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Summer FeaturesAndoni Aduriz: On SpiceHidden deep in the Basque country-side is Mugaritz, the restaurant ofrising star and culinary revolution-ary Andoni Luis Aduriz. His aims?To create unique meals. His assets?Spices, herbs and an encyclopaedicknowledge of Botany ................... 4

Greene SpainUsing his country house in Ourenseas a base, Graham Greene spentmany of the last twenty summers ofhis life travelling around Spain andthe region of Galicia. Join us on atrip to this land of legends, unspoiltnature and vineyards ................. 12

Rías Baixas, in search of thegreat whiteLong the secret behind some ofSpain’s best white wines, theAlbariño grape is gaining popularityas a refreshing alternative to theubiquitous Chardonnay. SpainGourmetour visits Rías Baixas, the Spanish star of Albariño production ................................. 22

Olives: dressed to thrillBe they as an appetizer or a quicktapa, be they stuffed, pitted orplain, or be they Manzanilla,Hojiblanca or Gordal, olives are atrue staple of the Spanish kitchen.We take a look at Spain’s olives, andespecially at the dressings, mari-nades and preparations that givethem a Spanish ‘accent’............... 30

Regular Features

Spain: small bites Our guide to aSpain close to home. 3 A word inyour ear… Spain Gourmetour inter-views the people in the know tobring you top tips on eating, drink-ing and cooking ‘Spanish style’. 37Recipes Chef Elías Murciano andsommelier Francisco Trujillo ofCitra restaurant in Madrid offer yousix delicious ideas and their choiceof what to ‘wash them down’ with.38 Vistas Visits to Barcelona's LaBoquería's market are a bitter-sweetexperience for chef and writerGabrielle Hamilton. 48

With the blistering heat of August round the corner, we rally to therescue with a battery of refreshing ideas.

If you’re considering a holiday in Spain, why not visit Galicia? Celticheritage, green valleys, the Atlantic ocean… a very different Spain fromthe Mediterranean coast you may know. You could, for instance, followin the footsteps of Graham Greene, who was a regular summer visitorduring the final two decades of his life. We show you the land oflegends, magic and, above all, good food and wine that he loved.

If you prefer to cool down at home, Galicia is also a prime producer ofone of the most refreshing white wine varieties you’re ever likely to try.The Albariño grape of Rías Baixas is the source of some of Spain’s bestand most prestigious whites. You could even go all Spanish on youraperitivo and serve some Spanish olives with your ice-cold Albariño. Wetell you all about the most popular varieties in Spain and throw in somedressing and marinade suggestions to boot.

Finally, we interview one of Spain’s most exciting chefs, whose uniquephilosophy of alta cocina is sending ripples down Spain’s culinary scene.Andoni Aduriz tells us of how he uses herbs and spices to create a“cuisine of whispers” and a communion with nature in his restaurant.

All this, plus chef Elías Murciano’s summer recipes, wine suggestions andmuch more in this edition of Spain Gourmetour. Have a nice holiday!

Cathy BoiracEditor in Chief

SPAIN GOURMETOUR SUMMER 2007

FIVE SPANISHWINES AWARDED100 POINT BY THEWINE ADVOCATE... ... and over 400 receive 90 ormore points. Critics and winelovers across the country seem tobe in sync. Issue 169 of RobertParker’s Wine Advocate awarded100 points, a perfect score, to fiveSpanish wines. “Spanish winescontinue to be red-hot,” thereview states, and these highscores- combined with theimpressive number of winesreceiving 90 or more points (435in the printed edition, notincluding the five 100s) certainlyseem to confirm the claim. Thecentennial wines are: BodegasArtadi, Viña el Pisón 2004(D.O.Ca Rioja); Clos I Terrases,Clos Erasmus 2004 (D.O.CaPriorat); Numanthia-Thermes,Termanthia 2004 (D.O. Toro);Dominio de Pingus, Pingus 2004(D.O. Ribera del Duero);Benjamín Romeo, Contador 2004(D.O.Ca Rioja) (note: the last oneappears in an update on thewebsite, but is not listed in theprint edition).

