UK Consumer edition (Winter 2008)

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Fictional foods.Virtual wines.Digital gastronomy.Imaginary journeys.

That’s not what you’ll find inour magazine.We’ll showyou succulent fruits, tendervegetables, astonishingwines, delicious dishes andfascinating places.Genuinesensations, lived and felt ina real country.

First, see Spain byte by byte.Then try the real thing.

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CONTENTS

Winter FeaturesA Meal in OneAs winter closes in, golf enthusiastsmust look south to find dry fairwaysand sun-drenched greens. Wedescribe some of the best golfcourses in Spain and accompany itwith a handy guide on what andwhere to eat and drink while you´rethere. ............................................4

In with the newThe excitement surroundingSpanish cooking has proven soinfectious that it has spread intowine, giving rise to what has beencalled the Spanish New Wave.Young winemakers, with new ideas,sensibilities and attitudes, areexploring tradition to come up withdistinct new wines. We introduceyou to three of the rising stars ofSpanish winemaking ....................12

Spanish Kitchen CompanionsA good cookbook can be thetrustiest of sidekicks when onedecides to have a go at foreigncooking in one´s own kitchen. If it´sSpanish cooking you´d like toexperiment with, take a gander atour review of noteworthy Spanishcookbooks. ..................................20

Soured grapes?Strong, sour and overpowering ifoverused, vinegar can still be anextraordinarily versatile condimentin our kitchen. Especially now thatwinemakers are increasinglyproducing subtle monovarietalvinegars with as much care as thewine they come from. ..................28

Regular FeaturesSpain: Small bitesOur guide to a Spain closeto home ........................................2

VistasAward winning chef and food writerFrances Bissell waxes on thepleasures of Spanish vinegar andradio presenter and wine buff BobHyland claims his love affair withSpain ages like a good wine ........36

Recipes and Wine MarriageChef Nino Redruello of La Ancharestaurant and sommelier María JoséHuertas of La Terraza del Casinooffer you six delicious ideas andtheir choice of what to ‘wash themdown’ with ..................................38Shopping guideFind Spanish products near you ......................................51

As it tends to do, the cold of the winter has sneakily creptup on us, bringing in the season that calls for heartycomforts, recollections of sunnier days and planning forspring escapes.

Many a mind will turn to golf when the spring escapes arementioned. If a golf escape can be combined with a foodieone, then all the better. We therefore offer you a briefintroduction to some of Spain’s most prominent golf coursesand the culinary delights that can be found next to them.

And in the case of hearty comforts, many will think of good,home-made, delicious meals. If you care to make that mealSpanish, you will probably be in need of a good cookbook.Read our reviews of carefully selected examples if you needhelp deciding which one to lay your hands on.

Missing a little wine talk? Then skim over to our feature onyoung winemakers and let us introduce you to some of thenew names in the increasingly vibrant Spanish wine scene.And if all you want is a little condiment, let us tell you allabout the specialty vinegars that wineries across Spain aredeveloping to turn a plain salad into a true treat.

All this plus our regular insider views in Vistas, recipes,shopping guide and much more.

Hope you enjoy it!

SPAIN GOURMETOURWINTER 2008

SMALL BITES Spain

UNITED KINGDOMMASKED MUSICALIn the wake of the hugely successfulSpanish production of Peter Pan in the UK another Spanish influencedperformance has made its way to London: “Zorro the Musical”. The Garrick Theatre will be home to this show for a full year (September2008 to 2009). With music from theFrench-Spanish group The Gipsy Kingsand choreography by the acclaimedRafael Amargo, this new multi-millionpound musical sees passion, drama and romance mixed with swordfighting and aerial stunts. Thespectacular performance has earnedrave reviews in the press, who havebranded it an “insanely enjoyablemusical” and shouted out “Viva el Zorro!”. www.garrick-theatre.co.uk

FANCY FLAMENCO?Flamenco is in fashion all over UnitedKingdom. And it’s not just aboutshows either: courses and otheractivities are sprouting all over thecountry. In London, “FlamencoFlamen´ka”, based on the Jorge LuisBorges short text of the same namewill be running until 15th Decemberin the Lyric Theatre. The show tells thestory of a love triangle with flamenco,tango and contemporary ballet. In Birmingham a new restaurant, yet to be named which offers flamencodances has recently opened. 2008Edinburgh Festival has also included a Flamenco spectacle which will runfor two successive years and cities suchas Glasgow or Bristol now offerFlamenco courses. Let’s dance!

SPANISH POETRY IN THE CITYPoet in the city, a charity committed to attracting new audiences to poetry,and Instituto Cervantes in London are organizing a series of recitalsthroughout 2008 in order to familiarizeus with contemporary Spanishpoetry. Each month will be dedicatedto one poet and, amongst others, wefind illustrious authors such as LuisAlberto de Cuenca, Luisa Castro,Guillermo Carnero or Rosa Lentini. On 20th November, renowned Spanishpoet Lentini, editor of various poeticmagazines in Spain, will read extractsfrom her lastest work, “El sur hacia mí”(“The South towards me”).

IRELANDHEALTHY START New year, new start? If you want to give your diet a makeover this year,it’s worth remembering that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world, thanks to its reliance on fresh fish, salads, andyes, olive oil. Don Carlos’ new rangeof Spanish olive oils now come withextra health benefits and are availablenationwide. Look out for Don CarlosExtra Virgin Olive Oil enriched withOmega 3 oils, the good fats that play

in important role in brain function;Don Carlos Extra Virgin Olive Oilenriched with vitamins A, D, E and Kand Don Carlos Organic Extra VirginOlive Oil, produced from olives grownin Andalusia.

CHRISTMAS STARSUndecided about what wines to servethis Christmas? 180 wine experts fromrestaurants and gourmetshops all over Ireland havedone that job for you at ourWines from Spain Tastingthis autumn. Here are theirtop five wines from Spainin Ireland that you can’tmiss this season: in whitewines top 3 were MantelBlanco, €13,4, Albariño deFefiñanes €14-17 andValdesil €19. The top 3 inred were: first, Les Terrasses€31, second, Condado deOriza reserva €19, and in ajoined third position Mas La Plana€39,95 and Cesar Principe €35. Formore info where to buy in Ireland, visitxmasstars.blogspot.com

SPANISH TRIPSThinking of taking a trip to Spain?Since the Spanish Tourist Boardopened its doors in Dublin thissummer, it has become committed to introducing Irish holiday-makers to previously unknown areas of Spain –now more accessible thanks to new railand air links – whilst also workingwith tour operators to provide themwith new information on more wellknown destinations. Pick their brains at The Spanish Tourist Office 1,Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2 (T: 016350200, e-mail:[email protected]).

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CULTURE VOLUMEInstituto Cervantes comes up trumpsthis semester with two must-see eventsfor the diary. First up a wideretrospective of Spanish Films:“Alphabet of the Cinema Ñ” whichcontinues every Wednesday until theend of December. Then a conferenceon New Forms of Inhabiting a City on December 4th, with Félix Arranzand Shane O’Toole, in collaborationwith the Architecture Association of Ireland. For more information log onto: www.dublin.cervantes.es

SPAIN AND THE WEB.REMBRANDT IN EL PRADOThe Spanish National Museum of El Prado, despite being among the foremost painting galleries in the world, has only ever been home to one painting by Dutch masterRembrandt. For this reason, a temporary exhibition which willinclude around 30 paintings and fiveprints of the artist is being hugelyanticipated in Spain. The paintingswill be borrowed from the mainmuseums of Europe and United Statesand will focus on the subject ofRembrandt as anarrative painter.Rembrandt was amaster of portraitand landscapepaintings but thisother facet of hiswork is not so wellknown. Theexhibition will beopen until 6th of January 2009. www.museodelprado.es

TextEamonn Power/© ICEXIria González/© ICEX

PhotosCourtesy of the golf courses

IllustrationsAlfredo González

With winter in full blow, an escape to shoot some holes in Spain be-

comes especially appetizing. And after a long day at the course, what

is better than a sumptuous meal and a local wine? Spain Gourmetour

therefore brings you this brief ‘golf and food’ guide to four of Spain’s

most prized courses. Eamonn Power caddies you through the holes.

A MEALin one

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and yon on this delightfulcreation of Robert Trent Jonesand some of the cork oaks aremagnificent specimens withtotally unique shapes. Come tothink of it, many of them havebeen gazing over the landscapesince well before ChristopherColumbus got the wild notionof sailing across the Atlantic. Infact, the golf course is close toone of Spain’s most stunningNatural Parks, the Parque delos Arcornocales (Cork OakPark) which has been aUnesco-certified Biospherereserve since 1977. Despite tees which surpassthe quality of greens on‘normal’ courses, immaculatefairways (one feelsembarrassed taking a divot),and greens which are neverless than perfect, there willinevitably be occasions whenthe golf course will grab theplayer and shakes a few shotsout of him. Each hole is ofchampionship standard and

The southern region ofAndalusia, blessed withtemperate winters andunfailingly sunny summers, is the home to an impressivearray of golf courses (over100 in the coastal provincesof Málaga and Cádiz alone).Two courses, however, havecommanded attentionthrough the years:

CLUB DE GOLFVALDERRAMA

Danger lurks in every cornerDescribed by a leadingenvironmentalist as, “A naturereserve where people playgolf”, Valderrama is regularlyvoted the leading golf coursein Europe. Although length isoccasionally called for, accuratedriving is the main ingredientfor achieving a good scorearound a course which is thepride and joy of its founder,Jaime Ortiz Patino. There arecountless trees scattered hither

each shot requires the utmostconcentration. Whilst dangerlurks in every corner thereare some holes which offerthe potential for total disaster.There is no better examplethan the par-five fourth wherea good drive will tempt aplayer to go for the greenwith his second. Many havetried and many have come togrief attempting such heroicssimply because the tieredgreen is very narrow, slopesseverely from back to frontwhile a scenic waterfall lies inwait on the right-hand side.Anything other than a perfectshot can have the playerwriting a most unwelcomenumber on his score-card. Anerrant drive on the seventhwill result in the golf ballricocheting from tree to treecreating its own individualsound; thump, thump soundsecho around as the golf ball isflung from oak to oak fasterthan the eye can follow. Thenthere is the 17th, a dramatichole which has been referredto as the “Best hole in golf”. Ithas also been referred to asthe “Worst hole in golf”. Without-of-bounds waiting on the

right, and not a much betterfate on the left, the tee shot iscrucial while the second shotis just as crucial! Go for thegreen or lay-up? Even thesafer option does notguarantee a par; with thegreen sloping back towards alake many golf balls, havingpitched on the green, havespun slowly, sometimes everso slowly, back down theslope and into the ever-waiting water. Countlessgolfers have headed to the18th tee cursing and swearingabout the game of golfgenerally and the 17th hole atValderrama in particular.

