Admist all the hullabaloo of our harvest I neglected to mention the recent success of our barrica wine, or Vendimia Seleccionada Barrica to give it it’s proper title.  (The ‘vendimia seleccionada’ part of the name is probably the most significant, in that we do not make this wine every year – only in the vintages where we believe there is enough ‘weight’ in the fruit to support the addition of oak into the equation – but then that’s another story).

The story behind today’s post is that our Barrica wine came top of a tasting of around 200 oaked wines, scooping 99 points out of a possible 100. Not quite perfect, but almost!

Being the purist that I am, I have to confess that I am not a great lover of oaked Albariño, as some examples leave only the sensation of oak and acidity on your pallet. Our 2009 is an exception, as the fruit has just enough body to support our judicious use of  oak. I have to admit, it’s really not bad!

Admist all the hullabaloo of our harvest I neglected to mention the recent success of our barrica wine, or Vendimia Seleccionada Barrica to give it it’s proper title.  (The ‘vendimia seleccionada’ part of the name is probably the most significant, in that we do not make this wine every year – only in the vintages where we believe there is enough ‘weight’ in the fruit to support the addition of oak into the equation – but then that’s another story).

The story behind today’s post is that our Barrica wine came top of a tasting of around 200 oaked wines, scooping 99 points out of a possible 100. Not quite perfect, but almost!

Being the purist that I am, I have to confess that I am not a great lover of oaked Albariño, as some examples leave only the sensation of oak and acidity on your pallet. Our 2009 is an exception, as the fruit has just enough body to support our judicious use of  oak. I have to admit, it’s really not bad!

It’s been a bad time for us recently on the technical front…… Our Blackberries have been out of action on-and-off for the last three days, the server for our website failed over the weekend, and now we have a backup problem with our server here in the office. Where would we be without all this technology?!

It’s actually one of those things – we all take our gadgets for granted – until they don’t work. For example, in the case of Blackeberry we have become so accustomed to picking up our e-mails anywhere in the world, that the minute it stops we start to get withdrawl syptoms. How on earth did we survive before I ask myself?

I also have to admit that the problem with our website nearly gave me a heart attack, for the simple reason that, when it was eventually restored, the last two months worth of my blog posts were missing (including the whole harvest period)! Thankfully, only this morning, the problem was completely resolved, as appears to be the Blackberry saga.

Now, if only I can sort out the problem with our own server….

It’s been a bad time for us recently on the technical front…… Our Blackberries have been out of action on-and-off for the last three days, the server for our website failed over the weekend, and now we have a backup problem with our server here in the office. Where would we be without all this technology?!

It’s actually one of those things – we all take our gadgets for granted – until they don’t work. For example, in the case of Blackeberry we have become so accustomed to picking up our e-mails anywhere in the world, that the minute it stops we start to get withdrawl syptoms. How on earth did we survive before I ask myself?

I also have to admit that the problem with our website nearly gave me a heart attack, for the simple reason that, when it was eventually restored, the last two months worth of my blog posts were missing (including the whole harvest period)! Thankfully, only this morning, the problem was completely resolved, as appears to be the Blackberry saga.

Now, if only I can sort out the problem with our own server….

Galicia is of course, more famous for its white wines, but that does not mean to say that there are not a couple of reds too.

For example, within the denomination of Ribera Sacra (on the beautiful River Sil) they make a half decent red from the Mencia grape variety. It is usually a vibrant, youthful red wine, slightly reminiscent of a Beaujolais, but with just a hint of peppery spice.

Quite often the red grapes of  Galicia struggle to reach full maturity in our cool maritime climate and can sometimes be a little ‘green’. However, in good vintages, and with careful wine making, you can still find one or two excellent examples.

Very locally to us there is the famous (or should that be infamous) Tinto de Barrantes, which I have written about on a few previous occasions. A bright purple, tooth-staining ‘wine’, rarely reaching more than 10° of alcohol and brimming with lovely volatile acidity! You can see what these tinto grapes have done to the road surface outside our bodega, so just imagine what they might do to your insides!

Galicia is of course, more famous for its white wines, but that does not mean to say that there are not a couple of reds too.

For example, within the denomination of Ribera Sacra (on the beautiful River Sil) they make a half decent red from the Mencia grape variety. It is usually a vibrant, youthful red wine, slightly reminiscent of a Beaujolais, but with just a hint of peppery spice.

Quite often the red grapes of  Galicia struggle to reach full maturity in our cool maritime climate and can sometimes be a little ‘green’. However, in good vintages, and with careful wine making, you can still find one or two excellent examples.