STARCHEFS.COM’SINTERNATIONALCHEFSCONGRESSStarchefs.com will host its annualthree-day symposium in NewYork City on September 16-18,2007. Albert Adrià, José Andrésand Sergi Arola where some of theSpanish chefs that joined theirpeers in New York for theinaugural edition in 2006 of thisnot-to-miss culinary event.Spanish chefs confirmed at presstime for 2007 include AndoniLuis Adúriz, José Andrés and DaniGarcía. Please visitwww.starchefs.com for moredetails.

WINES FROMSPAIN STERLING25THANNIVERSARYWines from Spain turns 25 thisyear and the celebrations go oninto the Fall. What a better way tocommemorate our anniversarythan to toast with us and ourfriends at the Great Match New

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choice between attending theirfavorite shows and tasting theparade of sublime wines presentedthroughout the week. For moreinformation on Rioja wines pleasetake a tour throughwww.vibrantrioja.com.

FOOD AND FILMAT SONOMAFood and film lovers in theSonoma and Napa counties thisAugust would do well to look outfor the 21st edition of thetravelling Sonoma Wine CountryFilm Festival. Aside from showingnew International Feature andShort films in seven differentcategories – Films al Fresco™(movies in the vineyards underthe stars,) World Cinema, CineLatino, US Cinema, The Arts inFilm™ (films about music, danceand the arts,) Cinema ofConscience™ (films of socialissues,) and Eco Cinema – thefestival will be a chance to explorethe Spanish roots of Sonoma, CA,through a series of guided Spanishfood and wine tours called “Paseode España” (A walk of Spain).

On August 4th, the shopssurrounding National Historiclandmark Sonoma Plaza will eachbe assigned a series of Spanishdelicacies, allowing participants totour the town, sampling all theway. Following the Paseo onSunday, August 5th will be aFiesta at an historic site in townwhere tastings and entertainmentwill precede the "Films al Fresco"outdoor film screening. Each walkis limited to 100, so advancebooking is advisable.www.winecountryfilmfest.comTel: 707-935-3456

York at the end of September?Don’t miss this opportunity toexperience first hand theversatility of Spanish wines with avariety of cuisines. For the exactdate and location please visitwww.greatmatch.org.

RIOJA, A VIBRANTADDITION TO NEWYORK’S FASHIONWEEKFor a second year, Vibrant Riojawill be a sponsor at the New YorkSpring 2008 Mercedes-BenzFashion Week, to be held in NewYork’s Bryant Park, September 5through 12, 2007. “Did you get aglass of Rioja?” will be againoverheard throughout the tents,and fashionistas will have a hard

SMALL BITESSpain

Rated amongst the most prominent up-and-coming stars of Spain's culinary scene,chef Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz restaurant has distinguished himself for hisextensive knowledge and use of herbs and spices. Vicky Burnett meets the man anddiscusses his passion.

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ONAndoni Aduriz

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gastronomic role. They havebeen connected to medicineand health or used as a wayto preserve food. Herbs likeparsley, rosemary or thymehave such apparent aromasthat they have naturally lentthemselves to the kitchen. Butthose that don't have such astrong character aren't takeninto consideration beyondtheir medicinal use.”

It is precisely these herbsand spices, with their subtlearomas, that are enjoying a“little revolution” in hiskitchen, he says.

A cuisine ofwhispers“Mine is a ‘tepid’ cuisine, acuisine of whispers, a cuisinewhere I seek insipidity inevery sense. Diners atMugaritz have to tunethemselves in, to make more

of an effort to understandthan has been asked of themup until that moment. It’s anew tone, as if themelancholy of the productswas emerging. It’s atremendously subversiveexercise. Many people thinkthat what gets attention isshouting. It’s not. To whisperis subversive. I love theseplants that are melancholic,that whisper. Up until nowpeople have used them tosettle their stomach, forexample, but now they arebeing used to cook with. Theydon't have much flavor? Mucharoma? That’s perfect for me.”

Recipes that test thisphilosophy abound on theMugaritz menu: five tinygnocchi made from localIdiazabal cheese, each toppedwith a single leaf – marjoram,radish, parsley, green andpurple fennel – and billed as

five different dishes in one;dark, firm betonica leaves in asoup of vegetables and driedtubors; sheep’s milk curd withhay and toasted fern.