REAL CLUB DE GOLF DE SOTOGRANDE

A truethoroughbredInside the guarded entrance tothe 5,000 acre (2,023 ha)Sotogrande Estate lies the RealSotogrande golf course. Theideal location, between theriver Guadiaro and theSotogrande marina and withbreathtaking views out overthe Mediterranean, makes itless than surprising that itregularly features among

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Europe’s top-10 golf courses.The dream of an Americanarmy officer, Colonel JosephMcMicking, was to create theperfect place to live, for thosewho could afford it, and theresult was Sotogrande, anexclusive development ofbroad avenues and statelyhomes quietly located aroundthe Real Sotogrande golfcourse. Founded in 1964, asaunter around this marveloustest of golf provides ampleevidence that it is yet anothercreation from the mind’s eyeof Robert Trent Jones. Corkoaks, pines and eucalyptustrees abound while enormouslakes, which feature on sixholes, add an additionaldimension to the challengepresented by the contours of its lightning fast andenormous greens. Althoughnot long by modernstandards, Real Sotogrande, aclub of the ‘old school’ wheregolf comes first, provides astern test which requiresimagination and the ability tocreate golf shots while itselevated greens, guarded by aplethora of bunkers, will testthe accuracy of even the most

talented players. Golfers,particularly those not familiarwith the course, may well belulled into a false sense ofsecurity by the sight ofperfectly manicured wideinviting fairways and a lack ofrough but strategically placedbunkers, and the dreadedwhite out-of-bounds posts,will bring the wild hittersback to reality with a bump.Tough and easy (may theGolfing Gods forgive me forbeing so flippant) holes areintelligently spacedthroughout but concentration,especially on the puttingsurfaces, is vital otherwise the player will find himselfputting, putting and puttingagain before the ball reachesthe sanctuary of the hole.Although destined to remainin the shadow of Valderrama,Real Sotogrande is a truethoroughbred in the exclusivestable of golf courses in thearea which bears its name.

The gift of sherrySotogrande and its twocourses lie roughly half waybetween the luxuries of

Marbella and the wineparadise of Jerez. Thetragically underappreciatedcharacter, complexity anduniqueness of sherries makethe visit to Jerez a must forany wine lover. From the drysaltiness of Fino to the richsweetness of Pedro Ximénez,a visit and sampling tour ofJerez’s bodegas will reveal notonly the ancestral secrets ofhow these wines areproduced but also anunparalleled taste experience. The prosperity of the regionmeans that it is also rife withtop-notch eateries, of whichwe could highlight:

Calima.C/ José Meliá, s/n, Marbella,Málaga.Home to the creations of oneof Spain’s most prized andpromising chefs, the cookingof Michelin starred chef DaniGarcía daringly plays withtraditional Andalusiancooking to produce dishes inwhich contrasting textures,temperatures and flavoursthat never fail to surprisewhile remaining consistentlydelicious.

El Faro del Puerto.Carretera de Fuentebravía, km. 0,500, El Puerto de SantaMaría, Cádiz.El Faro, or the lighthouse, hasbeen the guiding light ofinventive cuisine in the so-called Sherry Triangle (whosethree points are the towns ofJerez, El Puerto de Santa Maríaand Sanlúcar de Barrameda) forthe last decade. Located at areformed manor andsurrounded by gardens, El Farois a delightful venue for adelightful meal.

Restaurante Aponiente.C/ Puerto Escondido, 6. ElPuerto de Santa María, Cádiz.The newest entry in the list ofquality eateries in the area isthe brain child of young chefAngel León. León, a Jerez nativewhose love for the wines andproduce of his hometown shine through in every one ofhis creations, is almost surelydestined for great things in theSpanish culinary scene.Especially commendable isLeón’s exquisite hand with fish,which has earned him thenickname of ‘El chef del mar’(The chef of the sea)

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Although a populardestination for decades now,the resurgence of Valencia asa place to visit has beenreawakened in recent yearsthanks to the America’s Cupof last year and the brandnew urban circuit designedfor the Formula 1 EuropeanGrand Prix. Golf tourism hasalso become one of theregion’s highlights withcourses appearing along thecoastline in the provinces ofValencia, Alicante, Castellónand the nearby region ofMurcia alike.

CAMPO DE GOLF PARADOR EL SALER

A rare jewelDesigned by Javier Arana,Campo de Golf Parador ElSaler just 18km outside thecity of Valencia, was sculptedout of rugged links landbeside the Mediterranean andpresents a challenge whichwill test every aspect of agolfer’s armory. It is quite adelightful course, which justseems to flow from hole to

hole, and I would heartilyagree with Seve Ballesteroswho described it as, “A rarejewel, a piece of art”. Seldomdoes one come across acourse which mixes links andparkland so effortlessly. ElSaler commences its journeywith twelve holes meanderingthrough the pine groves of anature reserve and then, intotal contrast, finishes in truelinks style with the final sixwandering, as if aimlessly,amongst the sandy dunes ofthe Mediterranean coastline.The 195-metre par-3 17th,played to a small green whichhas a necklace of bunkers andthe Mediterraneanshimmering in thebackground, is one whichwill remain long in thememory bank; club selectionis critical on this quitespectacular hole. On what is aserious test of golf, generousfairways are guarded bystrategically placed bunkers,hidden amongst humps andhollows, while any drive off-line runs the risk of being

stymied by trees. Thechallenge is made moredifficult by the fact that thefairways and greens slopeaway at the edges making thetargets much smaller thanthey appear.

If you want rice,you got it.The Levante is, of course, thebirthplace of what has cometo be regarded as Spain’ssignature dish, paella, thoughfewer know that there are asmany types of paella as thereare foodstuffs under the sun:made with fish, vegetables ormeat, soupy or crunchy. Theregion has much more tooffer though, such as thedeliciously sweet turrón and acuisine which boasts one ofthe widest repertoires of fishand vegetable dishes in Spain.

El Poblet.C/Jorge Juan, 33, Dénia,Alicante.Although a fairly long driveaway from Valencia, themassive talent of chef QuiqueDacosta makes the visitworthwhile. Widelyrecognized as one of the topfive Spanish chefs, manythink that Dacosta’s two

Valencia and the Levante

Michelin stars are a scarceprize for the quality of thekitchen.

Ca' Sento.Méndez Núñez, 17. Valencia.Located in the recentlyrefurbished port of Valencia,Ca’ Sento was long the onlyMichelin starred restaurant inValencia and an example tofollow by the buddingculinary talent that hasblossomed in Dénia andelsewhere. The menucombines the modernistcreations of Raúl Aleixandrewith the rice dishes and othertraditional fare that his mothercooked in the same kitchenwhen Ca’ Sento first opened.

La Sucursal.C/Guillem de Castro, 118.IVAM Museum, Valencia.Located inside the ValenciaInstitute of Modern Art, LaSucursal is another of thenewer restaurants of Valenciato have been graced with astar by the Michelin guide. Insynch with the modern artsurrounding it, an ultramodern cooking, of whichcritics have especially praisedthe exceptionally well-judgedcooking times of first rateproducts.

SEVE BALLESTEROSDESCRIBED EL SALER AS A “RARE JEWEL, APIECE OF ART”

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Culture, good food, ruralretreats, bustling cities,stunning beaches, snow-topped mountains…Catalonia has it all. If to thiswe add an impressive amountof modern and quality golfcourses and ease of travel intoBarcelona, Catalonia issteadily moving up the ranksof world-wide golfdestinations.

PGA GOLF DE CATALUNYA

Certain to impressIn a secluded corner ofNorthern Spain, a land ofmountains and sandybeaches, can be found thePGA Golf de Catalunya, a 36-

hole resort which can nowboast a ranking amongEurope’s top golf courses.Golfers seeking fresh fieldsand pastures new would dowell to head for this area ofSpain, just 15-minutes fromthe historic city of Gironawhich has a rich cultural,artistic and religious heritage.Throughout the ages Gironahas been attacked by theRomans, who fortified it byconstructing impregnablestone walls as part of the ViaAugustus, the road fromRome to Cádiz, whileNapoleon’s troops sacked thecity exactly two hundredyears ago. May, the month forthe ‘Time of Flowers’ festival,

is a spectacular time of theyear as the streets are filledwith delightfully colouredflowers unique to the region. Designed by Neil Coles andAngel Gallardo, the Greencourse is set in lush rollingcountryside, among pine andcork oak trees and providesspectacular glimpses of thePyrenees. The elevated tee ofthe first hole offers yet anotherbreathtaking view and is thefirst of nine downhill teeshots. This superb opener isjust the start of a journey thatis certain to impress more andmore as the round progresses.The par-5 third (486-metres)is reminiscent of the 11th atAugusta and is theintroduction to the impressivelakes that dominate the centreof the course layout. The smallsloping greens are individually

designed while the intelligentbunkering poses a constantchallenge. Due to its lushvegetation, and proliferation ofcork trees, the surroundingarea is known as the ‘Jungle’and the golf course benefitsgreatly from the beautifulgreen firs, scrub and heatherthat frame its manymemorable holes. With eachhole boasting five teepositions, golfers of all levelsof ability will thoroughly enjoythe challenge presented by thegolf course selected to host theEuropean Tour QualifyingSchool this past November.

Girona: theculinary pride of CataloniaBirthplace to the culinaryrevolution that has taken the

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world by storm and placedSpain’s chefs among theworld’s elite, Girona has longbeen home to some of Spain’smost exciting and deliciousdishes. Torn between the seaand the towering Pyrenees, thepeople of Girona developed acooking that boldly mixed theproducts of sea and mountain,producing some of Spain’smost unique traditionaldishes, such as chicken withcrayfish. Where else, but in aregion boasting such adiversity of produce and flairfor mixing them, could whatmany consider as the bestrestaurant in the world, FerranAdriá’s El Bulli, exist?

El Bulli.Cala Montjoy, Roses, GironaWhen trying to recommendEl Bulli, one is tempted to

simply utter those two wordsand follow them with,“enough said”. Those whohave not had the chance totry it, however, cannot evenbegin to imagine what atremendously enjoyable andentertaining experience eatingat El Bulli is. Sitting at a tableas dishes shimmer, pop, melt,crunch or deliver tastethrough your nose instead ofyour tongue can only becomparable to what onewould imagine a visit to WillyWonka’s factory might be.Book the very moment youfinish reading this: if you’relucky, there’ll be a table freeat some point next year.

El Celler de Can Roca.Ctra. Taialá, 40, Girona.Chronically underappreciateddue to its geographic

proximity to El Bulli, ElCeller de Can Roca isundoubtedly among Spain’sfinest eateries. The three Rocabrothers have transformedtheir parents’ humblerestaurant into a place ofpilgrimage for the discerningSpanish food enthusiast. Andfor good reason, as anyonewho has tried theirmemorable Truffle andChestnut Royale or any of theother delights on the menucan attest.

