IAN & SPAIN

A small, immaculate white hut stands in front of Pinedo beach. Shrubs, pots and the occasional hedge surround the charming building with more than 200 years of history where today some of the best paellas in the world are served. More than 30 years ago, Rafael Soler turned this 'barraca' into a restaurant that he called, quite rightly, the 'Genuina'.

The diners of the Genuina can relive the typical homemade meals born from the Pinedo vegetable gardens and orchards, where all varieties of rice dishes played a very important role. Valencian recipes are an emblem of this restaurant which strives to maintain local tradition as much as possible and naturally offers local wines to wash down their delicacies.

The restaurant is so authentic that it is considered a true emblem of the area. That is why it is not surprising that King Felipe VI visited the premises after the Jaume I Awards, which he attended as a guest of honour last Friday, November 19. After the ceremony, the monarch went to the Genuina with eight companions who ordered Valencian Paella and Paella Senyoret - a seafood paella, but this one is served with all the seafood already peeled  - fit for a King!

This really is a fantastic restaurant and if you ever get the chance to visit Valencia you should pop along and enjoy some lunch!

Spain’s current popularity as the culinary hub of innovative gastronomy has opened the door for the proliferation of Spanish wines. The Spanish culture itself is extremely popular now and is being heavily marketed to a ready and receptive audience. One of the biggest draws of the Rías Baixas Albariños is that they represent great quality at an affordable price and offer an exciting alternative to the consumer bored with traditional white wine choices.

Rías Baixas (ree-ahs-buy-shass) is the most important Denomination of Origin (DO) in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain. The DO was formally established in 1988 and owes much of its acclaim to the white Albariño (al-ba-ree-nyo) grape, which has been elevated by many in Spain and abroad to cult status.

The history of the DO dates back to 1980 when an official denomination was created specifically for the Albariño grape variety. When Spain entered the European Union (EU) in 1986, however, the denomination was changed to Rías Baixas because EU wine laws did not recognize a DO named for a single grape variety. Since 1988, the DO has complied with all Spanish and EU wine regulations. The Rías Baixas DO is regulated by the Consejo Regulador (local governing body) which ensures adherence to permitted grape varieties, viticultural practices, winemaking and ageing procedures.

A beautiful green area, Rίas Baixas has been likened to a vision of the Garden of Eden. This lush land is characterised by rίas – deep, wide inlets of water encroaching many miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The southern group of these rίas is known as Rίas Baixas (the lower estuaries).

Rίas Baixas vineyards are all located within the province of Pontevedra in Galicia. There are 8,650 acres under vine with more than 6,500 growers and almost 20,000 individual vineyard plots ranging from 330 feet to 985 feet in altitude. Almost 100% of the wine produced in the region bears the DO designation. The cool, damp climate is dominated by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean; however, there are varying micro-climates within the five different designated sub-zones of the region.

By far the finest white grape variety, Albariño accounts for 90% of all plantings in the Rίas Baixas region of Spain. Rías Baixas — and more precisely its sub-zone Val do Salnés — is the birthplace of Albariño. One origin theory — romantic but untrue — is that Albariño is derived from Riesling, brought by German pilgrims on the path to Santiago de Compostela, a holy city in Galicia. Another theory is that the Cistercian monks from Burgundy, who established vineyards wherever they built their churches, introduced it in the 12th or 13th century. 

Whatever the origin, there is no dispute in terms of the quality and unique flavour profile of Albariño wines. It has been compared to Riesling for its minerality and bracing acidity; to Viognier, because of its fleshiness and peach/apricot character; and to Pinot Gris for its floral bouquet. When grown in highly acidic, granitic earth, Albariño yields a more mineral-driven and structured wine. In sandy soil, however, the Albariño grape gives a softer, rounder wine. 

A small, green, thick-skinned variety, the grape resists fungal disease in the particularly damp climate of Rίas Baixas. Albariño is a low yielding variety and expensive to cultivate. It is also one of the few Spanish white grape varieties produced as a varietal wine on its own and designated on labels. Most often fermented in stainless steel for early drinking, Albariño is a versatile grape. It responds well to malolactic or barrel fermentation and maturation to create wines of wonderful complexity and ageing ability. 