“There is a host of herbs weuse from this region that don'thave a huge personality. Takethe dog's tooth violet. Itcomes out about now andonly lasts for four to fiveweeks. It's a plant that hasmore texture than aroma and,moreover, it's beautiful. Theflower is in between sweetand spicy-hot. That, for me, isvery seductive. Is dog's toothas marvelous and enticing as,say, a stronger spice likepimentón (Ed. Note- a Spanishtype of paprika)? Obviouslynot. But it has anotherexciting quality, which is thatyou can't get it in the market.Either I pick it or you pick it.Either I serve it to you, or youwon't get to taste it at all.”

A light drizzle falls on thegreen Basque hills thatsurround the converted farmbuildings that house Mugaritzand the cutting-edge kitchenof Andoni Luis Aduriz. Thespring air is damp and mossyand a ceiling of clouds hangslow over fields dotted withhaystacks. It is into this lushcountryside that Aduriz andhis team often head to foragefor the wild herbs and flowersthat are one of the signaturesof his cuisine.

Aduriz says he isdiscovering the culinarypotential of herbs that havebeen overlooked or whoserole has historically beenlimited to their medicinalqualities or their use as apreservative.

“Herbs and spices havemainly had a practical role inSpanish cuisine. Very fewhave had a purely

TextVictoria Burnett

PhotosJuan Manuel Sanz/ICEX

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In addition to what Adurizcan find in the localcountryside, he searches themarkets of the Spanish andFrench Basque region andgrows more than 100 varietiesof herbs, fruits and flowers inMugaritz's kitchen garden.Last year, he planted 15different types of basil andnine kinds of strawberry.

“For me, the aromas of plantsand spices can add an accent, acomma, can punctuate food,”he says. “They are like littletools that you need to do yourwork. It’s like looking forwords to help you define whatyou want to say. If you onlyhave 300 words, you’re goingto be more limited in what youcan say than if you have 3,000.The same applies to herbs andspices. Even if you only usethem in a very small, anecdotalway, you produce somethingmuch richer.”

Nature’s gift“But there is a difference: ifyou look for a word, you willfind it,” he says. “But if I lookfor a herb, I may not findenough to serve to a lot ofpeople, not enough to keep iton the menu. So I workaccording to the plants. Forexample, we composed a dishlast year with five or sixvarieties of basil. Why?Because it was in season. Atthis time of year the dwarfelderberry bushes are about toflower. So we’ll gatherelderflowers and dosomething with them. Andwhen the flowers are finished,we’ll let the fruit ripen andthen we’ll do the same withthe fruit. When they areunderripe, they are very toxic.You have to flow continuouslywith nature.”

Nature is all around at

Mugaritz, from the menu thatclaims to take you closer tothe natural world to thehaystacks and waxy-leafedcamellias outside theexpansive windows of thedining room. But the richculinary promise of theBasque countryside wasn'talways evident to the 36-yearold chef, who grew up in theseaside town of San Sebastian,the Basque region's food‘Mecca’.

“When I first came here(nine years ago), I lookedaround and all I saw wasgreen. Green up there, greendown there, green all around.But there came a momentwhen I began to see distinctkinds of green – greens withdifferent tones – and I enteredinto a communion withnature. Then my perspectivechanged completely. Thecuisine we are making here

wouldn’t make sense in anurban location. Both becauseof the produce we use and thesoul of the place.”

Despite his protestationsthat he is “not a botanist, buta cook who knows a tiny, tinybit,” Aduriz has clearly madeup for lost time. The earnest,bespectacled chef hascollaborated on two books onherbs, including a ratherforbidding 400-page botanicaldictionary that explains theproperties of different plantsand their culinary uses. Hewhips out a copy of thedictionary and pores over itstiny print and black-and-white drawings.

Spain's ownIt is perhaps Aduriz'saddiction to subtlety thatdetermines his relationshipwith the two principal spicesof the Spanish kitchen: saffron

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and pimentón. Pimentón, thedeep-red powder ground fromthe capsicum pepper, appearsin its sweet form in typicaldishes such as paella and inits more piquant form inchorizo and sobrasada, a spicysausage. While the morerobust pimentón has a verymarginal role in Aduriz'skitchen, saffron is an evidentsource of fascination.