Els Tinars.Ctra. Sant Feliú-Girona, km 7,200.Placed in a pretty Masía (thetraditional country house ofthe region) in the stunninglybeautiful region surroundingthe town of Llagostera, ElsTinars offers impeccably

prepared traditional fare,making it an ideal place tounderstand the roots fromwhich the genius of Adriablossomed. Regularly listedamong Catalonia’s bestrestaurants, Els Tinars isrightfully a foodie destinationin and of its own.

A long-time resident of theCosta del Sol, Eamonn Poweris a member of the Associationof Golf Writers and travelsextensively reoprting on majorgolf tournaments for themagazine Andalucía Golf.

Spanish journalist IriaGonzález worked in regionalmedia and Spanish Institute forForeign Trade’s magazine ElExportador before becoming apart of the editorial team ofSpain Gourmetour.

GOLFERSSEEKING FRESH FIELDSAND PASTURES NEWWOULD DO WELL TO HEAD FOR CATALONIA

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The world of wine has seen radical changes in the way wines are made,heard about and received by the public in recent years. This change hasbeen accompanied by the rise to prominence of a new generation ofwinemakers in Spain, whose achievements are already considerable, butwhose promise is even greater. Luis Aguilar explores the human faceof Spain’s wine revolution.

NEWTextLuis Aguilar/© ICEX

PhotosAmador Toril/© ICEXT E

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A winery is often viewed as avery traditional place whereworkers follow time-honouredpractices in a calm, unhurriedway. It is difficult to thinkotherwise, especially in Spainwhere winemaking has existedfor millennia, buildings arehundreds of years old,wineries date back to the 18thand 19th centuries and wineitself may lie undisturbed incellars for years before release.

In reality, though, the wineindustry is very dynamic.Wines change from year to year, more so than justabout any other type ofproduct. It is the job of wineprofessionals to keep abreastof the changes to best servecustomers.

Come summer there is anew vintage, which could be,and often is, radicallydifferent to the previousyear’s. Temperature, sunlight,rain, wind, evaporation, frostand disease all play a role inthe quality of a wine and thatis before we even begin toconsider the human factor.

Wineries are run by headwinemakers, who have honedtheir skills over decades andslowly moved up the ranks.However, there are a numberof young men and womenstarting to make their mark,producing some of the mostexciting wines to come fromSpain.

The young and very restlessThe youngest son of a well-established Rioja winemakingfamily was particularly

interested in making qualitywhites. In a region morefamous for reds, his interestmust have raised an eyebrowor two and made his fatherwonder where it all wouldend.

Meanwhile, down the roadbut still in Spain’s mostrecognised wine region, theMarqués de Murrieta winerywas having difficulties. Itsowner, the Count of Creixell,was thinking of one of hisyoung winemakers as theperson to move the oldestwinery in Spain forward.And north of the Pyrenees, arecently graduated winemakerfrom Bordeaux was restlessand looking to cross theAtlantic in search of anadventure.

RAFAEL PALACIOS

Flying the coopRafael Palacios was born intowine. His father José PalaciosRemondo founded the familywinery in Alfaro, Rioja in1948 and made quality redwines for decades.

Alfaro is a sleepy,agricultural town with 2,800years of history, dotted withmagnificent old churches,convents and palaces. Thetown’s name dates fromMoorish times and stemsfrom the Arabic word ‘Al-Faruh’ which meanswatchtower. It is easy tounderstand why, given thevantage spot Alfaro has overthe strategically importantEbro River below.

Rafael remembers hischildhood fondly and loves

telling stories about all thetrouble he and his brothersgot into as they grew up.Before long the buddingwinemaker, who dearly lovedhis hometown, began to seeits limitations. He knew thatone day soon he would haveto leave. And leave he did.

In 1990 Rafael got a jobwith Dulong, an establishedBordeaux negociant. Thefollowing year he studiedwinemaking in Montagne-Saint Emilion and did hiswork experience duringvintage at Châteaux Pétrusand Châteaux Moulin duCadet. While learning thetrade he met John Cassegrain,an Australian winemaker whooffered Rafael employment athis winery in Hastings River,north of Sydney.

The young Palacios flew toAustralia in 1994 and didvintage at Cassegrain Wines.He was surprised by anumber of techniquesemployed by the winery inwhite winemaking. It was aneye-opening experience forthe Spaniard who had spentmost of his life with reds. Theseed had been sown.

Down underAfter a number of months atCassegrain, Rafael moved toCoonawarra where he workedat Wynns, Rouge Homme andPenfolds, all part of theSouthcorp group. In wineterms it could not been moredifferent– from the warmHasting Rivers to coolCoonawarra, from the exoticsub-tropical whites to the

world famous Shiraz andCabernet reds, from a smallfamily owned operation to amassive wine conglomerate.Rafael was looking forexperience and that is whathe got.

The Riojano returned hometo the family winery in 1994and two years later his fatherappointed him as HeadWinemaker in recognition ofhis hard work and dedication.

Despite being in the redwine capital of Spain, theyoung winemaker didn’tforget his interest in qualitywhites and in 1997 releasedPlácet, made from main thelocal grape variety Viura.Clients loved the wine and itsold well, but Palaciosquickly saw its limitationsand started to set his sightsbeyond it.

Rafael dedicated a largeamount of time helpingdistributors around Spain topromote his wines. It wasduring one of these trips, at atrade fair in Madrid, that hestumbled across a Galicianwine made from the whitegrape variety Godello. He wasimpressed by its intensity,body and length but he alsosaw there was potential to domore.

A white of his ownWhile the youngest Palacioswas on his adventures aroundthe world, oddly enough, hisolder brother Álvaro wasdoing the same a little closerto home in Catalonia.

RAFAEL PALACIOSWAS BORN INTO WINE. HIS FATHER FOUNDED THEFAMILY WINERY IN RIOJA IN 1948

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After their father’s death in2000, Álvaro, now regardedas one of the best winemakersin Spain, returned home andthe two worked side by sideto keep the family businessgoing.

In March 2004, Rafaeldecided it was time to set uphis own operation and twomonths later he was buyingup old vineyards in the BibeiValley in the Valdeorrasregion in Galicia.

Rafael returned totraditional viticulture andeliminated the use ofherbicides and otherinorganic chemicals.

The difficult terrain and lowfertility made it almostimpossible for local producers,who struggled with low yieldsand even lower income.However, this was exactlywhat interested Rafael.Vineyards owners, many ofthem well past retirement age,were delighted to sell and itwas a win-win situation for all.

Palacios checked his list:cool climate, high altitude,sloping terraced vineyards,acid soils, low fertility, lowyields, excellent grape variety.He had it all.

The first vintage of AsSortes won the hearts ofSpanish wine critics, a signthat he was doing a good job.

MARÍA VARGAS

The young and oldMaría Vargas studiedagricultural engineering atRioja University. She didn’t

have a passion for wine whilestudying and could haveeasily gone into any of themany other industries presentin the agriculturally richregion.

She accepted a job atMarqués de Murrieta, whereshe quickly became animportant member of theteam.

The company was goingthrough a difficult period.Wine quality was slippingand Murrieta’s 150 yearreputation was taking a hit.Suddenly tragedy struck thebeleaguered company. Its owner, the Count ofCreixell, died when he wasjust 48 years old, leaving thewinery to his wife, son anddaughter.

The company continued tostruggle and one day theyoung Count of Creixellasked her into the office andpopped an ominous soundingquestion: “Do you want tohear the good news or thebad news first?” The badnews was the headwinemaker had left and therewas no-one at the helm of the148 year old company. Thegood news was the Countwanted María to replace himand lead Murrieta out of itsdoldrums.

She was not only handedthe reigns of the oldestwinery in Rioja and one ofthe most prestigious in Spain,María was also givenresponsibility for thecompany’s 300 hectares ofvineyards.

It was a daunting task for a

young woman to turn arounda company with such a longhistory. The smallest ofchanges would fly in the faceof 150 years of tradition butMaría had a mandate and thiswas a company and not acharity.

The Young winemakerquickly made changes butperhaps one of the mostinteresting was how sheencouraged workers toquestion every decision theymade and every action theydid. “This is what we havealways done” was the usualanswer when she took over.However, it was no longervalid as the new headwinemaker believed it bredstagnation and complacency.Times change, scienceadvances and Marqués deMurrieta had to catch up.

An example of this attitudeat work pertains the alcoholcontent of a wine. During theearly 90s, the alcohol contentof Rioja reds was usually12%. Anything over 13% wasconsidered bad by Spanishconsumers who wouldcompare it to cheaper winefrom warmer regions. Now,however, many quality Riojasare 14%. María explains thatclimate change is the reasonbehind the phenomenon:warmed weather allowsgrapes mature more. It hasbeen essential that vineyardmanagement techniquesadapt to new conditions thathad not seen before.WithMaria’s philosophy ofquestioning everything, thewinery was able to adapt its

wines to new conditions andreach new levels of quality.

GREGORY PÉREZ

South of the borderGregory Pérez grew upamongst the vineyards in oneof the world’s most famouswine regions, Bordeaux. Afriend of his father, GuyMallet, offered him a jobwhen he was a youngteenager at a local winery,none other than ChâteauLalande. Working at such aprestigious company andunder the Mallet’s guidance,Gregory became fascinated bythe world of wine.

After studying winemakingand viticulture at Blanquefort,Pérez worked at ChâteauGrand Tuy Lacaste and Cosd’Estournel. With experienceand knowledge under hisbelt, Gregory was looking foran adventure, with his sightsfirmly planted on Chile orArgentina. The big trip wasput on hold for personalreasons and he had to settlefor something closer to home.He chose El Bierzo, a quietagricultural region in northwestern Spain.

He was offered a job atLuna Beberide and beforelong his wines received praisethe world over. The turningpoint was when the Americanmagazine “Food and Wine”included him in their list of“Best New Spanish Wines”.

The locals were amused bythe young Frenchman. Intheir eyes Pérez did strange

MARÍA VARGASHOLDS THE REIGNS OF THEOLDEST WINERY IN RIOJAAND IS RESPONSIBLE FORTHE COMPANY’S 300HECTARES OF WINEYARDS

18 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

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and at times inexplicablethings. He began buyinggrapes from local vineyardowners but was interested in improving grape quality.Pérez often came up against a brick wall when he gaveinstructions to his growers on how to manage their plots.Why should they changetime-proven practices thatthey learnt from their fathersand their fathers’ fathers,practices that had served theregion well for generations?

Shaking things upA classic example was greenharvesting. This is a process ofpicking unripe grapes,allowing the vine to channelmore energy to ripen theremaining bunches. It is amodern procedure used tomake better quality wines,producing more intenselyflavoured fruit in exchange forlower yields. Gregory hadmajor problems to convincesceptical vineyard owners,who were normally paid byweight, that they should pickunripe fruit and throw it away.

