Just a quick note to wish all our Chinese friends and customers a Happy New Year (the year of the horse). I often make reference the fact that our wine is particularly well suited to Japanese food, but I should also say that it also makes a good accompaniment to many Chinese dishes too.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Just a quick note to wish all our Chinese friends and customers a Happy New Year (the year of the horse). I often make reference the fact that our wine is particularly well suited to Japanese food, but I should also say that it also makes a good accompaniment to many Chinese dishes too.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

One of the greatest ever marketing coups in Spanish history has to be the “tradition” of eating grapes for good luck at New Year. The idea is that at midnight on 31st December as the clock strikes midnight Spaniards eat a grape with each chime of the clock – 12 per person (which is actually not as easy as it might sound). With a population of 47 million, this equates to some 564 million grapes, or a good few kilos!

And the origin of this “tradition”?  Alicante. Started in 1909 when  grape farmers needed a way to dispose profitably of the surplus grapes from that year’s unexpectedly large harvest. Since then the 12-grape custom is now observed by almost everyone in Spain, not to mention several other South American countries. Being brutally honest, this means that the whole custom is probably no more than a bit of a scam and the claim of bringing luck has no real foundation whatsoever!

This being the case I have decided to create an alternative New Year’s tradition. In future it should be considered extremely lucky to take a sip of albariño with each of the 12 chimes of midnight. The difference is that this is completely true – it’s going to be extremely lucky……. for all albariño producers!

Oh, and by the way, a very happy New Year to one and all.

One of the greatest ever marketing coups in Spanish history has to be the “tradition” of eating grapes for good luck at New Year. The idea is that at midnight on 31st December as the clock strikes midnight Spaniards eat a grape with each chime of the clock – 12 per person (which is actually not as easy as it might sound). With a population of 47 million, this equates to some 564 million grapes, or a good few kilos!

And the origin of this “tradition”?  Alicante. Started in 1909 when  grape farmers needed a way to dispose profitably of the surplus grapes from that year’s unexpectedly large harvest. Since then the 12-grape custom is now observed by almost everyone in Spain, not to mention several other South American countries. Being brutally honest, this means that the whole custom is probably no more than a bit of a scam and the claim of bringing luck has no real foundation whatsoever!

This being the case I have decided to create an alternative New Year’s tradition. In future it should be considered extremely lucky to take a sip of albariño with each of the 12 chimes of midnight. The difference is that this is completely true – it’s going to be extremely lucky……. for all albariño producers!

Oh, and by the way, a very happy New Year to one and all.

Angela and I would lust like to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends and customers around the world a very Happy Christmas and a healthy, prosperous and above all else, peaceful New Year.

We thank you all for supporting Bodegas Castro Martin.

Angela and I would lust like to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends and customers around the world a very Happy Christmas and a healthy, prosperous and above all else, peaceful New Year.

We thank you all for supporting Bodegas Castro Martin.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are singularly the worst times to be a turkey. It’s not that long ago that cooking a turkey for the holidays was the reserve of only the very wealthy as turkey was considered very much a luxury item. I am not completely sure where the tradition of cooking turkey originated, but I do know that in the majority of households the bird will be served as a simple roast meal (with all the trimmings).

I found a document on the internet the other day that pokes fun at restaurant menu descriptions, and if you click on today’s picture you might just be able to make out how it works. It made me laugh, and, also made me ponder some alternative ways to prepare the traditional turkey dinner….. for example, how about ‘Carpaccio of water-bathed turkey injected with slow-poached cranberry’? Or maybe ‘Whisper of flame-roasted turkey dappled with marinated purple flowering broccoli’.

If you get bored this Thanksgiving evening you should play this as a game – to see who can come up with the most original (and amusing) turkey dinner description. Oh! And by the way, every depiction has to be suffixed with the phrase ‘accompanied by a glass of refreshing, zesty, chilled albariño’.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are singularly the worst times to be a turkey. It’s not that long ago that cooking a turkey for the holidays was the reserve of only the very wealthy as turkey was considered very much a luxury item. I am not completely sure where the tradition of cooking turkey originated, but I do know that in the majority of households the bird will be served as a simple roast meal (with all the trimmings).

