We 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!

We 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!

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.

With all the recent rainfall, and now a blast of hot sunshine, we have perfect conditions in our vineyards for disease. Local growers are rushing out to treat their vines before the humidity takes its toll. 

People say that the vineyards of Burgundy are fragmented, but when you examine the ‘stats’ here in Galicia, I think we can give them a good run for their money….. In our denomination there are just over 4,000 hectares (about 10,000 acres) in total. This is divided between more than 6,700 registered grape growers, meaning that the average would be about 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres), except that some people have much more than the average. For example, we have 11 hectares (27 acres), meaning that many of the smallest growers have much less than the average. And this is not the end of the story – there are some 23,400 individual vineyard sites, so you can perhaps begin to imagine how fragmented we are as a wine producing area!

Anyway, back to my original point. With such small vineyard holdings much of the work is carried out by the owners and their family, and not using any hi-tech equipment either – it’s very much a hands on regime in which everyone has to play their part. Take, for example, this young man, in today’s photo, sent out in the early morning to spray his family’s plot using just a small back pack. His protective equipment?…. A blue work coat and a motorcycle helmet. Better than nothing I guess (but only just).

With all the recent rainfall, and now a blast of hot sunshine, we have perfect conditions in our vineyards for disease. Local growers are rushing out to treat their vines before the humidity takes its toll. 

People say that the vineyards of Burgundy are fragmented, but when you examine the ‘stats’ here in Galicia, I think we can give them a good run for their money….. In our denomination there are just over 4,000 hectares (about 10,000 acres) in total. This is divided between more than 6,700 registered grape growers, meaning that the average would be about 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres), except that some people have much more than the average. For example, we have 11 hectares (27 acres), meaning that many of the smallest growers have much less than the average. And this is not the end of the story – there are some 23,400 individual vineyard sites, so you can perhaps begin to imagine how fragmented we are as a wine producing area!

Anyway, back to my original point. With such small vineyard holdings much of the work is carried out by the owners and their family, and not using any hi-tech equipment either – it’s very much a hands on regime in which everyone has to play their part. Take, for example, this young man, in today’s photo, sent out in the early morning to spray his family’s plot using just a small back pack. His protective equipment?…. A blue work coat and a motorcycle helmet. Better than nothing I guess (but only just).

On our website we have a few different videos, including a rather good interview with Angela, made for a local TV channel. The problem is that the interview was conducted entirely in Spanish, and so if you don’t speak the lingo, all that’s left is for you to look at the pretty pictures. Originally, I did have the idea of adding subtitles, which is perfectly feasable, but when I took into consideration the amount of work, compounded by the speed at which Angela speaks, well, I simply abandoned the project.

Since then I have often thought that we should add something similar in English, and so that’s exactly what we’ve done. We have made a short video introducing the bodega, the region (with an emphasis on the Atlantic Ocean) and our vineyards. Indeed, there is quite a nice sequence filmed in our picturesque ‘Pazo’ vineyard, made shortly before this year’s harvest  (and just before the last minute rain storms arrived). From memory I think this is the first film that we’ve ever made in this vineyard, so it’s certainly worth taking a look. As for the interview? It’s short, sweet and to the point, falling far short of Andy Wahol’s suggestion of 15 minutes…… so if you have an odd couple of minutes to spare then why not take a look? (Click the You Tube menu)

On our website we have a few different videos, including a rather good interview with Angela, made for a local TV channel. The problem is that the interview was conducted entirely in Spanish, and so if you don’t speak the lingo, all that’s left is for you to look at the pretty pictures. Originally, I did have the idea of adding subtitles, which is perfectly feasable, but when I took into consideration the amount of work, compounded by the speed at which Angela speaks, well, I simply abandoned the project.

