IAN & SPAIN

Morcilla - Spanish black pudding (blood sausage for the non-Brits) - is one of the many types of sausages that exists, it is most commonly prepared with cow's blood but in some cases, it can be made with pig's blood. It is a food that I absolutely love and always considered it to be really unhealthy but to my surprise, it actually turns out it is quite healthy. What great news!

Nutrition experts created a food classification a while ago in order to be able to group all foods which had an above-average nutritional value, these types of food are now known as "superfoods".

As science has advanced and the properties and benefits of each food have been demonstrated through studies, more foods have been included in this classification, and one of the last to be integrated is the famous and delicious 'morcilla'.

Morcilla is one of the many sausages available in Spain and widely used in regional recipes. It is prepared with cow's blood or pig's blood, which is seasoned with various spices and combined with ingredients such as rice, onion or bread crumbs, depending on the region mainly.

The health properties of morcilla may vary a bit depending on the type of ingredients used to prepare it, however, in average terms, it maintains the following nutritional composition:

In 100gr of 'morcilla', there are 3.2gr of carbohydrates, 13.50gr of monounsaturated fats, 2.5gr of polyunsaturated fats, 11gr of proteins and 55gr of water.

Additionally, its high vitamin content stands out, providing vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, E and folic acid. While if we look at the mineral contributions, we can also benefit from its calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium contents.

As a result of these properties the consumption of morcilla can have positive effects on your health, among which the following can be highlighted:

Lower risk of anaemia
This is one of the best-known benefits, as its high iron content helps to produce more red blood cells and provide energy to the body, which makes it an essential food to combat or prevent anaemic symptoms.

Helps build muscles
Morcilla is rich in protein, which is essential when it comes to building muscle tissue, making muscles grow and strengthen.

Less chance of cardiovascular disease
Although many people believe that it is the opposite, morcilla only contains 18mg of cholesterol for each serving of 100gr and 6gr of saturated fatty acids, which means that they are within the range recommended by the World Health Organization.

It is suitable for diabetics
With 100gr of morcilla, only 3% of the daily carbohydrate requirements are covered, this means that it is a food that can be adapted to the low-carbohydrate diets that people with diabetes must follow. But only when we don't consume the variety with rice - the Burgos variety. 

There are many ways to prepare morcilla, depending on your tastes, but one of the most common ways is to grill it or barbecue it. There are also those who prefer to eat it fried or baked, or even use it as another ingredient in other recipes such as soups, stews or rice dishes. Whichever way you decide, you can enjoy it more now that you know you are actually doing yourself some good, but like everything in life, moderation is key.

Many of you may already know the region Campo de Borja closely tied to the Garnacha variety(grenache). But if this Aragonese land has come to conquer the world, it has been thanks to Bodegas Borsao. A winery that has succeeded in being recognised across the globe especially in the United States and still today many people in Spain are not aware of its success within the wine community overseas. 80% of its production is dedicated to export.

The Borsao winery bet everything on the variety Garnacha and knew that they would have to suffer for several years until they achieved their objective and earned the respect of the wine community worldwide. As a result of persistence and hard work, a new wine was born and it has become one of the most sold wines internationally and also one of the most highly valued Spanish wines as well as receiving endless awards along the way. 

It is called Borsao Tres Picos and is a wine that really needs to be on your list. Admittedly it is slightly over my normal €10 limit for wine recommendations, but this is worth the stretch and still delivers excellent value for money. It's no surprise that it was awarded 'Best Value for Money Wine in the World' by The Wine Advocate 3 years in a row. This wine was the first Spanish wine made with the Garnacha variety to achieve 100 Parker points.

Its good aromatic body, with red fruit and floral nuances in the foreground, makes it an excellent example of the best Aragonese Garnacha.

The first written records about winemaking in this region date back to 1203 and were founded in the Monastery of Veruela. The monks had an essential role in the development of vine growing and winemaking in the region.

In the 19th century, private wineries in the foothills surrounding Veruela began to emerge and in the 1950´s economic difficulties pushed small producers to join forces and six co-operatives emerged, which nowadays comprise most of the D.O.

Borsao is the benchmark for premium Spanish Garnacha. It has been one of the greatest preservers of this variety and they firmly believe that it is specially suited to the region and that they must continue working relentlessly to improve the wines it produces.

Garnacha is living a huge revival worldwide thanks to its fruit-driven character, soft tannins and pleasant taste, which make it perfect to match a wide variety of meals.

Garnacha originated in Aragón, where Borja is located and it owes its development throughout Europe to the strength of the Kingdom of Aragón, whose expansion made Garnacha become well established in the Rhône Valley in the 19th century, Italy and Sardinia.

Garnacha is the most planted red variety in the world. Other names used for Garnacha are; Alicante, Aragonés, Cannonau, Garnaccho Negro, Garnacha Negra, Garnacha Roja, Garnacha Tinta, Grenache, Tintilla, Toledana,  Uva di Spagna.

During the 80s and 90s, it was extensively uprooted in Spain. However, it has been very well preserved in Aragón, where they are pioneers in single varietal Garnacha and it has contributed to its popularity among consumers.

The Hillsides of the Moncayo shelter the vineyards located between 350 and 800 metres of altitude, regulating cold, heat and moderating the effects of the North-west Cierzo, which is responsible for the characteristic wild fruit aromas (Silvestres).

All 1,500 hectares of the winery's property has been planted with an indigenous clone of Garnacha, 900 hectares correspond to “Garnacha de Monte”, i.e. Garnacha over 35 years of age, growing on hillsides, bush-trained and not irrigated.

The Moncayo hills, with their soft undulations, provides optimum conditions for growing grapes, especially Garnacha that by tradition represents 70% of the total production.

If you haven't had the opportunity to try this wine, I really recommend that you give it a go. You won't be disappointed, even though it does cost €13,80.

TASTING NOTES:

View: Ruby red colour, with violet reflections.
Nose: Intense aroma, with sweet and fresh notes of ripe red fruits, wildflowers, chocolate, caramel, vanilla and red berries.
Mouth: Fine, complex flavour with good acidity, with soft tannins on the palate and light notes of red fruits. It has sour and smoky notes of cherries, liquorice and oak wood.

Preparation: Maceration for 20 to 25 days. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of between 25 and 30 ºC.

Ageing: Matures for 5 months in new French Bordeaux barrels.

PARKER: 91 points - best year achieved 100
PEÑIN: 91 points

Where you can buy it click here.