It’s always really nice when a private customer takes the time to write to us to tell us how much they enjoyed drinking our wine. For me this is much better than any gold medal at any wine competition. As I have always maintained, it is the end consumer that really counts – if they really like our wine and come back to buy it again, that is the greatest accolade that we can ever have.

This photo was taken by one such customer here in Spain, who as you can see enjoyed his Christmas meal with fresh oysters washed down by a lovely, refreshing glass of Casal Caeiro. To quote him, he said it was the “perfect marriage”…. Indeed, when we are tasting with customers at various wine fairs around the world, I always say that the only thing we are missing is a plate of fresh oysters to go with the wine!

I have to quickly add that oysters are really not the most photogenic of foods – it’s no wonder that some people are put off just by looking at them. I have however, no doubt that they were absolutely delicious.

It’s always really nice when a private customer takes the time to write to us to tell us how much they enjoyed drinking our wine. For me this is much better than any gold medal at any wine competition. As I have always maintained, it is the end consumer that really counts – if they really like our wine and come back to buy it again, that is the greatest accolade that we can ever have.

This photo was taken by one such customer here in Spain, who as you can see enjoyed his Christmas meal with fresh oysters washed down by a lovely, refreshing glass of Casal Caeiro. To quote him, he said it was the “perfect marriage”…. Indeed, when we are tasting with customers at various wine fairs around the world, I always say that the only thing we are missing is a plate of fresh oysters to go with the wine!

I have to quickly add that oysters are really not the most photogenic of foods – it’s no wonder that some people are put off just by looking at them. I have however, no doubt that they were absolutely delicious.

In France the English are affectionately known as ‘Les Rosbifs’, which is probably fair enough, as we often refer to them as the ‘Frogs’. Of course both of these ‘friendly’ nicknames are determined by our respective eating habits – the English love of Roast Beef, and the French love of eating anything that moves (and a lot of things that don’t)! I suppose it could be worse, at least we’re not known as ‘Les Poissons et Frites’…….

Anyway, the subject of my post for today is the New Year treat that I gave myself yesterday, on New Year’s Day. I bought myself a Rib of Beef (which is much easier said than done in this land of ‘ternera’), and cooked it with all the usual English trimmings – crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, a rich dark gravy and a jar of horseradish sauce (that I actually acquired on my recent visit to New York!)

Just to relate this anecdote to the wine business, the gravy was made with just a hint of Madeira, and the whole meal was washed down with a bottle of Chateau Palmer 1986 – yes, you are reading correctly, a 25 year old bottle of Margaux, that was just delicious. (It’s perhaps a bit odd to think that this wine was harvested 5 or 6 years before the birth of our daughter who was sitting at the table with us).

The other English connection is that Chateau Palmer itself was bought and owned by an British Army General, Charles Palmer, in the early 19th century, and since 1938 it has been part-owned by the Sichel family – Bordeaux Merchants for generations, but a family with a very strong English connections. Indeed, it was Charles Sichel who originally gifted me this bottle more than 10 years ago.

And finally, simply allow me to wish everyone visiting our site and/or our blog a very happy and prosperous New Year.

In France the English are affectionately known as ‘Les Rosbifs’, which is probably fair enough, as we often refer to them as the ‘Frogs’. Of course both of these ‘friendly’ nicknames are determined by our respective eating habits – the English love of Roast Beef, and the French love of eating anything that moves (and a lot of things that don’t)! I suppose it could be worse, at least we’re not known as ‘Les Poissons et Frites’…….

Anyway, the subject of my post for today is the New Year treat that I gave myself yesterday, on New Year’s Day. I bought myself a Rib of Beef (which is much easier said than done in this land of ‘ternera’), and cooked it with all the usual English trimmings – crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, a rich dark gravy and a jar of horseradish sauce (that I actually acquired on my recent visit to New York!)

Just to relate this anecdote to the wine business, the gravy was made with just a hint of Madeira, and the whole meal was washed down with a bottle of Chateau Palmer 1986 – yes, you are reading correctly, a 25 year old bottle of Margaux, that was just delicious. (It’s perhaps a bit odd to think that this wine was harvested 5 or 6 years before the birth of our daughter who was sitting at the table with us).