Very locally to us there is the famous (or should that be infamous) Tinto de Barrantes, which I have written about on a few previous occasions. A bright purple, tooth-staining ‘wine’, rarely reaching more than 10° of alcohol and brimming with lovely volatile acidity! You can see what these tinto grapes have done to the road surface outside our bodega, so just imagine what they might do to your insides!

Modernist Cuisine is no ordinary cook book, indeed it is almost a work of art. Six volumes, extending to some 2,438 pages and weighing in at some 20kg (44lbs), it should perhaps be described more as a food encyclopedia, covering every aspect of food and its preparation.

As you may know I have always been a bit of a ‘foodie’, perhaps even a frustrated chef – I love pottering in the kitchen. Obviously there is a very close relationship between food and wine, and I know for a fact that the majority of wine professionals are also great food connoisseurs. My collection of cookery books is possibly even greater than that of wine books, and this latest addition to my collection is certainly the jewel in the crown.

If you’re looking for a recipe book, then this is probably not for you, but if you simply want to learn more about the science of food and different cooking menthods, then this is a work without equal. The photography and quality of prints is simply stunning, but I have to warn you that it comes with a hefty price tag. So start saving and put your order in now – my copy, that arrived earlier this week, was ordered in May!

Modernist Cuisine is no ordinary cook book, indeed it is almost a work of art. Six volumes, extending to some 2,438 pages and weighing in at some 20kg (44lbs), it should perhaps be described more as a food encyclopedia, covering every aspect of food and its preparation.

As you may know I have always been a bit of a ‘foodie’, perhaps even a frustrated chef – I love pottering in the kitchen. Obviously there is a very close relationship between food and wine, and I know for a fact that the majority of wine professionals are also great food connoisseurs. My collection of cookery books is possibly even greater than that of wine books, and this latest addition to my collection is certainly the jewel in the crown.

If you’re looking for a recipe book, then this is probably not for you, but if you simply want to learn more about the science of food and different cooking menthods, then this is a work without equal. The photography and quality of prints is simply stunning, but I have to warn you that it comes with a hefty price tag. So start saving and put your order in now – my copy, that arrived earlier this week, was ordered in May!

Having been absent in New York for a few days I am now playing catch-up. As I have said many times before, there is still a lot of hard work to do following the actual picking before Angela and I can even think about putting our feet up for a while.

The cellar is a very cool place to be at the moment, and I mean that quite literally. With our temperature control system working over time it is actually quite a chilly place to work, and despite the sun outside, you will often find us walking around in jackets and fleeces.

Although we still firmly believe in true quality being derived from the vineyard, the wine making itself certainly has a big influence in the style of wine that we create. Our objective is to always to make a wine that is typical of our denomination, but at the same time giving the wine a structure that will stand the test of time. Now, I’m not saying for one moment that our albariño will keep for ten years in bottle, but we certainly don’t want to make something that will fall apart after six months either. This is all determined by our vinification,  that gives our different wines their distinctive Castro Martin character – known and loved by all who drink them! 

Angela would kill me if I started to give away her wine making secrets, but suffice to say that quality is not created by accident, but by people who are obsessed by what they do.

Having been absent in New York for a few days I am now playing catch-up. As I have said many times before, there is still a lot of hard work to do following the actual picking before Angela and I can even think about putting our feet up for a while.

The cellar is a very cool place to be at the moment, and I mean that quite literally. With our temperature control system working over time it is actually quite a chilly place to work, and despite the sun outside, you will often find us walking around in jackets and fleeces.

Although we still firmly believe in true quality being derived from the vineyard, the wine making itself certainly has a big influence in the style of wine that we create. Our objective is to always to make a wine that is typical of our denomination, but at the same time giving the wine a structure that will stand the test of time. Now, I’m not saying for one moment that our albariño will keep for ten years in bottle, but we certainly don’t want to make something that will fall apart after six months either. This is all determined by our vinification,  that gives our different wines their distinctive Castro Martin character – known and loved by all who drink them! 

Angela would kill me if I started to give away her wine making secrets, but suffice to say that quality is not created by accident, but by people who are obsessed by what they do.

Having completed the harvest (or at least most of it), I had to make a quick dash accross the Atlantic for a meeting and tasting with our U.S. importer. Of course, under normal circumstances, Angela and I would travel together, but naturally one of us had to stay behind to take care of the wine making, and unfortunately Angela drew the short straw. She did however compensate by giving me a shopping list, to take advantage of any spare moment that I may have had during my short stay in the Big Apple!

