Posts from the ‘Spain’ Category

Jun 13

Rum & Riesling Peach Sangria

With every restaurant, bar and nation crafting their own recipe for Sangria, we though we’d make the most of our own in-house ingredients and create a recipe that’s ideal for any beach, BBQ, bar or taqueria. Steering clear of Ab Fab’s Pats and Eddy, who lived on Boli-Stolis (1 part Stolichnaya, 1 glass of Bollinger Champagne) for our afternoons of summer stoop sipping in the city, we opted for something light, local and non-lethal, featuring Owney’s Original Small Batch Rum from The Noble Experiment NYC in Brooklyn.

Jun 6

Camp De Maison in Galicia

Viña Caneiro at D. Ventura in Ribeira Sacra

Danielle recently returned from De Maison Selections’s Galicia Camp, which she photographed and writes about here. Thanks Danielle!

…..

This year’s De Maison Camp ventured to Galicia where I expected to drink crisp Albarino after rappelling down the steep vineyards of Ribeira Sacra, which would have been rewarding enough. However, Galicia turned out to be the land of Godello, Mencia, weird-looking shellfish, poundcake soaked in Arujo (Northern Spain’s answer to grappa) and drinking from the porron as though it were a competitive sport, because it is. Only a man like André Tamers can put 30 people who think they know a thing or two about wine on a bus and in a mere six hours from Madrid take them to a place where they’ve never been, may never be able to go back to, and show them that they know nothing.

Jun 3

Txikifest 2013 at Txikito

As warm and sunny skies finally came to NYC this weekend, Txikifest took Chelsea by storm! For the third year in a row, Eder Montero and Alex Raij the owners and chefs of Txikito packed the back alley behind their famed Basque Country restaurant with Txakoli wines from 15 different producers and pintxos (Basque-style tapas) from ten different restaurants. With proceeds benefitting Sanctuary for Families, this celebration of Basque Country culture was not to be missed! (For Txikifest 2012, read here.)

May 6

2 Comments

Introducing Josep Foraster Cava Brut Rosé Trepat NV

“Trepat is a grape that shows the characteristics of the area,” said Ricard Sebastia of Mas Foraster. And though most all other Cava Rosés are the result of a varietal blend, the Josep Foraster Cava Brut Rosé Trepat NV is made from 100% Trepat. In Catalunya, where the family resides, 900 of the overall 1000ha of planted Trepat vines are used for producing Cava, however, in 2009 Mas Foraster became the second to produce a still Trepat wine, from their 3ha of 55-year-old vines. Now that their 4ha of younger Trepat vines have reached the ripe old age of 10-15 years, the fruit is finally ready for Cava. And while perhaps the stakes here for being ‘ready’ are not as high as those for the solar plane that recently landed in Phoenix, we commend their decision to wait until the time was right. ”This is the most important for us,” he said, “it was time for us to make a good Cava.”

Apr 24

Joan d’Anguera Altaroses 2011, A Biodynamic Wine from Catalunya

Awaiting Demeter certification with the 2012 vintage, Josep and Joan Anguera have been practicing organic and biodynamic farming since 2009. Located in Catalunya in the D.O. of Montsant, Joan d’Anguera –a family estate that dates back 200 years– is just a pip’s throw from the high-altitude town of Falset–a gateway to the slate soiled vineyards of Priorat.

Planted to soils of limestone and clay on north facing slopes that reside at an altitude of 200-300 meters, the 15-40 year old Garnacha vines are just 28km from the Mediterranean. And while the region, much like its neighboring Priorat, is known for its powerful, concentrated wines, the Joan d’Anguera Altaroses 2011 is an anomaly, conceived first as an experiment meant to replicate the once traditional daily wines of the region.

Apr 4

3 Comments

VIVA LA VID-A

The first red wine from Lagar de Costa, Viva La Vid-a 2011 is a brilliant yet limited release from this Albariño producer in Rias Baixas. Made from 100% Espadeiro vines that are 30-200 years old, there are 600 bottles of Viva La Vid-a, from a varietal that is just as rarely planted. Indigenous to the Minho region in Portugal, Espadeiro is also considered indigenous to Galicia, though each grape has a different DNA profile (see Wine Grapes by Robinson, Harding and Vouillamoz). With only 295ha planted in Portugal where Espadeiro is typically used to produce rosé, in Rias Baixas just across the border, Espadeiro shares its DNA profile with Camaraou Noir, which is indigenous to south-west France. DNA aside, the Viva La Vid-a 2011 comes in at 11.5% and is so bright with fruit and acidity that its arrival was enough to revive our winter-logged spirits through the spring-challanged month of March.

Feb 11

Bodegas La Cigarrera

Ignacio Hildago of Bodegas La Cigarrera

“I belong to the ninth generation,” said Ignacio Hildago, of Bodegas La Cigarrera–the oldest winery in Sanlucar to remain in its original location. Operating since 1758, La Cigarrera ideally resides in the barrio bajo, the lower part of the Sanlucar plateau, which has long been considered the preferable portion since bodegas began clustering in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. With such close proximity to two bodies of water–the Atlantic to the west and the Guadalquivir River to the north–Sanlucar bears the effects of the poniente, a wet wind that blows in directly from the ocean, cooling the area while increasing its humidity. Creating two different microclimates–the barrio bajo and the barrio alto–this convergence results in two different micro-climates. And while the conditions in the barrio alto might yield lighter sherries, the positioning of La Cigarrera yields sherries with greater complexity.

Jan 16

Doniene Gorrondona Txakolina Tinto Bizkaiko 2011

From the coastal town of Bakio, comes Doniene Gorrondona Tinto Bizkaiko Txakolina 2011, made from organically farmed pre-phylloxera vines. Of the estate’s 12ha, these 2ha of 150+ year old Hondarribi Beltza plantings are the estate’s oldest vines. Planted on steep terraced slopes of clay with a slate subsoil, these rare indigenous vines have been revived by a team of four who engage sustainable practices in the winery and in the vineyard. Read more

Jan 9

Josep Foraster Collita 2011

Made from organically farmed (but not certified) estate fruit at Mas Foraster in the region of Conca de Barberá, the Josep Foraster Collita 2011 is 90% Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Residing at 370m, these 9ha under vine were planted in 1995 to sunny slopes with alluvial soils of clay and sand. Growing grapes for 150 years, Mas Foraster began vinifying their fruit in 1998, when Josep Foraster took over the family estate, which is now run by his nephew, Ricard Sebastiá, who hand-harvests two or three days before the point of optimum phenolic maturity to maintain the freshness of the grapes.

Dec 12

2 Comments

Ermita San Felices Crianza Rioja 2008

Starting with the 2008 vintage of Ermita San Felices Crianza Rioja, Ermita has adopted a new label to unify their wines. Paying tribute to those who came before him, Roberto Ijalba explained that the new label, with a single stone and surrounding filagree, brings visual consistency to their bottles while honoring his grandparents who were the first in the family to cultivate not just vineyards, but also the culture of wine that set the foundation for his father, Santiago Ijalba.