Without a doubt, this wine is sure to emerge as one of the best deals in town, according to WineOnline.ca.

Produced from the Viura grape, the most widely planted white grape variety in Spain's Rioja region, this wine is similar to a crisp and refreshing cool climate Sauvignon Blanc. The nose offers upfront citrus aromas with more subtle floral and woody notes. On the palate, it's light- to medium-bodied, vibrant, and smooth with a rounded texture and pure fruit flavour. Finishes crisp and dry with lingering grapefruit, lime and mineral notes.

Food Pairings:
Perfect with turkey, chicken, tuna, halibut, and soft to semi-firm creamy cheeses such as brie.

RECIPE: A tuna melt fit for a queen (or at least for a guest)

by Justine Connelly

So the weather is still cold but you’re sick of red wine. You’re having guests for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and want to serve a comforting meal (because, as I write this, it’s snowing. Hard.) So the question becomes: What kind of white goes with comfort food? Reading about this week’s featured wine, the words “tuna” and “brie” under the pairing notes caught my attention. The perfect compliment to this Spanish standout para mí? A fancy yet comforting tuna melt. It’s the perfect pairing for the month of March, when Mother Nature just can’t decide which way she wants to go. Serve it with a simple salad and you’ve got a meal for 4.

Ingredients

2 cans tuna (packed in oil tastes better, but if you’re still sticking to a new year’s resolution, I won’t fault you for using the water stuff)
1 Tbsp white wine or champagne vinegar
1 heaping Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp capers or chopped cornichon
1 Tbsp diced red onion
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tsp horseradish or Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper
8-10 sprigs of watercress or 16 leaves of baby arugula
4 English muffins, split or 2 (large) ciabatta buns, split horizontally
8 oz brie cheese, thinly sliced (Tip: for easy slicing of this soft cheese, make sure you slice it right from the refrigerator, or even stick it in the freezer for 30 min or so)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to the broil setting.
2) Drain tuna and mix with vinegar, mayonnaise, capers/cornichon, onion, basil, horseradish/mustard, and salt & pepper to taste.
3) Place bread on a baking sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes, until the bread is just starting to crisp; remove from oven.
4) Top each piece of bread with a few sprigs of cress or arugula, and 1/8 of tuna mixture (if you’re using English muffins, each guest gets 2 mini sandwiches, open faced) or ¼ of the tuna mixture (if you’re using ciabatta, each guest gets one larger open faced sandwich).
5) Top sandwiches with brie and place back under the broiler until the cheese starts to brown slightly. If this happens too quickly to heat the rest of the sandwich through, you can always turn down the broiler or switch to your oven’s bake function.
6) Serve with knives and forks (this is a fancy tuna melt, after all), a simple salad, and a glass of El Meson Rioja Blanco, Bodegas El Meson 2007.

For more fabulous wines, visit www.WineOnline.ca
For pairing advice, Justine Connelly can be reached at editor@womenspost.ca, or stay tuned for more recipes