1 Wine Dude

Wine and Music: The Latin Party With Italian Wine Edition (Giveaway!)

Posted on by 1WineDude

Alright folks – time for another giveaway, this week featuring a brand new release from leading World Music label Putumayo.  The new CD, titled Latin Party, is a funky, dance-infused, eclectic mix of tunes from Latin American artists, and features bands hailing from Cuba, the U.S., Peru, Columbia, Mexico, and Jamaica.

From the album press release:

“It includes a mix of boogaloo, funk, cumbia, son, salsa, ska and dancehall and spotlights cutting-edge bands and rising stars that pay homage to Latin music’s past while creatively moving it into the 21st century… features songs from New York-based hip-hop collective Brooklyn Funk essentials, Texas-raised Mexican-American musician and producer A.B. Quintanilla III (Selena’s brother), Peruvian salsera Cecilia Noël, multicultural French/Cuban collective Mas Bajo, Afro-Cuban group Luis Mangual y su Conjunto Mangual featuring José Mangual Jr. and from Colombia, three respected groups: salsa super group Fruko Y Orquesta, popular salsa band Orquesta Lo Nuestro and ska/reggae band Coffee Makers. The CD liner notes also feature a drink recipe by Food Network chef Daisy Martinez and an appetizer recipe by leading Mexican chef Patricia Quintana, owner of renowned Mexican restaurant Izote.”

And YOU can win a copy of Latin Party just by commenting on this here post!

Here’s the dilly-yo:

Leave a comment and tell us what wine would you pair with this album of funky Latin dance grooves?  At the end of next week, a winner will be randomly selected from the commenters using a super-secret, totally objective process that involves my dog (details are best left unexplained).  That winner could, of course, be YOU!

I’ll kick things off with my choice of wine pairing…

… which, after rejecting my first choice (Sangria) because it’s not technically a wine, would be…

Banfi’s Rosa Regale, which is from Italy’s Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG in Piedmont.  I can think of several wines that would go well with Latin dancing, but the Rosa Regale probably does the best job of combining fun (it’s fizzy), spicy-food tolerance (it’s got a bit of sweetness and good acidity), and the all-important stamina for all-night dancing (it’s around 7% abv).  And non doubt it would rock when paired up with the Scallop Ceviche recipe included in Latin Party’s liner notes.

The wine is all fun, versatility, red berry goodness, and is only slightly over-priced (hey, just my opinion) at $20, probably reflecting the reputation of coming from a DOCG (you can find a retailer on-line to look for prices lower than the MSRP).  Just don’t expect an bottle of this stuff to last very long – it’s like a party under 4 to 6 atmospheres of bottled pressure just waiting to happen.

Ok, I’ve got the party started here, now let’s hear your choices!

Cheers!

(images: amazon.com)

25 thoughts on “Wine and Music: The Latin Party With Italian Wine Edition (Giveaway!)”

  1. OK, so I felt compelled to comment, not so much because I want a free CD but because 1. My husband LOVES the Rosa Regale, though I agree that it's overpriced; and 2. As one of the very few Latina wine bloggers (and a HUGE latin music fan) I've no doubt got a pairing opinion! Like you said, Sangria is one really good way to go, and I'm glad we're not discussing food/wine pairings because Latin cuisine tends to go better with a good cold beer than it does with wine (unless you go upscale). But if we're simply talking about pairing with music, then without question my choice is Cubanisimo, which is a winery out of Oregon, whose Cuban heritage/pride plays a major role at the winery.

  2. Any sort of Spumante Dolce as the sweetness and acidity should offset some of the spice and (hopefully) not be overpowered by it. I believe Astoria Lounge makes one that might be up to the task.

  4. If any comment wins, I'm jumping in here. I'm looking for good Latin music for my Spin classes. No, no, not just Ricky Martin. Good Latin music. Personally, I'd look for a wine from some place besides Italy because while Italian culture is also Latin culture, it gives me an excuse to explore Brazilian, Chilean, etc…

    1. Hey Marilyn – any comment can win. This blog is a Ricky-Martin-free zone :-).

      Interestingly, I just realized that I've yet to taste ANY wine from Brazil. Gonna need to get some samples…

  6. You know you're getting old when you start liking world music more and more.

    I really like world music.

    Never had it (never been to Basque), but I bet Txakoli would be great with an outdoor party, some tapas, and some funky Latin grooves. Lightly sparkling, low in alcohol, and refreshing. Honestly, the closest thing to cold beer.

  7. I would probably look for a vinho verde from Portugal. They typically are around 9-11% ABV, have some effervescence to them, and are just fun, simple wines for occasions such as this. Plus they pair extremely well across a wide spectrum of dishes. One of my favorites is Casal Garcia Vinho Verde Branco White. At $8, it's a good choice for latin foods and/or a latin themed party.

  14. Fascinating comments.

    I've found some not bad wine in some odd places. I had a very good bottle of locally produced wine in Goa of all places! And while in the States I found a wine merchant who had a wine called 'Goth Blood' which actually was a claret, with a gory description. Here's a video to accompany a Gothy wine! http://www.muzu.tv/avrillavigne/what-the-hell-mus… I'm not really a goth myself.. I like Gary Numan, both there seems to be this thing that Goths can't appreciate decent wine, and only chug beer!!

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