Since then I have often thought that we should add something similar in English, and so that’s exactly what we’ve done. We have made a short video introducing the bodega, the region (with an emphasis on the Atlantic Ocean) and our vineyards. Indeed, there is quite a nice sequence filmed in our picturesque ‘Pazo’ vineyard, made shortly before this year’s harvest  (and just before the last minute rain storms arrived). From memory I think this is the first film that we’ve ever made in this vineyard, so it’s certainly worth taking a look. As for the interview? It’s short, sweet and to the point, falling far short of Andy Wahol’s suggestion of 15 minutes…… so if you have an odd couple of minutes to spare then why not take a look? (Click the You Tube menu)

If your wine is awarded 100 points by Soo Hoo Khoon Peng, is that something that will change the future of your wine cellar? Let me explain. Soo Hoo Khoon Peng is a Singaporean wine importer who has not only paid USD 15million to buy The Wine Advocate franchise from Robert M. Parker Jnr., but who has also taken over both editorial control and control of the business as a whole. This being the case, then every serious wine consumer is probably asking themselves the question “can this be the beginning of the end of the Parker empire?”

There are some serious wine journalists around who have already speculated that Parker’s influence may be in decline, and that many people simply cannot afford to pay attention to his comments – the reason being that his scoring system has, single-handedly, made some wines so expensive that they are now well beyond the reach of many a mere mortal on the street, or perhaps I should say, in their local wine store. It is also said that the only people now interested in his rating system are the property owners themselves, who can sit back and watch the value of their property and vineyards increase by millions virtually overnight.

Apparently Mr Parker himself will be staying on, drawing a salary from the new owners to judge the wines of Bordeaux and the Rhône. After all, without any input whatsoever, the value of the Wine Advocate brand would evaporate very quickly. Personally I have the feeling that Parker has made the decision to quit while he’s still ahead, a step towards retirement if you will, and with USD 10million in his back pocket, who can blame him? Also, whilst I can appreciate that his scoring system may have helped many a consumer make his or her wine selection, I can’t help but feel that his influence has long been out of control. After all, like art, taste in wine is purely subjective, and the hugely complex faculties of taste and smell cannot, and should not, be over-simplified and reduced to a simple scoring system.

In the past Parker has sometimes been referred to as “the Emperor of Wine”, and so we have to ask ourselves, if his influence really is in decline, who will take over the mantle? Certainly as far as the U.S. market is concerned, a good candidate might be Stephen Tanzer, who I should tell you, is more a man after my own taste. The one thing that I have always hated about Parker ratings is that he was, and still is, swayed by the power and concentration of a wine, so much so that the very vinification of Bordeaux wines has changed dramatically during his reign. Over-extracted wines became the norm, and subtlety and finesse were often lost somewhere in the background, becoming almost insignificant. As a result, some Bordeaux and Rhône wines virtually required tasting with a fork!

By contrast, Mr Tanzer who runs the International Wine Cellar, appears to favour finesse in wine, rather like myself. As a wine buyer working for a wholesale company buying wine largely for distribution to the restaurant trade, I was always on the look out for wines with finesse and structure that would marry with food, rather than dominate them. Any influential, like-minded wine critic will therefore be a breath of fresh air as far as I’m concerned. Like me, Stephen Tanzer is also a great lover of Burgundy, at one time almost my second home as I spent at least two or three weeks a year scouring the cellars of the area, tasting literally hundreds of fine wines from top producers…… (And I used to get paid too!)

I am very encouraged to learn that  Mr Tanzer is apparently an aficionado of cooler-climate wines, “I like white wines that are minerally, saline and energetic,” he says. A perfect description of Castro Martin albariño.

If your wine is awarded 100 points by Soo Hoo Khoon Peng, is that something that will change the future of your wine cellar? Let me explain. Soo Hoo Khoon Peng is a Singaporean wine importer who has not only paid USD 15million to buy The Wine Advocate franchise from Robert M. Parker Jnr., but who has also taken over both editorial control and control of the business as a whole. This being the case, then every serious wine consumer is probably asking themselves the question “can this be the beginning of the end of the Parker empire?”

