I love Spain, but I love the view of the country that I have in my head from childhood and – democracy and human rights apart – that is how I still want it to be. Whenever I am there, I seek out the traditional and the old fashioned, because I like it. Not for […]
A Glutton’s Guide to Spanish Culture Read More »
Editorial Note: Fabio Bartolomei from Vinos Ambiz is not only a self-proclaimed natural winemaker in Spain, but he’s also a friend. Having recently attended the Natural Wine Fair in Barcelona (wrap-up article here) a few weeks ago, getting into a rather lively debate about the true definition of natural wine, we asked Fabio if he wouldn’t
Natural Wine: Is It a Friend, Foe or Fabrication? Read More »
Whenever I fall in love with a region while on vacation, as I did with Catalonia, I want to re-create that experience once I return home. Drinking the wines and savoring the cuisine can accomplish that. However, despite having tried many Cava wines in U. S., I often find myself gravitating towards sparkling wines from
Looking for Love in Cava: The vast difference between quality and value-priced Cava Read More »
The History of Mixed Spanish Cheese Our journey has taken us through mountainous terrain and spacious pastures; it has introduced us to the sprightly goat, the demure cow, and the helpless sheep. We have also eaten some of the most amazing cheeses produced in the world today. Our final gaze turns to those cheeses produced
A Foreigner’s Guide to Mixed Spanish Cheese Read More »
What follows is part two in my telling of the story of Villar d’Allen. If you have not read part 1, please do so now. This story was originally published in 1981 by my Grandfather, retelling his experience opening a Quinta do Noval 1827. I have included footnotes to clarify some points, otherwise, this has been left
Port: Vintage 1827 Read More »
It is a fashion, of late, to praise ‘modern’ winemaking and its techniques. Up until very recently – if it isn’t still going on – the argument held that because US wine guru Robert Parker liked a certain style of wine, most wines were made to this standard (Parker wielded great power on behalf of
Rioja Reserva, Pandering to the Lowest Common Denominator? Read More »
I have a guilty secret. I just do not get the excitement about Grenache and Shiraz. Blended together, or on their own, these grapes often seem too much of a blunt instrument to me. That is not to say that I cannot appreciate that these are good wine grapes that have their place – of
Sierra de Gredos: A Treasure Trove for Old Vine Garnacha Read More »
History of Sheep Cheese Our gallivants through the pastures of the Iberian countryside now turn our gaze from the quiet and inert cow (vaca), and the rambunctious goat (cabra) to the timid and vulnerable sheep (oveja). I might even say that I am thankful for the animal’s reputation of stupidity – follow the shepherd and
A Foreigner’s Guide to Spanish Sheep Cheese Read More »
We had every intention of picking the olives from our modest but productive olive trees but being rather unsure of how to go about it we kept putting it off. It was late November in Alto Minho region, northern Portugal and every day we passed groups of people collecting olives. Often we would stop and
The Olive Harvest in Portugal: A Delightful Aromatic Adventure Read More »
A few weeks ago I found myself in the midst of a blind tasting with five Masters of Wine candidates. I will tell you how I came to be there another time, but part of it was down to my – dare I say childish – love of blind tastings. Once we had spent a
How Should Albariño Taste? A Palatable Debate Read More »
History of Spanish Goat Cheese Traversing the craggy mountaintops and mountainsides of the Iberian terrain, we descend to the lush, green pastures of the mountains and valleys of (predominantly) Northern Spain. Our gaze turns from the agile and energetic goat (cabra) to the more docile and passive cow (vaca). They graze primarily on the stretch
A Foreigner’s Guide to Spanish Cow Cheese Read More »
Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to you by Stuart George, a freelance writer in London. Stuart studied English and European Literature at the University of Warwick and then worked as a wine merchant, travelling extensively through the world’s wine regions, before turning to wine writing. We are elated to feature him today, in hopes of
Colheita & Tawny Port Wines: Unique Styles of Wine for a Unique Moment Read More »
Spain is a country steeped in wine and wine lore. Wine is important in Spain and as a consequence, many wine consumers have a clear view of Spanish wines. Or rather, they think they do, as this view is almost universally red and more often than not from Rioja. Actually, Spain produces an incredible variety
Chacolí: The Wild Wine of Spain Read More »
Growing up in Florida during the 1970’s and 1980’s I rarely, if ever, saw cheese from an animal other than a cow. Our refrigerator was full of Cheddar, Swiss, and Jack cheeses but nary a cheese from any other animal. I suspect that most people living in the U.S. during that time were experiencing a
A Foreigner’s Guide to Spanish Goat Cheese Read More »
Most American’s familiarity with Spanish cheese lies somewhere in the realm of understanding of Spanish wines a decade ago. Ask anyone then to name a Spanish wine and the response was invariably “Rioja.” The undisputed Queen of Spanish cheese, Manchego, would likely be the response to the same question today regarding cheese. Are you a true
A Foreigner’s Guide to Spanish Cheese: Introduction Read More »
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