I found a document on the internet the other day that pokes fun at restaurant menu descriptions, and if you click on today’s picture you might just be able to make out how it works. It made me laugh, and, also made me ponder some alternative ways to prepare the traditional turkey dinner….. for example, how about ‘Carpaccio of water-bathed turkey injected with slow-poached cranberry’? Or maybe ‘Whisper of flame-roasted turkey dappled with marinated purple flowering broccoli’.

If you get bored this Thanksgiving evening you should play this as a game – to see who can come up with the most original (and amusing) turkey dinner description. Oh! And by the way, every depiction has to be suffixed with the phrase ‘accompanied by a glass of refreshing, zesty, chilled albariño’.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’ve always found it a little bit odd and perhaps even mildly amusing that Munich’s “Oktoberfest” is actually celebrated in September, with only the final few days actually falling in the month of October. Now more than 200 years old, it was originally a royal wedding celebration, held in the middle of October, on a site of some 42 hectares on the south west outskirts of Munich. It has evolved over the years to become a huge fair, spread over nearly three weeks, complete with opening parade, brewery horse teams and bands, carnival side shows and enormous beer tents. It was apparently moved forward into September to take advantage of marginally longer days and better weather.

Anyway, believe it or not. we now have a couple of Oktoberfests of our own, here in Galicia. Held in Negreira and Pontevedra respectively, they were held this weekend….. at the beginning of November. It occurred to me that, if these new local beer festivals are not tied to any particular tradition, then why didn’t the organisers create something new and original, and simply call them Novemberfest!

Actually, the tradition that we really need next is Albariñofest – to be held at any time of year (or perhaps even all year ’round).

I’ve always found it a little bit odd and perhaps even mildly amusing that Munich’s “Oktoberfest” is actually celebrated in September, with only the final few days actually falling in the month of October. Now more than 200 years old, it was originally a royal wedding celebration, held in the middle of October, on a site of some 42 hectares on the south west outskirts of Munich. It has evolved over the years to become a huge fair, spread over nearly three weeks, complete with opening parade, brewery horse teams and bands, carnival side shows and enormous beer tents. It was apparently moved forward into September to take advantage of marginally longer days and better weather.

Anyway, believe it or not. we now have a couple of Oktoberfests of our own, here in Galicia. Held in Negreira and Pontevedra respectively, they were held this weekend….. at the beginning of November. It occurred to me that, if these new local beer festivals are not tied to any particular tradition, then why didn’t the organisers create something new and original, and simply call them Novemberfest!

Actually, the tradition that we really need next is Albariñofest – to be held at any time of year (or perhaps even all year ’round).

Whilst our wines are quietly fermenting in tank (they have already reached the point where they can now be called wine, rather than must), our workload is slowly returning to something that at least resembles normality. Of course we are still obliged to monitor densities around the clock, including weekends, which entails a constant shuttle back and forth. Fortunately it is not a difficult chore, just a little time consuming, and so Angela and I make it slightly more bearable by alternating the shifts! 

In the meantime there was something locally that caught my eye, but possibly for the wrong reason….. Occasionally I visit a website that lists all the Fiestas held here in Galicia, and believe me there are quite literally hundreds throughout the year (as I have mentioned before the Spanish do not need any excuse to party!). Anyway, one particular festival that stood out for me was the 8th Annual ‘Festa da Zorza’ in the village of Maceda. The reason I noticed this one in particular was simply because of their publicity photo. They say that we eat with our eyes, in which case the plate of Zorza used in this picture might easily serve to put you off!  