The other English connection is that Chateau Palmer itself was bought and owned by an British Army General, Charles Palmer, in the early 19th century, and since 1938 it has been part-owned by the Sichel family – Bordeaux Merchants for generations, but a family with a very strong English connections. Indeed, it was Charles Sichel who originally gifted me this bottle more than 10 years ago.

And finally, simply allow me to wish everyone visiting our site and/or our blog a very happy and prosperous New Year.

At the end of your Christmas meal (or any good meal for that matter) it could be time to break out the cheeseboard, accompanied by a good glass of red wine….. but then again, red wine might be the wrong choice!

Professional tasters are now saying that the so-called ‘experts’ have been getting it wrong for years. To continue with a red wine after the main course is not necessarily the best advice, as it’s possible that it will simply dominate all but the very strongest of cheeses. Apparently white wine is much more versatile and will actually compliment a much wider range of cheese. The creaminess of many varieties such as camembert and  brie are simply drowned out and overpowered by the tannin in red wines – an opinion that I have already voiced on this blog some time ago.

Sweet white wine such as Sauternes are perfect with blue cheeses such as roquefort, as the flavour enhances its saltiness, in the same way that the fresh, acidic taste of albariño offers a counterpoint to the tangy nuttiness of a parmigiano-reggiano. The grassy, mineral flavours of a lighter style of sauvignon blanc (or again our albariño), can also deliver beautiful flavours when matched with goats’ cheese. It is advised however, that oaked white wines should generally be avoided altogether with cheese.

Red wine can still be served with the cheese course, but you will need to invest in an older (and usually more expensive) wine, such as an older Rioja, as time will have softened the flavours of the tannin. But it will still need to be served with a stronger flavoured cheese such as cheddar. Port and stilton can also remain on the menu but instead of the widespread ruby ports, we are advised to try the lighter style of tawny.

At the same time the wine professionals tell us that some whites can also be considered for foods traditionally matched with reds, such as venison or wild boar……. Of course the ideal solution is to simply stick with a good bottle of Albariño for the whole meal!

At the end of your Christmas meal (or any good meal for that matter) it could be time to break out the cheeseboard, accompanied by a good glass of red wine….. but then again, red wine might be the wrong choice!

Professional tasters are now saying that the so-called ‘experts’ have been getting it wrong for years. To continue with a red wine after the main course is not necessarily the best advice, as it’s possible that it will simply dominate all but the very strongest of cheeses. Apparently white wine is much more versatile and will actually compliment a much wider range of cheese. The creaminess of many varieties such as camembert and  brie are simply drowned out and overpowered by the tannin in red wines – an opinion that I have already voiced on this blog some time ago.

Sweet white wine such as Sauternes are perfect with blue cheeses such as roquefort, as the flavour enhances its saltiness, in the same way that the fresh, acidic taste of albariño offers a counterpoint to the tangy nuttiness of a parmigiano-reggiano. The grassy, mineral flavours of a lighter style of sauvignon blanc (or again our albariño), can also deliver beautiful flavours when matched with goats’ cheese. It is advised however, that oaked white wines should generally be avoided altogether with cheese.

Red wine can still be served with the cheese course, but you will need to invest in an older (and usually more expensive) wine, such as an older Rioja, as time will have softened the flavours of the tannin. But it will still need to be served with a stronger flavoured cheese such as cheddar. Port and stilton can also remain on the menu but instead of the widespread ruby ports, we are advised to try the lighter style of tawny.

At the same time the wine professionals tell us that some whites can also be considered for foods traditionally matched with reds, such as venison or wild boar……. Of course the ideal solution is to simply stick with a good bottle of Albariño for the whole meal!

I remember, in the olden days, long, long ago, when customers would judge your wine by pulling the cork, and tasting the contents of your bottle. True, a nice presentation would always help, and perhaps even add a bit of gravitas to your brand, but it now appears that this old-fashioned notion might have changed somewhat. There’s a new generation of rude, budget-priced wines that have forced their way into shops and supermarkets, not necessarily because of their quality, but possibly based more upon the shock value of their labels…..

For example, you can now buy any number of ‘Bitchin’ wines – Sassy Bitch, Jealous Bitch, Tasty Bitch, Sweet Bitch, Royal Bitch and Happy Bitch. Then of course there are the more ‘macho’ brands such as Big-Ass Red, Ball Buster and Fat Bastard Shiraz (the latter actually made by an old friend of mine!)