There are some serious wine journalists around who have already speculated that Parker’s influence may be in decline, and that many people simply cannot afford to pay attention to his comments – the reason being that his scoring system has, single-handedly, made some wines so expensive that they are now well beyond the reach of many a mere mortal on the street, or perhaps I should say, in their local wine store. It is also said that the only people now interested in his rating system are the property owners themselves, who can sit back and watch the value of their property and vineyards increase by millions virtually overnight.

Apparently Mr Parker himself will be staying on, drawing a salary from the new owners to judge the wines of Bordeaux and the Rhône. After all, without any input whatsoever, the value of the Wine Advocate brand would evaporate very quickly. Personally I have the feeling that Parker has made the decision to quit while he’s still ahead, a step towards retirement if you will, and with USD 10million in his back pocket, who can blame him? Also, whilst I can appreciate that his scoring system may have helped many a consumer make his or her wine selection, I can’t help but feel that his influence has long been out of control. After all, like art, taste in wine is purely subjective, and the hugely complex faculties of taste and smell cannot, and should not, be over-simplified and reduced to a simple scoring system.

In the past Parker has sometimes been referred to as “the Emperor of Wine”, and so we have to ask ourselves, if his influence really is in decline, who will take over the mantle? Certainly as far as the U.S. market is concerned, a good candidate might be Stephen Tanzer, who I should tell you, is more a man after my own taste. The one thing that I have always hated about Parker ratings is that he was, and still is, swayed by the power and concentration of a wine, so much so that the very vinification of Bordeaux wines has changed dramatically during his reign. Over-extracted wines became the norm, and subtlety and finesse were often lost somewhere in the background, becoming almost insignificant. As a result, some Bordeaux and Rhône wines virtually required tasting with a fork!

By contrast, Mr Tanzer who runs the International Wine Cellar, appears to favour finesse in wine, rather like myself. As a wine buyer working for a wholesale company buying wine largely for distribution to the restaurant trade, I was always on the look out for wines with finesse and structure that would marry with food, rather than dominate them. Any influential, like-minded wine critic will therefore be a breath of fresh air as far as I’m concerned. Like me, Stephen Tanzer is also a great lover of Burgundy, at one time almost my second home as I spent at least two or three weeks a year scouring the cellars of the area, tasting literally hundreds of fine wines from top producers…… (And I used to get paid too!)

I am very encouraged to learn that  Mr Tanzer is apparently an aficionado of cooler-climate wines, “I like white wines that are minerally, saline and energetic,” he says. A perfect description of Castro Martin albariño.

There is a serious side to today’s photo – taken in April 1983. It shows a delivery of  ‘abono’ (natural fertilizer) being made to one of our vineyards. We always explain to our customers that we only use the most Eco-friendly treatments on our soils, and this is proof (if it were needed) that we have been following this practice for many years. Of course the ox carts have been replaced by tractors these days, but very occasionally you might still see one on one our small country roads.

The thing which has changed is the fashion. Here you will see Angela modelling her Snoopy sweatshirt with a lovely pair of M.C.Hammer trousers! The true historians among you will know that these super baggy trousers were not actually made famous until the very end of the 1980’s, and so it could be that my wife was very much a trend setter at this time. It is also possible that the ‘big hair’ look was influenced by the TV series Charlie’s Angels, or perhaps the film Saturday Night Fever – quite frankly I’m too afraid to ask!

There is a serious side to today’s photo – taken in April 1983. It shows a delivery of  ‘abono’ (natural fertilizer) being made to one of our vineyards. We always explain to our customers that we only use the most Eco-friendly treatments on our soils, and this is proof (if it were needed) that we have been following this practice for many years. Of course the ox carts have been replaced by tractors these days, but very occasionally you might still see one on one our small country roads.

The thing which has changed is the fashion. Here you will see Angela modelling her Snoopy sweatshirt with a lovely pair of M.C.Hammer trousers! The true historians among you will know that these super baggy trousers were not actually made famous until the very end of the 1980’s, and so it could be that my wife was very much a trend setter at this time. It is also possible that the ‘big hair’ look was influenced by the TV series Charlie’s Angels, or perhaps the film Saturday Night Fever – quite frankly I’m too afraid to ask!

