There is always an element of showmanship (or “cinema” as the French would call it), involved when a professional sommelier opens a bottle of wine at your table – and long may it continue, is my own opinion. It would appear that, over time, we are becoming more and more impatient, and want everything to happen in an instant, but I’m afraid to admit that the screwcap just doesn’t do it for me, especially in a restaurant scenario. If I’m paying decent money for a decent bottle then I want to savour the experience, and the opening ‘ceremony’ forms an integral part of the whole performance. Perhaps I am just old-fashioned?

Anyway, that is not the reason for my story……

It appears that scientists at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have now developed a kind of robo-sommelier, or electronic tongue, which can distinguish between different Cavas. Well, actually, only three to be precise – brut nature, brut and medium dry. As a human being is capable of detecting over 10,000 different scents and aromas, as well as being able to distinguish between sweet, sour, bitter, acidic and savoury flavours, my guess is that sommeliers won’t exactly be rushing to the job centres just yet. Besides, they would still need to develop a further machine to pull the cork and serve!

Other wine related electronic noses have already been developed in France and Sweden, but all have very limited capabilities, so far.

There is always an element of showmanship (or “cinema” as the French would call it), involved when a professional sommelier opens a bottle of wine at your table – and long may it continue, is my own opinion. It would appear that, over time, we are becoming more and more impatient, and want everything to happen in an instant, but I’m afraid to admit that the screwcap just doesn’t do it for me, especially in a restaurant scenario. If I’m paying decent money for a decent bottle then I want to savour the experience, and the opening ‘ceremony’ forms an integral part of the whole performance. Perhaps I am just old-fashioned?

Anyway, that is not the reason for my story……

It appears that scientists at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona have now developed a kind of robo-sommelier, or electronic tongue, which can distinguish between different Cavas. Well, actually, only three to be precise – brut nature, brut and medium dry. As a human being is capable of detecting over 10,000 different scents and aromas, as well as being able to distinguish between sweet, sour, bitter, acidic and savoury flavours, my guess is that sommeliers won’t exactly be rushing to the job centres just yet. Besides, they would still need to develop a further machine to pull the cork and serve!

Other wine related electronic noses have already been developed in France and Sweden, but all have very limited capabilities, so far.

Here at Castro Martin we like to think of ourselves as environmentally friendly people, we have a social conscious, and do our very best to re-cycle as much as we possibly can. Personally, I draw the line at re-cycling my tea bags and trying to use them twice, but I’m very afraid that Angela might have crossed the line….

As you may already know, if you have read the ‘Green Policy’ outlined on our main website, we already re-cycle some bottles and cardboard cartons (if they are not damaged in any way). I hasten to add that the re-cycled bottles are not used for customers, but only for immediate family and friends, even though they are properly sterilised.

We have however, achieved a new level of re-cycling, when I walked into Angela’s laboratory and found some capsules that had been hung out to dry! Now, I do admit that the tin capsules we use are extraordinarily expensive (up to four times the cost of the aluminium and plastic amalgamations that are available), but washing and drying them? I think I will have to speak to my wife…..

Here at Castro Martin we like to think of ourselves as environmentally friendly people, we have a social conscious, and do our very best to re-cycle as much as we possibly can. Personally, I draw the line at re-cycling my tea bags and trying to use them twice, but I’m very afraid that Angela might have crossed the line….

As you may already know, if you have read the ‘Green Policy’ outlined on our main website, we already re-cycle some bottles and cardboard cartons (if they are not damaged in any way). I hasten to add that the re-cycled bottles are not used for customers, but only for immediate family and friends, even though they are properly sterilised.

We have however, achieved a new level of re-cycling, when I walked into Angela’s laboratory and found some capsules that had been hung out to dry! Now, I do admit that the tin capsules we use are extraordinarily expensive (up to four times the cost of the aluminium and plastic amalgamations that are available), but washing and drying them? I think I will have to speak to my wife…..

The scenes from London that have greeted us on our TV screens over the last day or two have been utterly repugnant, and there can be no excuse or mitigation for the young people  that have brought anarchy to the streets of this great City.

To witness homes and businesses burning, for no apparent reason, is just devastating, especially at a time when so many are already struggling to make an honest living.

Forget human rights for a moment, simply round up the perpetrators, lock them up, and throw away the key!

OK, so now I will try to calm down and explain the real reason for my post…..

As I left home this morning having witnessed the fires in London on my TV, you can imagine my surprise in arriving at the Bodega only to find firefighters battling brush fires a few hundred metres from our very own front door. In previous posts I have already mentioned that we have not had much rainfall since winter, and so it was only a matter of time I guess, before we should expect the brush and forest fires to start popping up around our region.

