Who was it once said, ‘the best way to make a small fortune in the wine business, is to start off with a very large one!’

In another salvo, this time from the Royal College of Physicians, the subject of responsible drinking in the UK has once again come under scrutiny. On this occasion pubs and bars have been criticised for increasing their measure sizes, simply for the purpose of boosting profit margins.

If you have visited our Bodega over the last 12-18 months you will know that I have always been very apologetic about the appearance of our façade – sadly in need of a good lick of paint. Here in Spain one of the big problems is to find a good, reliable painter (actually not just a problem exclusive to Spain) – the second, is getting him to come!

So, after a summer of broken promises, our man (Pedro) finally decided that he could squeeze us in. Ironically though, just as he filled his brush with paint for the first time, so came the rain – absolutely useless for outdoor painting.

After a couple of weeks under grey skies (and scaffolding), the sun finally returned, and also, thankfully, did the painters. Work now continues in bright sunshine, and as the new white paint is added, so the glare intensifies as you walk outside. Sunglasses are definitely recommended.

Historically the name and logo of Castro Martin has always been painted directly onto the wall of the building, but after 25 years comes a break in tradition – we have designed some very smart metal lettering which has been promised for the 5th May. They didn’t however mention in which year!

It seems like only a year ago that I was writing about our Albariño being, not only one of Spain’s best white wines, but also one of the best value …… just a minute, it was only a year ago!
So here are the Guia Gourmets results for the last 5 years:

A lot is written in tourist guides about Galician gastronomy, more especially about the wonderful fish and seafood that can be found. Well, of course this is all true – to visit a local fish market is a real joy – to see the bright-eyed fish still flapping on the counter, whilst the crabs and prawns plot to make their escape! It goes without saying that such fresh produce does not require much culinary intervention, and is probably best enjoyed in its most natural state, grilled, pan-fried or ‘a la Gallega‘. This is perhaps the best known and most widely available type of cuisine in our area, but there is now however, an alternative……

Over recent years, Spain has quite rightly enjoyed a growing reputation for imaginative cooking, spurred on by a generation a young, up-and-coming chefs, and inspired perhaps by the most famous of them all, Ferran Adrià (El Bulli)

Galicia is no exception, and the food revolution is lead by a group of highly talented young men and women who call themselves the Grupo NOVE. Exploiting our wonderful local produce they create memorable dishes with great flair and imagination, sometimes by simply taking traditional Galician dishes and giving them a more modern twist.

My local favourite out of this group (of about 20 restaurants) is Pepe Vieira, now situated in the hills above the road between Pontevedra and Sanxenxo. Not exactly a location that you would stumble upon by accident, but in my opinion, certainly worth a detour. Excellent food, efficient and unobtrusive service, an extensive wine list that includes quite a few non-Spanish wines, and not to mention, some spectacular views of the Ria of Pontevedra!

I should close by saying that my comments are purely objective, borne out of my passion for great food and wine. As yet we do not supply our Albariño to these restaurants, but I am however convinced that with our growing International reputation, that it is simply a matter of time….

The Ribadumia/Cambados interchange

It is almost exactly a year ago since I mentioned on our blog that the local ‘Via Rapida‘ is being upgraded to full motorway status. In keeping with long standing Spanish tradition the work remains ongoing – making slow but steady progress. How is it the saying goes?…. They might not be efficient, but at least they’re slow! (With apologies to my Spanish readers)

For those of you who have seen the direction map on our main website you will know that it is a little simplistic to say the least, and it has therefore been my intention for some time now, to update it and make it a bit more sophisticated. In current circumstances I have, however, resisted the urge, as the shape of the road and it’s junctions changes on almost a daily basis.

For the time being at least, the current map still works, and so if you are planning a trip to sunny Barrantes this year my only advice would be – try not to destroy too many bollards, and take care not to miss the temporary signs as you admire the Galician countryside.

If, however, your in-car SatNav blows a fuse, or you find yourself at the bottom of a big hole, then please do give us a call, and we will be happy to guide you in.

I like keep our blog topical if nothing else, so in deference to this Sunday’s election in Spain, I thought I should share with you a moment of my own stupidity relating to said subject.