Tapeña wines has decided that Real Madrid and Penelope Cruz aren’t enough, you need more Spain in your life.
The name Tapeña is a blend of tapas, the uber-popular Spanish bar snack, and peña,which means your group of drinking buddies. 
These wines are made to be easy to enjoy, affordable, and an introduction to the most important Spanish grapes: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Verdejo, and they also make a Rosé.
I dropped by Mercadito on Kinzie to catch their “Grab a Fork” 2010 Summer Tour, which will make its final stop in Dallas next week. Tapas were complimentary, and the wines were sold by the glass. I was surprised there was no wine flight offering so you could easily sample their line.
I grabbed a glass of Rose to quench the humid Chicago day, and met up with Jess from Wine Channel TV and a few other friends. We got there a little late, but there were still plenty of people hanging around with glasses full of Tapeña wines.
They handed out some trinkets as well. I still got a temporary tattoo left, if you’re interested. 
2008 Tapeña Rosé ($9.99/bottle)
This is made from Garnacha, Monastrell (A.K.A. Mouvedre,) and a little Shiraz. It’s slightly sweet, bursting with fresh raspberry and strawberry fruit, short on the finish, but delicious and refreshing.
Why it’s called a rosé and not a rosado makes absolutely no sense. But wine is art, and art shouldn’t make sense. So, whatever.