These labels might go down well at a stag or hen party, but can you seriously imagine presenting one of these wines as a gift to you mother on Mother’s Day? They are quite obviously targeted at a certain type of consumer, and I am reliably informed that “this irreverence reflects an evolution in the cultural presentation of wine”. Casual apparently became cheeky, and cheeky has now given way to saucy, or perhaps even downright rude.

In an increasingly competitive market it’s quite clear that some winemakers have been frantically trying to popularise their products, and have been discovering new ways to move their bottles from the shelf without necessarily changing the contents!

Now, if only I could think of a good name for our b*@!$* Albariño.

I remember, in the olden days, long, long ago, when customers would judge your wine by pulling the cork, and tasting the contents of your bottle. True, a nice presentation would always help, and perhaps even add a bit of gravitas to your brand, but it now appears that this old-fashioned notion might have changed somewhat. There’s a new generation of rude, budget-priced wines that have forced their way into shops and supermarkets, not necessarily because of their quality, but possibly based more upon the shock value of their labels…..

For example, you can now buy any number of ‘Bitchin’ wines – Sassy Bitch, Jealous Bitch, Tasty Bitch, Sweet Bitch, Royal Bitch and Happy Bitch. Then of course there are the more ‘macho’ brands such as Big-Ass Red, Ball Buster and Fat Bastard Shiraz (the latter actually made by an old friend of mine!)

These labels might go down well at a stag or hen party, but can you seriously imagine presenting one of these wines as a gift to you mother on Mother’s Day? They are quite obviously targeted at a certain type of consumer, and I am reliably informed that “this irreverence reflects an evolution in the cultural presentation of wine”. Casual apparently became cheeky, and cheeky has now given way to saucy, or perhaps even downright rude.

In an increasingly competitive market it’s quite clear that some winemakers have been frantically trying to popularise their products, and have been discovering new ways to move their bottles from the shelf without necessarily changing the contents!

Now, if only I could think of a good name for our b*@!$* Albariño.

The Wine Gang is a group of five of the UK’s most respected wine critics. Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com, Jane Parkinson of janeparkinson.com, Anthony Rose of The Independent, Joanna Simon of House & Garden and David Williams of The Observer and World of Fine Wine.

Their monthly report gives an honest assessment of a huge variety of different wines, and is 100% independent (they have made a policy decision not to include any advertising on their site in order to ensure that there is no potential for a conflict of interest). In their November report they mad a very kind comment about one of our wines….

“We feel that this new vintage has stepped up a notch in quality. Hurrah. The aromatic apple-pear-peach fruit has real vibrancy, there’s a leafy freshness and the Albariño sea-breeze minerality and acidity underpin it all the way. Bring on the seafood.”

Don’t forget that our Albariño is not only great with your traditional roast Christmas turkey, but also, over the coming months, with turkey rissoles, turkey burgers and turkey curry!

The Wine Gang is a group of five of the UK’s most respected wine critics. Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com, Jane Parkinson of janeparkinson.com, Anthony Rose of The Independent, Joanna Simon of House & Garden and David Williams of The Observer and World of Fine Wine.

Their monthly report gives an honest assessment of a huge variety of different wines, and is 100% independent (they have made a policy decision not to include any advertising on their site in order to ensure that there is no potential for a conflict of interest). In their November report they mad a very kind comment about one of our wines….

“We feel that this new vintage has stepped up a notch in quality. Hurrah. The aromatic apple-pear-peach fruit has real vibrancy, there’s a leafy freshness and the Albariño sea-breeze minerality and acidity underpin it all the way. Bring on the seafood.”

Don’t forget that our Albariño is not only great with your traditional roast Christmas turkey, but also, over the coming months, with turkey rissoles, turkey burgers and turkey curry!

Well, I say Happy Holidays, but in reality we don’t get much of one this year in Spain….. The big celebration in this country is usually reserved for the evening of 24th, albeit from a business point of view, this is actually a normal working day (except that in 2011 the 24th falls on a Saturday). The tradition is that most people would finish work, rush home, and prepare the big family dinner. The only actually ‘festivo’ in Spain (or bank holiday as we would say in England), is on Christmas Day itself, when under normal circumstances businesses would be closed – except again this year, as Christmas falls on a Sunday, this does not apply.

