Washington Albarino v. Rias Baixas

This year's Vuelta Espana traced a unique route from East to West primarily hugging Spain's Northern border before ultimately finishing in Madrid.  The racers followed a route similar to people following the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, just with more mountains and kilometers!

Stage 16 was a medium mountain stage tracing a route through the Rias Baixas region along the Western edge of Spain.  The stage was shortened due to protests at the finish area, with Egan Bernal crossing the ad-hoc finish line first to take the stage victory.

This Lucha Vino matchup brings the chaos with Vibe Cellars 2023 Albarino vs. 2023 Morgadio Albarino

Washington Tempranillo vs. Rioja

In this strange year, La Vuelta Espana received much more attention than usual and the race delivered.  There was drama and lively racing through all 3 weeks of the race.  This year's route brought the pro cyclists to Northern Spain and featured its typical steady diet of challenging climbs and mountain top finishes.

After losing his grip on the Tour de France on the final competitive stage, Primoz Roglic had his sights set on winning his second Vuelta.  In order to achieve his goal Roglic had to go up against a formative cast of challengers including Chris Froome and Richard Carapaz.  Carapaz turned out to be his primary rival as they traded the overall race lead back and forth while racing through Northern Spain.

Once again, Roglic found himself facing a crushing defeat on the final competitive stage of a grand tour.  Entering the day Roglic held a 45 second lead over Richard Carapaz with the GC Victory appearing to be safely in his grasp. However, on the slopes of La Covatilla Carapaz burst away from a small group of GC contenders rapidly opening a lead of 25 seconds over Roglic.  

This time, Roglic stood up to the pressure limiting his losses, avoiding a repeat of his worst nightmare, to hold on to overall victory.  

This week's Lucha Vino matchup celebrates Roglic vanquishing his nightmare with The Walls 2018 Wonderful Nightmare vs. Bodegas Lan's 2010 Rioja Gran Reserva.

Washington Tempranillo vs. Rioja

This year's Vuelta a Espana was action packed throughout all three weeks of racing.  Things really heated up during the last week of the race, which featured some intense racing through the Northern most mountains of Spain.  Chris Froome held off all the challengers to win his second Grand Tour of the year and Alberto Contador went on one final mountain rampage to win, perhaps, his final Grand Tour stage.

In recognition of the racing action in Northern Spain, this week's Lucha Vino matchup features a Washington Tempranillo taking on a Spanish Tempranillo from Rioja.  Rioja is one of the Northernmost wine regions of Spain.  It primarily features Tempranillo and consistently turns out excellent wines year after year.

2014 Kerloo Cellars Tempranillo vs. 2011 Muga Rioja Seleccion Especial

Washington Tempranillo v. Rioja

This year's Vuelta Espana hugged the Northern border of Spain during the second week of racing.  This brought the racers through a variety of terrain including stage 12 which ended in a sprint finish in the town of Bilbao.  The racing was tense throughout the middle section of the Vuelta.  Nairo Quintana, and his Movistar team, had their work cutout for them defending the leader's red jersey as the race traced its route through the Northern reaches of Spain. 

There aren't many wine regions along the Northern edge of Spain.  The race came closest to the Rioja DOC, home of a wide range of tantalizing Tempranillo.

This week's Lucha Vino match up features a Washington Tempranillo taking on Rioja.

2013 Saviah Cellars Tempranillo v. 2001 Diez Caballero Vendimia Seleccionada

Washington Albarino v. Rias Baixas

The Vuelta a Espana is the final grand tour of the season for the pro cyclists.  This race never gets the credit it deserves since it happens so late in the season.  By now, the Tour de France has already happened and most cycling fans are preparing for Cyclo-Cross or the World Championships.  That means that some high class racing usually goes unnoticed.

Well.  Surprise, surprise!  This years Vuelta has been more exciting than the Tour de France.  The race started in the North Western Spain and featured plenty of exciting racing.  The action in the first week of racing featured a team time trial, sprints, mountain top finishes and several changes in the overall race leadership.  

This week's Lucha Vino challange features an Albarino from Washington taking on a classic Albarino from Rias Baixas.

2015 Crayelle Albarino v. 2015 Granbazan Albarino

WA Mourvedre v. Bullas Monastrell

The Vuelta Espana is nearing completion and this year's edition has seen plenty of drama as well as a unique route through the Spanish countryside.  The Vuelta always seems to come in third out of the three grand tours (the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia are typically considered #1 and #2 respectively).  That means the Vuelta organizers are always looking for ways to draw more interest to their race.