While Rίas Baixas is the birthplace of Albariño, it is also extensively grown in the Vinho Verde region of Portugal and can be found to a lesser extent in both Australia and the United States of America. 

So what food goes best with Albariño? First of all, there is no absolute right or wrong food for wine pairing, so enjoy the wine with whatever food you like. There is, however, one simple guideline: match the wine to the texture (or weight) of the food. These food-friendly wines with their intense fruit character, lively acidity, moderate alcohol and mineral overtones have a roundness and great level of acidity, which allows them to pair beautifully with a wide range of cuisines. While they are exceptional with fresh fish and seafood of all kinds, they are also delicious with chicken, pork and veal dishes as well as a variety of cheeses.

 Albariño also refreshes and cools off the palate, making it an ideal accompaniment to many spicy cuisines from around the world, including Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese food. Although I am not really an advocate of drinking wine with spicy foods.

Don’t let the fact that a large variety of wines are produced from the same Albariño grape fool you into thinking that they all taste alike. Each producer has its own unique style, based on its winemaking philosophy, experience, sub-zone location, soil and micro-climate. This is why tasting many different wines from the region is an interesting and fun experience.

Albariño is a crisp and refreshing wine, like biting into a ripe, juicy apple. It has beautiful acidity that wakes up your palate. This is an aromatic and concentrated fruity wine. On the nose, it is reminiscent of white peaches, apricot, citrus fruits and jasmine. On the palate, it is dry and lively, with an intense fruity character and mineral overtones.

My favourite winery to date in this region is 'Bodegas Martín Códax' which is located in the Val do Salnés sub-zone. It was established in 1986 and is a cooperative of 285 members. It takes its name from a 13th-century local troubadour. 100% Albariño wines are marketed under the Martín Códax and Burgáns brands.

Their vineyards, situated in small plots, use the typical system of “emparrado” and are meticulously cared for, nurtured by their experts in order to get the best possible quality. Harvest usually starts in September and it is hand-harvested and the grape clusters are put in crates of 20 kg in order to avoid their being crushed or bruised and thereby decreasing quality. 

Once they arrive at the winery, they are analysed to ensure they have the essential requirements and are introduced into the de-stemmer in order to separate the berries from the stems.  Finally, a pneumatic press produces the juice.

Once they have the juice, the alcoholic fermentation process begins in stainless steel vats of 30.000 litres. When it is finished, malolactic fermentation starts. This fermentation converts malic acids into lactic acids, avoiding excessive acidity. Finally, the wine is stabilized and bottled.

Martín Códax, the man who inspired their albariño’s name, was one of the most important Galician men of the Middle Ages. The Vindel parchment, the oldest in Galician-Portuguese old language, is a testament to some of his songs which praise his love and passion for the sea.
 
Martin Codax is a pure albariño and it is produced following a rigorous and meticulous process in order to guarantee its varietal pureness and the traditional essence of the Salnés Valley original wines and I highly recommend it. Serve it very cold.

This wine is available in Carrefour and El Corte Ingles for around €10. It really pairs fantastically with seafood and rice dishes or on its own.

It has been a while since my last recommendation, mainly because I haven't really experimented much recently, but not so long ago I had a special meal that warranted some special wine so I decided to adventure out and try some Ribera del Duero Reds which I had never tried before. Under repeated recommendation from friends in the know, I took home some bottles from Bodegas Abadia San Quirce. What a pleasant surprise and what a great wine. It tasted like a Ribera worth twice the price. As vineyards go, this one in question is actually a fairly young one, even though their vines are much older.

In 1998 a group of businessmen and viticulturists, all of them linked to the Ribera del Duero, set the foundations for Bodegas Abadía San Quirce. That year, and after an enormous amount of research, the construction of the winery began, in one of the areas of Ribera del Duero with the greatest winemaking tradition, possessing very old vines and with extraordinary quality.

