Wine. single or married? (eng)

When I arrived here in Spain, some years ago, they called me every name under the sun, including "guiri", meaning foreign tourist, among others which I shall not mention here. As well as being a foreigner and not really knowing  neither about Gastronomy nor wines, it was not the done thing to eat an unpeeled apple at 10 am in the morning at work. I learned the hard way that a Café con Leche after lunch was very "guiri", it's for the mornings to dunk your doughnuts or croissants in. So much liquid in your stomach after a heavy meal was just not what the Doctor ordered . The other lesson I learnt was that one wasn't supposed to have a glass of wine on its own i.e. without a meal. They also told me that the best wine in the world was Rioja Crianza or Reserva and even Grand Reserva back then. Forget Bordeaux, don't mention the Germans (Monty Python) it was all about Rioja, preferably '94 or ´95 vintages, both excellent.This happened more than 11 years ago. Much has changed since then.. Today it's much more accepted to have a wine on its own. Of course it does depend on the power  and structure of the wine: I would never dream of having a typical Priorat on its own, especially if it were blessed by Father Parker. If you don't accompany this type of wine with a meal, you'll probably die! Maybe an unoaked white wine or with just a touch of oak such as a Verdejo, or a Xarello joven (young, unoaked) and wines from Pouilly Fouissé immediately come to mind. An unoaked fruit forward red wine or with polished tannins could be the perfect fit. I'm thinking of Red Grenache (Garnacha), Spanish Tempranillo from Navarra, Rioja or from Montsant with or without oak. Why can't they be tasted/drunk on their own? There are occasions where a wine can completely overpower its counterpart: Mr. Food. We must feel, use our senses and keep an open mind, forgetting stereotypes and fashion trends, while we are tasting, in order to fully appreciate the experience.

To have a wine on its own in a bar in the evening, where the only objective is to enjoy friends' company and a have a chat  or simply to have a bit of fun, is absolutely fine. We're not looking for a wine with lots of body or aromatic complexity. No! It's exactly the opposite.. easy and pleasant are adjectives most suitable for that moment. I don't know, but there is definitley something which I have learnt during my time here.. maybe I´m not such a "guiri" after all...