As far as the town citizenswere concerned Pérez hadthree problems: he wasFrench, he was young and hesaid crazy things. His Frenchcharm and results slowly wonthem over and before longthey started queuing up toask his advice. They wouldappear with a bottle of theirown wine and ask what theycould do to save theirvintage. Often Pérez couldn’t

do much, perhaps give thema band-aid solution, becausethe damage was done. Moreimportantly, he would givethem advice so they didn’tmake the same mistake thefollowing year. The localsappreciated the Frenchman’sefforts and they affectionatelycalled him ‘El Químico’ or‘The Chemist’.

Gregory Pérez recently leftLuna Beberide and started hisown winery called Mengoba,focusing on three local grapevarieties: Mencía, Godelloand Doña Blanca. Mencía andGodello have come toprominence partly due toRafael Palacios, his brotherÁlvaro and their nephewRicardo Pérez Palacios. DoñaBlanca, also known asValenciana, was almostforgotten and Gregory haspersonally taken on thechallenge of reviving thevariety, believing it blendswell with Godello.

Much in commonDespite their young age andtheir drive to improvequality María, Gregory andRafael all agree that traditionhas a lot to offer and shouldnever be ignored. Years oftrial and error by local grapegrowers and winemakershave resulted in techniquesand understanding that notonly work well but canprovide valuable assistance.Gregory thinks that it maybe impossible to understandwhy the locals believe thereis no use planting vineyards

on a particular plot so it isbest to accept their advicerather than wasting valuableresources. There must be agood reason. Most likelysomeone tried decades agoand failed.

It is curious to see thatthree very different peoplehave so much in common.They could disagree onalmost all aspects ofwinemaking and be enviousof each others projects.However, the goal they share- to produce quality wines -unites them in many ways.When Rafa pulled out theplans for his new winery oneday in the Spanish capital,Maria and Gregory weregenuinely interested anddelighted, with a round ofbackslaps being dispatched.

The three have gone backto basics. They may showyou their winery withstainless steel tanks, pumps,hoses, oak barrels andlaboratory but their prideand joy are their vines. Theymay have university trainingbut rather than using thelatest chemicals to boostyields, they use theirknowledge to stave offproblems. The statement thatprevention is better than acure holds true inwinemaking and vineyardmanagement.

Maria believes herprofession is very humbling.She says “You can have thebest grapes and within anhour a storm, hail or windleaves you with nothing.” It

is also very humbling forRafa when he has to get upat the crack of dawn on aclear spring morning tomake sure frost hasn’tdestroyed his crop or forGregory to track up the sideof steep hill laden down withequipment on a coldwindswept day in middle ofwinter to prune his vines.This is humbling work and areason why they have somuch in common.

Gregory, Maria and Rafaare just three examples ofyoung winemakers comingthrough the ranks in Spain,in a kind of changing of theguard. They are forging newpaths with their aim ofproducing quality winesfrom Spanish grape varieties.Rather than mass producinganother Chardonnay orCabernet for theinternational palate, they aremaking the world of winemore diverse.

These are classic examplesof dreams come true, journeysthat take tens of thousands ofkilometres and many years tocomplete. Mother Nature maydeal a major blow but throughdedication and perseverance,problems are solved andlessons are learnt. They are, nodoubt, an inspiration to all.

Luis Aguilar is a Madrid basedAustralian engineer, economist,television news editor and writerwho has spent the last 15 yearsin wine distribution,winemaking and education.

AS A YOUNG TEENAGERWORKING AT CHÂTEAULAVANDE, GREGORY PÉREZBECAME FASCINATED BY THEWORLD OF WINE

COMPANIONSSpanish kitchen

What marks the change between being interested in Spanish cooking

and actually becoming an enthusiast comes when one

actually starts to cook Spanish fare at home. For this, a

quality cookbook needs to be purchased. Saúl Aparicio

reviews a select few.

What marks the change between being interested in Spanish cooking

and actually becoming an enthusiast comes when one

actually starts to cook Spanish fare at home. For this, a

quality cookbook needs to be purchased. Saúl Aparicio

reviews a select few.

22 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

When an adventurous homecook first becomes interestedin the cuisine of a particularcountry, one tends to beginone’s education by producinga cooking scrap book: acollection of magazine cut-outs, containing a wealth ofrecipes that have caught oureye and that we are generallyunable to locate when weactually decide to cook them.Not unlike The Blob, thisscrap book will continue togrow in magnitude, if notmuch in usefulness, unlesswe move to stage 2: thepurchase of a cookbook,whose pages become the newhome of the selected cut-outs

that actually stand a chanceof ever being made.

This second stage is ofcritical importance. Thewrong cookbook cancompletely smother ourenthusiasm for a particulartype of cooking. Frustrationat impossibly complicatedrecipes, inaccurate cookingtimes or impossible-to-findingredients, to name but afew reasons, will not onlyend with the book stored atthe bottom of our cookbookpile or on the least browsedbookshelf, but might verywell result in our discardingour culinary experimentationin a particular field entirely.

It is only a chosen few ofeach household’s cookbooksthat earn the right to

1080 recipes: the Bible1080 recipes. By Simone andInés Ortega, Phaidon RRP.

When 1080 recipes was firstreleased in 1972, few couldhave imagined it wouldbecome the third most sold

Text Saúl Aparicio /© ICEX

PhotosJuan Manuel Sanz/© ICEX

actually live on the kitchenshelf, an easy grab away fromthe stove. Only the trulyuseful earn the right tobecome tatty and torn, eachsauce stain on a page a medalearned for valued service.Only the right cookbook canbecome a true kitchencompanion.

So, in aid of all ‘stagetwoers’, Spain Gourmetourpresents you this briefselection of commendablecookbooks. We can onlyhope that they will be ofservice.

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 23

book in the history of Spain,trailing behind the Bible andDon Quixote. Simone Ortega’spassing on 2nd July of thisyear was marked by movingobituaries by Spain’s mostrenowned chefs in all themajor media. Given Spain’scurrent reputation for inno-vative cooking and culinarywhimsy, it seems strange that aselection of generally simpleand traditional recipes couldelicit such a response.

But the influence of thisbook in Spanish homecooking can hardly beoverstated. One can find adog-eared copy in almostevery Spanish kitchen and, ina more traditional Spain of thepast, it was the favouredparting gift of a mother to herdaughter when she abandoned

the family nest. This meantthat, when the book was firsttranslated into English in2007, comparisons to The Joyof Cooking were rife in itsreviews.

And, indeed, there is a basisfor comparison. Both aredesigned for the novice cookoffering valuable informationon kitchen basics (such ashow to fillet a fish or clean apartridge, for instance). Andboth share a pragmatic, no-nonsense approach designedto increase the reader’s basichome cooking repertoire andnot to create dinner partyflights of fancy. But while TheJoy of Cooking all but teachesthe reader how to turn on thestove, 1080 assumes thereader, at the least, “knows

first half of our decade. Thefirst must be the capriciousillustrations by Barcelona-based illustrator and designerJavier Mariscal that pepper thepages of an edition that,otherwise, presents thenumbered recipes with littlefanfare or, for that matter,garnish. Second, a series ofnew recipes contributed byprominent Spanish or Spanish-influenced chefs, such as AndyNusser and Alexandra Raij of,respectively, Casa Mono andTía Pol in New York, Sam &Sam Clark and José ManuelPizarro of Fino and TapasBrindissa in London, as well asTV chef and Washington’sculinary whirlwind JoséAndrés, Michelin star collectorSanti Santamaría and a handfulof others.

how to fry an egg”, as theSpanish saying goes.

Be that as it may, 1080 recipesbasically does what it says onthe cover: it offers 1080 ideas,covering basic Spanish staplessuch as gazpacho or paella,new and simple takes ontraditional ingredients such aspulses, vegetables or chicken,some more adventurous ideasinvolving game, sweetbreadsand offal, alongside French-influenced and continentaldishes which Ortega wasinstrumental in introducinginto the Spanish home back inthe now-distant seventies.

A final word must go to theadditions made in the lastedition of the book, adaptedfrom the original by themother-daughter team ofSimone and Inés Ortega in the

24 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

The New Spanish Table:comprehensivefunThe New Spanish Table. ByAnya Von Bremzen. WorkmanPublishing. RRP

When award-winning foodwriter Anya Von Bremzen’sfirst visited Spain in the returnto democracy of the 1980s,she found a cuisine in whichall started and ended intradition. Not that this wasbad, for she confesses to havereturned home “besotted” bythe richness of regionalvariations, styles and attitudes.This initial interest warrantedreturn visits which paid tastydividends, for Von Bremzenwas a witness to the culinaryrevolution that elevatedSpanish cooking to the world’sforefront, first through thedevelopment of Basque nuevacocina at the hands of the JuanMari Arzak and PedroSubijana crew, and subsequen-tly by Ferran Adriá and thecurrent Spanish New Wave. Von Bremzen’s knowledge of

Spanish cooking can thereforebe labeled as encyclopedic. Ifwe add to this an enthusiasmas unbridled as it iscontagious, we have two ofthe main elements in a goodbook: knowledge andpassion. For that is what TheNew Spanish Table is, above allelse: a good book. Beautifullywritten and informative textson meetings with thefigureheads of Spanishcuisine and on herexperiences in Spain sitalongside vibrant and colorfulphotographs, information onthe typical products of theSpanish pantry (such asdescriptions of cheeses,spices, wines, fish or cuts ofmeat) and an illustrativeselection of 172 recipes. VonBremzen has collected the

recipes from the toast ofSpanish chefs, tapas barowners and home-makersalike, producing acomprehensive look at whatSpanish food is and how it ismade.What makes Von Bremzen’sbook especially appealing isthe enthusiasm she shareswith Spaniards for the joys ofeating and drinking and theway she approaches what isthe core of its cooking today: amarriage of tradition andinnovation and a deep-rootedrespect for the ingredient. Thisultimately results in recipesthat are practical andaccessible yet still exciting andauthentic. In her own words,the book presents an appea-ling selection of what “Spaineats today. And no country inthe world is better fed”.

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 25

La Cocina deMamá: just likeMother wouldLa Cocina de Mamá: theGreat Home Cooking of Spain.By Penélope Casas. BroadwayBooks. RRP.