I didn’t mention it earlier, probably just out of embarrassment, but I have injured myself on the very eve of the harvest! To cut a very long story short I had a boating accident at the weekend, which not only damaged my spine, but has left me wearing a back brace. Not the most attractive piece of clothing that I have in my wardrobe. 

The irony of the whole thing is that I was actually out with friends doing some water skiing, but the accident that hurt me happened when we had finished skiing for the day, and we were heading back to shore.

I pride myself on keeping reasonably fit, and being so handicapped at this time of year is really a major blow. What’s the expression? There’s no fool like an old fool…..

I didn’t mention it earlier, probably just out of embarrassment, but I have injured myself on the very eve of the harvest! To cut a very long story short I had a boating accident at the weekend, which not only damaged my spine, but has left me wearing a back brace. Not the most attractive piece of clothing that I have in my wardrobe. 

The irony of the whole thing is that I was actually out with friends doing some water skiing, but the accident that hurt me happened when we had finished skiing for the day, and we were heading back to shore.

I pride myself on keeping reasonably fit, and being so handicapped at this time of year is really a major blow. What’s the expression? There’s no fool like an old fool…..

In the first part of my post about Michelin I mentioned that the Red Guide might actually be hated by some. If hated is perhaps too strong a word, then certainly its objectivity has been called into question on countless occasions, and also, over the years, it has also been accused of a certain bias.

It is clear however, that at the very least, Michelin has been inconsistent in the midst of its struggle to evolve. Many now consider its rating system to be outdated, a foundation built during the time when cooking was about who made the best Cassoulet or the best Boeuf Bourgignon. Perhaps out of political correctness or a perverse type of over-compensation it not only attempts to include a variety of ethnic restaurants, but also a few casual, more informal restaurants sometimes discovered in very odd locations. 

Perhaps the best example of this was the Australian chef Skye Gyngell who’s cafe style restaurant was located in a south-west London garden centre. However she managed to achieve her notoriety is not the main issue, and was presumably based on some fine cooking. The problem was more the type of clientele that her single (unwanted) Michelin star started to attract….  people who suffer the misfortune of being led by Michelin; people, that is, who are gastronomically clueless and who expect the ‘fine dining experience’; deluded people preoccupied by the status that patronisation of a particular restaurant attaches to them. An army of fine diners that drink whatever is expensive and relish the fact that it takes five flunkies to open their chosen bottle.

Naturally, when these food ‘connoisseurs’ were suddenly confronted with a complete lack of starched table linen, rickety tables, “haphazard service” and “loos in a wooden shed”, they were thrown into a state of shock, and reacted by complaining that their expectations had not been met. One patron complained that they had only been offered one type of cheese, and another that “it simply wasn’t up to Michelin standards”.

Despite having previously held high pressure kitchen positions in Paris and Mayfair, and eight years in charge at the nursery cafe, Skye Gynell sadly resigned, and was quoted as saying upon her departure “if I ever have another restaurant I pray we don’t get a star”.

In the first part of my post about Michelin I mentioned that the Red Guide might actually be hated by some. If hated is perhaps too strong a word, then certainly its objectivity has been called into question on countless occasions, and also, over the years, it has also been accused of a certain bias.

It is clear however, that at the very least, Michelin has been inconsistent in the midst of its struggle to evolve. Many now consider its rating system to be outdated, a foundation built during the time when cooking was about who made the best Cassoulet or the best Boeuf Bourgignon. Perhaps out of political correctness or a perverse type of over-compensation it not only attempts to include a variety of ethnic restaurants, but also a few casual, more informal restaurants sometimes discovered in very odd locations. 

Perhaps the best example of this was the Australian chef Skye Gyngell who’s cafe style restaurant was located in a south-west London garden centre. However she managed to achieve her notoriety is not the main issue, and was presumably based on some fine cooking. The problem was more the type of clientele that her single (unwanted) Michelin star started to attract….  people who suffer the misfortune of being led by Michelin; people, that is, who are gastronomically clueless and who expect the ‘fine dining experience’; deluded people preoccupied by the status that patronisation of a particular restaurant attaches to them. An army of fine diners that drink whatever is expensive and relish the fact that it takes five flunkies to open their chosen bottle.

