Weather…. my favourite subject, and as I look out of my window you would not believe the view that greets me. The cloud and mizzle is so bleak that I can hardly see the hills a couple of km away. This is really not August/Summer weather, and might well be the tail end of Hurricane Bertha! (By the way, is mizzle actually a recognised word – a cross between mist and drizzle?) This is not really great bullfighting weather either. 

Sorry, this is just a bad attempt to make a link between my weather comment and the bullfighting ‘festival’ this weekend in Pontevedra. Yes, our provincial capital still allows this annual spectacle – I will not call it a sport, as that might imply that the bulls have a sporting chance, which clearly, they do not. Over two weekends at the beginning of August ‘La Corrida’ takes over the city, and is typified by the young supporters (peñas) who move around in groups wearing brightly coloured t-shirts, usually emblazoned with some witty slogan or other. This part of the festival is harmless enough, although I should add that as the day progresses, then the consumption of alcohol tends to become a factor in their general behaviour. Enough said.

So, why is this a Dull & Boring weekend (apart from the gloomy weather)? Well, yesterday, 9th August, was officially Dull & Boring Day, celebrated by the ‘twinned’ towns of Dull in Perthshire, Scotland and Boring in Oregon, USA. The two small towns joined together back in 2012, and this year it was to turn of Boring to host the celebrations. They did so in style, with an ice cream feast and a lone piper…. they really need to visit Spain to see how a fiesta is done properly!

Oh, and by the way, there are actually another couple of places waiting to join in all this fun – the Shire of Bland in New Zealand, and the small town of Yawn in Louisiana.

Weather…. my favourite subject, and as I look out of my window you would not believe the view that greets me. The cloud and mizzle is so bleak that I can hardly see the hills a couple of km away. This is really not August/Summer weather, and might well be the tail end of Hurricane Bertha! (By the way, is mizzle actually a recognised word – a cross between mist and drizzle?) This is not really great bullfighting weather either. 

Sorry, this is just a bad attempt to make a link between my weather comment and the bullfighting ‘festival’ this weekend in Pontevedra. Yes, our provincial capital still allows this annual spectacle – I will not call it a sport, as that might imply that the bulls have a sporting chance, which clearly, they do not. Over two weekends at the beginning of August ‘La Corrida’ takes over the city, and is typified by the young supporters (peñas) who move around in groups wearing brightly coloured t-shirts, usually emblazoned with some witty slogan or other. This part of the festival is harmless enough, although I should add that as the day progresses, then the consumption of alcohol tends to become a factor in their general behaviour. Enough said.

So, why is this a Dull & Boring weekend (apart from the gloomy weather)? Well, yesterday, 9th August, was officially Dull & Boring Day, celebrated by the ‘twinned’ towns of Dull in Perthshire, Scotland and Boring in Oregon, USA. The two small towns joined together back in 2012, and this year it was to turn of Boring to host the celebrations. They did so in style, with an ice cream feast and a lone piper…. they really need to visit Spain to see how a fiesta is done properly!

Oh, and by the way, there are actually another couple of places waiting to join in all this fun – the Shire of Bland in New Zealand, and the small town of Yawn in Louisiana.

The Bodega Castro Martin label that we have been using until now, was the original design that we created for the very first vintage of this brand back in 2002. It is quite unusual for any label to survive for so long without even the slightest modification, but we unwittingly created such a ‘timeless’ design that even now it does not looked in the least bit dated. This doesn’t mean however, that the time for change doesn’t eventually arrive, and so last year we set about working on an upate – very much with the 2013 vintage in mind.

The design brief was to try to come up with another classic design that would also stand the test of time. Of course, being our premium brand we also wanted the label to exhibit an aura of quality, and so it was never going to be an easy exercise.

Our new 2013 Bodega Castro Martin (Family Estate Selection) is only now starting to appear on the market as customers take their first shipments of the new vintage, and so we anxiously await the initial reaction. Please take a moment to examine this new label closely and notice the attention to detail – the raised screen printing, the gold foil with shadow outline, and the embossed border. It certainly looks minimalist, but I can tell you that a great deal of thought went into the final design. We really hope that you like it!

The Bodega Castro Martin label that we have been using until now, was the original design that we created for the very first vintage of this brand back in 2002. It is quite unusual for any label to survive for so long without even the slightest modification, but we unwittingly created such a ‘timeless’ design that even now it does not looked in the least bit dated. This doesn’t mean however, that the time for change doesn’t eventually arrive, and so last year we set about working on an upate – very much with the 2013 vintage in mind.

