Sangria recipe (one of many you can mix and combine)

One of the beauties of Sangria recipes is that you can use a variety of different wines in the recipe mix. just atke the one you used the previous day or one cheap wine (in Spain we use the tetra brick wines :-)

The beauty of the basic Sangria recipe is that it is as delicious as it is easy, and it only gets better as you spice it up with your own additions!so go out and start trying and mixing and changing some of the ingredient

For example you can change the red wine for white or cava and you will have an interesting variation that will always surprise your friends

All in all it will take you 5 minutes to do it, so what are you waiting for ?

Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle of red wine (Rioja or VAldepenas rules), however white wine or cava will also do
• 1 Lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Orange cut into wedges
• 1 peach, apple or nectarines will also add amazing flavour 
• 2 Tbsp sugar (or maybe 2,3 or 4 if you prefer a sweet one)
• 1 Shot brandy or cointreau or rum could also do (whatever you have handy)
• 2 Cups ginger ale or club soda (fizzy water will do) - You could also do orange or lemon soda and don't use then much sugar as the flavour sodas have already much sugar on them
• Lots of ice cubes

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight (a couple of hours and lots of ice cubes will also do, but then try to have the wine in the fridge ahead of time, but the flavours of the fruit will not be capture that well).
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Some good wine choices to buy at Madrid Airport - Whites (I)

One of the things that I really hate with the security rules after the famous Shoe Bomb incident is the ban on liquids (which BTW if you want my opinion is total BS and just a way to increase sales at the airport and manage the people's fear management) . So I used to buy 6-8 bottles and just curry them with me on my hand luggage. Now I am forced to buy some of them if I can / want to check in my bag or to buy them at the airport

The good news is that at least on Madrid airport at the Aldeasa shops the wine selection is not that bad (probably the biggest complaint is lacking some interesting wine regions as Bierzo, Madrid just to name a few). Let me give you some of my recommendations (Cuatro Rayas, MAr de Fredes and Santiago Ruiz) :

A wine from Baleares (yes from the island): AN2

One of my discoveries last year was to find an amazing wine from Baleares, not your usual wine producer region in Spain (not a usual DO). In general most of the wines made in Mallorca are geared towards the thirsty tourist hordes and do not aspire to excellence.

From the winery Anima Negra, which has been making some of Spain’s top wines since the mid-90s. Anima Negra works mostly with the island indigenous varieties of Callet, Fogoneu, and Mantonegro, blending them (but usually in small quantities) with Cab Sauvignon or Syrah.
Their most famous wine (in terms of retail popularity as they have another wine on the 60Eur range that is produced not every year) is AN 2. I have tried both AN2 2005 and 2007 (this one is the one in most of the shops these days)

IN this case the AN2 has aged 12 months in French & American oak, and I have seen it retailing usually around the 20€ (aka not cheap at all) :-) but still worth it
It has a light but brilliant colour, in a way weaker than usual spanish wines. The smell will surprise you, cherry and mineral notes, original to start. In the mouth it will surprise you. It is both original and complex, quite earthy and with red fruit for sure. It finishes well

It will tell you something and make your food way better that you thought :-)

(Updated) An amazing surprise from Jumilla from a wine shop in Chueca (Madrid) that is doing great things

I was the other day on one of my favorites wine shops in Madrid, a not so old shop in Chueca formerly knows as “La carte des vins” and now Bianco& Rosso in Infantas 18 (within the plaza Vazquez de Mella).

http://11870.com/pro/bianco-rosso

I did buy several bottles to take with me to Vilnius but wanted to take a couple of interesting bottles for lunch with my parents and family

He recommended to me a wine from Jumilla, so knowing it will be a good one clearly qualify for the “interesting” part (until not so long ago Jumilla was know was very cheap wine of very low quality, almost Sangria wine. However several winemakers has risen the bar in the region and have been producing several award winning wines)

The bottle this time was Juan Gil 2005 from the Bodegas of the same name. To start with the label is really elegant and classy. A rare avis on its design on the Spanish label ecosystem

The wine is made from the typical grape in the region Monastrell (Mourvedre) is made from 45 year-old Spanish vines and aged for 12 months in American and French oak.

With a colour that may remind you lots of the Catalan Priorat, dark red, almost black intense/Inky purple color with light oak, black fruit and hints of tea and tobacco on the nose. Full bodied. A bit of blueberry and a long black cherry finish. It is smooth but leaving your mouth as a thick mouthfeel. We had it with a couple of spoon plates (potatoes with mushrooms and beans with rabbit), what a combination.