If you ask Ferran Adriá whothe best cook in the world is,he will invariably answer:“my mother”. This statement,which may seem surprising,is also very telling of Spanishculinary tradition- theextravagant brilliance ofmodern Spanish cooks couldnever have happenedwithout the rich traditionbehind it, kept alive in thehearths of Spanish homesand handed down fromgeneration to generationthrough the ages. Penélope Casas, who hasbeen involved in Spanishfood for over twenty years asa writer, guided culinary touroperator and journalist andwas once described as “the

guiding light for anyonedoing Spanish cooking inAmerica” knows this well.She has therefore preparedthis fantastic compendiumby inquiring into the starrecipes of chefs’ mothers’ all over Spain, from tapasbars to high end restaurants.The resulting book is notonly a fantastic guide intothe influences of modernSpanish cooking, but also astudiously comprehensivecollection of recipes from the different culinarycultures of Spain. From thegood-natured and hearty

simplicity of Castilian stews,through the husky spicinessof Andalusian fare, all the way to the daringphilosophy of Catalan mar ymuntanya (mixing productsfrom the sea and land, suchas rabbit and clams), all theregions of Spain are giventheir turn to shine in thisbook. One-page recipes arecompleted with a little storyof where each recipe wasfound, providing interestinginsights into Spanish culture, as well asbackground to the playfulmix of simplicity andexuberance that characterizesSpain’s art and food.

26 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

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Tapas: bite-sized SpainTapas: a taste of Spain inAmerica. José Andrés.Clarkson Potter. RRP

If you should ever findyourself in need of a visualexample of the termhyperactive, you could doworse than Washington-based chef José Andrés. Chefor culinary advisor to no lessthan 5 US restaurants, hostof Spanish network show“Vamos a cocinar” (Let’s cook),and the 26-part culinary tour“Made in Spain” (currentlyon-air in the US), Chef of theyear according to Bon AppetitMagazine in 2004 and bestchef in the mid-Atlanticaccording to the James BeardFoundation in 2003, Andréshas also found time toregularly publish cookbooksboth in Spain and abroad. His first publication, in fact,

is all one could ask for in acookbook. Elegantpresentation, easy-to findingredient-based structure,inventive and deliciousrecipes, useful tips and winesuggestions, all garnishedwith the recollections andthoughts awakened in theauthor by each of the dishes. One of the book’s greatestassets, ease of use aside, arethe tips that Andrésvolunteers on nearly everyrecipe, suggesting alternativeingredients should one behard to come by, pre-cookingtricks that will bring theflavors out in the dish orvolunteering alternativeserving suggestions. The greatest one, however,comes from the sheereagerness and fervor that

Andrés feels for tapas not asa type of dish, but as a wayof eating. “Tapas”, he says,“are a shared experience thatis more sociable than anyfancy sit-down at arestaurant. (…)[they are]something to share and mix.There are no rigid rulesabout separating meat andchicken, fish and vegetables.There are no appetizers and entrees. You can build ameal around a series ofdishes that you like, mixingaccording to your taste. With tapas, the eating and

sharing are just as importantas the food you are serving”.This enthusiasm shinesthrough, page after page,making ‘Tapas, a taste of Spainin America’ not only a goodbook to turn to for deliciousideas, but a first step on theroad to understanding whyfood and wine matter somuch in Spain.

Saúl Aparicio is a Madrid-based freelance writer andtranslator, whose articles andcontributions on food andtourism have appeared indifferent media outlets in Spain,the UK and The Netherlands.He is also part of the editorialteam of Spain Gourmetour.

‘TAPAS, A TASTE OFSPAIN IN AMERICA’IS A FIRST STEP ON THE ROAD TOUNDERSTANDING WHY FOOD AND WINE MATTER SOMUCH IN SPAIN

SOUREDDespite being versatile, flavourful and, wisely used, a great way to add depth of

flavour to dishes, vinegar is often met with deep distrust and even fear in the kit-

chen. Nurtured from the vine all the way to the salad, Spanish winemakers are

beginning to produce a great variety of complex, aged, sweet, sour and ac-

complished vinegars. Katie Goldstein reports.

GRAPES?TextKatie Goldstein/© ICEX

PhotosJuan Manuel Sanz/© ICEX

30 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

Balsamic vinegar may havemet its match. The immensepopularity of the dark-colored sweet Italian vinegarhas spurred on the export ofSpanish sweet vinegars.While the Spanish vinegarsremain off the radar for manypeople, their high quality anddeliciously complex tastecould end up giving theItalian balsamic vinegars arun for their money.

The Spanish specialty haslong been vinagre de Jerez, orsherry vinegar, producedfrom sherry wine in threetowns in Andalusia. Sherryvinegar continues to be animportant export, but anumber of producers have

turned to sweet vinegars tocompete with the Italian acetobalsamico.

“They compete very wellwith Italian vinegars,” saysChristophe Ravie, exportmanager at Torrevella, a smallfamily-run farm in the hills ofAlicante that produces oliveoil and vinegar. “They are notyour normal vinegars.”

Torrevella, along with anumber of othercooperatives, producesspecialty vinegars from thesweet white Muscat grape, aswell as the sweet PedroXiménez grape must. Sherryvinegars from the Palominogrape remain a highlyrespected commodity, but

some producers have decidedto add some Pedro Ximénezto their sherry vinegar tosoften the edges a bit.

Torrevella, which cultivates140 hectares of land in theinterior of the Mediterraneancoast, produces specialtyvinegars under the brandSotaroni: a pale gold colouredmuscatel, two darker colouredPedro Ximénez vinegars, and amahogany-coloured soleravinegar from Palomino grapes.

The importance of the grapeThe word “vinegar” comesfrom the old French “vinaigre” or “sour wine.” One

could say that wine is tograpes what vinegar is towine. In other words, thegrapes in vinegar have beenfermented twice: first fromnatural sugars to alcohol tomake wine, and second fromalcohol to acetic acid, themain acid in vinegar.

According to Ravie,production of the vinegarsbegins with Muscat andPedro Ximénez wines, whichare put into heat oxidation incontainers of 30,000 litres.Through oxidation the winesyield acetic acid. Thetransformed vinegar is thenaged using the process ofcriaderas y solera in Americanoak casks.

Mix together a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and oneof honey. Add sherry vinegar to double the volume ofhoney and mustard and mix well. If desired, add saltto taste. Add extra virgin olive oil in a slow stream,stirring as you go, until the volume is doubled again.Whisk the mixture together until completely emulsified.Refrigerate when not using.

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A NUMBER OF PRODUCERSHAVE TURNED TO SWEETVINEGARS TO COMPETEWITH THE ITALIAN ‘ACETOBALSAMICO’

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The criaderas and soleraprocess is the traditional wayin which sherry wine andvinegar are aged. Rows ofcasks are stacked on top ofeach other in the form of apyramid. The bottom rowcontains the oldest wine (orvinegar) and is called thesolera, from the Spanish wordfor floor (suelo). The rowsabove the solera are known ascriaderas (or “nurseries”), theyoungest wine or vinegarbeing the top row. As some ofthe wine from the solera rowis removed to be bottled,wine from the row on top ofit is added to the casks in thebottom row. The processcontinues in this manner,continually topping up

barrels of older wine orvinegar with the youngercontents of the row above.

The secret tograceful ageingVinegars, like wines, are valuedby their age. Quality winevinegars are aged for aminimum of six months. TheSotaroni vinegars are agedmuch longer. One of the PedroXiménez vinegars is aged for 12years, while the other, knownas a Gran Reserva, is aged for25 years. The muscatel vinegaris also aged for 12 years, andthe solera vinegar has beenaged for eight years.

These are clearly not yourrun-of-the-mill vinegars.

“These are gastronomicjewels,” Ravie says. “They arereally outstanding andexclusive vinegars.”

Ravie describes the Sotaronivinegars as having manyflavour nuances because oftheir sweet and sour taste. Hedescribed them as the“perfect balance of the aromaof the grape: fruity, nutty,with hints of strawberry.”

He says it is surprising howyou can note the true flavourof the grapes in the Sotaronivinegars, especially comparedto balsamic vinegars on themarket. The muscatel vinegar,especially, is highly aromatic.

“Open the bottle of vinegar,put some in a spoon, and thesmell of the muscatel wine

Mix together? cup PedroXiménez vinegar with atablespoon of Dijonmustard. Add onecrushed clove of garlic.Add 1 cup extra virginolive oil in a slowstream, stirring as yougo. Whisk the mixturetogether until completelyemulsified. Refrigeratewhen not using

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will permeate the room,” hesays. “It’s like a liquor.”

The vinegars, however,have a limited production.“The bodegas prefer to makewine,” Ravie notes.

Versatility and classYet there are a multitude ofuses for these vinegars. Boththe Soltaroni Pedro Ximénezand the muscatel combinewell with olive oil (especiallythe Arbequina variety) andcan be used on salads and asreductions.

The Pedro Ximénez goesespecially well with meats,among those tenderloin andfoie gras. It also adds a

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 33

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QUALITY WINE VINEGARS ARE AGED FOR A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS

34 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

especial touch to desserts likestrawberries and cream orvanilla ice cream.

The muscatel, winner of thesilver medal for outstandingvinegar at the 2007 FancyFood Show in New York, is awonderful complement tofish and shellfish. Whiskedtogether with some cream, itcan be used as a sauce inseafood dishes. Some cooksprefer to use muscatel for itslight colour, which won’tdarken dishes like PedroXiménez or balsamic vinegars do.

Classic VinegarFarther south from Alicante,sherry vinegar is king. The

Aecovi-Jerez cooperative,located in Jerez de la Frontera,is made up of over 1,000 smallwine producers who cultivate20 percent of the vineyards in the province of Cádiz,Andalusia. Most of the grapesgrown are the Palominovariety, though the cooperativeholds some plantings of PedroXiménez as well.

The two vinegars producedby Aecovi are marketed underthe name Ferianes, and aresherry vinegar and sweetsherry vinegar. The sweetvariety has the addition ofsome Pedro Ximénez wine to soften the sherry flavour.

Because both vinegars aresherry vinegars they must be produced completely

within the jurisdiction of theDenominación de Origen-Xérès-Sherry, meaning in Puerto de Santa María, Jerez de laFrontera, or Sanlúcar deBarrameda, three towns in the province of Cádiz.

Lola Palencia, oenologist at Aecovi, says that it can bedifficult to appreciate theflavour of wines like sherry in the vinegars due to thewine-making process.

Aecovi’s vinegars are bestused in salads, dressings,marinades, reductions, gamedishes, and fish. The sherryvinegar has a mahoganycolor, a pungent oak aroma,and a fairly acidic taste andworks nicely in vinaigrettesand gazpacho as well.

The Pedro Ximénez sherryvinegar has a more complexaroma because of thecombination of sweet andsour: it is an idealcombination of acidity withthe sweet Pedro Ximénezwine to moderate it. This vinegar can also add a greater depth of flavour to legume dishes, like lentils.

But, without a doubt, the best way to experiencethe vinegars is to try themout in recipes. You’ll beamazed how far a little bottlecan go!

Katie Goldstein is a freelancewriter and English teacher whohas lived in Madrid for threeyears.

