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Time to gamble….

September 23rd, 2014 | Harvest

GambleSo when is the best time to start picking? In an ideal world there would be an easy answer to this problem…. it would simply be a question of when the grapes are ripe and all the component parts are in balance (sugar, acidity, pH). The complication is that we farm our grapes in Galicia, and for the last couple of years at least, it has not been quite so straightforward.

Unfortunately we do not control the weather, and here on the Atlantic Coast, it can become quite unpredictable as we move into the Autumn. This leaves us with a dilemma… do we leave our fruit on the vine until the last possible moment, eking out every last gram of sugar (whilst at the same time running the risk of bad weather closing in), or do we simply grab the fruit and run, whilst the going’s good? Obviously it’s a gamble, a face-off with the weather Gods if you will…. but who will back down first? The downside is that if we take the easy option, and collect the fruit sooner rather than later, then we might simply miss the opportunity to make an even better wine.

To pick or not to pick, that is the question.

GambleSo when is the best time to start picking? In an ideal world there would be an easy answer to this problem…. it would simply be a question of when the grapes are ripe and all the component parts are in balance (sugar, acidity, pH). The complication is that we farm our grapes in Galicia, and for the last couple of years at least, it has not been quite so straightforward.

Unfortunately we do not control the weather, and here on the Atlantic Coast, it can become quite unpredictable as we move into the Autumn. This leaves us with a dilemma… do we leave our fruit on the vine until the last possible moment, eking out every last gram of sugar (whilst at the same time running the risk of bad weather closing in), or do we simply grab the fruit and run, whilst the going’s good? Obviously it’s a gamble, a face-off with the weather Gods if you will…. but who will back down first? The downside is that if we take the easy option, and collect the fruit sooner rather than later, then we might simply miss the opportunity to make an even better wine.

To pick or not to pick, that is the question.

Better late than never (late)!

September 19th, 2014 | Odds & Sods

Iberia ExpressOn the last leg of our journey home from Madrid to Vigo last week, we flew on the recently created Iberia Express – supposedly the discount airline of Iberia. I had noticed on our outbound flight that they had boasted 97% punctuality for the whole of 2014, but it wasn’t until the return leg that I fully understood how they achieved this remarkable number…..

On boarding our flight in Madrid the captain announced that our flight time to Vigo would be 45 minutes – this was quickly followed by a further announcement that our take-off would be slightly delayed. Twenty minutes after our scheduled departure time we eventually took off, and our journey time was exactly 45 minutes, as the pilot had previously confirmed. Imagine my puzzlement therefore, when the stewardess announced that we had actually landed 10 minutes early, and that their record of 97% punctuality remained completely intact….. But how? Had we landed in a different time zone? Were we travelling in a flying machine built by H.G.Wells? Well, no actually. The simple truth is that the published schedule allocates 75 minutes for a 45 minute flight. A 66% margin for error……. Talk about massaging the numbers!

Iberia ExpressOn the last leg of our journey home from Madrid to Vigo last week, we flew on the recently created Iberia Express – supposedly the discount airline of Iberia. I had noticed on our outbound flight that they had boasted 97% punctuality for the whole of 2014, but it wasn’t until the return leg that I fully understood how they achieved this remarkable number…..

On boarding our flight in Madrid the captain announced that our flight time to Vigo would be 45 minutes – this was quickly followed by a further announcement that our take-off would be slightly delayed. Twenty minutes after our scheduled departure time we eventually took off, and our journey time was exactly 45 minutes, as the pilot had previously confirmed. Imagine my puzzlement therefore, when the stewardess announced that we had actually landed 10 minutes early, and that their record of 97% punctuality remained completely intact….. But how? Had we landed in a different time zone? Were we travelling in a flying machine built by H.G.Wells? Well, no actually. The simple truth is that the published schedule allocates 75 minutes for a 45 minute flight. A 66% margin for error……. Talk about massaging the numbers!

Better late than never (late)!

September 19th, 2014 | Odds & Sods

Iberia ExpressOn the last leg of our journey home from Madrid to Vigo last week, we flew on the recently created Iberia Express – supposedly the discount airline of Iberia. I had noticed on our outbound flight that they had boasted 97% punctuality for the whole of 2014, but it wasn’t until the return leg that I fully understood how they achieved this remarkable number…..

