I have lived in Galicia for more than a dozen years now, and one of my big frustrations (as a would-be chef) is the continued lack of variety in the range of fruit and veg on offer. It is very basic to say the least, and is certainly not expanding to include any ‘exotics’. When I originally left the UK, one of the big food shopping trends at that time was for ‘baby’ vegetables – everything was shrinking, albeit not in price! We were told that fruit and veg picked younger and fresher was simply more flavourful, and I think that in most instances, this was very probably true.

I’m afraid to say that here in Galicia, the exact opposite would seem to be the case – the bigger the better appears to be the general rule of thumb. Huge potatoes and carrots that are either ‘woody’or have little flavour (also potatoes are almost never sold by variety, and so exactly which ones to chose can be a bit of a lottery).

This obsession with size also seems to spill over into restaurants – Galician portion sizes can be huge. Indeed, I recently read a review on Trip Advisor whereby one consumer, sampling the ‘tasting menu’ at a local Michelin starred restaurant, complained about portion sizes, and demanded that he should be able to repeat certain courses. Obviously this was refused, and consequently the guy was completely scathing in his review.

Finally hand-made chocolate. At Christmas we were lucky enough to receive a few gifts, including some had-made chocolates. One box was from a well-known producer in Catalunia, Spain, whilst a second box was from a chocolatier in Belgium. Both are shown in today’s photo – can you tell which chocolates are Spanish and which are Belgian?

[:en]Every month we receive a newsletter from our Consello Regulador, and for the second time in recent months I have opened the mail only to see the face of my wife staring back at me! Angela is a member of the official D.O. Rias Baixas tasting panel, that makes all the quality control tastings of every wine submitted for bottling (I made a detailed, 3 part post of this process back in November).

For some reason the Consello appears to have selected Angela as their ‘pin-up’ girl, as once again they have used her face of intense concentration in one of their mailings. Signed photos are available on request![:es]Every month we receive a newsletter from our Consello Regulador, and for the second time in recent months I have opened the mail only to see the face of my wife staring back at me! Angela is a member of the official D.O. Rias Baixas tasting panel, that makes all the quality control tastings of every wine submitted for bottling (I made a detailed, 3 part post of this process back in November).

For some reason the Consello appears to have selected Angela as their ‘pin-up’ girl, as once again they have used her face of intense concentration in one of their mailings. Signed photos are available on request![:]

After the holidays of Christmas and then Reyes, we are finally back to work – schools have returned and people are back at their desks. Refreshed and ready for the challenges of 2016, assuming that you have managed to get out of bed! The reason I say that is because if you are one of those people who likes to lay in bed and listen to the rain on your window (tucked up warm under the duvet), then it’s possible that you might be starting to develop bed sores….. The weather in Galicia since the beginning of the year has been appalling, almost to the extent of being mildly depressing. It has been raining almost non-stop throughout the day and night. Skies have been dark, grey and leaden – on some days it has remained dark well into the morning, so much so that have been sitting at home with the lights on. For anyone that has taken an extended holiday over this period (which includes our bodega) it has been a complete washout. Even going out for the traditional Spanish ‘paseo’ (an evening walk before dinner), has been almost impossible, or at the very least, quite unpleasant.

It has also been quite mild, which unfortunately, is not great for our vineyards. All vines need an extended period of cold weather simply for them to recover from the exertions of producing fruit – in other words, winter! The rain also makes the already difficult job of pruning even more unpleasant – on sodden ground, with the rain in your face (as you reach up to work on the pergolas overhead)…..

Today is yet another National Holiday in Spain – the day of the Magic Kings (Reyes Magos), known in other countries as Epiphany – the arrival of the Three Kings in the Nativity. It is celebrated in many villages, towns and cities with spectacular parades reenacting the arrival of the three kings, symbolised by the giving of sweets and small presents.

This year, certainly here in Galicia at least, it is possible that the celebrations could be a bit muted….. by the weather. Since the turn of the year we have experienced days of non-stop rain – dark, leaden skies, it has been thoroughly miserable (albeit that temperatures have been unseasonably mild). I seem to recall that this is in complete contrast to the Reyes holiday of last year, when we enjoyed sunny, blue skies during the day, but with temperatures below freezing at night.

There is however, something very different that we could be celebrating at this time of year. In the U.S. it is National Meat Month. To be honest I’m not completely sure of the origins of this tradition, but it does afford Americans the excuse to enjoy even more meat than they usually do. With an average consumption of 270lbs (123kg) of meat per person per year, which is nearly three times more than the world average of just over 100lbs (46kg), you would be forgiven for thinking that the Americans are world leaders, whereas actually they take second place, behind…… Luxembourg (of all places)! In terms of the type of meat consumed in the U.S., beef and pork were tied throughout the 1950’s. Beef then became the dominant protein up until the turn of the millennium, until eventually chicken overtook it as the most consumed meat only a few years ago. No doubt Colonel Saunders will be quite thrilled!

