Upon first seeing the elegant bottles of Spanish red wine bearing a silver 90, it was easy to assume it was a bizarre coincidence. Instead, this was an independence day present of sorts from
iseseisvusjanuline Kataloonia, a place “thirsty for independence,” as local wine aficionado and Eesti Ekspress journalist Kalev Kesküla put it.
Eesti has its share of berry and fruit wines, but these special occasion “
vabariigi veinid”, Covides Winery 2001 reserve red (or
Rouge de la République?), along with two cavas: semiseco and brut, were the perfect accompaniment to a
Vabariigi aastapäeva gathering.
New times call for new traditions!
Additional trivia:
* Aficionado suits this context perfectly, since it originates from the Spanish word
aficionar (to inspire affection) and one of its meanings is "a person who takes a great interest in bullfighting, but who is not himself a bullfighter". (Gage Canadian Dictionary)
* Cava is a type of white or pink sparkling wine, produced mainly in the Penedes region in Catalonia, Spain, 40 km south-west of Barcelona. Its name is derived from the Catalan word for cellar.
