When I first saw the pointy hats, it was slightly unnerving. For most people, the associations are obvious. Thankfully pointy hat wearing in Jerez started way before the Klan was formed, so nothing to do with each other apart from the style of hat. The pointy hat brigade, as my colleague likes to call them, comes […]
The Pointy Hat Brigade: Holy Week in Southern Spain Read More »
If I say “D.O. Arribes“, what comes to mind? Most likely, very little, especially when considering that few Spaniards have even heard of this region. D.O Arribes is one of a handful of new D.O.s in the north central political region of Castilla y Leon, Spain, which has taken on a “quality wine region” status
D.O. Arribes: Where the Legendary Tormes and Duero River Meet Read More »
If you’ve ever traveled around Spain for any length of time, you’ve most likely found yourself without toilet paper at key moments. That’s right, the Spanish do not believe in restocking toilet paper. I have no idea if they go out TP-ing historic statues at night, or if they’re stockpiling for the next uprising, but
Top 10 Tips for Traveling Spain – Don’t Forget the TP!! Read More »
There is a romance to Spain that is all its own. From Bizet‘s Carmen to Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, the world has a vision of Spain steeped in exoticism that draws many of us towards this fascinating country; myself included. But one of my most cherished elements of Spain has little to no
Patatas Bravas: My Dirty Spanish Secret Read More »
My entire life has been surrounded by food. The rich smell of simmering meat and the pop of an uncorked wine bottle take me back to family gatherings spent huddled in the kitchen listening to heartfelt laughter among people I love. I equate food to family, to history and to culture. Here in Spain, I
The Gastronomical Bounty in Castilla y León: Asados, Embutidos, Quesos and More Read More »
Las Fallas – Valencia’s festival that you can’t miss First, I have to be very clear about the timing of this article. It’s just after 4 PM on March 15th when I sit down to write this and Spain”s biggest and loudest festival is underway, but nowhere near its height of the frenzy. Over the
Las Fallas: Top 5 Tips to the Loudest and Longest Festival in Spain Read More »
Recently, we were asked to expand upon customary table manners in Spain. As this is a relatively subjective question, considering that Spain is infamous for casting rules to the wayside, I’ve done my best to compile the top 12 table manners as I’ve experienced them in Spain. Mind you, these are not only debatable, but
Table Manners in Spain: Tackling The Tough Questions Like Where to Put the Olive Pit Read More »
When I was a child, I was enthralled with the persona of Paddington Bear. My sister had the books on tape (remember cassettes?) and I would borrow them over and over, keeping them on as quietly as I could long past my bedtime to hear about the adventures of this little Peruvian bear. Looking back
El Almuerzo: The Spanish Version of Paddington Bear’s Elevenses Read More »
When we invited you to participate in our Q&A competition, we had no idea of the number of challenging, thought-provoking and all around bizarre questions that would be filling our inbox. Rather than a simple question regarding the adequate age of utilizing an oak barrel for sherry, we instead, were asked about odd festivals we
Last year, we hinted that we were going to be attending our first Medieval Festival in Vic, located north of Barcelona approximately 70 km, but we never let you in on the experience. Vic is the capital of the region Osona, nestled alongside the once beautiful Meder River. Now, unfortunately, the fumes that float up
Annual Medieval Festival in Vic, Catalunya: The Culture of Vi Calent or Mulled Wine Read More »
Prior to my arrival on the Peninsula, my experience with wild mushrooms were both infrequent and rather tame. Having lived in Illinois, New Mexico, Colorado and Minnesota, my knowledge of mushrooms solely consisted of cute little button white mushrooms bought in the grocery store that had a slightly sweet flavor eaten raw, and when cooked,
Wild Mushrooms of Catalunya Read More »
On a trip to London last week, I tried to get a feel for how consumers might see sherry. Just ordinary consumers,not the sorts who buy wines from expensive West End merchants.Of course, this exercise was totally unscientific. In between errands and meetings, I dropped into as many shops as I could to get an
Continued from Part 1 on Darian Delights But what did this family drink? On offer was the internationally exported Tsingtao beer from another famed coastal city, Qingdao. The spelling “Tsingtao‘ is from the Wades-Giles system of representing the sounds of Chinese characters (now defunct); but some Chinese brands/institutions like to state their age by using
Located just off Plaza de la Reina in the Gothic section of the city of Valencia, snuggled within the tiny courtyard of La Plaza del Arzobispo sits Enopata – a two month old restaurant devoted exclusively to wine. On the first night of our three day trip to Valencia this past weekend, our hope was
Enopata – A Wine Lover’s Treasure in the Heart of Valencia Read More »
In recent weeks, I have visited the Emilio Hidalgo bodega twice, and since their wines are so good, a post has become just about unavoidable. This is a small, truly independent, family-owned bodega. It was started by the Hidalgo family in the mid 1800s and is run by decedents of the founders brothers Fernando and
Sherry House: Emilio Hidalgo, And Ways to Change Future Generations into Sherry Lovers Read More »
