For today’s featured photo, I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite pintxos (Basque for “tapas”) from a recent wine and food tour of the Rioja region of Spain. These delectable little morsels were immensely enjoyable, especially while sipping a glass of wine while basking in the midday sun outside a typical bar in the medieval town of Laguardia.  On the left, poached pear, blue sheep’s cheese, and aged manchego, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, while on the right: anchovy, olives, and peppers. These bold, contrasting medley of flavors played together surprisingly well, especially when washed down by a glass of the Tinto, local red wines produced in a “Maceracion Carbonica” style, a method of wine fermentation that features prominently in the Basque region. Discovering these young and lively carbonic wines proved to be the wine highlight of the tour. With lively acidity and low to moderate tannins, they proved themselves to be most excellent food wines, perfectly complimenting the local fare.