Filed under: Wine, Winemaking | Tags: How to make wine, Malo-lactic, Malolactic Fermentation, Micro-Oxygenation, Oxygen Wine, Phenolic Structure, Tannins, wine sulphur dioxide, Winemaking, Winemaking Techniques
I just got back from Malpica where I tasted the 2009 Tempra Tantrum wines. They are still developing so I can’t quite choose my favourite, but they are getting close!
Most of the wines have finished malolactic fermentation, and are entering the micro-oxygenation process. Micro-oxygenation is a relatively new technique used to introduce oxygen into the wine in order to beneficially change the texture and aromas – a process which is gaining popularity in many winemaking regions of the world. The dose of oxygen required is very small, and it is applied by forcing the gas through a porous ceramic stone. The small pores break up the oxygen into very small bubbles, so small that you can’t actually see them.
The result of introducing the oxygen to the wine will slightly vary depending on various factors: the phenolic structure of the wine, the level of sulphur dioxide, the temperature and the timing. Generally, it will affect the polyphenolic structure of the wine, resulting in a wine that is smoother and softer, with better integration of the tannins, which will continue to develop in the bottle.
-Rocio
Filed under: Tasting, Wine | Tags: Madrid, Champagne, Champagne Tasting, Palace Hotel, champagne bottle, Moet & Chandon, veuve champagne, sparkling champagne, mumm, bollinger, taittinger, Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque 1999, blanc de blancs
Yesterday I went to a Champagne Show at the Palace Hotel, where guests could enjoy and taste the bubbles from various Champagne houses. The Palace Hotel is one of the best hotels in Madrid, so the expectations were pretty high. The room was classy and elegant, and so were the stands that showcased the different Champagnes. I don’t know why, but Champagne is always surrounded by a glamorous aura…
Big houses like Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Mumm, Bollinger, Taittinger were there, but also some small Champagne boutiques with absolutely incredible wines.
One I like very much because of its delicious taste and amazing bottle is Perrier Jouët Belle Epoque 1999. The Art Nouveau that decorates the bottle makes it a very special piece.
After tasating more than 30 Champagnes, I concluded that my favourite style is the Blanc de Blancs, made from 100% Chardonnay. I love their floral character!
-Rocio
Filed under: Art, Fashion, Spain | Tags: 5J Ham, Angel Schlesser, Diane von Furstenberg, Grupo Osborne, Meson Cinco Jotas, Nieves Fontan, Osborne, Paula Echevarria, Premium water, Solan de Cabras, T Fashion Awards, Telva magazine
Diane Von Furstenberg and Ángel Schlesser with Telva Magazine´s Director Nieves Fontan
Last night was full of cheer, glamour and joy, as we celebrated one of the most important nights in the fashion industry in Spain. Telva, one of the most read fashion magazines in Spain, hosted it’s XIX edition of the T Fashion Awards. Celebrities, politicians, top models, designers, and other socialites were there to celebrate Diane Von Furstenberg, as best International designer, and Ángel Schlesser, as best Spanish designer. Diane Von Furstenberg surprised all of us with her perfect Spanish, which she learned while studying at the Philosophy Faculty in Spain.
Black was the most prominent color of the night, found in different fabrics, shapes, accessories and the hottest designs. Everyone looked amazing!
Osborne had its own representatives at the party: Solan de Cabras, Osborne’s premium water label, and Osborne’s super delicious Spanish ham, 5J, both part of Grupo Osborne’s portfolio.
5J´s Master Carver
Cutting more ham!!!
The guests arrived around 8:30 pm, and walked the green carpet (yes, it was green not red), stopping by the photo call to be photographed by hundreds of journalists.
Spanish actress Paula Echevarria answering the media´s questions
During the ceremony
It was a truly amazing celebration of fashion!
-Rocio
Filed under: Architecture, Art, Culture, Spain | Tags: Norman Foster, Spanish Tradition, Spanish Culture, Prince of Asturias Awards, Principe de Asturias, Oviedo Cathedral, Martin Cooper, Yelena Isinbayeva, City of Berlin, David Attenborough, World Health Organization, Autonomous National University of Mexico, Ismail Kadare
It has been a couple of months since the winners of the Prince of Asturias Awards were announced. Today at last, the official ceremony takes place in Oviedo, where the Prince and Princess of Asturias will present the awards to the laureates.
