Spain's La Mancharegion brings to mind El Greco and Don Quixote, not world-class wine or food.Adolfo Munoz, the influential chef and restaurant, is helping to change that.

 

The Bodega Vinedos Cigarral de Santa Maria,a country house inToledo, was founded in 1997 by Adolfo. The estate covers an area of sevenhectares around the main building where the small bodega or winery and thefamily home are to be found. Of this area just four are set aside forwine-growing. It is the only urban vineyard in Spain and one of four whichexist in the whole world.

 

 

 

The wine is madeof 90% Syrah and 10% Grenache grapes and aged in French barriques for around 18months. Sweet notes of spices, pepper, red berries, black currant, herbalnotes, such as mint, then cinnamon and cloves, it continuously become moreapproachable while it’s breathing, giving a complexity of a top wine. On thepalate it is really fresh and with good sweet tannin and a very uniqueglutinous rice flavors which make it a perfect fit to South East Asian cuisine,it can be aged for a long time.