If you have been following our page you will know that our planned US tour got off to a rather shaky start – our Trans-Atlantic flight being cancelled the night before we were due to leave (thanks to winter storm ‘Stella’ blanketing New York in snow). We finally got off the ground on Wednesday night, for an overnight stay in Madrid before our re-routed journey through London and onward flight to New York. On Thursday morning we soon discovered that London was shrouded in fog, and that all flights going in were subject to delays, it really felt like the weather Gods were conspiring against us. Suffice to say that our leisurely connection was reduced to a quick sprint across the Heathrow’s Terminal 5. Luckily we just made it in time…. but unfortunately some of our luggage did not! Our last suitcase arrived several hours later and was delivered to our hotel room at 3am! Being disturbed at 3am and already suffering from a lack of sleep, it was just the proverbial ‘icing on the cake’ – the culmination of our on-off, nightmare journey.

Despite all the setbacks, our reduced time in New York (and New Jersey) was well spent, and we at least managed to achieve the most important goals of our foreshortened itinerary. Having said that, leaving the warm spring sunshine of Galicia (20+°C or 70°F) to arrive in the freezing temperatures and icy winds of New York, required quite an adjustment. As you can clearly see from today’s photo, standing on an icy street (in front of the Queensboro Bridge) was possibly not Angela’s idea of a fun time!

So, our next stop is the ‘Mile High’ City of Denver, to catch up with old (business) friends, where, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, temperatures are unseasonably warm at around 25/26°C (mid-70’s F). A dramatic change of wardrobe is required!

[:en]A couple of months ago that I made a post about our new cruise ship customer – ‘The World – a residence at sea’, at the same time mentioning that we already sail on many a P&O/Cunard ship. It would now appear that this has become something of a trend, as we find ourselves listed with yet another new customer of the high seas – Royal Caribbean International Cruises. Quite naturally we are delighted to be pouring our wines for such prestigious customers, and in so many distant and celebrated locations around the world.

It does however, throw up an interesting question. In the annual export statistics that we supply to the office of our denomination, they require details of where our wines are being sold/distributed. If our albariños are now being poured on airlines and ships that are constantly changing location, what can we submit on the forms – how can we specify the country?…. Moving markets? World markets? I will have to think of some witty answer, but am open to suggestions![:es]

A couple of months ago that I made a post about our new cruise ship customer – ‘The World – a residence at sea’, at the same time mentioning that we already sail on many a P&O/Cunard ship. It would now appear that this has become something of a trend, as we find ourselves listed with yet another new customer of the high seas – Royal Caribbean International Cruises. Quite naturally we are delighted to be pouring our wines for such prestigious customers, and in so many distant and celebrated locations around the world.

It does however, throw up an interesting question. In the annual export statistics that we supply to the office of our denomination, they require details of where our wines are being sold/distributed. If our albariños are now being poured on airlines and ships that are constantly changing location, what can we submit on the forms – how can we specify the country?…. Moving markets? World markets? I will have to think of some witty answer, but am open to suggestions![:]

Castro Martin already proudly sells wine to cruise ships, including the famous Cunard ‘Queens’, and the new P&O flagship Britannia. In addition to this our wines are now sailing on board a completely unique type of ‘cruise’ ship – The World – a Residence at Sea.

To explain this format in simple terms ‘The World’, at 644ft, is the largest private residential ship on the planet, providing floating luxury accommodation for those who can afford it (and want it). Guests, or should I say residents, of this huge floating home simply spend their whole time sailing around the world, again, and again, and again! The accommodation for each resident is not so much a cabin, but is actually a self contained apartment , with pretty much all the amenities of home – except perhaps the underground parking.

As you might imagine, the ship is loaded from top to bottom with different forms of entertainment – fitness, yoga, swimming, diving, kayaks, golf (the water hazards are quite impressive), and even a full-sized tennis court. Apart from numerous bars and restaurants it also caters for a wide multitude of hobbies (including wine tasting), boasts a cinema and theatre, and also has it’s own library. I am sure that this lifestyle will appeal to some, if not many, enjoying a different view from your window every day, but I’m afraid to admit that it certainly wouldn’t work for me.

On the plus side they do stock a great albariño!

It’s one thing taking the time and effort to make a great albariño, but it’s another thing entirely to get out on the road and sell it. I can also tell you that, as a former wine buyer, it’s a good deal easier to buy wine that it is to find new customers!