Fortunately this morning’s outbreak did not rage out of control, despite a fresh breeze, and our local Bomberos soon had the flames extinguished.

The scenes from London that have greeted us on our TV screens over the last day or two have been utterly repugnant, and there can be no excuse or mitigation for the young people  that have brought anarchy to the streets of this great City.

To witness homes and businesses burning, for no apparent reason, is just devastating, especially at a time when so many are already struggling to make an honest living.

Forget human rights for a moment, simply round up the perpetrators, lock them up, and throw away the key!

OK, so now I will try to calm down and explain the real reason for my post…..

As I left home this morning having witnessed the fires in London on my TV, you can imagine my surprise in arriving at the Bodega only to find firefighters battling brush fires a few hundred metres from our very own front door. In previous posts I have already mentioned that we have not had much rainfall since winter, and so it was only a matter of time I guess, before we should expect the brush and forest fires to start popping up around our region.

Fortunately this morning’s outbreak did not rage out of control, despite a fresh breeze, and our local Bomberos soon had the flames extinguished.

When we are drunk we sweat alcohol through our pores, and so what better way to freshen up than to rinse ourselves down with a tablet of booze scented soap? Whacky, but apparently true…..

Both organic and vegan-friendly, these responsibly produced(?) bars come a selection of scents that sound more like a cocktail list than something you would find in your bathroom cabinet – gin & tonic, whisky sour, screwdriver, and prohibition spiced rum!

I wonder if we have enough time to produce an albariño aftershave between now and Christmas?

When we are drunk we sweat alcohol through our pores, and so what better way to freshen up than to rinse ourselves down with a tablet of booze scented soap? Whacky, but apparently true…..

Both organic and vegan-friendly, these responsibly produced(?) bars come a selection of scents that sound more like a cocktail list than something you would find in your bathroom cabinet – gin & tonic, whisky sour, screwdriver, and prohibition spiced rum!

I wonder if we have enough time to produce an albariño aftershave between now and Christmas?

Only a day or so ago our local denomination office announced that the official yield for the 2011 vintage will be increased from 12,000 kilos per hectare to 13,900 kilos – an increment of some 15.8%

I am happy to tell you that our own yields fall far below this, for one simple reason. I was always taught that the lower the yield, the better the concentration, and therefore the better the finished wine. Indeed, as I travelled the world as a buyer I clearly remember many growers proudly telling me how low there yields were, thus implying that thay made a superior quality wine. In many instances this was due to the age of their vines. As the vine plant passes its peak production, so the yield gets progressively smaller with each vintage. Conversely, the concentration and quality of the grape juice increases and this is usually refected in the bottle.

If you stop and think about it for a second the same rule applies to the majority of fruit and veggies that we buy. Stretched, over-produced fruit will never have the same depth of flavour as that produced with more restrained yields.

Of course this latest announcement will not affect anything that we do in our own vineyards, and I can assure you that your glass of Castro Martin will never taste thin or watered down.

Only a day or so ago our local denomination office announced that the official yield for the 2011 vintage will be increased from 12,000 kilos per hectare to 13,900 kilos – an increment of some 15.8%

I am happy to tell you that our own yields fall far below this, for one simple reason. I was always taught that the lower the yield, the better the concentration, and therefore the better the finished wine. Indeed, as I travelled the world as a buyer I clearly remember many growers proudly telling me how low there yields were, thus implying that thay made a superior quality wine. In many instances this was due to the age of their vines. As the vine plant passes its peak production, so the yield gets progressively smaller with each vintage. Conversely, the concentration and quality of the grape juice increases and this is usually reflected in the bottle.

If you stop and think about it for a second the same rule applies to the majority of fruit and veggies that we buy. Stretched, over-produced fruit will never have the same depth of flavour as that produced with more restrained yields.

Of course this latest announcement will not affect anything that we do in our own vineyards, and I can assure you that your glass of Castro Martin will never taste thin or watered down.

I will start by confessing that the most expensive bottle of wine that I have ever bought in a restaurant, in my entire life, was a Château d’Yquem – but not the 1811 vintage I hasten to add. I’m afraid to say that it was one of those occassions where cost of the wine far outstripped the cost of the food, but at least I do have a very clear recollection of the lunch in question….

About a week ago a French collector bought a bottle of d’Yquem 1811 for £75,000 (USD122,600) in a private sale at the Ritz Hotel in London, and although it is claimed that this is the most expensive wine bought privately, this is not strictly true – unless you exclude wine auctions. At auction the most expensive bottle was a Château Cheval Blanc 1947 that was sold at Christie’s last year for £192,000 (USD314,000). So to say that the d’Yquem was the most expensive, it twisting the truth just a little.