Zorza is actually a spicey shredded pork, or perhaps pulled pork as it might be known in the US or UK. The problem is that in this picture it actually looks more like the contents of a tin of cat food (albeit I think that even many cat foods are made to look more appetising these days). This comment is not really meant to be disrespectful in any way, as I’m sure that the pork will taste delicious (indeed pulled pork is one of my favourite dishes), but I just wish they had tried to make it look a little more attractive on the plate. Food is often notoriously difficult to photograph, and very unfortunately, this example only serves to prove the point.

Whilst our wines are quietly fermenting in tank (they have already reached the point where they can now be called wine, rather than must), our workload is slowly returning to something that at least resembles normality. Of course we are still obliged to monitor densities around the clock, including weekends, which entails a constant shuttle back and forth. Fortunately it is not a difficult chore, just a little time consuming, and so Angela and I make it slightly more bearable by alternating the shifts! 

In the meantime there was something locally that caught my eye, but possibly for the wrong reason….. Occasionally I visit a website that lists all the Fiestas held here in Galicia, and believe me there are quite literally hundreds throughout the year (as I have mentioned before the Spanish do not need any excuse to party!). Anyway, one particular festival that stood out for me was the 8th Annual ‘Festa da Zorza’ in the village of Maceda. The reason I noticed this one in particular was simply because of their publicity photo. They say that we eat with our eyes, in which case the plate of Zorza used in this picture might easily serve to put you off!  

Zorza is actually a spicey shredded pork, or perhaps pulled pork as it might be known in the US or UK. The problem is that in this picture it actually looks more like the contents of a tin of cat food (albeit I think that even many cat foods are made to look more appetising these days). This comment is not really meant to be disrespectful in any way, as I’m sure that the pork will taste delicious (indeed pulled pork is one of my favourite dishes), but I just wish they had tried to make it look a little more attractive on the plate. Food is often notoriously difficult to photograph, and very unfortunately, this example only serves to prove the point.

In Spain people do not need an excuse for a fiesta. Halloween, for example, is now almost as big here as it is in the States, although I rather suspect that few people know its origin or what it is really supposed to represent. 

Anyway, enough of all that. Today is 4th of July, celebrated by Americans around the world (but not the Spanish…….. just yet).

Happy Independence day!

In Spain people do not need an excuse for a fiesta. Halloween, for example, is now almost as big here as it is in the States, although I rather suspect that few people know its origin or what it is really supposed to represent. 

Anyway, enough of all that. Today is 4th of July, celebrated by Americans around the world (but not the Spanish…….. just yet).

Happy Independence day!

It was only quite recently that I discovered the existence of Albariño Day….. This could be because it was not the invention of our local Denomination office, but rather was created by an American marketing company to coincide with an albariño tasting in Chicago, held on 9th May last year. I’m afraid that there’s no romantic story or special historical significance attached to this date – just the tasting, which for me at least, is just a little disappointing. Looking back at the brief history of the D.O. Rias Baixas I feel sure that there must be at least one or two notable dates that would have perhaps provided a better excuse for a celebration. Having said that we should probably just be grateful that someone has made the effort and wants to dedicate this day and pay homage to our wonderful wines. I raise my glass to you!

As far as I am aware Albariño Day is only celebrated in the United States, albeit that there is definitely the potential to extend this into a worldwide event. Certainly it is my intention to join in next year, and I for one, will be mailing my customers around the world with ideas and materials to help promote the day (and sell them more wine). I’m afraid that my relatively late discovery of the date left me insufficient time to organise myself for the 2013 event. So I guess that we will just have to sit quietly at home, pull a cork, and observe the day in our own humble way….. until next year!

It was only quite recently that I discovered the existence of Albariño Day….. This could be because it was not the invention of our local Denomination office, but rather was created by an American marketing company to coincide with an albariño tasting in Chicago, held on 9th May last year. I’m afraid that there’s no romantic story or special historical significance attached to this date – just the tasting, which for me at least, is just a little disappointing. Looking back at the brief history of the D.O. Rias Baixas I feel sure that there must be at least one or two notable dates that would have perhaps provided a better excuse for a celebration. Having said that we should probably just be grateful that someone has made the effort and wants to dedicate this day and pay homage to our wonderful wines. I raise my glass to you!