On boarding our flight in Madrid the captain announced that our flight time to Vigo would be 45 minutes – this was quickly followed by a further announcement that our take-off would be slightly delayed. Twenty minutes after our scheduled departure time we eventually took off, and our journey time was exactly 45 minutes, as the pilot had previously confirmed. Imagine my puzzlement therefore, when the stewardess announced that we had actually landed 10 minutes early, and that their record of 97% punctuality remained completely intact….. But how? Had we landed in a different time zone? Were we travelling in a flying machine built by H.G.Wells? Well, no actually. The simple truth is that the published schedule allocates 75 minutes for a 45 minute flight. A 66% margin for error……. Talk about massaging the numbers!

Iberia ExpressOn the last leg of our journey home from Madrid to Vigo last week, we flew on the recently created Iberia Express – supposedly the discount airline of Iberia. I had noticed on our outbound flight that they had boasted 97% punctuality for the whole of 2014, but it wasn’t until the return leg that I fully understood how they achieved this remarkable number…..

On boarding our flight in Madrid the captain announced that our flight time to Vigo would be 45 minutes – this was quickly followed by a further announcement that our take-off would be slightly delayed. Twenty minutes after our scheduled departure time we eventually took off, and our journey time was exactly 45 minutes, as the pilot had previously confirmed. Imagine my puzzlement therefore, when the stewardess announced that we had actually landed 10 minutes early, and that their record of 97% punctuality remained completely intact….. But how? Had we landed in a different time zone? Were we travelling in a flying machine built by H.G.Wells? Well, no actually. The simple truth is that the published schedule allocates 75 minutes for a 45 minute flight. A 66% margin for error……. Talk about massaging the numbers!

Our remote corner of Europe

September 18th, 2014 | Harvest

Sept 18Visitors to our Bodega always ask us about the local climate and the effect that our proximity to the Ocean has on the weather. I always explain to them that on this extreme western edge we often experience weather systems that clip only this part of Galicia, missing the rest of the country completely. Indeed, many of these systems, carried across the Atlantic by the jet stream, actually end up over the UK, meaning that our climate is in some ways similar to my home country. Of course being further south it is obviously a little warmer here, but in terms of precipitation I really must sit down one day and calculate the actual difference. It’s probably not that big.

I regret to report that the rain is still falling as I write, and as I desperately study the weather maps in search of some respite, I have noticed that the current depression is quite literally only dumping rain on this small corner of the continent – nowhere else in Europe appears to have been touched. It seems like the weather Gods are conspiring against us, or maybe I’m just feeling badly done by…..

Sept 18Visitors to our Bodega always ask us about the local climate and the effect that our proximity to the Ocean has on the weather. I always explain to them that on this extreme western edge we often experience weather systems that clip only this part of Galicia, missing the rest of the country completely. Indeed, many of these systems, carried across the Atlantic by the jet stream, actually end up over the UK, meaning that our climate is in some ways similar to my home country. Of course being further south it is obviously a little warmer here, but in terms of precipitation I really must sit down one day and calculate the actual difference. It’s probably not that big.

I regret to report that the rain is still falling as I write, and as I desperately study the weather maps in search of some respite, I have noticed that the current depression is quite literally only dumping rain on this small corner of the continent – nowhere else in Europe appears to have been touched. It seems like the weather Gods are conspiring against us, or maybe I’m just feeling badly done by…..

OMG!

September 16th, 2014 | Harvest

Weather 14This screen grab is the weather forecast for Cambados (click to image to enlarge) – our most local weather station. With the picking due to start in just a few days we can only pray that it’s wrong….. The showers and downpours that we are experiencing at the moment are very, very localised – raining in one place and then completely dry only a few km away. Maybe we can dodge the worst of it.

Weather 14This screen grab is the weather forecast for Cambados (click to image to enlarge) – our most local weather station. With the picking due to start in just a few days we can only pray that it’s wrong….. The showers and downpours that we are experiencing at the moment are very, very localised – raining in one place and then completely dry only a few km away. Maybe we can dodge the worst of it.

Return from New York

September 14th, 2014 | Tasting

New YorkYou may have noticed the lack of entries on this site over the last few days, and that’s simply because we’ve been travelling – a quick flit over to New York. With only days left to run before over 2014 harvest kicks off Angela and I made a flying visit to New York City for the annual tasting of our importer. It’s always a bit of a dilemma, deciding whether we should abandon the bodega at such a critical moment, but in reality during the last few days before picking there’s actually not a lot to do, except sit and wait (assuming that all the preparation work in the cellar has been done – cleaning, testing equipment, ordering supplies etc.)

If the truth is known I think that we also have an alternative motivation for wanting to go to the States…. to opportunity to visit a big, vibrant city with the added bonus of a bit of ‘retail therapy’. Suffice to say that we always leave Galicia with an extensive shopping list in hand, and have to add at least one extra day to our trip to accommodate our spending!