The design brief was to try to come up with another classic design that would also stand the test of time. Of course, being our premium brand we also wanted the label to exhibit an aura of quality, and so it was never going to be an easy exercise.

Our new 2013 Bodega Castro Martin (Family Estate Selection) is only now starting to appear on the market as customers take their first shipments of the new vintage, and so we anxiously await the initial reaction. Please take a moment to examine this new label closely and notice the attention to detail – the raised screen printing, the gold foil with shadow outline, and the embossed border. It certainly looks minimalist, but I can tell you that a great deal of thought went into the final design. We really hope that you like it!

Today, and most of this week, it’s all about Albariño. Not only are we celebrating the first truly co-ordinated International Albariño Day, but we also have the Annual Albariño Festival here in Cambados (the acknowledged capital of the Albariño producing region).

The reason that I say “co-ordinated” is because last year there were actually two in the United States – one at this time of year, to coincide with the Cambados Festival, the other in May, which was simply selected as a day that we should all enjoy albariño. (Actually, the truth is that we shouldn’t really need a reason, or a special day to drink our wines, we should simply enjoy them for 365 days of the year!)

As always, my favourite part of the Albariño Festival is the ‘tunnel of wine’ – an opportunity to taste the vast majority of wines from the latest vintage (or as many as your palate can take). For me this is simply an opportunity to formulate my own personal impression of the vintage, and to taste some of the best wines, made by Castro Martin and some of our close associates from the region. I think it’s fair to say that the best winemakers are always the most consistent and so it’s usual quite easy to predict which bodegas will emerge on top.

At the tasting I think I was the only person making notes (and also one of the very few spitting as I tasted). Making copious notes is something that I was trained to do, and as a result has become something of a habit. For some reason the practice of writing appeared to attract some attention, as I became the target of local newspaper and radio. One guy from the local radio station could not believe that I was making dozens of tasting notes simply for my own reference, he was convinced that they must be for publication….. My 15 minutes of fame at last!

Today, and most of this week, it’s all about Albariño. Not only are we celebrating the first truly co-ordinated International Albariño Day, but we also have the Annual Albariño Festival here in Cambados (the acknowledged capital of the Albariño producing region).

The reason that I say “co-ordinated” is because last year there were actually two in the United States – one at this time of year, to coincide with the Cambados Festival, the other in May, which was simply selected as a day that we should all enjoy albariño. (Actually, the truth is that we shouldn’t really need a reason, or a special day to drink our wines, we should simply enjoy them for 365 days of the year!)

As always, my favourite part of the Albariño Festival is the ‘tunnel of wine’ – an opportunity to taste the vast majority of wines from the latest vintage (or as many as your palate can take). For me this is simply an opportunity to formulate my own personal impression of the vintage, and to taste some of the best wines, made by Castro Martin and some of our close associates from the region. I think it’s fair to say that the best winemakers are always the most consistent and so it’s usual quite easy to predict which bodegas will emerge on top.

At the tasting I think I was the only person making notes (and also one of the very few spitting as I tasted). Making copious notes is something that I was trained to do, and as a result has become something of a habit. For some reason the practice of writing appeared to attract some attention, as I became the target of local newspaper and radio. One guy from the local radio station could not believe that I was making dozens of tasting notes simply for my own reference, he was convinced that they must be for publication….. My 15 minutes of fame at last!

I have commented often enough about wine descriptions, and the vocabulary that we use in an attempt to describe a taste or smell. Writers will sometimes go to extreme lengths to stimulate our tastebuds, and perhaps steer us towards a new wine experience. When it comes to describing a denomination of origin, such as Rias Baixas, then that is another matter….

Our good friend Xoan Cannas is a former Nariz de Oro of Spain (best sommelier), and his passion for our region is made clear in a recent newspaper article, when he describes his home territory of Rias Baixas. I should mention that I have done my best to translate his paragraph, carefully choosing words in order not to detract too much from the original:

“When I think of the sea, the wine that first comes to mind is that of Rías Baixas, that is my territory, inseparable from the sea, and its connection with the bracing winds, the salt, the image of the breaking waves, that produces such crisp, ‘electric’ wines. They are inseparable from the fish and the produce of the sea, the mussels and their platforms. Vineyards so close to the sea, that their vines are simply burnt by the salt, sea spray”

Words that really paint a picture!

I have commented often enough about wine descriptions, and the vocabulary that we use in an attempt to describe a taste or smell. Writers will sometimes go to extreme lengths to stimulate our tastebuds, and perhaps steer us towards a new wine experience. When it comes to describing a denomination of origin, such as Rias Baixas, then that is another matter….