Naturally, when these food ‘connoisseurs’ were suddenly confronted with a complete lack of starched table linen, rickety tables, “haphazard service” and “loos in a wooden shed”, they were thrown into a state of shock, and reacted by complaining that their expectations had not been met. One patron complained that they had only been offered one type of cheese, and another that “it simply wasn’t up to Michelin standards”.

Despite having previously held high pressure kitchen positions in Paris and Mayfair, and eight years in charge at the nursery cafe, Skye Gynell sadly resigned, and was quoted as saying upon her departure “if I ever have another restaurant I pray we don’t get a star”.

Michelin stars: loved by some, coveted by many, but also hated in equal measure – or so it would seem.

In Denmark for example, some critics are in shock, as one of the world’s best and most creative restaurants, Noma in Copenhagen, has not been awarded its third Michelin star this year. I’m afraid that my attitude is, ‘so what’, and I don’t mean that in the sense that it does or doesn’t deserve it, because I’ve never eaten there. If I did then I’m sure that the fact it doesn’t have its third star would not diminish my enjoyment at all. Indeed, any rating is purely subjective and is the just the opinion of the reviewer.  One of my very favourite restaurants here in Galicia only has one star, but to be honest I’d still queue up in the rain to eat there even if it didn’t. I really like it – full stop.

I am not sure if it’s because we’re somehow reluctant to decide for ourselves or whether it is simply that we feel we require some point of reference, but from my own perspective the famous Red Guide works for food pretty much in the same way as Parker points works for wine. I think the key to how we disseminate the information that they provide can be found in the word itself…… the original objective of these books is merely as a ‘guide’, to help us. They exist only to steer us in the right direction, and should never become the overall determining factor in whether any particular business is deemed to be a success or a failure.

I guess that’s what I mean about having the ability to decide for ourselves, and trust our own judgement. Yes, a guide can be useful to give us an idea, and perhaps lead us to some new experience, but that’s as far as it should go.

Some people like Marmite, some put butter on their Weetabix, whilst others eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but who am I to tell them that this is wrong, or that they shouldn’t enjoy it? I actually quite like peanut butter and banana on toast, but I don’t think that this particular snack would win any Michelin stars!

Michelin stars: loved by some, coveted by many, but also hated in equal measure – or so it would seem.

In Denmark for example, some critics are in shock, as one of the world’s best and most creative restaurants, Noma in Copenhagen, has not been awarded its third Michelin star this year. I’m afraid that my attitude is, ‘so what’, and I don’t mean that in the sense that it does or doesn’t deserve it, because I’ve never eaten there. If I did then I’m sure that the fact it doesn’t have its third star would not diminish my enjoyment at all. Indeed, any rating is purely subjective and is the just the opinion of the reviewer.  One of my very favourite restaurants here in Galicia only has one star, but to be honest I’d still queue up in the rain to eat there even if it didn’t. I really like it – full stop.

I am not sure if it’s because we’re somehow reluctant to decide for ourselves or whether it is simply that we feel we require some point of reference, but from my own perspective the famous Red Guide works for food pretty much in the same way as Parker points works for wine. I think the key to how we disseminate the information that they provide can be found in the word itself…… the original objective of these books is merely as a ‘guide’, to help us. They exist only to steer us in the right direction, and should never become the overall determining factor in whether any particular business is deemed to be a success or a failure.

I guess that’s what I mean about having the ability to decide for ourselves, and trust our own judgement. Yes, a guide can be useful to give us an idea, and perhaps lead us to some new experience, but that’s as far as it should go.

Some people like Marmite, some put butter on their Weetabix, whilst others eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but who am I to tell them that this is wrong, or that they shouldn’t enjoy it? I actually quite like peanut butter and banana on toast, but I don’t think that this particular snack would win any Michelin stars!