So, now that we’re back it’s time to refocus, and get on with the serious business of making wine. Until today the quality of fruit has been looking quite promising, but as we move into the final days, the forecasts are not looking too good – we can only hope that they’re wrong. 

New YorkYou may have noticed the lack of entries on this site over the last few days, and that’s simply because we’ve been travelling – a quick flit over to New York. With only days left to run before over 2014 harvest kicks off Angela and I made a flying visit to New York City for the annual tasting of our importer. It’s always a bit of a dilemma, deciding whether we should abandon the bodega at such a critical moment, but in reality during the last few days before picking there’s actually not a lot to do, except sit and wait (assuming that all the preparation work in the cellar has been done – cleaning, testing equipment, ordering supplies etc.)

If the truth is known I think that we also have an alternative motivation for wanting to go to the States…. to opportunity to visit a big, vibrant city with the added bonus of a bit of ‘retail therapy’. Suffice to say that we always leave Galicia with an extensive shopping list in hand, and have to add at least one extra day to our trip to accommodate our spending!

So, now that we’re back it’s time to refocus, and get on with the serious business of making wine. Until today the quality of fruit has been looking quite promising, but as we move into the final days, the forecasts are not looking too good – we can only hope that they’re wrong. 

Overdressed for the vineyard?

September 6th, 2014 | Business

DressOne of the problems of running a small, family-owned bodega is that we all have to be very flexible in the many and varied rolls that we have to cover. Angela, for example, is not only our oenologist, but she is also our vineyard specialist (with degrees in both Biology and Viticulture) and also the administrator of the business. So the question arises, if you have an appointment with your solicitor in the morning, and then need to collect samples in the vineyard during the afternoon, what do you wear for work? Angela’s solution to this dilemma was simply a change of shoes – as you can clearly see in today’s photo! Now, it’s not uncommon these days to see celebs wearing shorts or dresses accessorised with oversized boots….. but a pair of wellies?! Who knows, this could be the start of a new trend.

On a more serious note, Angela was actually out collecting grape samples to check on the progress of our crop. She was quite pleased with her early analysis, albeit we still have a little way to go before the fruit will be ripe for picking. Perhaps another 10 days or so before we kick off the 2014 harvest.

DressOne of the problems of running a small, family-owned bodega is that we all have to be very flexible in the many and varied rolls that we have to cover. Angela, for example, is not only our oenologist, but she is also our vineyard specialist (with degrees in both Biology and Viticulture) and also the administrator of the business. So the question arises, if you have an appointment with your solicitor in the morning, and then need to collect samples in the vineyard during the afternoon, what do you wear for work? Angela’s solution to this dilemma was simply a change of shoes – as you can clearly see in today’s photo! Now, it’s not uncommon these days to see celebs wearing shorts or dresses accessorised with oversized boots….. but a pair of wellies?! Who knows, this could be the start of a new trend.

On a more serious note, Angela was actually out collecting grape samples to check on the progress of our crop. She was quite pleased with her early analysis, albeit we still have a little way to go before the fruit will be ripe for picking. Perhaps another 10 days or so before we kick off the 2014 harvest.

The dog days of summer

September 3rd, 2014 | Press

Sirius - the dog starOur recent run of positive press in the United States continues, with two more additions to the growing list.

On the ‘Side Dish’ blogsite in Dallas, Haley Hamilton Cogill posted a paragraph or two about Bodegas Castro Martin following her recent visit to Rias Baixas. She wrote about our Family Estate wine – “Castro Martin Albariño comes from their sand and granite-filled estate vineyards that average over 50 years in age and is fermented in stainless steel in their gravity-flow facility. The wine is aged on the lees for around 6 months which creates a nicely balanced and elegant wine filled with tree and stone fruit notes like peach, pear, and a touch of white flower and fresh herbs.” (Buy the way, if you do visit this page then please note that there is an error in the information – our current Bodegas was built in 1981 by Angela’s father, Domingo. He did not buy the bodega as the text suggests).

For the second time in the last month or two we were also recommended in the Chicago Tribune – this time under the wonderful headline “Sipping away the dog days of summer” (the expression ‘dog days’ refers to the final months of summer when the ‘dog star’ Sirius rises with the sun). It would appear that Bill St John at the Tribune has developed quite a taste for our Family Estate wine too – “Fragrant, juicy, crisply finishing; let it sop up the food”. Castro Martin was one of a dozen or so wines selected from around the world!

Sirius - the dog starOur recent run of positive press in the United States continues, with two more additions to the growing list.