Our good friend Xoan Cannas is a former Nariz de Oro of Spain (best sommelier), and his passion for our region is made clear in a recent newspaper article, when he describes his home territory of Rias Baixas. I should mention that I have done my best to translate his paragraph, carefully choosing words in order not to detract too much from the original:

“When I think of the sea, the wine that first comes to mind is that of Rías Baixas, that is my territory, inseparable from the sea, and its connection with the bracing winds, the salt, the image of the breaking waves, that produces such crisp, ‘electric’ wines. They are inseparable from the fish and the produce of the sea, the mussels and their platforms. Vineyards so close to the sea, that their vines are simply burnt by the salt, sea spray”

Words that really paint a picture!

Back in April our Castro Martin Albariño was featured on the ‘Today Show’ (NBC) website as part or their Spring selection. As though that wasn’t exciting enough, we’ve now been singled out for the ‘foodie’ page of the CNN website, called Eatocracy – this time as a part of their Summer selection.

Ray Isle is Food & Wine’s executive wine editor, and with a circulation of nearly 5 million, Ray’s comments were also posted on their own Food & Wine website. He commented:

“What goes best with…? That’s the baseline wine-pairing question, and every wine expert worth his or her Riedel decanter has an answer for it. But realistically—and especially during the summer—there are plenty of times when a glass of wine will find its way to your hand with no food anywhere nearby. Cocktail parties, pre-dinner lounging around, beach house afternoons hanging out with friends, you name it. For these occasions what you want is the ideal aperitif wine: something light and crisp, not too high in alcohol and endlessly refreshing.
 
At the recent Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, which I was lucky enough to attend, I spent my time in the Grand Tasting tent hunting up some ideal, affordable, white wine candidates for this category. Here is one of my top picks:

2012 Bodegas Castro Martin Albariño ‘Sobre Lias’ – One of the best out of an ice bucket–full of Albariños I tasted, this layered, lemon-grapefruity white from Spain was impossible not to like. It’d be a great cocktail party pour.

Back in April our Castro Martin Albariño was featured on the ‘Today Show’ (NBC) website as part or their Spring selection. As though that wasn’t exciting enough, we’ve now been singled out for the ‘foodie’ page of the CNN website, called Eatocracy – this time as a part of their Summer selection.

Ray Isle is Food & Wine’s executive wine editor, and with a circulation of nearly 5 million, Ray’s comments were also posted on their own Food & Wine website. He commented:

“What goes best with…? That’s the baseline wine-pairing question, and every wine expert worth his or her Riedel decanter has an answer for it. But realistically—and especially during the summer—there are plenty of times when a glass of wine will find its way to your hand with no food anywhere nearby. Cocktail parties, pre-dinner lounging around, beach house afternoons hanging out with friends, you name it. For these occasions what you want is the ideal aperitif wine: something light and crisp, not too high in alcohol and endlessly refreshing.
 
At the recent Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, which I was lucky enough to attend, I spent my time in the Grand Tasting tent hunting up some ideal, affordable, white wine candidates for this category. Here is one of my top picks:

2012 Bodegas Castro Martin Albariño ‘Sobre Lias’ – One of the best out of an ice bucket–full of Albariños I tasted, this layered, lemon-grapefruity white from Spain was impossible not to like. It’d be a great cocktail party pour.

There is so much written about wine these days that it is quite normal for the odd review of our wines to slip under the radar. A month or two ago our Castro Martin wine, sold in Marks & Spencer was recommended by the Independent Newspaper as one of their wines of the week. Their correspondent Terry Kirby wrote:

There is so much written about wine these days that it is quite normal for the odd review of our wines to slip under the radar. A month or two ago our Castro Martin wine, sold in Marks & Spencer was recommended by the Independent Newspaper as one of their wines of the week. Their correspondent Terry Kirby wrote:

Bodegas Castro Martin Albariño 2012 – “Great credit to M&S to be stocking Albariño from this family-owned estate in the Rias Baixas in north-western Spain. Zesty, medium-bodied and full of flavours of pears and quince, it is almost perfectly designed for the bountiful local fish and, particularly, shellfish, while it is also fine for sushi.”

Oz Clarke, Tim Atkin (MW) and Olly Smith (aka ‘The Three Wine Men’), are all rated amongst the UK’s top wine writers. They recently held their annual summer tasting in Manchester, and were were very pleased to receive a mention for our Castro Martin wine that we sell to Marks & Spencer.