If this happened in the UK, then there would automatically be a lieu day when businesses would close on the next available working day (this year it would be Monday). Spain does not follow this practice, which means that our bodega closes on Friday 23rd and re-opens on Monday 26th – pretty much business as usual! I have to say that it’s quite rare that people miss out on holidays in this country as I believe that the Spanish quota of public holidays (local, provincial and national) is actually much higher than most other countries in Europe.

Anyway, enough of that. All that remains is for Angela and I to wish all our friends, customers and blog readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Well, I say Happy Holidays, but in reality we don’t get much of one this year in Spain….. The big celebration in this country is usually reserved for the evening of 24th, albeit from a business point of view, this is actually a normal working day (except that in 2011 the 24th falls on a Saturday). The tradition is that most people would finish work, rush home, and prepare the big family dinner. The only actually ‘festivo’ in Spain (or bank holiday as we would say in England), is on Christmas Day itself, when under normal circumstances businesses would be closed – except again this year, as Christmas falls on a Sunday, this does not apply.

If this happened in the UK, then there would automatically be a lieu day when businesses would close on the next available working day (this year it would be Monday). Spain does not follow this practice, which means that our bodega closes on Friday 23rd and re-opens on Monday 26th – pretty much business as usual! I have to say that it’s quite rare that people miss out on holidays in this country as I believe that the Spanish quota of public holidays (local, provincial and national) is actually much higher than most other countries in Europe.

Anyway, enough of that. All that remains is for Angela and I to wish all our friends, customers and blog readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Now, I know that I am not really in a position to criticise, as even after ten years of living here, my Spanish is still pretty appalling. This little anecdote is however, not really about grammar or vocabulary, but more just a note about pronunciation.

In Spanish the letter ‘V’ is pronounced like the letter ‘B’ in English, so in effect they have two letter ‘B’s in their alphabet. This can sometimes cause misunderstandings, or just plain hilarity…..

For the last couple of days I have been a little under the weather, trying to shake off a bit of a cold. I usually stay at home and dose myself heavily, as I quite simply don’t want to pass it on to others.

In a conversation with Angela, she suggested that I should use some Bip-Bapo-Rup, or at least that’s what it sounded like to me. For some reason I start to think about music – Be Bop a Lula, or perhaps even Be Bop Deluxe, but whatever I was thinking it simply didn’t make any sense, or at least until she explained. It was actually Vicks Vapor Rub that she was suggesting! From now on, in our house, this will be known as Bip-Bapo-Rup.

This example however, is not my favourite. Have you ever heard of that well known American actress Guppy Gulper? Sorry, that’s Woopi Goldberg to you and me – this is simply Angela’s take on it.

Now, I know that I am not really in a position to criticise, as even after ten years of living here, my Spanish is still pretty appalling. This little anecdote is however, not really about grammar or vocabulary, but more just a note about pronunciation.

In Spanish the letter ‘V’ is pronounced like the letter ‘B’ in English, so in effect they have two letter ‘B’s in their alphabet. This can sometimes cause misunderstandings, or just plain hilarity…..

For the last couple of days I have been a little under the weather, trying to shake off a bit of a cold. I usually stay at home and dose myself heavily, as I quite simply don’t want to pass it on to others.

In a conversation with Angela, she suggested that I should use some Bip-Bapo-Rup, or at least that’s what it sounded like to me. For some reason I start to think about music – Be Bop a Lula, or perhaps even Be Bop Deluxe, but whatever I was thinking it simply didn’t make any sense, or at least until she explained. It was actually Vicks Vapor Rub that she was suggesting! From now on, in our house, this will be known as Bip-Bapo-Rup.

This example however, is not my favourite. Have you ever heard of that well known American actress Guppy Gulper? Sorry, that’s Woopi Goldberg to you and me – this is simply Angela’s take on it.

An Inspector Calls, as some of you may know, is the name of a famous thriller written by J.B.Priestley. A play based on the book has been hailed as the theatrical event of our generation, winning more awards than any other play in history, although it is actually nothing to do with my real story today!

Running any business these days means that you will be subject to inspections of every conceivable type, whether it be Financial, Health & Safety, Food Hygiene or Fraud etc. Naturally there are quite a number of rules and regulations that we need to follow in order to comply with the numerous governing bodies.