“Saffron has a very peculiararoma. It seduces you andyou learn it. Some spices areeasy to 'learn', like vanilla orcinnamon, but saffron takeslonger. It's one of the fewspices that has all threefantastic characteristics:aroma, taste and color. Ontop of this it has a magicalfeature – the fact it is sterile.Its survival has depended onits ability to seduce mankind.Its sterility loads it withsymbolism and it is this

“FOR ME, THE AROMAS OFPLANTS AND SPICES CANADD AN ACCENT, A COMMA,CAN PUNCTUATE FOOD”

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mystique that makes it sospecial. Also, saffron is aflower. Everyone is goingcrazy these days about edibleflowers. Well, saffron is one.”

“Spanish saffron from LaMancha is the best in theworld,” says Aduriz. “Beforethe sun comes up, womenpick the bulbs that are on thepoint of opening and putthem into baskets in carefullymeasured amounts so as toprotect them from the lightand from the air. Withextraordinary skill, theyseparate the stigma from therest of the flower.”

Grabbing a pen and paperto draw a diagram of thecrocus flower from whichsaffron is harvested, heexplains how the women takethe fresh stigma, or 'greensaffron', and dry it in aprocess known as theRetostado. Manchego saffron isdried at about 90 degrees – ahigher temperature than usedby other producers and key toits flavor. Also important isthe fact that crops are rotatedevery three years, he says.

To this pain-stakingprocess, Aduriz adds his owntouch. He toasts the saffronagain, folded in paper andplaced in the oven at 130degrees for two to threeminutes to further dehydrateit. Then he pounds it in amortar – the finer it isground, the greater the flavor,aroma and color. And then heleaves it for several hours inliquid – for example water or

milk – to further draw outthe aroma. He dismisses amyth about saffron – that itmust be added at the end ofcooking otherwise it will loseits flavor.

EndangeredsaffronBut the spice is beingundermined by cheapercompetitors from India andIran, he says, pulling out aphotograph of 20 kinds ofsaffron and explaining whatsets them apart.

“They do no rotate thecrop, so the flowers aresmaller. They don’t pick theflowers with the samedelicacy as in La Mancha.They don’t dry them at thesame temperature. Theytransport them in sacks piledup on the top of a truck. Ihave found beautiful littleboxes of saffron in shops thatsay: “The best saffron in theworld – saffron from theHimalayan foothills”. It’sfalse. It’s the saffron from LaMancha, which isextraordinary, isn’t prized asit should be to the point thatit might disappear. That hurtsLa Mancha and it hurts me.”

This obsession with theorigins of produce and thework that goes intocultivating or nurturing itseems to form the heart ofAduriz's culinary philosophy.

“I have the garden not onlyso that we can supplyourselves, but so that the

chefs touch the earth. You canpick the phone and make anorder, and what you wantarrives, but you don’tappreciate it. You need totouch the earth andunderstand that after four ofus get together and plant theseeds and prepare everythingcarefully, there could be ahailstorm and we could loseeverything. Or the neighbor’sdog could get in and break allthe plants. The fact somethingcan be lost gives it greatervalue. We have so much ofeverything that we’re onlycapable of valuing somethingwhen, for example, we’re atthe top of a mountain, wheresuddenly a cup of coffee tasteslike the best thing in theworld. It’s not just thecharacteristics of the produce,but the context”.

Products and‘Alta Cocina’I ask if his desire to takediners back to nature, topresent herbs and vegetablesin their freshest, cleanestforms, is contradictory withhis training at El Bulli, wherefood is deconstructed.

“It’s true that one of thethings about Bulli that mostsurprises is the technicalvirtuosity. But this virtuosityis underpinned by theproduce. One of the greatestdefendants of produce that Iknow is Ferran Adriá. Whathappens is that the technicaland conceptual ability of this

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man is so important, sopowerful, so spectacular, thatit eclipses everything else. AtEl Bulli too, we went out andpicked wild produce, wecooked with sea water. Thesewere significant gesturestowards nature.”

“But there can only be oneEl Bulli. At El Bulli, naturalproduce has a big role, buttechnique has a bigger one.

Here, technique has a bigrole, but natural produce hasa bigger one. Also, we’vetaken the technique andwe’ve concealed it. For me,the technical flourish isn’t soimportant in itself as is whatit allows me to produce – it isnot the end, it is the means.What I want to do is stealsomeone’s heart, whether it’ssautéing, roasting or grilling.

I want to steal their heart witha pear, and apple or caviar.The important thing is to stealyour heart.”

www.mugaritz.com

Victoria Burnett is a correspondentfor the New York Times and International Herald Tribune inMadrid. Over the past 13 years, shehas lived and worked in Asia, theUnited States and Latin America.

