, concentrated red - definitely one to tuck away

Paramos de Lagaris 2016 vinissimus.co.uk
A modern, lively style of Ribera from a bodega owned by the well-known Codorníu Raventós group. Could drink now but will keep.

Preludio de Sei Solo 2018 vinissimus.co.uk
Preludio de Sei Solo is the second wine of a winery that is named after Bach’s piano sonatas BWV 1001-1006’. A sophisticated, international-style red

Pruno, 2019, Finca Villacreces, Cosecha (not yet available on the UK market although you’ll find the 2018 vintage in indies such as Eton Vintners
Ripe and soft, bursting with youthful fruit.

Semele Crianza 2018, Bodegas Montebaco champagnesandchateaux.co.uk
A vivid young red with a dash of merlot, highly drinkable now but with plenty of ageing potential

Tierra Alta, 2014, De 2 Cotas, Valduero, Reserva vinissimus.co.uk
One of the most mature wines in the case with beautifully integrated oak

Tinto Pesquera Crianza 2018 widely available from independents such as James Nicholson and Highbury Vintners
An absolute classic and one of the best known names in Ribera

Quite some prize, eh?

The closing date for the competition is 11.59pm GMT on Friday April 30th 2021 and you must live in the UK and be over 18 to enter.

This is an advertising feature in association with Ribera del Duero. For full terms and conditions, see below.

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Terms and Conditions

1. This prize draw is open to all subscribers of 18 or over, other than freelancers or contractors employed by matchingfoodandwine.com, D.O. Ribera del Duero, their respective families and agents or anyone directly connected to the prize draw

2. No purchase is necessary.

3. Entries submitted through third parties or agents will not be eligible. Only one entry is allowed per person.

4. The prize consists of the case of Ribera del Duero described above. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash alternatives in whole or in part.

5. The closing date for entry to the draw is 11.59pm GMT on Friday April 30th 2021. The winner will be drawn from the list of entrants by matchingfoodandwine by 11.59pm on Friday May 14th and will be notified by e-mail.

6. We ask for your name, email address and postal address in order to conduct the competition. We will delete this data as soon as the competition has concluded and the winner has received their prize.

7. In the event that you decide to subscribe to our monthly newsletter when you enter the competition, we will in addition record your name and email address in order to be able to send it out to you. You will be able to unsubscribe and ask us to delete your personal data at any time.

8. We accept no responsibility for late, incomplete, incorrectly submitted, corrupted or misdirected entries.

9. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

10. Entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

The winner’s surname and county of residence will be made available by sending an email to comps@matchingfoodandwine.com after May 31st 2021.

Win a case of exceptional Mirto rioja from Ramon Bilbao

A couple of months ago I went to Moscow to speak at an event organised by the Rioja producer Rámon Bilbao and reported back on one of the most extraordinary pairings they came up with - a chocolate layer cake and a really, lush modern rioja called Mirto which is only made in the region’s best vintages.

One Master of Wine, Simon Field describes it as ‘one of the most important and influential wines in rioja’

Well I told them how much you’d love the chance to win some and they’ve agreed to offer a case of six bottles in a handsome wooden box.

Obviously you don’t have to drink it with chocolate, in fact it would be fantastic with a steak, roast beef or a cheeseboard for that matter or, as the tasting notes suggest, with wild mushrooms and truffles. And although the wine comes from the 2014 vintage it will keep for a good few more years if you want to eek it out.

Here's how Great Western Wine which is selling it for £49.50 a bottle describes it:

Pure Tempranillo from a single, high-altitude vineyard planted with 85 year-old vines. Saturated purple colour with soaring wild plum and blueberry aromas, supported by complex nuances of tobacco, chocolate and Mediterranean herbs. The taste is deep and enveloping - beautifully pure, lively fruit, with lots and lots of personality. To appreciate this now, decant at least two hours before you plan to drink it. Alternatively, lock it away for 5-10 years.

Sounds good, eh?

The closing date for the competition is 11.59pm GMT on Tuesday 1st October 2019 and you must live in the UK and be over 18 to enter. For other terms and conditions see below.

ENTER HERE

Terms and Conditions

1. This prize draw is open to all subscribers of 18 or over, other than freelancers or contractors employed by matchingfoodandwine.com, Ramon Bilbao their respective families and agents or anyone directly connected to the prize draw

2. No purchase is necessary.

3. Entries submitted through third parties or agents will not be eligible. Only one entry is allowed per person.

4. The prize consists of the case of Ramon Bilbao Mirto rioja detailed above and will be drawn at random. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash alternatives in whole or in part.