The morning after my arrival I woke up in the early hours as my body clock attempted to adjust, and so decided to take a trip downtown to the site of the World Trade Centre. In the year and a half since our last visit the progress was quite astounding with the new Tower One already dominating the lower Manhattan skyline. Only two days before, on Sunday 11th September 2011, the site had been the centre of attention as the world remembered those who had tragically lost their lives exactly ten years earlier. The focal point of the site is now the 9/11 memorial itself, opened in an emotional ceremony – two huge square cascading waterfalls built within the footprints of the original twin towers. Access to the memorial is currently restricted to ticket holders only, and had been fully subscribed for months in advance – it seemed that I would have little chance of gaining entry. I was wrong……

By pure chance, being in the right place at the right time, I was gifted an entry ticket and soon found myself standing on hallowed ground. The two huge pools are spectacular and are bordered with the names of every person that died on 9/11 carved into beautiful bronze panels. In my own opinion the memorial is a very fitting tribute, a very sombre place, but still well worth a visit the next time you find yourself in NYC.

Having completed the harvest (or at least most of it), I had to make a quick dash accross the Atlantic for a meeting and tasting with our U.S. importer. Of course, under normal circumstances, Angela and I would travel together, but naturally one of us had to stay behind to take care of the wine making, and unfortunately Angela drew the short straw. She did however compensate by giving me a shopping list, to take advantage of any spare moment that I may have had during my short stay in the Big Apple!

The morning after my arrival I woke up in the early hours as my body clock attempted to adjust, and so decided to take a trip downtown to the site of the World Trade Centre. In the year and a half since our last visit the progress was quite astounding with the new Tower One already dominating the lower Manhattan skyline. Only two days before, on Sunday 11th September 2011, the site had been the centre of attention as the world remembered those who had tragically lost their lives exactly ten years earlier. The focal point of the site is now the 9/11 memorial itself, opened in an emotional ceremony – two huge square cascading waterfalls built within the footprints of the original twin towers. Access to the memorial was restricted to ticket holders only, and had been fully subscribed for months in advance – it seemed that I would have little chance of gaining entry. I was wrong……

By pure chance, being in the right place at the right time, I was gifted an entry ticket and soon found myself standing on hallowed ground. The two huge pools are spectacular and are bordered with the names of every person that died on 9/11 carved into beautiful bronze. In my own opinion the memorial is a very fitting tribute, a very sombre place, but still well worth a visit the next time you find yourself in NYC.

I apologise for the delay in this last post of the 2011 harvest, but I do have a good excuse…. I was not here! The last day of picking was conducted without me as I flew off for an important Trans-Atlantic appointment – more of that tomorrow.

In the meantime my poor, abandoned wife battled on, not only organising the picking, but also taking on a considerable amont of work in the bodega without her faithful side-kick…. me. To be honest, it transpired (or so I am told) that the picking itself was probably the easy part, as the majority of her difficulties during my absence occured inside the cellar. As though she did not have enough to think about, our temperature control system decided to pack up.

Angela arrived one morning to discover that the refrigerant had started to leak from the cold machine rendering it completely useless. To cut a long and complicated story short, after many urgent phone calls, a temporary repair was effected the same day, and no real damage was done to either man, machine, or more importantly, our wine.

During the fermentation, with the cooling system working flat out, the cellar itself gets pretty cold, and despite the natural heat generated by the reaction of yeast and sugar, the tanks will only increase in temperature by between 0.5°C and 1.0°C per day, even with the cold system out of action. It would take a good few days of zero cooling before the fermentation would rage out of control and damage the finished wine and therefore a few hours does not make too much difference. It is very worrying nonetheless, and simply adds to the stress of wine making.

Meanwhile, back in the vineyard, the last block of grapes was picked under blue skies, with some of the warmest temperatures we have seen this summer – up to 33°C (just over 90°F). Sugar levels were good, and as there was no shortage of fruit this year, only the very best grapes were selected.

Finally, it would seem, that the 2011 harvest has come to an end, nearly three weeks after we originally started. It has been an exhausting time for all concerned.

I apologise for the delay in this last post of the 2011 harvest, but I do have a good excuse…. I was not here! The last day of picking was conducted without me as I flew off for an important Trans-Atlantic appointment – more of that tomorrow.

