Corkscrew Chronicles: With Spanish wine, the Ordonez name indicates quality

There is an adage in the industry: "The best indication of quality is the importer's name on the label." When the importer is Jorge Ordonez, that adage becomes fact. A native Spaniard, Ordonez introduced America to top-quality wines of his homeland. He single-handedly resurrected his home region of Malaga and produces some exceptional examples. Ordonez's portfolio contains some of the most compelling standards of Spanish wines, and he acts as an expert consultant assisting with winemaking and marketing for his clients. With the diverse and exciting foods of Spain, here are some Ordonez wines with classic food pairings. Aperitif Sparkling wines are perfect appetite enhancers, to sip their own and to serve like dry white wines, with white meat courses. Also pair with eggs, the classic potato omelet and cured ham (Jamon). Marquis de Gelida Brut Gran Reserva (Cava), $19 — Aged four years in the bottle, a crisp sparkler with toasty, textured hints of citrus and apple with a long, lingering finish. White wines Serve light, crisp whites with seafood such as calamari, langoustines and camarones (shrimp). Richer whites pair with white meats and fish, chicken/shrimp paella, lighter empanadas, croquettes and textured cheeses such as Manchego. Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli (Getaria), $23 — Don't worry about the grapes used to produce this fresh, crisp, softly sparkling, delicate and mouth-watering white, just savor it! Nisia Verdejo (Rueda), $17 — from the oldest vines in the appellation comes this brilliantly fruited, exciting, aromatic white with herbal, citrusy overtones. Also pair with goat cheese. Avancia "Cuvee O" Godello (Valdeorras), $20 — Ordonez introduced Godello to America. Using 31- to 61-year-old vines, this is an intensely aromatic example with honeysuckle and citrus nuances. La Cana Albarino (Rias Baixas), $19 — Spain's finest native white grape. A superb example; crisp, mineral-tinged, textured and extracted with a small portion fermented in oak for complexity. Rose Food flexible; pair with white meat courses, Paella, Gazpacho, tapas and Charcuterie. Muga Rose (Rioja)$17 — fermented in oak, a full-bodied, structured, textured, complex example with strawberry/berry nuances. Full reds Perfect with white bean/chorizo stew, blue cheeses, tapas and red meat dishes including lamb and braised oxtail. Rioja is a classic with Paella prepared with chorizo. Ramirez de La Piscina Crianza (Rioja), $18 — A 100 percent Tempranillo from the Rioja Alta, offering concentrated scents and flavors of balanced oak, dark strawberry, spice and mineral. Muga Reserva (Rioja), $35 — a blend of 70 percent Tempranillo with the most important Rioja varietals; full and complex. Breca Garnacha (Calatayud), $17 — 100 percent old vine Garnacha from higher elevation sites offering dark, ripe, black fruit nuances with oak/vanilla, spice and richness on the palate. Teso La Monja Almirez (Toro), $30 — these Toro vineyards were planted to Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) from 1880 to 1940. Purple-hued, deeply tinted color with intense oak, exuberant dark fruit and richness. Stunning wine that will reward some cellar time or decant it for current enjoyment. Mira Salenas Monastrell (Jumilla), $18 — A 100 percent varietal from old, head-trained vines that shows the richness, spice and dark, ripe, meaty fruit of Monastrell. Dessert Pair Malaga with rice pudding and chocolate-dipped churros. For richer desserts that have nuts, raisins, chocolate and toffee or with Flan/caramel, both dessert wines are delightful. Also serve the Pedro Ximenez over vanilla ice cream. Ordonez #2 Malaga "Victoria" (Malaga), $27-375ml — fruit sourced from 50-year-old, high-altitude vineyards, concentrated by drying. Elegant and fresh with lovely purity of fruit touched with minerals. Jorge's sister Victoria hand-crafts these wines. Alvear Pedro Ximenez Anada (Montilla), $30-375ml — A luscious example of Pedro Ximenez with scents and flavors of raisins, nuts, orange peel, caramel and brown sugar with fresh, ripe grape flavors. Look for the Ordonez logo on fine Spanish wines. Gary Twining is a certified wine educator who worked 34 years in the wholesale fine wine industry. Email him at winingwithtwining@hotmail.com.