Wines to Celebrate Puerto Rican Pride

The National Puerto Rican Day Parade will be celebrated in New York City on Sunday, June 9th. Held annually since 1958, the parade and subsequent festival draws over 100,000 participants each year in a vibrant display of national pride. Past Grand Marshals include Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Rosie Perez, Ricky Martin, and Geraldo Rivera, and the Grand Marshal for this year’s spirited walk up Fifth Avenue is Chita Rivera, the legendary singer, dancer, and actress.

If partying with a big crowd isn’t your style, invite your familiares and compatriotas over, put some salsa on the playlist, and live it up Puerto Rican style! Caribbean cuisine is una mezcla of foods and traditions of many European cultures, so we like to mix it up and serve wine from around the world.

Many Puerto Ricans hail from Galicia, in the north of Spain, home of caldo Gallego, bean soup with pork and sausage. While it may seem counterintuitive to serve soup on a hot day, we know that hot foods can help you to feel cooler in the heat. It is also a Spanish tradition to serve your guests a bowl of this as they arrive, to coat their stomachs for the afternoon of eating and drinking to come. Of course you have to serve pernil, and we love Evette Rios’ version. Before Spaniards brought pigs to Puerto Rico, the native Taino ate mostly seafood, and arroz con camarones is a popular dish to this day. No Puerto Rican feast would be complete without tostones, delicious fried plantains, and make sure to end on a sweet note, with flan and espresso for the grownups and piraguas for los niños.

Next up, our wine picks for a Puerto Rican Feast…

Fill the cooler with crisp white wines that are great on their own or will hold up against the spicy flavors of caldo, shrimp, and pernil.

Bolla Soave “Retro”: From the north of Italy, this invigorating white wine with flavors of pear and lemon is a good choice with seafood or pork.

Spring Seed Wine Four O’Clock Chardonnay: This Australian beauty offers classic flavors of peach and lime. Both refreshing and delicious, it is perfect for a gorgeous summer day, and well matched with all of these dishes.

Tangent Edna Valley Albariño: The Albariño grape comes from Galicia, but we have been seeing some excellent versions from California’s Central Coast. Expect crisp tropical flavors of citrus and grapefruit with a vibrant finish.

Viña Mancera Verdejo: This light, zesty white from the Rueda region of Spain has flavors of lemon-lime with light aromatic touches and notes of minerality.

Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Torrontes: An enticing wine from Argentina, this has flavors of pear and passion fruit, backed by luscious notes of honeysuckle and rose petal. The appealing floral notes are enhanced by spicy cuisine.

We enjoy red wine through the entire summer. Don’t be afraid to ice down your reds, or at least pop them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before pouring.

Viña Pomal Crianza: Hailing from Spain and made from 100% Tempranillo, this Rioja red’s rich berry flavors with notes of spice and toast are a perfect match for flavorful pork dishes.

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Winemaker’s Red: A blend of Syrah, Carmenere, and Cabernet Sauvignon, this easy-drinking Chilean red cries out for slow-cooked pork and other well-spiced cuisine.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Village: Young, fruity, and fresh with just a touch of vanilla and spice flavors, this French wine made from the Gamay grape is ideal for party time or any time.