As Christmas approaches it appears that it must be ‘that time of year’, as we find ourselves with several different inspectors forming an orderly queue at our front door. Obviously we work hard to follow all the rules and regulations laid down, not only for the working environment, but also those set by our Consello, as they strive to control the local wine making process. Despite doing our very best we know that we will never be 100% perfect, and the spectre of heavy fines always looms in the background. In these circumstances, all we can do is keep our fingers tightly crossed and hope that we have done enough……

An Inspector Calls, as some of you may know, is the name of a famous thriller written by J.B.Priestley. A play based on the book has been hailed as the theatrical event of our generation, winning more awards than any other play in history, although it is actually nothing to do with my real story today!

Running any business these days means that you will be subject to inspections of every conceivable type, whether it be Financial, Health & Safety, Food Hygiene or Fraud etc. Naturally there are quite a number of rules and regulations that we need to follow in order to comply with the numerous governing bodies.

As Christmas approaches it appears that it must be ‘that time of year’, as we find ourselves with several different inspectors forming an orderly queue at our front door. Obviously we work hard to follow all the rules and regulations laid down, not only for the working environment, but also those set by our Consello, as they strive to control the local wine making process. Despite doing our very best we know that we will never be 100% perfect, and the spectre of heavy fines always looms in the background. In these circumstances, all we can do is keep our fingers tightly crossed and hope that we have done enough……

Sometimes when you read a story your first reaction is to check the calendar to see if it’s April Fools Day (or the Dia de los Inocentes if you live in Spain)!

Would you believe that it has, apparently, been proved that cattle produce less methane gas if you feed them on grape ‘marc’? When fed the stems, seeds and skins that were left over from making (red) wine, material known as the ‘marc’, methane emissions from the cows dropped by 20 per cent!

Sometimes when you read a story your first reaction is to check the calendar to see if it’s April Fools Day (or the Dia de los Inocentes if you live in Spain)!

Would you believe that it has, apparently, been proved that cattle produce less methane gas if you feed them on grape ‘marc’? When fed the stems, seeds and skins that were left over from making (red) wine, material known as the ‘marc’, methane emissions from the cows dropped by 20 per cent!

No sooner had we finished our harvest this year than the warm weather arrived! From the middle of September until the middle of October the clouds disappeared and, believe it or not, the temperatures increased. With the barometer firmly lodged at around the mid-20’s locals were still taking advantage of our beautiful local beaches – with all the tourists long gone, it was true bliss….

From mid-October the cloud, rain and drizzle returned, pretty much as is normal at this time of year, but with one significant exception – the temperature. It has continued to remain quite mild, and even nightime temperatures have not fallen by that much. The minimums we have seen at night have probably averaged around 10-12°C (50-55°F), and only on a couple of occasions have fallen as low as 6-8°C (43-46°F). Yesterday morning,for example, at 7.30am it was actually 14°C (57°F).

So what’s the significance of this you are probably asking? Well, it’s to do with the vines – they are not yet dormant for the winter, and in some warmer locations there have even been signs of new growth!

By mid to late December we would hope to have our pruning well under way, but of course, owing to these unseasonably mild conditions, the start has been delayed. The danger is that, if we do not start soon, and spring arrives early again (as it did last year), then we could potentially have a problem.

No sooner had we finished our harvest this year than the warm weather arrived! From the middle of September until the middle of October the clouds disappeared and, believe it or not, the temperatures increased. With the barometer firmly lodged at around the mid-20’s locals were still taking advantage of our beautiful local beaches – with all the tourists long gone, it was true bliss….

From mid-October the cloud, rain and drizzle returned, pretty much as is normal at this time of year, but with one significant exception – the temperature. It has continued to remain quite mild, and even nightime temperatures have not fallen by that much. The minimums we have seen at night have probably averaged around 10-12°C (50-55°F), and only on a couple of occasions have fallen as low as 6-8°C (43-46°F). Yesterday morning,for example, at 7.30am it was actually 14°C (57°F).

So what’s the significance of this you are probably asking? Well, it’s to do with the vines – they are not yet dormant for the winter, and in some warmer locations there have even been signs of new growth!

By mid to late December we would hope to have our pruning well under way, but of course, owing to these unseasonably mild conditions, the start has been delayed. The danger is that, if we do not start soon, and spring arrives early again (as it did last year), then we could potentially have a problem.