More amazing even is that the wine usually retails for less than 10 Eur. A definitive buy to surprise always your host

TOP 10 wines 2009 - Value and quality

Recently I have been asked several times about some of my recommendations from down to earth (aka price/quality ration) wines beyond the very well know ones, so here is my 2009 Top 10 list, with no particular raking among them. I have tried to balance whites and red, several regions and different values. Some of these wines are very easy to find, some of them harder :-) but you will love them when you find them
(please notice that you have in many cases dedicated blog entries on some of the wines). Prices are standard prices found on wine stores

Legend - Wine Type – Region – Name – Grape and year - Winery

Under 5 Euros
White – Rueda – Cuatro Rayas – Verdejo 2008 (Agricola Castellana)
Red – Valdepenas – Vina Albali – Tempranillo 2002 (Felix Solis)

Between 5-10 Euros
White– Rueda – Naia – Verdejo 2008 (Bodegas Naia)
Red – Toro – Bajoz Crianza - Tinta de Toro 2005 (Pagos del Rey)
Red – Somontano –Laus Crianza – Merlot / Caubernet Sauvignon 2005 (Bodegas Laus)

Beteween 10-15 Euros
Sparkling (Cava) – Gramona Gran Cuvee de Postre - Xarel-lo, Macabeo y Parellada (Gramona)
Red – Bierzo – Petalos del Bierzo – Mencia 2007 (Descendientes de J. Palacios )
White – Rueda – PR3 – Verdejo 2008 (Prado del Rey)
Red – Toro – Prima – Tinta de Toro 2006 (Familia Mariano Garcia)
White – Segovia (Castilla y Leon, Vinos de Castilla) – Ossian – Verdejo 2007 (Aalto)

In Rueda – Verdejo and more (2)

So after Bodegas Naia, we went to Bodegas PradoRey. I really like the concept they have put in place (about time somebody in Rueda does this. I have seen it a bit more in Rioja and Ribera although not much). An entire experience around wine, visiting the cellars, the great restaurant where to taste excellent food and their wines (or other as the selection is nice) and a very good shop with wine and products for the region. The group (which has originally wines from Ribera del Duero) invested over 9 Mio Euros on the complex.

Here apart from their Verdejo (PradoRey Verdejo 07) and even a cheaper version of Verdejo with a cheap Viura Grape (the wine sells for 3-4 Eur), they have worked 2 wines that I really like. One goes along the high end version of Verdejo that I mentioned on the previous Rueda post. The wine is called “PR3 Barricas”. The other one a very nice surprise “PradoRey Sauvignon Blanc”, semi dulce (semi sweet), working on similar lines of the IceWine but much much cheaper and en excellent taste

“PR3 Barricas” – so the grape is 100% verdejo, they mention they use a soaking process with CO2 (called Boreal) which gives the grape already an special treatment. Wine is then fermented on 3 types (that is why it is called PR3) of Central European Oak barrels (of 300 liters), where it stays for 9 months (once again almost triple that classic verdejo). Its alcohol degrees is actually quite high for whites on 13,5%
The bottle on its one is different as the bottom of the bottle is wider than usual. Very nice looking (don't know if you can see that on the picture). Visually the color is yellow, very shiny with some greens. On the nose intense, some toffee also. On the mouth very intense, stays on the mouth much longer that most verdejo. So great for rice or risotto, but I think it can “maridaje” with some stronger than usual cheeses. Have to try this
I bought some bottles and also a surprising present for friends to try this one. They will love you ☺

“PradoRey Sauvignon Blanc”, semi dulce (semi sweet), what a nice surprise. Excellent dessert wine, good value for money (compara with the 20+ Eur IceWine from Austria and even more expensive from Canada). Light colours, smells like pear and taste is light, semi sweet with some mature fruit at the back of your palate.

In Rueda – Verdejo and more (1)

We are talking here about the ultimate white wine in Spain. Don’t get me wrong, there are many other grapes and regions making excellent white wine (godello grapes from Valdeorras and Monterry to give you an example) but Verdejo is the best internationally known and also a great value for money, which excellent bottles on the 5-10 Eur price range

I was actually in Rueda 3 weeks ago buying some wine there. So here are some of my recommendations and a couple of very nice discoveries