So, how old is Non-Vintage? This might seem like a stupid question, but I do think that in certain circumstances, it can be quite significant. OK, so I have to admit that I am thinking specifically of Champagne when I ask this question, and this is all owing to a bit of a mix up on New Year’s Eve.

A few days ago I pulled out a bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne to chill for drinking with our meal. New Year’s dinner is, as always, quite a late event here in Spain, the idea being that the meal is finished shortly before the clock strikes midnight.

Just before the meal I popped the cork and poured…. Wow, this was seriously delicious, too delicious in fact – nutty, toasty, digestive biscuit, super complex – all the attributes of a lovely, old Champagne. Oh dear, I should have realised just by looking at the colour of the label. Closer examination revealed that it was actually a vintage 2004, which I didn’t even know that I had in my selection!

My point is that I really like old Champagne, and so when I buy a bottle of Non Vintage I rarely drink it immediately, but prefer to put it in the cellar and keep it for a year or so. Of course this is a matter of personal taste, and not all wines will improve with age. It’s just a bit of a habit that I have developed over the years.

There is, however, an interesting question that arises from this slightly odd practice. If I buy an NV Champagne from a wine shop in Spain (that might have a slow turnover), then how old is the bottle when I actually buy it? Apart from the Lot Number, which is coded, how do I know how old my bottle is? Perhaps in the case of their NV blends, Champagne houses should consider adding a bottling or disgorgement date to the label, if only to give the consumer (including me), a little more information? Just a thought.

In the age of social media there appears to be a growing trend amongst wine lovers to post a photo of the wines that they have enjoyed over the Christmas holidays. I immediately thought to myself, why should I be any different? I guess it’s the time of year that you might dig around in your ‘cellar’, and dust off a couple of exceptional bottles to quaff with your special menu – wines that you generally don’t get to savour on a regular basis.

I know that I have recently preached about the virtues of albariño with turkey, so I think it only fair to point out that our Christmas lunch actually comprised a very nice sirloin of beef (with Yorkshire puddings of course), which is why we selected quite a voluptuous red wine to go with it. Roast beef is of course, far from being traditional at Christmas, but as it is not very common at all here in Spain, it therefore automatically becomes a special treat – perhaps a bit more for me than for Angela….

Cheers!

[:en]

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our friends and customers around the world for your continued support. We send you our warmest wishes for the holiday season, and wish you a happy, healthy and (mutually) prosperous New Year.

Andrew & Angela[:es]

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our friends and customers around the world for your continued support. We send you our warmest wishes for the holiday season, and wish you a happy, healthy and (mutually) prosperous New Year.

Andrew & Angela

 [:]

Fortune Magazine is one of the World’s most important and influential magazines. Part of the Time Inc group, it is probably best known for it’s Fortune 500 listings that ranks America’s top companies (these companies account for $12.5 trillion in business revenues and employ 26.8 million people around the world).

They have also made a list of “The 20 best wines for holiday parties“, and yes, you’ve guessed it, they have included our Bodega Castro Martin in their top 20! Rubbing shoulders with some very illustrious names – Jadot, Fevre, Mondavi, Jansz & Antinori, they kindly wrote:

Bodegas Castro Martin 2013 Sobre Lías Albariño Rías Baixas ($20) Serve this palate-priming Spanish white as guests arrive: It’s all about minerality and brisk acidity, but has just enough stone and tropical fruit flavors to round it out.

Great as a holiday aperitif, or perhaps with Turkey!

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I wrote about the possibility of drinking Albariño with your holiday turkey – and now our denomination office appear to be sending the same message. Today they have changed the header on the official D.O. Facebook page. It is now resplendent with turkey…. Happy holidays to one and all!

The choice of what you drink over the holidays may depend, to some extent, on what you are eating. Having said that I should add that I am actually a great believer in the idea of drinking the wines that you really enjoy drinking, regardless of whether they are considered the perfect match for your food. Personally, I always enjoy a nice glass of Champagne, not just over the holidays, but actually at any time of year. I don’t need an excuse…

My focus today however, is more to do with winter warmers rather than just wine, and so is perhaps aimed more at our northern hemisphere drinkers, rather than those enjoying their festive turkey bathed in warm sunshine. Those lucky enough to live in the mountains, or maybe just spending their holidays in the snow, might be sipping a hot gluhwein, or my personal favourite aprés-ski tipple, jagertee (black tea, wine, rum, brandy, orange juice & spices). Two cups of jagertee and I could conquer the Hahnenkamm!

The choice of winter drinks is endless, and is not restricted to just mulled or spiced wines – many of the recipes can also be applied to cider or ales, and then don’t forget your liqueur coffees or chocolate based drinks. The list goes on, for example you might easily be offered a choice of toddies, nogs, punches, cocktails, nordic glöggs or Olde English wassail.

Final reminders: You can still drink albariño over the holidays, and……. make sure you are stocked up on Alka Seltzer (or milk thistle)!