On the ‘Side Dish’ blogsite in Dallas, Haley Hamilton Cogill posted a paragraph or two about Bodegas Castro Martin following her recent visit to Rias Baixas. She wrote about our Family Estate wine – “Castro Martin Albariño comes from their sand and granite-filled estate vineyards that average over 50 years in age and is fermented in stainless steel in their gravity-flow facility. The wine is aged on the lees for around 6 months which creates a nicely balanced and elegant wine filled with tree and stone fruit notes like peach, pear, and a touch of white flower and fresh herbs.” (Buy the way, if you do visit this page then please note that there is an error in the information – our current Bodegas was built in 1981 by Angela’s father, Domingo. He did not buy the bodega as the text suggests).

For the second time in the last month or two we were also recommended in the Chicago Tribune – this time under the wonderful headline “Sipping away the dog days of summer” (the expression ‘dog days’ refers to the final months of summer when the ‘dog star’ Sirius rises with the sun). It would appear that Bill St John at the Tribune has developed quite a taste for our Family Estate wine too – “Fragrant, juicy, crisply finishing; let it sop up the food”. Castro Martin was one of a dozen or so wines selected from around the world!

Labor Day (or should that be Labour Day?)

September 1st, 2014 | Food & Wine

Maine lobsterThe first Monday of September, is Labor Day in the United States. Celebrated for more than 100 years, it was originally created as a tribute to the contributions and economic achievements of American workers. Traditionally the day would start with parades followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. In recent years however, there has been a change in emphasis, away from the parades and displays, more towards a day of fun and relaxation for the family. The most popular activities on Labor Day now include picnics, barbecues and perhaps even a few fireworks.

Of course nothing beats the traditional Labor Day burger-on-the-barbecue, but a fine ‘compliment’ might be a bit of seafood or perhaps even a serving of Maine Lobster (if you’re feeling particularly wealthy). This leads me neatly to the best possible wine recommendation – a chilled glass of Castro Martin albariño…..

Cheers – and have a great Labo(u)r Day!

Maine lobsterThe first Monday of September, is Labor Day in the United States. Celebrated for more than 100 years, it was originally created as a tribute to the contributions and economic achievements of American workers. Traditionally the day would start with parades followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. In recent years however, there has been a change in emphasis, away from the parades and displays, more towards a day of fun and relaxation for the family. The most popular activities on Labor Day now include picnics, barbecues and perhaps even a few fireworks.

Of course nothing beats the traditional Labor Day burger-on-the-barbecue, but a fine ‘compliment’ might be a bit of seafood or perhaps even a serving of Maine Lobster (if you’re feeling particularly wealthy). This leads me neatly to the best possible wine recommendation – a chilled glass of Castro Martin albariño…..

Cheers – and have a great Labo(u)r Day!

A Black Day

August 28th, 2014 | Local News

JuanWe arrived at the Bodega yesterday morning to hear some quite devastating news – one of our Castro Martin team, Juan, had been badly injured in a traffic accident during the night. It is as yet, unclear exactly what happened except to say that, on the way home from his girlfriend’s house at about 12.30am, his car was involved in an accident. Ending up on it’s roof, we believe that he had to be freed from the vehicle by firemen and he was subsequently rushed to hospital in Pontevedra. He is currently in the ICU, and thankfully we don’t think that his life is in immediate danger, but he does have internal injuries, so it would be a little irresponsible to prejudge – at this time we can only pray for his complete recovery. He has also suffered a few fractured bones – wrist, arm, collar bone, breast bone, and a rib, and it is the chest injuries that are giving the cause for concern. Of course, there is nothing much that we can say, except that our thoughts are with both Juan and the rest of his family.

As if this wasn’t enough, to round off a very bad day, one of our tractors broke down on its way back to the bodega!

JuanWe arrived at the Bodega yesterday morning to hear some quite devastating news – one of our Castro Martin team, Juan, had been badly injured in a traffic accident during the night. It is as yet, unclear exactly what happened except to say that, on the way home from his girlfriend’s house at about 12.30am, his car was involved in an accident. Ending up on it’s roof, we believe that he had to be freed from the vehicle by firemen and he was subsequently rushed to hospital in Pontevedra. He is currently in the ICU, and thankfully we don’t think that his life is in immediate danger, but he does have internal injuries, so it would be a little irresponsible to prejudge – at this time we can only pray for his complete recovery. He has also suffered a few fractured bones – wrist, arm, collar bone, breast bone, and a rib, and it is the chest injuries that are giving the cause for concern. Of course, there is nothing much that we can say, except that our thoughts are with both Juan and the rest of his family.

As if this wasn’t enough, to round off a very bad day, one of our tractors broke down on its way back to the bodega!

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