Naia – This is an excellent white wine and very good winery (many thanks to Cristina to help us on a busy day. She was really helpful and fun and love sharing with her our ideas on New Zealnd wine, where she was on the harvesting in Spring this year. But please organize the winery so people can come and taste the wines!! We need to develop this in Spain). They actually doing a good job on exporting their wine to the US (I have seen their bottles in several shop sin San Francisco).
Their “classic” Verdejo now in the shops in 2007 (Naia 2007). Keep in mind that “classic” verdejo is only in the barrels for 3 months, so usually you can’t have them for more than 3-4 years after they have been bottle, and on the 2 year mark they are at their peak. This applies to all the bottle of Verdejo (Classic, see about the new version below)
Furthermore, take a look at a very good and simple review that I subscribe very much
“Excelent quality for a small price. Both nose and taste is all fruit, citrus, melon also floral notes. This is an refreshing wine that drinks so easily that my glass keeps getting empty without a blink. Great to drink on it's own, goes very well with fish, even had pizza fruity di mare with it, sushi etc. The better the weather the better this wine comes to its right. Right out of the fridge is a bit to cold but on a summer day that will take only a few minutes to be resolved, although it doesn't always gets that time :0)”
One note he does not mention is the colour. Typical verdejo, pallid gold, with touches of wheat and a light very light greens.
I keep buying this wine over and over and you should do too

In the same winery and as it seems to be now a tradition in the region they are preparing a luxury or high end wine, which basically means that the bottles stay on the barrel for usually triple the time of the “classic” verdejo, giving the wine an stronger body, much goldish color and an oak-flavour on the palete
This is the case in Bodegas Naia, which has been doing the Naiades for a number of years. The one I tried was the 2006. This wine is selling for 15-20 Eur (although I have heard that they are selling it for 35 USd in the US!!!). It is expensive but not that much if you compare that most albarinos sell for this price and I think these are much better wines in most cases.
Let me share with you a review that I like on Naiades 2006
“Very interesting. My 1st verdejo with obvious oak treatment. I really enjoyed this. Improved with air. Was nice really chilled and even approaching room temp. Paired fairly well with arugula salad, parmesan-truffle oil dressing. Excelled with quinoa, greens and a yogurt tofu all with indian styles spices. The nose was so creamy, while the palate was more metallic or river stone like. Toasty oak, green bananas (stole that from slave2thevine) and yellow apples….”

Little wine route in Rueda (Noia, Prado Rey and more) - I

Our wine fridge was getting quite empty and being Rueda just 90 minutes away from Madrid and with the lovely days of September, we did a small road trip to fill the white wine gaps for the family

We decided to try different things, so we went to a vinyard, went to another vinyard that has expanded into a restaurant and shop and also to visit a large shop in Rueda that carries many wines

First we went to Bodegas Naia. Naia 2007 and 2008 have been some of my favourites whites in Spain in the past years. Although we are in the middle of the harvest so it was difficult to even buy the wine there today, I had an interesting chat with one of the staff members around the several wines that they produce, their distribution (Naia is actually fairly well known in the US and it is well distributed there) and other challenges. Also as usual I did chat about why we keep not investing in Spain on creating an experience around wine and the vinyards where you can go, taste wine, have food, visit the winery and more. The wasn´t an answer around this topic although Cristina (from Naia) have been in New Zealand and was talking about how interesting it was to see this concept in action.

This lead us to Prado Rey Winery which has recently open a restaurant (Colores de Rueda), a very nice shop and does tours of the cellars, so yes the full experience. The shop was beautiful, personnel was knowledgable and I did like the presentation of the products. However it wasn´t that easy to do a wine tasting and only after we ate at the restaurant we got to try on eof their wines.
Prado Rey Verdejo 2008 This wine, with appealing greenish tones, features varietal aromas from Verdejo on a complex background and exotic fruit with aniseed hints. It gives an sunctuous, fleshy, fat impression in the mouth with a very pleasant aftertaste. It dies too early into the mouth, which is in the other hand very common on young verdejos. A likable wine that goes easy with fish and seafood. A decent alternative for an Albariño

They are also making a combination Prado Rey Birlocho. A very good priced wine for 3,5 Eur that combines the Verdejo grapes (similar as the 2008 Verdejo) with Viura. Did not have the chance to try it but bought a couple of bottles to do so soon

The restaurant "Colores de rueda" was actually very nice, rich cuisine, good choices (including a very good fresh fish selection which being Rueda deep Castille is always remarkable). The service was efficient and we did enjoy the meal and we tried some of their wines. I will stop here more often but they should try to do some menus where they combine their wines (or at least make wine combination suggestions) with some specific plates

In terms of their wines, as most of the wineries Prado Rey Winery is developing a high end version of their classic verdejo wine. The same was the case at Naia (with the Naiades). This type of wine is staying for 9 months (instead of 4 months as the other Verdejo varieties) in the barrels, creating richer and more complex wine flavours. In the case of Prado Rey PR3. Using 3 types of different central european barrels. The yellow colour is stronger in a way greenish, very fresh and brilliant. I could smell some toffee and some fruits (peach maybe) que fermentan en tres tipos de barrica centroeuropea de 300 litros. Es de color amarillo pajizo tirando a verdoso, limpio y brillante.
Tiene una gran nariz, en primer termino salen tostados muy finos y minerales, algo de salinidad como a mar, luego salen frutas tropicales y frutas de hueso ( melocoton,albaricoque). En boca tiene buena acidez, te llena la boca, es glicerico, espeso, balsamico, con un final seco y algo amargo, pero muy agradable.
Me ha gustado.