1/2 kilo lentils

150 grams wild mushrooms, cleaned and cut into pieces

2 morcillas (black pudding sausages, or other pork sausage, like chorizo)

2 leeks, chopped finely

1 onion, chopped finely

1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and grated

1 piece of ham bone

1/2 cup sweet wine vinegar (muscatel or Pedro Ximénez)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Bring the lentils and ham bone to a boil in a large pot and cook over low heat.

2. Sauté the onion and leeks in the olive oil for about 10 minutes without lettingthem brown. Add the mushrooms and stir. After two minutes, add the tomatoand cook for five minutes.

3. After the lentils have cooked for about 20 minutes, add the mushroom mixture to them, and cook slowly until the lentilsare tender.

4. Add the morcillas (or other sausages), season with salt and pepper, add the vinegar. Cook for another 10 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

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THE PEDRO XIMÉNEZSHERRY VINEGAR HAS AMORE COMPLEX AROMABECAUSE OF THECOMBINATION OF SWEETAND SOUR

36 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

UNIT

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In my kitchen I have a bottleof sherry vinegar. The fadedhand-typed label, with a familycrest, states “El vinagre viejo.100 years old sherry vinegar.Acidity 17.5 °. Bottled 3.3.94”When I open it to add to agazpacho or a sabayón, to amarinade for spare ribs, tobrush on a piece of fish beforebreading and frying or to‘educate’ a bottle of white winevinegar, I can never resistputting a dab on my tongue ofthis dark, viscous liquid.

The sensation transports mefrom my north Londonkitchen to Jerez and its vividsmells, sounds, sights andtastes, nowhere more inevidence than at the Feria delCaballo; harnesses jingling,sevillanas and stamping, theclack of a fan, chilled Tío Pepebeing consumed like water, itscool bite a temporaryrefreshment, the blaze ofcolour in the flamenco dressesso elegantly worn by womenof all ages, the haughtybearing of their cavaliers, thewarm greetings of friends asone moves from caseta tocaseta; the aroma of puros forsale outside the bull-ring. Andthen there are the quietermoments; a long, lazy lunch atLa Mesa Redonda with our

friends the Valdespinos,enjoying son José’s cooking;breakfast on the terrace at theHotel Jerez, one of the nicesthotels in the world, and oldfriends of mine ever since Icooked the ‘sherry dinner’ atthe Casa del Vino, helped byLuis González and his brigade,– a dinner designed to showthe variety of sherries asperfect partners for Britishfood, from smoked venisonwith amontillado to mytraditional sherry trifle, soakedin Oloroso and served withPX. Sherry vinegar played itspart, in the sauce I served withthe marinated salmon; honey,fresh mint, olive oil, a pinchor roasted cumin seeds andsherry vinegar.

As I mixed in the vinegar,then as now, I rememberbeing in what looks like aschool room, figures hunchedover desks are concentratingon the paper in front of them;but surely not a school room,for on each desk are fourslender glasses, with acentimetre or two of goldenbrown liquid in the bottom.Swirling, sniffing, dipping inpieces of bread and tasting,we are at the first ever tasting

of sherry vinegars to be heldin the Consejo Regulador. Itwas to be another 14 yearsbefore the sherry vinegarproducers of Jerez formed theConsejo Regulador delVinagre de Jerez, housed inthe same building as theConsejos for sherry andBrandy de Jerez. Why solong, you might wonder?

Wine producers, andjerezanos are no different, arefrankly shy about admitting toproducing vinegar. Myargument to them has alwaysbeen that one can only makegood wine vinegar if one canmake good wine and thatthere would, indeed, be amarket for such a superbproduct. Imagine my pleasureat seeing, as we were leavingthe airport in Jerez earlier thisyear, that alongside thecheeses, jamones and olive oil,a fine range of sherry vinegarswas for sale in the tienda.

Chef, food writer andbroadcaster Frances Bissell isthe author of nine books. Shewon the Glenfiddich Award forCookery Writer of the Year in1994, and in 1997 was madethe first woman chef member ofthe Académie Culinaire deFrance.

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FRANCES BISSELL IS SUCH A CHAMPION OF SHERRY VINEGAR THAT SHE WAS ONCE PHOTOGRAPHED ‘FLOATING’IN A VINEGAR BOTTLE. WONDER WHY?

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 37

I first visited Spain at the ageof twenty and, although myfriends and I went on a tour ofthe Codorniu cellars as part ofa trip to Monserrat, we didn’treally appreciate what we sawand tasted – at that age, ourinterests ran in otherdirections. On further visits tothe country over the next fewyears, my wife, our friends andI made do with the house winewhen out for a meal. Until onenight, that is, when I suggestedthat we be a little adventurousand order something a bitmore expensive. The bottle Ipicked from the wine list was aMarqués de Riscal red andafter the first sip, when mypalate was seduced by berryfruits overlaid with creamyoak, I suddenly knew whatquality wine tasted like. Sincethen, I have been on aconstant voyage of discoverythrough the world of wine. ButSpanish wine was my first love– and you know what they sayabout first loves.

Rioja wines were the ones Igot to know first but soon Iwas trying the products ofCatalonia, of Navarra and of

course, the great wines ofJerez: first the Fino, later theglorious dry Olorosos and therich dessert wines made fromthe Pedro Ximénez grape.Then I discovered the purefresh whites of Galicia, madefrom the Albariño varietal andalso another two grapevarieties which I’ve taken ashine to: Verdejo and Godello.The wine industry of Spain isgoing through an excitingperiod just now, with moreand more regions producingquality product, and I’menjoying trying to keep upwith the latest developments!

As for Spanish cuisine, it wason a balmy nights in the Costadel Sol that I first learnt thedelights of the cold soupgazpacho, gambas al ajillo,(garlic shrimp), pescadito frito(deep-fried whitebait) and ofcourse, tortilla española, theubiquitous Spanish omelette.Later, Madrid was where Iwould first experience the funof travelling from bar to bar,sampling the various tapas – Iwas with a native who knewthe best spots, so it was a greatintroduction to tapeo”. Mylatest visit, a couple of monthsago, has been to Seville which,despite the 40 degree heat, wasanother memorable

experience. The choice of tapasin Seville is very wide indeedbut two of my currentfavourites are rabo de toro(Oxtail in spicy sauce) andespinacas con garbanzos(Spinach and Garbanzo beans).And what better to drink withthose than a light, bone – dryManzanilla sherry? I also hadthe chance to visit Becerritaand Ogana Oriza, two of thecity’s top restaurants, and theyboth lived up to their loftyreputations, presenting foodwhich respected the Spanishtradition but with a moderntwist to it as well.

What next? In a couple ofweeks, I hope to be relaxing inNerja, just north of Málaga, aspot that isn’t short of goodplaces to eat and drink. Andnext year, I plan to visit theBasque country, where so manyculinary developments aretaking place. My love-affairwith Spain is like fine wine – itgets better with age.

Bob Hyland, a wine enthusiast ofmany years, has presented aseries of radio programmes onwine, entitled Sunshine in aGlass, on Dublin City FM.

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BOB HYLAND CONFESSES THAT HIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH SPAIN, LIKE A GOOD WINE, GETS BETTER WITH AGE.

PhotosToya Legido/©ICEX

La Ancha, C/Zorrilla, 7. Madrid. Tel: +34 914 298 186

La Ancha II, C/Príncipe de Vergara, 204. Madrid. Tel: +34 914 298 186

Las Tortillas de Gabino, C/ Rafael Calvo, 20. Madrid. Tel: +34 913197 505 www.lastortillasdegabino.com

Advance booking essential in all three. Las Tortillas also offers cooking courses

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SPAIN GOURMETOUR 39

In a special issue of this section, our chefNino Redruello, will be following a selec-tion of recipes from Spain´s best-sellingcookbook of all time, Simone and InesOrtega’s ‘1080 recipes’ (reviewed in thisissue of Spain Gourmetour; pg. 20). Nino is among the most important repre-sentatives of the fine tradition of Basque

cuisine in Madrid. Born and raised in therestaurant business under the tutelage ofhis eponymous uncle, he took charge of thefamily restaurant, La Ancha, in early 2007.He is also the chef of Las Tortillas de Gabinoa smaller restaurant offering adventuroustakes on the classic Spanish omelette bycomplementing it with octopus or squid ink.

RECIPESWINTER

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 41

PINTO OR KIDNEY BEANS WITH RED WINE(Judías pintas o encarnadas con vino tinto)

VEGETARIAN SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS500 gr (1 lb 2 oz) dried pinto orkidney beans, soaked over-night in cold water and drained1 vegetable stock cube2 cloves5 tbsps olive oil1 onion, finely chopped2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 heaped tbsp plain flour300 ml (1/2 pint) red wineSalt

Put the beans into a saucepanand pour in water to cover.Bring to the boil, then removethe pan from the heat anddrain. Return the beans to thepan, pour in fresh cold waterto cover and add thevegetable stock cube. Bring tothe boil, then lower the heatand simmer for 1 1/2 hoursuntil de beans are beginningto soften. (The time dependson the type and age of thebeans and the softness of thewater). Meanwhile, heat theoil in a frying pan. Add theonion and garlic and cookover a low heat, stirringoccasionally, for 10 minutes,until beginning to brown. Stirin the flour and cook, stirringconstantly, for 2-3 minutes,

then gradually stir in thewine a little at a time. Stir themixture into the beans andsimmer for a further 30minutes. Season to taste withsalt. Discard the cloves. Servethe beans in a warm deepdish.

Note: To reduce cookingtime, once the beans havecome to the boil the firsttime, drain and transfer themto a pressure cooker with thevegetable stock cube andcloves. Bring to high pressureand cook for 30 minutes,then remove the lid (once thepressure has reduced) andproceed as described above.

Ed. Note: Adapted for vegetarians

from book.

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42 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

‘PORRUSALDA’(Porrusalda)

REGIONAL

INGREDIENTS250 gr (9 oz) salt cod fillet4 tbsps olive oil6 leeks, chopped and rinsedwell750 gr (1 lb 10 oz) potatoes,dicedSalt

Put the cod in a bowl andadd water to cover. Leave tosoak for up to 24 hours,changing the water severaltimes. Drain well. Put the fishin a saucepan, pour in 500ml (18 fl oz) water and bringto the boil. Remove the panfrom the heat and lift out thecod with a fish slice. Removeany remaining bones andskin, flake the flesh with afork and return it to the waterin which it has been cooked.Heat the oil in a separatelarge saucepan. Add the leekand cook over a low heat,stirring occasionally, for about

SERVES 6 5 minutes, until beginning tobrown. Add the potato andcook for a further 5 minutes.Pour in 2 litres (3 1/2 pints)water, bring to the boil andsimmer for about 35 minutes,until the potatoes are tenderbut not disintegrating. Addthe cod and its cooking waterand simmer for a further 10minutes. Season with salt, ifnecessary, and serve in a souptureen.

