Advertising Notes, and Happy Tempranillo Day!

Advertising on this site has always been minimal, and I've primarily just used the Amazon Associates program with links in the sidebars. They're a well known company and millions of people feel comfortable shopping online with them. However, with the launch of Amazon Wine, I've got an opportunity to solve a big problem I've had in the past. Lots of readers e-mail me asking where they can buy a wine featured here, or if I can sell them a bottle. I've always been hesitant to link to specific online retailers, mainly because there's nothing in it for me and I can't personally vouch for or against them. For right now, Amazon can ship wine to the following states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.

I'm going to play around with the ads and figure out the best way to incorporate them without looking obnoxious. I will continue to link the name of the wine to the specific winery or American distributor whenever possible. My advice to all of my readers is to always support your local wine shop first--if you can't find a specific wine, they should be able to suggest a good substitute. If that doesn't work, check the link to the winery and see if they ship to your state. And if that doesn't work or it's not a domestic wine, follow the links at the bottom of the post and help support your humble wineblogger. If I start seeing positive results, I'll take the time to go back and add purchase links to older posts.

UPDATE Nov. 11, 2012: Looks like Amazon is not paying referrals on wine. Goodbye links!

Now, back to the wine!

Thursday, November 8, 2012 is International Tempranillo Day, coinciding with International Stout Day, which I had to pass on because I stick to either wine or beer--I've found the palate doesn't work with a combination. Also because there's only so much time for tasting between getting home from work and going to bed.

The most notorious wine PR holiday is the Beaujolais Nouveau release, but lots of others have been started like Champagne Day or the lesser known Öküzgözü Day on April 4 in celebration of Turkish grapes. I was happy to join in on this one because of my love of Spanish wines. They are generally tasty, food friendly, and inexpensive: a perfect trio.

On top of this, I also received four Cavas, which I'll be writing about later. Stay tuned!

2011 Tapeña Tempranillo
100% Tempranillo
Tierra de Castilla, Spain
$10, 13.5% abv.
The nose has a touch of cinnamon and black plum. On the palate it's rich and fruity with firm tannins. This is a great middle of the week wine that will go well with casual burgers and pizza fare, and is a great bargain at a sawbuck.

2009 Vaza Rioja Crianza
100% Tempranillo
Rioja, Spain
$15, 13.3% abv.
This is my favorite of the three, and yes, I'm a little biased towards Rioja. The profile here is full of black cherry with a hint of eucalyptus. Mild tannins and balanced fruit and black tea on the tongue. Serve with roast pork and grilled vegetables and be in heaven.

2010 Valdubón Cosecha
100% Tempranillo
Ribera del Duero, Spain
$15, 14% abv.
This wine is pretty young, as right now it's full of cassis and oak with really firm tannins. However, I think it should be great in two years and I'd love to serve it with braised oxtails.

Note: These wines were received as samples.