At 10am 16 bagpipe players performed in front of the Oviedo Cathedral "Alborada de los Premios Principe de Asturias" to welcome the guests
First Prince of Asturias Awards Ceremony in 1980. The young Prince giving the speech to start the Ceremony
Since its foundation in 1980, The Prince of Asturias Awards is meant to be a recognition of the self-improvement spirit of individuals, entities and/or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, or public affairs. Amongst the prizes, each recipient receives a commissioned sculpture donated by Joan Miró:
Statue by Miro
This year’s laureates are:
Technical and Scientific Research: Martin Cooper and Raymond Samuel Tomlinson
Sports: Yelena Isinbayeva
Arts: Norman Foster
Concord: The City of Berlin, in the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall
Social Science: David Attenborough
International Cooperation: World Health Organization
Communication and Humanities: Autonomous National University of Mexico
Letters: Ismaíl Kadaré
I have to admit that amongst the 2009 winners, I’m very happy for Norman Foster, as he is one of my favourite architects. Concerning the award, he stated:
“I´m thrilled to accept the Prince of Asturias Award. It is a tremendous honour and a wonderful recognition of the importance of design as a catalyst in improving the quality of life. I would also like to thank the many collaborators and esteemed colleagues who share this achievement with me.”
London City Hall by Norman Foster
Caja Madrid Tower in Madrid by Norman Foster
Congratulations to the laureates! And for the rest of you, enjoy the weekend!!
-Rocio
Filed under: Food, Spain | Tags: Cheese Corner, Food Expo, Joan Roca, Madrid Restaurant Week 2009, Mario Sandoval, Mediterranean Diet and health Fair, Millesime Madrid 2009, Paco Roncero, Pepe Rodriguez, Restaurant Week, Spanish Food, What to eat in Madrid
This week, Madrid is the gastronomy capital of the world! There are so many food related events going on, including Restaurant week, Millesime Madrid and the Mediterranean Diet and Health Fair, it’s so much fun!
Millesime Madrid is a gastronomy club that has organized a food expo with live cooking shows, workshops, and food-themed spaces. At the cooking shows, top chefs display their cooking magic while the audience watches and then enjoys the chef’s creations. The themed spaces are divided into streets and corners: there is a Spanish ham street, a cocktail street, a beer street; as well as the cheese corner, the Spanish omelette corner, the gin and tonic corner, and the delicatessen corner.
For those looking for a more educational experience, there are workshops led by experts in their category. There is the Spanish ham workshop, where the world champion in cutting ham will teach twenty people the art of cutting – which is not easy, doing it the wrong way can spoil the ham. There is also the senses workshop, where the audience is guided through wine tastings and surprise pairings using all five senses. Then there is the bubbles workshop, which includes champagne tastings and an introduction to the fantastic world of Champagne, its history, elaboration process, characteristics of the wine, etc. And a cooking workshop, where one can cook alongside the expert chefs.
Millesime Madrid will feature three cooking teams with 4 chefs. Among them there are names like Dani Garcia (Calima), Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca), Pepe Rodríguez (El Bohío), Paco Roncero (El Casino de Madrid) and Mario Sandoval (Coque).
Some of the Top Chefs in Spain: Chicote, Dario Barrio, Paco Roncero and Pepe Rodríguez among others
I’m so excited, as you can see, Madrid will be a culinary fest this week!
-Rocio
Filed under: Food, Spain | Tags: Arce, Chaflan, Dassa Bassa, Europa Deco, Fundacion Once, Lagrimas Negras, Madrid Food, Madrid Restaurant Week 2009, madrid restaurants, Oven 180, Restaurant Week, restaurants in madrid, Spanish Heart Foundation
Restaurant Week is celebrated successfully in cities all around the world like New York, Miami, Rio de Janeiro, Lisbon, London, Amsterdam, among others. During Restaurant Week, people can enjoy affordable menus in the best restaurants in town.
Madrid is no exception. The economic crisis has dramatically dropped the consumption in bars and restaurants, so to attract people, 24 top restaurants in Madrid have agreed to make a special price menu, and donate a portion of the proceeds to two charity organizations. From today until the 30th of October, 1 € of each menu will support the ONCE Foundation, as well as the Spanish Heart Foundation.
For 25 € without drinks, you can have dinner at some of the hottest restaurants like Dassa Bassa, Chaflán, Lagrimas Negras, Europa Decó, Arce and Oven 180, among others.
If you happen to be in Madrid, I highly recommend that you visit one of these restaurants. But book early, because I can tell you, it’s not easy to get a table with such prices!
Madrid Restaurant Week 2009 Menu
-Rocio
Filed under: Food, Tasting, Wine | Tags: Acidity, Food and Wine, Old Tales, Spanish Expressions, Tannins, Wine and Cheese, Wine Education, Wine Pairings, Wine Tastings
In Spain, our vocabulary is full of many old sayings, we literally have sayings for almost everything we do.
One of my favourites is “Te la han dado con queso,” “They’ve fooled you with cheese,” and it is used when someone has been swindled. The origins of this popular expression go back to when wine clerks fooled wine buyers into a bad wine by offering cheese alongside the wine sample, so that it could mask the poor quality of the wine.
Although wine and cheese pairings are very common, some studies show that the proteins in the cheese hide the flavours of the wines.
Despite the opinions of the experts, I’ll keep eating cheese with my wine and keep trying to find the best wine-cheese combinations.