Note: Porrusalda is a traditional soup

from the Basque region.

LITTLE PAVIAN SOLDIERS(Soldaditos de Pavía)

FINGER FOOD

SERVES 4

Put the cod strips in a bowland add water to cover. Leaveto soak, changing the wateronce, for 24-48 hours. Drainwell and pat dry thoroughlywith kitchen paper. Mixtogether the paprika, pepperand lemon juice in a largebowl and stir in 175 ml (6 floz) of the oil Add the codstrips and mix well. Coverand leave to marinate, stirringoccasionally, for at least 2hours. Drain the cod and patdry with kitchen paper. Heatthe remaining oil in a deep-fryer or deep frying pan to180-190ºC or until a cube of

INGREDIENTS500 gr (1 lb 2 oz) skinless saltcod fillet, cut into strips2 tsps paprikaPinch of freshly ground blackpepperJuice of 1 lemonAbout 500 ml (18 fl oz) olive oilPlain flour, for dusting1 egg

day-old bread browns in 30seconds. Spread out the flouron a shallow dish and lightlybeat the egg in anothershallow dish. Roll each stripof fish in the flour, shakingoff any excess, then roll in thebeaten egg. When the oil ishot, add the cod, in batches,and cook for 5 minutes untilgolden brown. Remove with aslotted spoon, drain onkitchen paper, then transferto a warm oven while youcook the remaining strips.Serve inmediatly.

44 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

TRADITIONAL

CHICKPEASTEW WITHSPINACH(Potaje degarbanzos conespinacas)

INGREDIENTS500 g (1 lb 2 oz) driedchickpeasPinch of bicarbonate of soda200 gr (7 oz) salt cod fillet1/2 bulb garlic1 bay leaf2 small onions1 kg (2 1/4 lb) spinach, coarsestalks removed6 tbsps olive oil1 large tomato, seeded andchopped1 tbsp plain flour1 tsp paprika1 spring fresh parsleySalt

Put the chickpeas in a bowl,pour in warm water to coverand add the bicarbonate ofsoda and a pinch of salt.Leave to soak for at least 12hours, then drain and rinsewell. Meanwhile, put the saltcod in a bowl, add cold waterto cover and leave to soak forat least 12 hours, changingthe water three or four times.(Each time you change thewater rinse out the bowl assalt tends to deposit on thebase.) Put the chickpeas intoa large saucepan and pour inhot, but not boiling, water tocover. Reserve a garlic cloveand add the remainder of thebulb to the pan with the bayleaf and one of the onions.Cook over a medium heat for2 1/4-2 1/2 hours. Drain thesalt cod, add to the pan andcook for a further 30minutes. Add the spinach andcook for 8 minutes more.Finely chop the remainingonion. Heat the oil in a fryingpan. Add the chopped onion

and cook over a low heat,stirring occasionally, for 10minutes, until lightly golden.Add the tomato and cook,stirring and breaking it upwith the side of the spoon,for a further 10 minutes. Stirin the floor and cook, stirringoccasionally, for 2-3 minutes.Stir in the paprika andremove the pan from theheat. Allow the mixture tocool slightly, then transfer to afood processor, process to apurée and stir into thechickpeas. Season to tastewith salt. Pound the parsleywith the reserved garlic in amortar, stir in 1 tablespoon ofthe cooking liquid from thechickpeas, then stir into thepan. Cook for 15-20 minutesand serve in a soup tureen.

Note: some people like to add little

Dumplings to this dish. Roll the duplings

into breadcrumbs and fry in olive oil

until golden brown all over. Add to the

stew after adding the tomato and onion

mixture

SERVES 6

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FRIED DATE ANDBACON ROLLS(Pinchos de dátilesy bacon fritos)

10 MINUTE TAPA

MAKES 20

Slit the dates along thelongest sides and carefullyremove and discard thestones. Wrap each date in astrip of bacon. Heat the oil ina frying pan, add the baconrolls and cook, turningoccasionally, for about 10minutes, until the bacon iscooked through and lightlybrowned. Drain well andserve inmediatly.

INGREDIENTS20 dried dates20 rashers thin rindless bacon2-3 tbsps groundnut oil

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ORANGESOUFFLÉS(Naranjas suflés)

DESSERT

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS4 large oranges100-150 gr (3 1/2-5 oz) castersugar 2 heaped tbsps cornflour3 tbsps Cointreau, Curaçao orother orange flavoured liqueur2 egg yolks3 egg whitesSalt

Cut a thin slice off the base ofeach orange so that it standsflat. Cut a slice off the topand carefully squize out thejuice without damaging the‘shells’. Scoop out the pulpand reserve the shells. Pour350 ml (12 fl oz) of theorange juice into a saucepanand stir in the sugar to taste.Mix the cornflour to a pastewith 5 tablespoons water in abowl. Heat the orange juiceand when bubbles begin toappear around the edge of thepan, stir in the cornflour andcook, stirring constantly, for 3minutes. Remove the panfrom the heat and leave tocool, stirring to prevent a skinforming. Preheat the grill. Stirin the liqueur, then beat inthe egg yolks. Whisk the eggwhites with a pinch of salt ina clean, dry bowl until stiffpeaks form, then gently foldinto the egg yolk mixture.Divide the mixture among theorange shells and grill for 1minute. Serve immediatly.

48 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

CHICKPEA STEW WITH SPINACHWine Pas Curtei 2006Varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, MerlotOrigin D.O. PenedésWinery Bodega Alemany i CorrióDescription Dark maroon with purple hints, this isanother wine where ripe blackberries andcocoa rise from the glass. Closerinspection will also yield some toastednotes and a hint of musk. The berriesdominate the palate, but finely judgedtannins balance and solidly structure thewine, and the hints of dark chocolatepull through to the long finish.Why this wine? In this case I looked for a wine thatshared the character of the dish: aromaticand complex, potent but notoverpowering, elegant and tasty, with theadded plus that the touch of acidityhelps clean that palate betweenmouthfuls.

LITTLE PAVIAN SOLDIERSWine Sanamaro 2005 Varietals Albariño, LoureiroOrigin D.O. Rías BaixasWinery Pazo San MauroDescription Pale yellow color with golden highlights.Very aromatic, with apples and pears,citrus fruits and freshly cut grass risingover a hint of brine and balsamic. Fresh,fruity and subtly creamy, with a long,elegant and herby finish.Why this wine? This dish features cod as the star, andtherefore blends well with an aromaticwhite with good acidity. On top of this,the hint of creaminess and the intenseherby finish pleasantly complement thefritters. Another good option could havebeen a young, fresh and lively red.

PINTO OR KIDNEY BEANS WITH RED WINEWine Casa Castillo Pie Franco 2005Varietals MonastrellOrigin D.O. JumillaWinery Bodega Julia Roch e HijosDescription Intense maroon and very opaque, thefirst sniff reveals great complexity but,above all, intensity. The first wave revealsripe cherries, blackberries and chocolate,yielding way to licorice, toastedovertones and a hint of leather. Theblackberries and cherries revealthemselves in all their glory at the firstsip, making this beefy red a perfectexample of a hot, Mediterranean wine.Why this wine? It was obvious to me that a strong, heartydish featuring red wine as one of themain ingredients required a potent, full-bodied and tasty wine to match.Furthermore, despite coming from aregion as hot as Murcia, the balancebetween fruit and tannins is good,granting it a soothing freshness thatmakes the dish more pleasant.

WINEMARRIAGEPhotographs courtesy of the winemakers

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 49

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FRIED DATE AND BACON ROLLSWine Amontillado Tradición V.O.R.S.Varietals Palomino finoOrigin D.O. Jeréz-Xérès-Sherry yManzanilla Sanlúcar de BarramedaWinery Bodegas TradiciónDescription Tarnished gold with hints of mahogany,the tremendous aromatic complexity ofthis wine will stun you. Raisins, dates,hazelnuts, toasted walnuts, a touch ofsmoke, coffee and spices all dance abovethe glass. Big on the palate and pleasantlydry, a seemingly everlasting finish bringsback the fruit and, especially, the nuts.Why this wine? This wine will add a new and excitingtouch to what is a very classic and usualtapa. Although a bit risky, the nuttinessand the contrast between sweetness andfreshness produce a very pleasant andoriginal combination. I am a big fan ofthe wines of Jerez, and have often foundthat they produce very daring andinteresting wine marriages, especiallywith well-known dishes, making classicstaples a lot more exciting.

PORRUSALDA Wine Belondrade y Lurton 2006Varietals VerdejoOrigin D.O. RuedaWinery Belondrade y LurtonDescriptionBright yellow with a greenish hue, thisclassy and aromatic white from Rueda isa symphony of herbs and fruits.Pineapple and peaches mingle with asubtle whiff of mint and spearmint.Refreshingly dry but also generouslyfruity, it has an extremely pleasant andbalsamic finish..Why this wine? The herby tones pair wonderfully withthose in the dish, and we need a tasty,and potent white to match theporrusalda. I would strongly recommendserving both the porrusalda and the wineat moderate temperatures: avoid ascalding hot porrusalda and an ice-coldwine. This would dull the flavours inboth, which will truly shine at moremoderate temperatures.

ORANGE SOUFFLÉSWine Chivite Colección 125 VendimiatardíaVarietals Moscatel de Grano MenudoOrigin D.O. NavarraWinery Bodegas Julián ChiviteDescriptionTo my mind, one of the elements thatcan make a dessert wine shine is a goodbalance between sweetness andsharpness that will prevent the wine frombecoming sugary. Golden yellow incolour, we´ll find this balance in thearomas, with dry flowers, litchis andhoney on the one hand and thesharpness grapefruit, pineapple andorange on the others. Why this wine? We find this same balance of thesharpness of citrus fruits and sweetnessin the soufflé, making this a pairingmade in heaven. This Chivite is one ofthe sharpest Spanish Moscatels, grantingus respite from the sweetness of thedessert with each sip.

Award- winning sommelier María José Huertas has developed her whole career at Michelin-starred Madrid restaurant La Terraza del Casino. She was among the first female sommeliers to leave the official school in the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and join one of the toprestaurants in the Spanish capital, where she has now spent ten years finding the best wines to accompany the creative cuisine of head chef and Ferran Adrià protegé Paco Roncero.

"When you begin to 'marry' wines to food", María José says, "you soon find that, for every dish,there tends to be at least four or five wines that are a particularly good match. You choose thoseaccording to the tastes, textures and aromas of the dish, finding wines that will not drown any of the subtleties out and will bring a little something extra to the mix that will make it special.But the only way to get it just right is to find out about the personal taste and preferences of theclient, so that you'll make the perfect selection out of the wines that initially come to mind. Itherefore like to chat a little about the favorite wines of a client before I suggest one for themeal. Since I can't quiz you readers, in my choices here I have favored wines that I findparticularly interesting myself and that are, on occasion, a little daring".

