Recently, there has been a fair amount of buzz surrounding music’s influence on the way you perceive wine.

Rocket science? Maybe not, but I love the idea of pairing wine with music and was ecstatic when Robert McIntosh tagged me to participate in a lighthearted music meme. Originally, based on a creation by Andrew at 7 Songs, the challenge proposed to me was to list the 7 top songs I love at this very moment. But as our niche is Iberian wine, I couldn’t just list my current favorite songs without putting a little twist on it.

Hence, what I’ve compiled here are 7 Spanish songs to pair with 7 Spanish styles of wine, most of which I’ve stumbled across on Last FM. Note that I’m used ’styles’ loosely, but I trust you’ll get the idea

Bongo Bong - Manu Chao
Originally from Galicia, Manu Chao now resides in Paris recording a wide range of music, some of which appeals to my funky, rap/chill side. This is the type of music you flip on during a bbq when you’ve got a glass of Albarino in one hand and a piece of sweet honeydew in the other as your hips sway back and forth to the bass.

Cuando Quiero el Sol - Presuntos Implicados
I’m not entirely sure if I like this song because of the dramatic and melancholic voice of the main Andalusian singer, Sole, or because the video actually attempts to romanticize The Matrix. Whatever the reason, it’s a great jazzy song that marries well with a glass of amontillado.

Todo Tienda - Ojos de Brujo
Hands down this is one of my favorite Spanish groups! I was first introduced to …

Inspired by a recent article in Wired that friend passed on to me, I want to start a silly little meme. In the article by Lore Sjöberg entitled Wonder Wine Gadgets That Would Win Over Geeks, Lore comes up with some geeky wine tools that may eventually find themselves wrapped up in a pretty little package with your name on it this Holiday season. My personal favorite from his list is the “Tooth-Mounted Flavor Sensor”, designed to decipher each and every flavor you experience while sipping your next wine!

So Wine Bloggers, what is your dream device? Something yet to be built or something that only Ralph Steadman’s head could create? Maybe you have an idea or a schematic already drawn up? Maybe this article has fostered a new side of you, you didn’t even know existed? Feeling a bit creative?!

Gabriella’s Idea:
Wine-o-Tron 5000

You’ve just had a fantastic tasting savoring some of the most prestigious wines of the world among a dozen of your closest wine aficionados. Looking at your watch, you’ve noticed the bell has struck 2am. You’re tongue tired, lips chapped, slightly loopy from the delectable evening and are now dreaming of your warm bed and soft sheets, but the evening isn’t over. On your marble counter top stand 40 Reidel glasses of every size and shape imaginable reflecting four large, mischievous cat eyes. If you don’t wash and put away all 40 glasses now, chances are slim you’ll find a handful in tact come morning.

Your choice: wash them by hand or get out your Wine-O-Tron 5000!

Wine-O-Tron 5000 is an automatic wine glass cleaning robot that easily fits in small closets or under your couch. Simply unfold, turn on, and watch your lipstick stained, garnacha tinted wine glasses get sparkling clean in a matter of minutes. Wine-O-Tron …