Some wine pics from one of my partners

One of my partners Carlos Valdecantos loves facebook and uploading real time pics. On these case he did some pics of wines he liked through the year
An interesting selection based on Spanish Red Wines
Enjoy!!


Link to Carlos Facebook Wines Pics Album )

Wine from Valencia: Mestizaje Bobal 2006

Once again looking on the lower end (in terms of pricing) of the wine menu I found the other night while having dinner at Xamán Ek, one of my favorites Mexican Restaurants in Madrid together with La Taqueria de Birra (both deserved a future post on my side)
this wine from the Utiel Requena region. And yes there are wines from the Valencia State, in fact there are 3 regions or DO Valencia, Alicante and Utiel Requena

The D.O. Utiel-Requena is a region of mostly red wines. In fact 94.27% of the wine-growing area is given over to red varieties. White varieties represent 5.73% of the vineyards of Utiel-Requena (while whites are actually a big part of the production in Alicante and Valencia DO)

The grape varieties protected by the Denomination of Origin Utiel-Requena are:

* Reds: Bobal, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah (recently authorized).
* Whites: Macabeo, Merseguera, Planta Nova or Tardana, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (recently authorized).

The Bobal grape is probably the most interesting one of them. You will not find a single wine made purely of Bobal (will not be that good) but combined with other grapes the result is really nice and again on the less than 10 EUR in retail category

Bodegas Mustiguillo Mestizaje Bobal 2006

As usual taking a quote from Gerry Dawes Blog about the winery, "Mustiguillo, a charming small winery built on the site of a former stable, has become the star of the Utiel-Requena, despite the fact that they sell their wines with non-denominación de origen status"
The star winemaker Antonio Sarrion is a champion of the local grape varity Bobal and is convinced the best way to obtain top quality fruit from this variety is to use the bush system of training the vines.

The wine

Colour: Red
Grape Types : Cabernet Sauvignon,Grenache,Merlot,Syrah/Shiraz,Tempranillo,Bobal
Country : Spain - Utiel Requena
Vintage: 2006

As mentioned before this is an example of combining Bobal with other grapes. On this case it is a blend of 50% Bobal with the other 50% comprising of Garnacha, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo grapes. Could sense several smells, maybe vanilla or black cherry, red fruit for sure. Thick and almost you can chew on it on your mouth and the palate. Firm yet round tannins. The wine is medium to full bodied with a good length. It went really well with the spicy mexican food

A night of food and wine to remember

Past thursday we have the opportunity to attend the first event of the Gastronomy Club in Spain which we just started
We prepared an event that was almost 2 events in one in order to be so impressive that we will make sure that even being the first even it will be a success and fully booked. Well we failed here as we only managed to fill half of the planned capacity. However what can I say about the event, it was just amazing, unforgetable

We started the first hour and fifteen minutes was about white wine (including champagne and port) and cheese and what we call in Spanish "maridaje" or the marriage of flavours between the cheese and the wine

Out the 4 wines and the 4 cheeses I want to mention to of the combinations:

The third white wine is my initial recommenation. The name was "Ossian" from Tierra de Castilla (Segovia in this case) with the typical Rueda grape - Verdejo and done under ecological agriculture principles (no chemicals) . The wine has spent 9 months in oak barrels. Really intense flavour, vanilla and small flower touches, improving as it dies on the back of the mouth and capable to increase the flavour of a very intense Italian pecorino cheese, of sheep milk of 8 months.

The fourth one was an increadable cheese to start with. I dont think we left a single drop of cheese. For the Spaniard who dont know this cheese it can be compare with the "Torta del Casar" from extremadura
The name of the cheese is "monte da vinha amanteigado" of Vimiero (Alto Alentejo)
Maturity of minimum 20-30 days done with sheep milk. Soft, creamy intense flavour, extraordinary. Probably the winner of the night

So which wine would you use to battle and even better marry this amazing cheese with? Well the answer is let's marry portuguese with portuguese so we went with a Port. Port from the Osborne house, 20 years. The swetness but strong texture of the port went very very well with this cheese