Oftentimes, that means an unusually high number of mountain top finishes combined with a unique route through Spain.  This year followed the same formula with eight mountain top finishes and a route that started in South West Spain before heading East and North.

The first segment of racing concluded in South Eastern Spain near the Bullas DO wine region.  The pro bike racers are typically on a very strict diet during these three week bike races.  However, with a day off, I'm sure the racers all probably relaxed a bit and enjoyed a glass of Monastrell on their first rest day. 

Monastrell is the Spanish version of Mourvedre.  So, this week's Lucha Vino match up features a Washington Mourvedre taking on a Spanish Monastrell from the Bullas DO.

2013 Kerloo Cellars Mourvedre v. 2009 Bodegas del Rosario Tesoro Monastrell

Washington Albarino v. Rias Baixas

Spain has seen plenty of race action over the past 5 weeks.

First there was the Vuelta Espana, Spain's grand tour always seems to take a back seat to the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.  For that reason the Vuelta's organizers are always looking for new, and challenging, routes.  They changed things up this year by finishing with an Individual Time Trial in the Rias Baixas region rather than the usual flat, fast run into Madrid.  The finish might have been unusual, but the winner was certainly familiar - Alberto Contador recovered from breaking a bone in his leg in July to take the Vuelta victory in September.

Next came the World Championships that just wrapped up this past weekend.  There were some great races and another well known, yet unexpected, rider took the Gold Medal in the Men's Time Trial.  Brad Wiggins has had an wild ride the past three years, starting with a win of the Tour de France, followed by a falling out with his team and then culminating with the Gold medal last week.  Throw in a relatively unknown rider from Poland winning the Men's Road Race and Marian Vos' not winning the Women's World Championship road races and you have the recipe for an exciting week of racing!

In a salute to Northern Spain this week's matchup features an Albarino from Washington taking on a Rias Baixas Albarino.

Aniche Cellars 2013 Come and Go Albarino v. Paco & Lola Albarino

Washington Garnacha v. Aragon

The Vuelta Espana featured a final week of racing in Northern Spain that included a number of mountain passes and hill top finishes.  Chris Horner put together several good races and took over the race lead, putting himself in position to be the oldest grand tour winner ever.

This week we pay homage to old guys with an old vine Garnacha from Northern Spain taking on a Washington State Tempranillo.

2007 Tildio Tempranillo v. 2010 Tres Picos Borsao Garnacha

Washington Tempranillo v. Ribera Del Duero

The Vuelta a Espana wrapped up this weekend in Madrid.  The race was going along smoothly for Joaquim Rodriguez who was able to maintain his overall lead through the Stage 13 Individual Time Trial (hills are his forte' not turning a big gear).  Maybe Rodriguez got over confident.  Or maybe Alberto Contador was just waiting for the right moment.  No matter the reason, Alberto Contador launched a massive attack, and took control of the race, on stage17 to Fuente De.

Rodriguez lost over two minutes to Contador, along with the race lead, on the way to the Fuente De mountain top finish.  Alberto Contador grabbed hold of the race lead and never let go leading the race all the way in to Madrid (his home town).  You could say that Contador stormed the race like a bull storming a matador.  And that would be fitting for the racer from Madrid where bull fighting is still on Spain's entertainment menu.

This week's matchup honors a bull that defied the odds.  The name of that bull is Idilico.

2009 Idilico Tempranillo v. 2010 Frontaura y Victoria Nexus Cosecho

Washington Grenache v. Montsant

The Vuelta a Espana started a week ago in North Central Spain and began following the race route to the East through the Navarra, Aragon and Catalunya DOs heading toward Barcelona.  The first week of the race featured a variety of terrain with a couple of uphill finishes forcing the favorites to actually race their bikes in the early part of this grand tour.

The Spanish racers are always motivated to make a good showing at their home race.  So, it is not surprising to see Joaquim Rodriguez in the leader's red jersey at the end of the first week of racing.

The Vuelta also features the return of Alberto Contador from his ban for testing positive for Clenbuterol (or as his story goes ingesting the illegal drug via a tainted piece of Spanish beef, sure...).  Contador's form is a mystery.  He has been near the top of the field for the first week of the race, but has not shown the dominating style he flashed prior to his ban.  Is he faking?  Was he doping? And now a "clean" Alberto Contador cannot match the doped up Contador performance?  Who knows?

Regardless of the Contador mystery, the racing has been compelling so far.  Continuing the mystery theme the Lucha Vino matchup features a mystery Grenache from Walla Walla this week.

2009 Renegade Wine Co. Grenache v. 2007 Celler de Capcanes Mas Donis Barrica