If you have trouble choosing cheese for your wine, there is a general rule that can help you: “The harder the cheese is, the more tannins it can bear; and the more creamy the cheese, the more acidity it needs.” Also, most cheeses are usually easier to pair with white wines than with reds.
Do you like paring wine and cheese? If you do, tell me your favourite matches!!
-Rocio
Filed under: Winemaking | Tags: Lactic Acid, malic acid, Malolactic Fermentation, Rose wines, spanish red wine, White spanish wine, Wine Education
Yesterday´s Wines Samples
The 2009 wines are still evolving and surprising us. Some of them have already finished malolactic fermentation, also known as second fermentation and colloquially known as malo. Other wines are still going through alcoholic fermentation, first fermentation, which is great because it is very interesting to taste the wines in different stages.
During malolactic fermentation, the malic acid present in the wine, which is quite sharp, is converted by the lactic bacteria into lactic acid, a much softer and rounder acid. (Think of malic acid as the type of acidity in a granny smith apple, and the lactic acid as the one in yogurt.) As a product, CO2 is liberated into the atmosphere. To start the process, the temperature must be raised to around 22ºC/71ºF, and there must be no contact with sulphur-dioxide until the process is finished.
For those who like chemistry...
Lactic bacteria is found naturally in the wine, but sometimes, winemakers inoculate them in order to have quality control of the process. Having control is very important as it could mean a loss of the quality potential of the wine. By managing this right, we can keep and enhance the fruit aromas and flavours, stabilize the color compounds, avoid microbiologic alterations from other microorganism like brettanomyces, and increase the body volume of the wine. It also adds complexity by generating additional flavour components such as diacetyl, identified as a buttery character. Diacetyl can be nice if it’s not too dominant, otherwise it can hide the fruit of the wine.
We like our red wines to go through malo, but we don’t allow our rosés and whites to go through the process. In Spain, whites and rosés are traditionally crisp and fresh, and the acidity plays an important role. To prevent malolactic fermentation from starting, we cool the wines and add sulphur dioxide to kill the lactic bacteria. For a different style of whites, like many Chardonnays, malolactic fermentation is encouraged to make softer and fuller bodied wines.
When you compare wines that have gone through malo, to those that haven’t, you learn to appreciate the importance of this process. The wines that have gone through this second fermentation are softer and rounder and more pleasant in the mouth.
It’s so exciting to watch them change day by day!! Can’t wait to taste them when they’re finished!!
-Rocio
Filed under: Food Recipes, Spain | Tags: Patatas a la Riojana, Potato recipes, Potato Soup, Rioja, Rioja Gastronomy, Spanish Food, Taste of Spain, Winter recipes
Winter is getting close and as the weather starts to get chilly, it is time for cooking things that warm you up. One of my favourite recipes is Patatas a la Riojana, it is super easy, cheap and delicious! This recipe is from the region of Rioja, mostly known for its wines, but the gastronomy in the area is just as fantastic. Try this recipe on a cold day, and you will get to heaven!
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 pounds small potatoes (1 to 2 inches in diameter)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound chorizo, sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Water
- Small mildly hot pickled chilli peppers
Preparation:
Cut the potatoes halfway through, then “snap” open.
Heat oil in large skillet over high heat until hot. Add potatoes; cook about 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add onion and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes or until onion is slightly brown, stirring frequently.
Stir in the bell peppers, the paprika, and the salt. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the chorizo and the white wine. Cook about 3 minutes, until wine is slightly reduced.
Add water to cover vegetables; add pickled chilli peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove chillies.
Serve the potatoes in individual soup bowls.
This is how it should look like!
Hope you like it!!
-Rocio
Filed under: Food, Wine | Tags: Beehives in Vineyard, Honey and Wine, Malpica Estate, Natural Honey, Queen Bee, Reisling, Sustainable Vineyards, Tempranillo Wine, Tetilla Cheese, Tetilla Cheese and Honey
This year we have installed beehives in our Malpica estate in an effort to promote a sustainable development of our land. The beehives, which we’ve placed close to our Tempranillo, will help with the pollination of the vines in a natural way. It will also help increase the biodiversity of the region.
Each of the beehives have a queen bee that dedicates her life to laying eggs which will become the drones who will fertilize the queen bee and the workers. These are infertile females who will carry out different activities depending on their age. They will either build the cedar panels, clean them up, stop bees from other beehives from getting into theirs, collect the nectar, and produce the royal jelly that will feed the baby bees during their first three days and the queen bee for life.
I’m so excited, I’ve just tasted the first sample of honey from our beehives, and it’s delicious!! Very floral and not too sweet, perfect! To extract the honey, we use a mechanism that centrifuges the square that is inside the beehive and separates the honey from the cedar panels.
I’m going to take the honey home, cut some Tetilla Cheese (a soft cheese from Galicia), mount it on some crackers and add a drop of honey in each. And maybe I will pair it with a very chilled young Riesling!!
I can’t wait!
-Rocio