“Oz,  Tim and Olly made notes on their favourite wines from the event: Tim Atkin MW – Bodega Castro Martin ‘Sobre Lias’ 2012 ‘Lovely stone fruit aromas segue into a fresh, lime zesty palte with a crunchy mouth-watering finish.’’

Oz Clarke, Tim Atkin (MW) and Olly Smith (aka ‘The Three Wine Men’), are all rated amongst the UK’s top wine writers. They recently held their annual summer tasting in Manchester, and were were very pleased to receive a mention for our Castro Martin wine that we sell to Marks & Spencer.

“Oz,  Tim and Olly made notes on their favourite wines from the event: Tim Atkin MW – Bodega Castro Martin ‘Sobre Lias’ 2012 ‘Lovely stone fruit aromas segue into a fresh, lime zesty palte with a crunchy mouth-watering finish.’’

Having spent a few days in the UK, I climbed onto a plane at Heathrow Airport where the temperature was around 30°C (86°F). We flew south-west towards Galicia for nearly two hours and by the time we arrived the temperature had dropped to around 19°C (66°F). On face value this makes no sense whatsoever, as we always educated to believe that the further south we travel, the warmer it gets (unless of course, you reside in the southern hemisphere). Whilst I completely understand about jet-streams and pressure systems, this type of climate anomaly still sometimes, leaves me scratching my head….. should I be travelling back to the UK to seek some sun and to spend my summer break I ask myself?

The following day was cloudy and dull in our area, and the night brought heavy rain and thunderstorms (despite the fact that the humidity had not been overtly high). With all the rainfall that we have suffered so far this year this is far from ideal grape growing conditions – it’s wonderful for the vegetation, as the vine canopy spreads like wildfire, but inevitably the fruit itself can suffer in the wet, humid conditions. To date, this is not the perfect summer that we crave.

Having spent a few days in the UK, I climbed onto a plane at Heathrow Airport where the temperature was around 30°C (86°F). We flew south-west towards Galicia for nearly two hours and by the time we arrived the temperature had dropped to around 19°C (66°F). On face value this makes no sense whatsoever, as we always educated to believe that the further south we travel, the warmer it gets (unless of course, you reside in the southern hemisphere). Whilst I completely understand about jet-streams and pressure systems, this type of climate anomaly still sometimes, leaves me scratching my head….. should I be travelling back to the UK to seek some sun and to spend my summer break I ask myself?

The following day was cloudy and dull in our area, and the night brought heavy rain and thunderstorms (despite the fact that the humidity had not been overtly high). With all the rainfall that we have suffered so far this year this is far from ideal grape growing conditions – it’s wonderful for the vegetation, as the vine canopy spreads like wildfire, but inevitably the fruit itself can suffer in the wet, humid conditions. To date, this is not the perfect summer that we crave.

Last week was a busy week for visits – on Monday a small group comprised of some of the UK’s top wine journalists, followed later in the week by two days with a group from our U.S. importer (Frederick Wildman & Sons), and their distributors. Angela and I are completely worn out and have decided that we should create ‘virtual visits’ to use in future if only to save our vocal chords. Actually, that wouldn’t work at all – you really have to visit the region to discover it’s true beauty, especially when the sun shines, as it did for us this week.

Apart from the usual tastings and tour of the bodega and vineyards we took our American friends up a hill….. to the Mirador of San Cibrán – a viewing point that overlooks almost the entire Salnés Valley (where our Bodega is located). I think that the panorama is probably greater than 18o° and on a clear day is really quite breathtaking (even to those who were visiting from New York City). Quite a different skyline, but providing a great photo opportunity just the same.

Last week was a busy week for visits – on Monday a small group comprised of some of the UK’s top wine journalists, followed later in the week by two days with a group from our U.S. importer (Frederick Wildman & Sons), and their distributors. Angela and I are completely worn out and have decided that we should create ‘virtual visits’ to use in future if only to save our vocal chords. Actually, that wouldn’t work at all – you really have to visit the region to discover it’s true beauty, especially when the sun shines, as it did for us this week.

Apart from the usual tastings and tour of the bodega and vineyards we took our American friends up a hill….. to the Mirador of San Cibrán – a viewing point that overlooks almost the entire Salnés Valley (where our Bodega is located). I think that the panorama is probably greater than 18o° and on a clear day is really quite breathtaking (even to those who were visiting from New York City). Quite a different skyline, but providing a great photo opportunity just the same.