For the last ten days Angela have been on a whistle stop tour of the United States, taking in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Of course this all sounds very romantic, a great holiday some might say, but I can tell you, hand on heart, that our schedule has been relentless, taking late night flights in order to be in the next city ready to start working the following morning. There were moments when I really couldn’t remember what day of the week it was (or maybe that’s just old age!).

Anyway, the upside is that restaurants, shops and American consumers appear to really like our wine, confirmed by many new orders and some great new listings. The trip included several presentations to the sales team of our importer in New York, and their teams in North and South of California – as I always say these sessions are worth their weight in gold, as we spread the word not only about albariño in general, but more importantly the history and wines of our own Family Estate, Castro Martin.

The highlight of our trip was definitely the beach locations – Laguna beach and Venice beach in Southern California, visiting customers in some great (and very fashionable) restaurant and hotels. Having said that, in the North of California, we also tasted our wines with customers in Sonoma County and the Napa Valley. Selling wine in the very heart of the wine country!

You may have gathered that Angela and I are on the road – several days in New York and New Jersey, and today in Los Angeles – a grueling business schedule that eventually will continue on to San Francisco and Seattle. There’s hardly even time to take a photograph! These, long hard trip are, however, very worthwhile, as we get to meet our customers and the sales teams of our importer around the U.S.A. In this way we can continue to spread the word, and preach the gospel of Castro Martin. Of course one thing that makes our job a little easier is that people really love our wine, and especially the fact that we are a ‘Family Estate’ business, still owned and managed by the family. It seems that this point alone goes down very well and consequently we have made a lot of new friends and customers…… Long may it continue (well, at least for another week on this trip). Clearly I will write and post more when we get back, but I thought I should at least include Angela’s photo taken in a huge liquor store in New Jersey. When Angela met Jack (Daniels)!

You may have notice that there have been no posts on our sites for the last week or so, and that’s quite simply because we have been travelling. Now, the hotel where we stayed in London claimed to have free internet – and it did – provided that you didn’t mind waiting half an hour to download a simple document or e-mail…. Completely useless! That’s another story, but does explain why we have been silent.

Of all the travelling that we do and the visits that we make, by far the most productive use of our time is training. We were invited by our UK importer to hold a “Materclass” for their London sales team – an opportunity just too good to refuse. Visiting individual customers and holding small tastings is one thing, but having the opportunity to ‘educate’ a large group of sales people is something else. It’s what I call the ‘cascade effect’. By preaching our message to one small group, this can, potentially, be transmitted down to hundreds of customers at the business end of our supply chain. Of course, it goes without saying that the more knowledge that we pass on to the team, then hopefully, the more confident they will be in going out to push our wines. The long and short of it is that we love doing these presentations, and above all else, our goal is that we will be creating new ambassadors for Castro Martin and our brands.

I think our presentation was well received, but more importantly, our wines showed really well as we tasted our way through them. We can talk and educate until we are blue in the face, but our wines? Well, we let them speak for themselves….

At the end of May I spent a couple of days in a hot and humid New York City. The prime reason for my visit was a tasting of Rias Baixas wines, but I also spent some time pounding the baking city streets with the sales team of our importer, and an odd moment or two with the press. In a restaurant situated directly beneath the New York High Line I had lunch with wine journalist Lana Bortolot. (For those who don’t know the High Line a raised walkway running parallel to the Hudson River, down the west side of the city, built on a 1.5 mile section of disused railroad track. Certainly a fabulous place to visit, if only to admire the outstanding landscaping of perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees, and to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a moment).

Lana’s article appeared in the July issue of the U.S. magazine The Tasting Panel where she made some very kind comments about our two 2013 wines that she tasted. Describing our A2O as having a “shimmering sweetness”, and our Castro Martin Family Estate with its “drink me now freshness and distinctive salinity”. Exactly as we intended.At the end of May I spent a couple of days in a hot and humid New York City. The prime reason for my visit was a tasting of Rias Baixas wines, but I also spent some time pounding the baking city streets with the sales team of our importer, and an odd moment or two with the press. In a restaurant situated directly beneath the New York High Line I had lunch with wine journalist Lana Bortolot. (For those who don’t know the High Line a raised walkway running parallel to the Hudson River, down the west side of the city, built on a 1.5 mile section of disused railroad track. Certainly a fabulous place to visit, if only to admire the outstanding landscaping of perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees, and to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a moment).