In the meantime my poor, abandoned wife battled on, not only organising the picking, but also taking on a considerable amont of work in the bodega without her faithful side-kick…. me. To be honest, it transpired (or so I am told) that the picking itself was probably the easy part, as the majority of her difficulties during my absence occured inside the cellar. As though she did not have enough to think about, our temperature control system decided to pack up.

Angela arrived one morning to discover that the refrigerant had started to leak from the cold machine rendering it completely useless. To cut a long and complicated story short, after many urgent phone calls, a temporary repair was effected the same day, and no real damage was done to either man, machine, or more importantly, our wine.

During the fermentation, with the cooling system working flat out, the cellar itself gets pretty cold, and despite the natural heat generated by the reaction of yeast and sugar, the tanks will only increase in temperature by between 0.5°C and 1.0°C per day, even with the cold system out of action. It would take a good few days of zero cooling before the fermentation would rage out of control and damage the finished wine and therefore a few hours does not make too much difference. It is very worrying nonetheless, and simply adds to the stress of wine making.

Meanwhile, back in the vineyard, the last block of grapes was picked under blue skies, with some of the warmest temperatures we have seen this summer – up to 33°C (just over 90°F). Sugar levels were good, and as there was no shortage of fruit this year, only the very best grapes were selected.

Finally, it would seem, that the 2011 harvest has come to an end, nearly three weeks after we originally started. It has been an exhausting time for all concerned.

We have finally reached the end of the 2011 harvest……. for now. I think it’s fair to say that this year’s campaign has not been the easiest, stopping and starting on a few occasions, but the reason for stopping now, with some grapes still on the vine, is quite different. This time it’s more a question of maturity (and I don’t mean my own!). We have one large block of fruit that is still improving in this weeks warm weather, and so, as always, we have decided to do what’s best to improve quality. Quite frankly, it’s a bit of a pain, as we can’t really start any deep cleaning in the cellar, but we are convinced that, despite a bit of inconvenience, our decision will ultimately benefit the finished wine.

On the positive side our tight organisation and the experience of our staff  helped keep our grapes flowing through the cellar in a very timely and efficient manner. Over the entire 7 days of picking there were only one or two minor glitches in our equipment, but thankfully these were all resolved without any real delay. In fact I should mention that, owing to the reduced time that we used during the pressing process, the whole cycle was speeded up considerably, and on the last couple nights we were able to finish much earlier than usual. I’m not suggesting for a moment that we will retain this new shortened timing in the future, but we will be looking closely at the results, and studying the benefits before we pass judgement. With every vintage that passes we continue to learn and improve both our efficiency and wine making techniques, noting minor changes that we will incorporate in the future. We never rest on our laurels!

Now that the work has finished outside, we now move indoors to start our strictly controlled wine making.

We have finally reached the end of the 2011 harvest……. for now. I think it’s fair to say that this year’s campaign has not been the easiest, stopping and starting on a few occasions, but the reason for stopping now, with some grapes still on the vine, is quite different. This time it’s more a question of maturity (and I don’t mean my own!). We have one large block of fruit that is still improving in this weeks warm weather, and so, as always, we have decided to do what’s best to improve quality. Quite frankly, it’s a bit of a pain, as we can’t really start any deep cleaning in the cellar, but we are convinced that, despite a bit of inconvenience, our decision will ultimately benefit the finished wine.

On the positive side our tight organisation and the experience of our staff  helped keep our grapes flowing through the cellar in a very timely and efficient manner. Over the entire 7 days of picking there were only one or two minor glitches in our equipment, but thankfully these were all resolved without any real delay. In fact I should mention that, owing to the reduced time that we used during the pressing process, the whole cycle was speeded up considerably, and on the last couple nights we were able to finish much earlier than usual. I’m not suggesting for a moment that we will retain this new shortened timing in the future, but we will be looking closely at the results, and studying the benefits before we pass judgement. With every vintage that passes we continue to learn and improve both our efficiency and wine making techniques, noting minor changes that we will incorporate in the future. We never rest on our laurels!

Now that the work has finished outside, we now move indoors to start our strictly controlled wine making.

After the first day or so of this year’s harvest, we quickly discovered that there were more grapes than we anticipated. Indeed, it had already been mentioned in the local press that previous records were likely to be broken.

I did write very recently that in the case of kilos produced that biggest, quite simply, does not mean best. Obviously there are ways of controlling this in the vineyard – the system of pruning, green harvesting, selective picking etc. However, even by the time that fruit arrives at the cellar door there are still options available for improving quality, one of which is in the pressing.

Our two pneumatic presses are electronically controlled, which means that we are able to adjust any single action of the pressing cycle that we require. The two most basic aspects of this are time and pressure.