Since its founding, Bodegas Abadía San Quirce has made a firm commitment to quality. High-quality wines that reflect the typical characteristics of the soil and the native varieties of the land. As a result, they have walked away with prizes every year for the past decade or more.

Bodegas Abadía San Quirce has a total of 21 hectares of the Tinta Fina variety (Tempranillo) in Aranda de Duero and La Aguilera. It also controls another 80 hectares, of the same variety, distributed between the towns of Gumiel de Izán and La Aguilera.

Every vine is shaped like a glass "forma en vaso", as was traditionally done in this region. The ages of the vineyard range from 15 for the youngest to over 100 years old, from pre-phylloxera vines planted in 1900. Being such an old vineyard, it is spread over numerous plots with different types of soils (sandy, limestone, clay-loam). This allows them to obtain grapes that, even though they are of the same variety, are totally different due to the character that their particular terroir gives them.

All pruning and harvesting work is done manually in this vineyard. This way, at harvest time, an important selection is made in the field.

The alcoholic fermentation takes place for the most part in stainless steel tanks. A small part of the grapes that are specially selected is fermented in French oak barrels with 900 litres capacity each.

Once the grapes are in the tank, after being destemmed and slightly crushed, a cold pre-fermentation maceration is done for 3-5 days at a temperature of 4-6 ºC, which allows a greater extraction of anthocyanins and aromatic precursors.

After this period they let it rise in temperature naturally and the alcoholic fermentation begins, which consists of the transformation of the sugars of the grape into alcohol, as well as the formation of other secondary compounds that will give rise to the wine. Once the alcoholic fermentation is finished, the grapes continue to macerate between 7 and 15 days.

Once the maceration is finished, it is uncovered, separating the liquid part from the solids and the paste is pressed. This is carried out at very low pressures to avoid the breakage of the seeds and the extraction of unwanted compounds.

The second stage of this process consists of malolactic fermentation. They do this in oak barrels and the time it takes is variable,  depending on the amount of malic acid in the grape each year.

This meticulous process results in a collection of wonderful wines. Not all are within my budget for a regular glass but one has made it into my personal "bodega":  6 Meses - Barrica. At just €8,50 in Carrefour, it really is a bargain for a Ribera del Duero of this quality and characteristics. I highly recommend trying it and pairing it with some manchego cheese. You won't regret it!

The New York Hotel Marriott Marquis has hosted this weekend the 40th edition of the Wine Spectator’s New York Experience, the most emblematic gala for the international wine sector. These ‘Oscars’ of wine have awarded the highest recognition, the best wine in the world, to a Spanish wine, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2010 from the Marqués de Murrieta winery.

The publication that organises the event, Wine Spectator, is owned by one of the most prestigious North American publishing groups in the field of luxury, wine and spirits. Every year, it makes a list of the 100 most outstanding wines, the most mentioned being French and Italian productions, surprisingly. Spain still has a long way to go before being considered a 'luxury brand’ by the sounds of things.

That said, for this year's selection, more than 11,000 tastings have been carried out and the centennial label of the first winery in La Rioja has been the only one to not only enter the top ten but also to win.

The president of this wine business and owner of the Riojan winery Marqués de Murrieta, Vicente D. Cebrián-Sagarriga, collected the award in person before more than a thousand attendees to whom he dedicated some emotional words. He recognised that it was one of the most important days of his life due to the effort and work that has taken to obtain the precious recognition.

Likewise, Cebrián-Sagarriga emphasized that the award represents a great achievement for Spanish wine, as well as a great recognition for Marqués de Murrieta and the family that is in charge of a project that represents the quality and good work of Spain.

Among the criteria taken into account by the committee for the award of this prize, are quality, the history of the winery, the impeccable image of its wines around the world and what they call the X factor, an aspect associated with feeling, the passion and enthusiasm that wine arouses in tasters. And, according to the organisation, the Spanish winery is more than deserving.

In this event, personalities from Spanish gastronomy such as the influential Chef José Andrés also gathered, who was awarded for his humanitarian work and celebrated that a Spanish winery achieved the highest recognition in the awards ceremony.