Lana’s article appeared in the July issue of the U.S. magazine The Tasting Panel where she made some very kind comments about our two 2013 wines that she tasted. Describing our A2O as having a “shimmering sweetness”, and our Castro Martin Family Estate with its “drink me now freshness and distinctive salinity”. Exactly as we intended.

Nine flights and (almost) three continents in the last two weeks, hence our blog has been a bit quiet lately. The reason I say ‘almost’ three continents is that the second leg of recent travels included the Canary Islands, which whilst still technically Spanish, are only about 100 km off the coast of North Africa. I seem to have spent a disproportionate amount of my time sitting in airports, and stripping off to pass through security scanners. Oh, the joys of modern travel!

The first leg of my trip was to one of my favorite cities – New York, for a tasting of Rias Baixas wines. Prior to the actual tasting I spent a day or so pounding the streets, bottle in hand, with my good friend Matt, converting his Manhattan and Brooklyn customers to the ways of Castro Martin albariño. The downside was that the thermometer was reading about 31°C (nearly 90°F), and the atmosphere was fiercely oppressive. A very good way to shed a few pounds I can tell you. Suffice to say that our wines were very well received, both on the street, and at the official tasting.

After a frantic return trip from New York (including cancelled Trans Atlantic flight – but that’s another story), I arrived back in Galicia with just enough time to switch suitcases, and pick up my beach gear for the Canary Islands – literally a 12 hours turnaround at home, including sleep. It turns out that the beach gear was not such a good idea after all, as temperatures in Gran Canaria hovered around 20°C (68°F), completely overcast and a lovely chill wind from the Ocean. After a couple of days of business, the free time for a little R&R didn’t really work out too well, and the shorts stayed well and truly tucked away in my suitcase.

The final leg was a stopover in Madrid, for the University graduation of our daughter – a double degree in law and business – Angela, we are very proud of you! (Our daughter is also called Angela, just to keep our life simple). I should mention that the temperature in Madrid was between 35° and 37°C (95 – 98°F), perfect weather for attending a graduation dressed in a suit! It seems like somewhere along the way, I got my suitcases mixed up, and I really needed my shorts for New York and Madrid, not for the beach…..

Meanwhile, back at home in Galicia the weather was also baking hot, which was actually great news for our flowering this year. By the time of my return it was all done and dusted, which effectively would mean that we are looking at a mid-September harvest for 2015….. time will tell.Nine flights and (almost) three continents in the last two weeks, hence our blog has been a bit quiet lately. The reason I say ‘almost’ three continents is that the second leg of recent travels included the Canary Islands, which whilst still technically Spanish, are only about 100 km off the coast of North Africa. I seem to have spent a disproportionate amount of my time sitting in airports, and stripping off to pass through security scanners. Oh, the joys of modern travel!

The first leg of my trip was to one of my favorite cities – New York, for a tasting of Rias Baixas wines. Prior to the actual tasting I spent a day or so pounding the streets, bottle in hand, with my good friend Matt, converting his Manhattan and Brooklyn customers to the ways of Castro Martin albariño. The downside was that the thermometer was reading about 31°C (nearly 90°F), and the atmosphere was fiercely oppressive. A very good way to shed a few pounds I can tell you. Suffice to say that our wines were very well received, both on the street, and at the official tasting.

After a frantic return trip from New York (including cancelled Trans Atlantic flight – but that’s another story), I arrived back in Galicia with just enough time to switch suitcases, and pick up my beach gear for the Canary Islands – literally a 12 hours turnaround at home, including sleep. It turns out that the beach gear was not such a good idea after all, as temperatures in Gran Canaria hovered around 20°C (68°F), completely overcast and a lovely chill wind from the Ocean. After a couple of days of business, the free time for a little R&R didn’t really work out too well, and the shorts stayed well and truly tucked away in my suitcase.

The final leg was a stopover in Madrid, for the University graduation of our daughter – a double degree in law and business – Angela, we are very proud of you! (Our daughter is also called Angela, just to keep our life simple). I should mention that the temperature in Madrid was between 35° and 37°C (95 – 98°F), perfect weather for attending a graduation dressed in a suit! It seems like somewhere along the way, I got my suitcases mixed up, and I really needed my shorts for New York and Madrid, not for the beach…..

Meanwhile, back at home in Galicia the weather was also baking hot, which was actually great news for our flowering this year. By the time of my return it was all done and dusted, which effectively would mean that we are looking at a mid-September harvest for 2015….. time will tell.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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