I have the best friends in the world. They know that I’ve started a wine blog and in order for me to have something to write about, they bring me all kinds of different interesting wines to drink. They are my enablers.

It’s a perfect relationship, I cook dinner and they bring wine. I fixed spaghetti and meatballs, and for dessert, a turtle cheesecake. To go along with the Italian fare and give me something to write about, they brought over a Spanish Tempranillo to start the evening off and for the main event, an Italian wine.

The Tempranillo was a Reserva 2009 by Vina Eguia. It was very reasonably priced at $9.50. It was a dark reddish color with a hint of amber in the glass. The wine had a smoky peppery taste, almost like a syrah. It was salty and dry with a hint of tobacco. It was okay, not a bad wine, one I would drink again if someone offered it, but not one I would buy.

The surprise came from the second bottle. None of us had any idea of what to expect, but we figured, “How bad could it be?” It was a red blend, but not your usual blend. The wine, Casamatta, which translates to Crazy House, is a wine made in the solera-style. Solera-style is a blending system of casks of older wines with younger wines. This produces high quality wines that share a portion of the oldest vintage. Casamatta by Bibi Graetz bottled in Fiesole, Italy, was very tasty and also a bargain at $12.50. You can find their website at http://www.bibigraetz.com. It was a darker red, closer to purple color in the glass than the Tempranillo and had a dry smooth taste. It was dry and soft, with dark fruit flavors. This is a wine I would buy again.

As usual, we ate too much, laughed a lot especially when we tease Mitch (he takes it so well) and drank some different interesting wines. Too bad my waistline can’t take it or I would have them over every night.