The collector who bought this latest wine (bottled at the time of the Emperor Napoleon) intends to drink it in six years time at a dinner in Paris. In the meantime he plans to put it on display at his restaurant in Bali – I do hope that it travels well. From my own experience I have known bottles that did not travel well across the English Channel, never mind to the other side of the world!

Very old bottles like this are frequently re-corked by the producer, and I have to assume that on the last occassion the wine must have been tasted too. About 12 years ago it was described as being like liquid Crème Brulée.

I will start by confessing that the most expensive bottle of wine that I have ever bought in a restaurant, in my entire life, was a Château d’Yquem – but not the 1811 vintage I hasten to add. I’m afraid to say that it was one of those occassions where cost of the wine far outstripped the cost of the food, but at least I do have a very clear recollection of the lunch in question….

About a week ago a French collector bought a bottle of d’Yquem 1811 for £75,000 (USD122,600) in a private sale at the Ritz Hotel in London, and although it is claimed that this is the most expensive wine bought privately, this is not strictly true – unless you exclude wine auctions. At auction the most expensive bottle was a Château Cheval Blanc 1947 that was sold at Christie’s last year for £192,000 (USD314,000). So to say that the d’Yquem was the most expensive, it twisting the truth just a little.

The collector who bought this latest wine (bottled at the time of the Emperor Napoleon) intends to drink it in six years time at a dinner in Paris. In the meantime he plans to put it on display at his restaurant in Bali – I do hope that it travels well. From my own experience I have known bottles that did not travel well across the English Channel, never mind to the other side of the world!

Very old bottles like this are frequently re-corked by the producer, and I have to assume that on the last occassion the wine must have been tasted too. About 12 years ago it was described as being like liquid Crème Brulée.

I wasn’t quite sure whether today’s post should be made on our blog page or under the recipe heading on our new main menu. In the end I decided that the recipe page should be saved for food ideas that originate from here in Galicia, either traditional or modern interpretations of the traditional.

The featured fish dish was taken from last weekend’s Daily Telegraph colour supplement – to give it it’s full title the recipe is Seared Halibut with grilled and roasted vegetables and romesco sauce – quite a mouthful in more ways than one. Details of the recipe and the full article can be found here.

The real significance of this post is the recommended wine – our very own Castro Martin, described as follows: “Albariño comes in a number of guises, from fresh and salty through to peachy and textured. This falls into the latter camp, which is ideal as its gorgeous, aromatic, creamy nuances are wonderful with a dense fish such as halibut. Just as vital is the variety’s signature tongue-tingling lift of acid to parry the romesco sauce”.

You may notice, if you look at the original article, a bit of a ‘typo’ – instead of Albariño ‘Sobre Lias’ (on the lees), the Telegraph have mistakenly named our wine Albariño ‘Sobre Luis’ (on Luis)!

I wasn’t quite sure whether today’s post should be made on our blog page or under the recipe heading on our new main menu. In the end I decided that the recipe page should be saved for food ideas that originate from here in Galicia, either traditional or modern interpretations of the traditional.

The featured fish dish was taken from last weekend’s Daily Telegraph colour supplement – to give it it’s full title the recipe is Seared Halibut with grilled and roasted vegetables and romesco sauce – quite a mouthful in more ways than one. Details of the recipe and the full article can be found here.

The real significance of this post is the recommended wine – our very own Castro Martin, described as follows: “Albariño comes in a number of guises, from fresh and salty through to peachy and textured. This falls into the latter camp, which is ideal as its gorgeous, aromatic, creamy nuances are wonderful with a dense fish such as halibut. Just as vital is the variety’s signature tongue-tingling lift of acid to parry the romesco sauce”.

You may notice, if you look at the original article, a bit of a ‘typo’ – instead of Albariño ‘Sobre Lias’ (on the lees), the Telegraph have mistakenly named our wine Albariño ‘Sobre Luis’ (on Luis)!

It was with some sadness, after more than 5 loyal years, that we severed our relationship with Blogger, and although our blog posts have been moved across (albeit not quite perfectly), we shall miss them.

By way of a keepsake I managed to find a website that can actually print your blog. OK, I know that this goes against the principal of a blog, but I still though it would be nice to keep a copy that I can simply thumb through from time to time, without sitting at my screen.

It’s an American company, imaginatively called Blog2Print, and although the process is not cheap, I have to admit that I was impressed with their speed, efficiency and overall quality. I think the whole process, from finding the site to receiving the 3 volumes that it took, was barely more than a week in total. Impressive!