In an ideal world we would make wine using only the first ‘free run’ juice (pretty much the juice that escapes when the grapes are pressed under their own weight before any pressure is applied), but unfortunately that would not be economically viable.

So in the end, when the yields are a little high, one option is to reduce the time of the pressing cycle, and more significantly, the pressure used to crush the fruit. In reality we never use the maximum pressure anyway, as this will simply extract the phenolic compounds from the grape seeds and stalks that cause bitterness and astringency in wine. In this way we extract better quality juice which obviously helps to improve the finished product.

After the first day or so of this year’s harvest, we quickly discovered that there were more grapes than we anticipated. Indeed, it had already been mentioned in the local press that previous records were likely to be broken.

I did write very recently that in the case of kilos produced that biggest, quite simply, does not mean best. Obviously there are ways of controlling this in the vineyard – the system of pruning, green harvesting, selective picking etc. However, even by the time that fruit arrives at the cellar door there are still options available for improving quality, one of which is in the pressing.

Our two pneumatic presses are electronically controlled, which means that we are able to adjust any single action of the pressing cycle that we require. The two most basic aspects of this are time and pressure.

In an ideal world we would make wine using only the first ‘free run’ juice (pretty much the juice that escapes when the grapes are pressed under their own weight before any pressure is applied), but unfortunately that would not be economically viable.

So in the end, when the yields are a little high, one option is to reduce the time of the pressing cycle, and more significantly, the pressure used to crush the fruit. In reality we never use the maximum pressure anyway, as this will simply extract the phenolic compounds from the grape seeds and stalks that cause bitterness and astringency in wine. In this way we extract better quality juice which obviously helps to improve the finished product.

Each time we have attempted to eat outside this summer we have been pestered by a seemingly huge number of wasps. Under normal circumstances it would be flies, but for some reason, this year, it has been our little black and yellow friends instead – and they are very persistent! Of course it is quite normal for flies to abound at harvest time, obviously due to the vast amount of sweet grape juice that we have around. Wasps are however, a little more dangerous – on Saturday I was taking a sample from a case of grapes as they arrived in our reception, ready to send to Angela for analysis (we take literally hundreds over the period of the picking), and instead of taking a handful of fruit, I took a handful of wasp instead! Ouch!

After the overnight rain on Saturday we skipped yet another day in this stop-start vintage, to allow the fruit to dry out. The good news was that Sunday heralded the start of a more settled, sunny period, and so by the time we re-started on Monday morning, we could focus more on collecting grapes than looking up at the sky. Now, one might ask the obvious question – so why didn’t we wait until this latest period of fine weather? The answer – acidity.

Whilst alcoholic degree is important, by far the most important characteristic of albariño is the fresh, zesty acidity. If we allow the acidity to drop too much we will simply lose the ‘typicity’ of our beloved grape variety. In this way it becomes a matter of personal choice – do we sacrific a bit of alcohol to help retain the usual freshness? The answer from Castro Martin is an emphatic “yes”.

(By the way, the word for wasp in Spanish is avispa, in Italian it is vespa!)

Each time we have attempted to eat outside this summer we have been pestered by a seemingly huge number of wasps. Under normal circumstances it would be flies, but for some reason, this year, it has been our little black and yellow friends instead – and they are very persistent! Of course it is quite normal for flies to abound at harvest time, obviously due to the vast amount of sweet grape juice that we have around. Wasps are however, a little more dangerous – on Saturday I was taking a sample from a case of grapes as they arrived in our reception, ready to send to Angela for analysis (we take literally hundreds over the period of the picking), and instead of taking a handful of fruit, I took a handful of wasp instead! Ouch!

After the overnight rain on Saturday we skipped yet another day in this stop-start vintage, to allow the fruit to dry out. The good news was that Sunday heralded the start of a more settled, sunny period, and so by the time we re-started on Monday morning, we could focus more on collecting grapes than looking up at the sky. Now, one might ask the obvious question – so why didn’t we wait until this latest period of fine weather? The answer – acidity.

Whilst alcoholic degree is important, by far the most important characteristic of albariño is the fresh, zesty acidity. If we allow the acidity to drop too much we will simply lose the ‘typicity’ of our beloved grape variety. In this way it becomes a matter of personal choice – do we sacrific a bit of alcohol to help retain the usual freshness? The answer from Castro Martin is an emphatic “yes”.

(By the way, the word for wasp in Spanish is avispa, in Italian it is vespa!)