La Terraza del Casino, C/ Alcalá 15-3 E. [email protected]

YOUR SOMMELIER IS… MARÍA JOSÉ HUERTAS

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50 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

Where to buyW

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SANAMARO

UKRSP: £17

Importer: Oliver Burridge & CoLtdBurridge House, Priestley WayCrawley, Sussex RH10 9NTTel.: 012 9353 0151www.burridgewine.com

IRELANDImporter: Bacchus Wines10 Western Parkway BusinessCentreLower Ballymount Road, Dublin 12Tel.: 014 299 742www.bacchus.ie

CASA CASTILLO PIE FRANCO

UKRSP: £17

Nickolls and Perks37 High Street, Stourbridge, WestMidlands DY8 1TATel.: 013 8439 4518www.nickollsandperks.co.uk

IRELANDRSP: €32

Egan WinesMain Street. Liscannor. Co.ClareTel.: 0657 081 430www.eganwines.com

PAS CURTEI

UKRSP: £12.50

Gauntleys of Nottingham4 High St., Nottingham NG1 2ET Tel.: 01 159 110 555

Theatre of Wine75 Trafalgar Rd, London SE10 9TS Tel.: 020 8858 6363 www.theatreofwine.com

The Grapeshop135 Northcote Road, Battersea,London SW11 6PXTel.: 020 7924 3638

Uncorked Wine MerchantsExchange Arcade, Broadgate,London EC2M 3WATel.: 020 7638 5998www.uncorked.co.uk

Virgin Wines Onlinewww.virginwines.com

BELONDRADE Y LURTON

UKRSP: £19,50

Amphora WinesThe Magpies, Eye Kettleby DriveEye Kettleby, Melton Mowbray,Leics LE14 2TDTel: 016 6456 5013 www.amphora-wines.co.uk

C G Bull & Taylor Ltd.6G Hewlett House, HavelockTerrace, London SW8 4ASTel: 020 7498 8022www.cgbull.co.uk

D. Byrne & Co.Victoria Buildings, 12 King StreetClitheroe, Lancs BB7 2ETel: 012 0042 3152

Everywinewww.everywine.co.uk

AMONTILLADOTRADICIÓN

UKRSP: £56

Corks of Cotham54 Cotham Hill, CothamBristol BS6 6JX Tel.: 011 7973 1620www.corksof.com

The Dram Shop21 Commonside, Sheffield S101GATel.: 011 4268 3117

The Oxford Wine CompanyStanklake, Witney, Oxon, OX297PRTel.: 018 6530 1144www.oxfordwine.co.uk

CHIVITE COLECCIÓN125 VENDIMIA TARDÍA

UKRSP: £16.25Available at most major wine stock-ists. Also available online atwww.everywine.co.uk

IRELANDRSP: €27

Bubble Bros Wine DepotMarina Commercial Park, CentrePark Rd, Corkwww.bubblebrothers.com

Holland's Fine Wine MerchantsBray, Co. Wicklowwww.hollandsofbray.com

Jus de VinPortmarnock, Co. Dublin

Mc Hugh's Off Licence57 Kilbarrack Rd, Dublin 5and 25e Malahide Rd, Dublin 5www.mchughgroup.ie

UnWined Wine Shop & OffLicence50 North Street, Swords, Co. Dublínwww.unwined.ie

World Wide WinesDunmore Road, Waterford CityRushs, Stillorgan, Dublin

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 51

SHOP

PING

GUIDE

Products from SpainUnits 17-18 Cumberland Business Park17 Cumberland AvenueLondon NW10 7RTTel.: 020 8965 7274www.productsfromspain.co.uk

Selfridges400 Oxford StreetLondon W1A 1ABTel.: 020 7629 1234For other locations visit:www.selfridges.co.uk

Villandry Foodstore170 Great Portland StreetLondon W1W 5QBTel.: 020 7631 3131www.villandry.com

SOUTH-EASTAngela´s DelicatessenThe SquareYarmouthIsle of Wight PO41 ONSTel: 01983 761 196

Food for Thought 4 High StreetBembridgeIsle of Wight PO35 5SDTel.: 01983 873 555

SOUTH-WESTA Basket for All Seasons10 Church StreetNewent Gloucestershire, GL181PPTel.: 01531 822 940

Paxton & Whitfield1 John Street BathSomerset BA1 2JLTel.: 01225 466 403www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Wellswood Village Pantry11 Ilsham RoadTorquayDevon TQ1 2JGTel.: 1803 292 315

EASTHeathers & Meadows FineFoods81 High StreetHoddesdonHertfordshire, EN11 8TLTel.: 01992 462 113

The Food Company86 London Road, Marks TeyColchesterEssex, CO6 1EDTel.: 01206 214 000www.thefoodcompany.co.uk

Byfords Delicatessen1-3 Shirehall Plain HoltNorfolk NR25 6BG Tel.: 01263 713 520

Picnic Fayre DelicatessenThe Old ForgeCley-next-the-seaNorfolk NR25 7APTel: 01263 740 587www.picnic-fayre.co.uk

WEST MIDLANDSCeci Paolo: The New Cook´sEmporium21 High StreetLedburyHerefordshire HR8 1DSTel: 01531 632 976www.cecipaolo.com

Paxton & Whitfield13 Wood StreetStratford-upon-AvonWarwickshire CV3 76JFTel: 01789 415 544www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBERFine Food Theatre16 Market PlaceMalton North Yorkshire YO17 7LX Tel: 01653 696 563www.finefoodtheatre.co.uk

Haley & Clifford43 Street LaneLeedsWest Yorkshire LS8 1AP Tel: 01132 370 334

Lewis & Cooper Ltd92 High StreetNorthallertonNorth Yorkshire DL7 8PP Tel: 01609 772 880 For other locations visit:www.lewisandcooper.co.uk

The Ginger Pig 11, Market PlacePickeringNorth Yorkshire YO18 7AA Tel: 01751 477211 For locations in London visit:www.thegingerpig.co.uk

NORTH- WESTGranthams Fine Food & Wine68 Heyes LaneAlderley EdgeCheshire SK9 7HY Tel: 01625 583 286 www.granthamsfinefood.com

UNITED KINGDOMENGLANDLONDONBrindisa9B Weir RoadLondon SW 12 OLTTel.: 020 8772 1600For other locations visit:www.brindisa.com

Fortnum and Mason181 Picadilly London W1A 1ERTel.: 020 7734 8040www.fortnumandmason.co.uk

García and Sons248-250 Portobello RoadLondon W11 1LLTel.: 020 7221 [email protected]

Harvey Nichols Food Market109-125 Knightsbridge (5th Floor)London SW1X 7RJTel.: 020 7235 5000For other locations visit:www.harveynichols.com

Jeroboams51 Elizabeth StreetLondon SW1W 9PBTel.: 020 7730 8108For other locations visit:www.jeroboams.co.uk

La Fromagerie30 Highbury ParkLondon N5 2AATel.: 020 7539 7440For other locations visit:www.lafromagerie.co.uk

Lidgate110 Holland Park AvenueLondon W11 4UATel.: 020 7727 8243

Mortimer and Bennett33 Turnham Green TerraceLondon W4 1RGTel.: 020 8995 4145www.mortimerandbennett.co.uk

Partridge´s2-5 Duke of York SquareSloane square London SW3 4LYTel.: 020 7730 7102For other locations visit:www.partridges.co.uk

Paxton & Whitfield93 Jermyn StreetLondon SW1Y 6JETel.: 020 7930 0259www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Find Spanish products near you

52 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

Fothergills Delicatessen141 Rathmines Road UpperRathmines, Dublin 6Tel.: 01 496 2511

Get FreshUnit 6, Rosemount ShoppingCenterMarian Road, BallyroanRathfarnham, Dublin 14Tel.: 01 493 7148

Listons 25/26 Lower Camden StreetDublin 2Tel.: 01 405 4779

Magill’s Delicatessen14 Clarendon StreetDublin 2Tel.: 01 671 3830

Morton & Son15-17 Dunville AvenueRanelagh, Dublin 6Tel: 01 497 1254www.mortons.ie

Sheridan’s Cheesemongers11 South Anne StreetDublin 2Tel.: 01 679 3143For other locations visit:www.sheridanscheesemongers.com

The Gourmet Shop48 Highfield RoadRathgar, Dublin 6Tel.: 01 497 0365www.gourmetshop.ie

NATIONWIDECoopers Fine FoodsMarket SquareNavan, Co. MeathTel.: 046 907 5275www.coopersfinefoods.ie

Sheridans Cheesemongers14-16 Churchyard StreetGalwayTel.: 091 564 829

Sheridans Cheese CounterArdkeen Quality Food StoreDunmore RoadWaterfordTel.: 051 874 620www.sheridanscheesemongers.com

Urru Culinary Store BrandonThe Mill, McSwiney Quay Bandon, Co Cork Tel.: 023 54731 www.urru.ie

Online shopping from Irelandwww.wineandtapas.com

UNITED KINGDOMWALESFoxy's Deli7 Royal Buildings, Victoria RoadPenarthSouth Glamorgan CF64 3ED Tel: 029 2025 1666 For other locations visit:www.foxysdeli.com

UNITED KINGDOMSCOTLANDClive RamsayHenderson StreetBridge of AllanStirling FK9 4HRTel: 01786 893 903www.cliveramsay.com

Heart Buchanan380 Byres RoadGlasgowLanarkshire G12 8AR Tel: 01413 347 626 www.heartbuchanan.co.uk

Relish 6 Commercial Street (Leith)EdinburghMidlothian EH6 6JA Tel: 01314 761 920

The Gourmet's Lair8 Union StInvernessInverness-Shire IV1 1PL Tel: 01463 225 151www.gourmetslair.co.uk

Valvona & Crolla19 Elm RowEdinburgh EH7 4AATel: 01315 566 066www.valvonacrolla.co.uk

IRELANDDUBLINCavistons Food Emporium58/59 Glasthule RoadSandycoveCo. DublinTel.: 01 280 9120www.cavistons.com

Evergreen 34 Wexford StreetDublin 2Tel: 01 478 5265

Fallon and Byrne11/17 Exchequer StreetDublin 2,Tel.: 01 472 1010www.fallonandbyrne.com

SHOP

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Editor-in-chiefCathy Boirac

Editorial coordinationEtnín C.B.Saúl Aparicio HillIria González Panizo

JournalistsLuis AguilarSaúl AparicioKatie GoldsteinIria GonzálezEamonn Power

Design and Art DirectionEstudio Manuel Estrada

Photo ArchiveMabel Manso

CoverPablo Amargo

Colour SeparationsEspacio y Punto

PrintersAltair Impresia Ibérica

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D.L.: M.45.307-1990

NIPO705 06 027 6

ISSN: 0214-2937

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