You may recognise some of the cover shots from this website…..

It was with some sadness, after more than 5 loyal years, that we severed our relationship with Blogger, and although our blog posts have been moved across (albeit not quite perfectly), we shall miss them.

By way of a keepsake I managed to find a website that can actually print your blog. OK, I know that this goes against the principal of a blog, but I still though it would be nice to keep a copy that I can simply thumb through from time to time, without sitting at my screen.

It’s an American company, imaginatively called Blog2Print, and although the process is not cheap, I have to admit that I was impressed with their speed, efficiency and overall quality. I think the whole process, from finding the site to receiving the 3 volumes that it took, was barely more than a week in total. Impressive!

You may recognise some of the cover shots from this website…..

 Now, I have to be honest by telling you that our migration from Blogger to WordPress has not gone as smoothly as we might have hoped. The main problem was that our Spanish host turned out to be a bit unhospitable….. We had a compatibility issue between our hosting and the new software, which resulted in certain functions of the new site simply refusing to do what we wanted.

During the design phase everything went swimmingly and all the pages appeared exactly as they should – unfortunately the problems did not come to light until we actually went live. Strangely, despite using a Spanish host, many of the issues were to be found on the Spanish pages (possibly more to do with the software than the hosting), and try as we might, we could not fix them.

Suffice to say that we have now shifted our hosting to the U.S.A., and as a result (with fingers crossed) we believe that all is now working as it should.

Of course, with all this going on behind the scenes, I have not been able to work on our blog, so please allow me to apologise for those of you who have developed withdrawl symptoms – once again, normal service has been resumed.

Now, I have to be honest by telling you that our migration from Blogger to WordPress has not gone as smoothly as we might have hoped. The main problem was that our Spanish host turned out to be a bit unhospitable….. We had a compatibility issue between our hosting and the new software, which resulted in certain functions of the new site simply refusing to do what we wanted.

During the design phase everything went swimmingly and all the pages appeared exactly as they should – unfortunately the problems did not come to light until we actually went live. Strangely, despite using a Spanish host, many of the issues were to be found on the Spanish pages (possibly more to do with the software than the hosting), and try as we might, we could not fix them.

Suffice to say that we have now shifted our hosting to the U.S.A., and as a result (with fingers crossed) we believe that all is now working as it should.

Of course, with all this going on behind the scenes, I have not been able to work on our blog, so please allow me to apologise for those of you who have developed withdrawl symptoms – once again, normal service has been resumed.

It’s probably quite fitting that one of my last few posts on Blogger (we will hopefully launch our completely new, all singing, all dancing website later this week), should be about the weather.

So far, the month of July has been cool and cloudy. Lots of overcast days, odd spots of sunshine, but also quite a lot of mist and drizzle – just in time for the Galician tourist season that starts to gather momentum at the beginning of the month. The significant point is that, despite the drizzle that we have had, it’s hardly been enough to penetrate the canopy in our vineyards, and the soil has remained mostly dry.

Thursday and Friday of this last week, has however, provided us with the first real rain since February/March. Not torrential rain, but steady rain that persisted throughout the two day period. Of course now that the sun has returned, the damp will be trapped at ground level and the humidity will provide an excellent breeding ground for disease. My guess is that we will probably be spraying at some point in the next few days.

Bearing in mind that we are obliged to occasionally treat our vines, prolonged periods of dry weather obviously mean that we spray less, saving time, money and the environment. Every cloud has a silver lining, if you’ll pardon the pun.It’s probably quite fitting that one of my last few posts on Blogger (we will hopefully launch our completely new, all singing, all dancing website later this week), should be about the weather.

So far, the month of July has been cool and cloudy. Lots of overcast days, odd spots of sunshine, but also quite a lot of mist and drizzle – just in time for the Galician tourist season that starts to gather momentum at the beginning of the month. The significant point is that, despite the drizzle that we have had, it’s hardly been enough to penetrate the canopy in our vineyards, and the soil has remained mostly dry.

Thursday and Friday of this last week, has however, provided us with the first real rain since February/March. Not torrential rain, but steady rain that persisted throughout the two day period. Of course now that the sun has returned, the damp will be trapped at ground level and the humidity will provide an excellent breeding ground for disease. My guess is that we will probably be spraying at some point in the next few days.

Bearing in mind that we are obliged to occasionally treat our vines, prolonged periods of dry weather obviously mean that we spray less, saving time, money and the environment. Every cloud has a silver lining, if you’ll pardon the pun.