As far as I am aware Albariño Day is only celebrated in the United States, albeit that there is definitely the potential to extend this into a worldwide event. Certainly it is my intention to join in next year, and I for one, will be mailing my customers around the world with ideas and materials to help promote the day (and sell them more wine). I’m afraid that my relatively late discovery of the date left me insufficient time to organise myself for the 2013 event. So I guess that we will just have to sit quietly at home, pull a cork, and observe the day in our own humble way….. until next year!

You may have read on our blog a week or two ago that our denomination is now producing sparkling Rias Baixas wines (but not here at Castro Martin). Of course, this is the time of year that we often ‘push the boat out’ and open a bottle of fizz that we might not normally drink, especially during these times of austerity. So whether you decide to drink a bottle of Champagne, Cava or even sparkling Rias Baixas over the holiday period, why not impress your friends and family by opening the bottle with a sabre!!!

OK, so a sabre is not necessarily the type of thing that you will have laying around the house, but any type of heavy knife will pretty much do the trick. As with all these things, not only is there a technique, but there is also a secret to doing this successfully – make sure that the bottle is extremely well chilled before you try. Put the bottle in your freezer for at least one hour – this will have the effect of reducing the pressure inside, and make the whole process a little safer.

Take the bottle out, and at the last moment remove the foil and wire completely. Tilt the bottle at an angle of 45° with the seam of the bottle on top. With the back of your knife blade run it sharply and smoothly up, along the whole length of the seam, so that the blade strikes the lip at the top of the bottle. If you’ve done it properly, the neck of the bottle will snap cleanly (yes, you will remove a small section of the glass too), and after the applause have subsided, you can enjoy your wine.

As a footnote, it is obvious that you should not point the bottle at anyone whilst doing this, and I would recommend that others stand well back, just to be on the safe side. Also, you should probably only attempt this with good quality wines, as they will use better quality, heavy bottles. Do not try this with your £4.99 bottle of Asti Spumante!

You may have read on our blog a week or two ago that our denomination is now producing sparkling Rias Baixas wines (but not here at Castro Martin). Of course, this is the time of year that we often ‘push the boat out’ and open a bottle of fizz that we might not normally drink, especially during these times of austerity. So whether you decide to drink a bottle of Champagne, Cava or even sparkling Rias Baixas over the holiday period, why not impress your friends and family by opening the bottle with a sabre!!!

OK, so a sabre is not necessarily the type of thing that you will have laying around the house, but any type of heavy knife will pretty much do the trick. As with all these things, not only is there a technique, but there is also a secret to doing this successfully – make sure that the bottle is extremely well chilled before you try. Put the bottle in your freezer for at least one hour – this will have the effect of reducing the pressure inside, and make the whole process a little safer.

Take the bottle out, and at the last moment remove the foil and wire completely. Tilt the bottle at an angle of 45° with the seam of the bottle on top. With the back of your knife blade run it sharply and smoothly up, along the whole length of the seam, so that the blade strikes the lip at the top of the bottle. If you’ve done it properly, the neck of the bottle will snap cleanly (yes, you will remove a small section of the glass too), and after the applause have subsided, you can enjoy your wine.

As a footnote, it is obvious that you should not point the bottle at anyone whilst doing this, and I would recommend that others stand well back, just to be on the safe side. Also, you should probably only attempt this with good quality wines, as they will use better quality, heavy bottles. Do not try this with your £4.99 bottle of Asti Spumante!

Whilst we appreciate that not everyone celebrates Christmas, Angela and I would still like to send Seasons Greetings to all our friends and customers around the world. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for 2013.

Whilst we appreciate that not everyone celebrates Christmas, Angela and I would still like to send Seasons Greetings to all our friends and customers around the world. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for 2013.