5. The closing date for entry to the draw is 11.59pm GMT on Tuesday October 1st 2019. The winner will be drawn from the list of entrants by matchingfoodandwine by 11.59pm on Tuesday October 15th and will be notified by e-mail.

6. We ask for your name, email address and postal address in order to conduct the competition. We will delete this data as soon as the competition has concluded and the winner has received their prize.

7. In the event that you decide to subscribe to our monthly newsletter when you enter the competition, we will in addition record your name and email address in order to be able to send it out to you. You will be able to unsubscribe and ask us to delete your personal data at any time.

8. We accept no responsibility for late, incomplete, incorrectly submitted, corrupted or misdirected entries.

9. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

10. Entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

The winner’s surname and country of residence will be made available by sending an email to comps@matchingfoodandwine.com after October 31st 2019.

Win an aged Spanish beef meat box, a bottle of Rioja gran reserva and a copy of Prime

For this month’s comp we’ve teamed up with our good friends Islington-based butchers Turner & George* again to offer you a type of beef that’s become a real hit on the London restaurant scene. THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.

Turner & George have made a name for themselves with their offering of cuts from older Spanish beef, spearhead a growing taste for ‘Old Cows’. These ex-dairy cattle, sourced from the hills of Galicia and the Basque cider country, are allowed to graze and forage naturally on up until 10 years old or more before slaughter. As a result, their beef has a rich, strong flavour and intense marbling, which is truly unlike anything else found in the UK today.

To showcase this unique meat, Turner & George sells a selection of cuts under the banner of their ‘Spanish Old Cow Box’ – which contains 2 x 400g Basque Bone-in Ribeyes, 2 x 400g Galician Bone-in Sirloins, 2 x 200g Basque Fillets, 2 x 200g Galician Rumps and 4 x 180g Old Cow Burgers and have offered two to our lucky prizewinners.

We also thought you’d like a bottle of one of the top riojas, the 2007 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904, to try with it plus a copy of chef Richard Turner’s brilliant book Prime which is full of amazing beef recipes. (You may remember we offered it as a giveaway when it came out last year and it was SO popular we thought you’d like another chance to win one!)

(Rioja gran reserva is the official classification for the oldest wines in the Rioja region which have to be aged for a minimum of 60 months: at least 2 years in oak casks and 2 years in the bottle - we thought aged wine and aged beef would be the perfect pairing!)

All you have to do to enter the competition is register on the site (and subscribe, if you like, to our free monthly newsletter which will ensure you don’t miss details of our fabulous prizes)

Given the nature of the prize, you must be 18 or over and be based on the mainland UK to enter.

The closing date for the competition is 11.59pm GMT on Monday April 2nd 2018

For other terms and conditions see below.

ENTER HERE

Terms & conditions:

1. This prize draw is open to all UK residents of 18 or over, other than freelances or contractors employed by matchingfoodandwine.com, Turner & George, Wines of Rioja and their respective families and agents or anyone directly connected to the prize draw

2. No purchase is necessary. You simply need to have registered on the site and subscribe to the mailing list.

3. Entries submitted through third parties or agents will not be eligible.

4. The two prizewinners will each win a Spanish Old Cow meat box, a bottle of rioja gran reserva and a copy of Prime. No cash alternative to the prize will be offered.

5. The closing date for entry to the draw is 11.59pm GMT on Monday April 2nd 2018. The winner will be drawn at random from the subscriber database by matchingfoodandwine by Monday April 16th, 2018 and will be notified by e-mail.

6. The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

7. Entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

The winners surname and county of residence will be made available by sending an email to competitions@matchingfoodandwine.com after April 30th, 2018

* Turner & George is an online and high street butcher with a difference. Based in Islington and founded by acclaimed restaurateur and chef, Richard H. Turner; along with butcher and quality meat supplier, James George; Turner & George has recently been heralded as leaders of the new wave of artisan butchers in the UK. And after perusing their counter, it is easy to see why.

With a strong belief that everyone should have the opportunity to eat meat that has been ethically reared, they only choose the best meat from British native breeds. Selecting from animals reared on independent farms and smallholdings, free from growth hormones, antibiotics or cruelty. They dry-age in house on the bone for flavour, make their own sausages and burgers, and combine all of this with a contemporary knowledge of taste and cooking.