“SAFFRON FROM LAMANCHA, WHICH ISEXTRAORDINARY, ISN’TPRIZED AS IT SHOULD BE”

SPAI

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Greene spent most of hissummers in Galicia in thelater years of his life. JohnRadford follows in hisfootsteps.

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The sacredriverbankThis is Ribeira Sacra – the‘sacred riverbank’ of the Sil,so called because of thenumber of monasteries alongits length. We began with SanPedro de Rocas, founded inAD 573, with additions fromthe 12th to the 16th century.It’s being restored as aneducation center but open tovisitors who don’t mindthings a bit rocky underfoot.

The oldest part is thechancel in the monasterychapel, with a Romanesqueapse. About 12 monks wouldhave lived here, and whenthey died they were interredin tailor-made, human-shapedtombs in the chapel floor,with flagstones laid on thetop. The tombs – all long-since empty – have beenexcavated and bear a silentwitness to a millennium and ahalf of monastic history.

Indeed, the atmosphere isstill hushed, reverent,consecrated by the manygenerations who prayed anddied here – even the sounds ofthe builders’ machinery outsidethe main door somehow didn’tbreak the spell.

Outside there’s a pathwaydown the steep, wild hillsidewhich formed part of theCamino Real network of pathswhich criss-crossed Galiciaand the rest of Spain to allowpeople to get around thecountry in the days beforethere were roads – in this casefrom Ourense to Esgos. Thesewere lawless times out in thewilds, and the story is told ofManuel Blanco Romasantawho, in the 1850s, would offerto escort unaccompaniedwomen along the camino fortheir safety. None ever arrivedat their destination. Romasantaran a thriving business in localmarkets selling lard and fat (hewas colloquially known inGallego as o home do unto (thelard man), and it was believedthat he had murdered thewomen and then reduced theirbody-fat for sale. At his trial in1852 he confessed to 13killings, but claimed innocenceon the grounds that he was awerewolf. He is stillremembered in the area asHombre Lobo or Lobishome(Werewolf), and looking at thewild, wooded hillside it’s nothard to imagine him stillhiding somewhere in theundergrowth.

A writer’sinspirationFurther down a steep pathand steps is the Fuente de SanBenito – a natural springalleged to have miraculousproperties. People sufferingfrom warts bathe the affectedpart in the water and, it issaid, the warts disappearovernight. It’s hard to separatemyth from history in thisenchanted woodland, but it’seasy to understand how it caninspire a writer.

Onward through toweringforests, vicious hairpin bends,precipitous drops and evermore spectacular scenery toour next stop, Santo Estevode Ribas de Sil in the villageof Nogueira de Ramuín,which could hardly be moredifferent: a vast palace of aplace, beautifully andmeticulously restored as aParador, now offering four-star accommodation fortourists rather than simplelodging for pilgrims on theirway to Santiago. Themonastery was foundedsometime in the 6th or 7thcenturies.

Needless to say there havebeen many alterations and

John Radford

Luis Carré/ICEX

Perhaps it was a spirit ofRoman Catholic solidaritywhich fired Graham Greene’senthusiasm for travel in theMediterranean, and which ledhim to spend most of the lasttwenty summers of his life inGalicia, and particularly at hishouse in the unspoilt granitetown of Ribadavia. Today youcan travel the routes he knewand sample the wines he musthave enjoyed by followingmaps provided by the touristoffice and the Tourist Board forOurense, both vinous andmonumental.

Our journey was to take usto several monasteries alongthe winding lanes of theprovince of Ourense, includingthe one where, whilst onretreat, Greene was inspired towrite his novel MonsignorQuixote. The scenery in thevalleys, particularly of the riverSil, is spectacular: steep granitebluffs dive from thick pineforest to the slow-movingwaters below, dark green incolor and, in the case of theSil, some 160 feet deep. Theupper slopes are thicklywooded and rich in myth andlegend, as I was about todiscover.

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additions since then, and themagnificent façade is mainly18th century. There are twosplendid cloisters, and theoriginal church is still in useby the villagers. The villageitself is rich in antiquities,including ancient ovensdating back to pre-Christian,Celtic civilizations, and theruined castle of the VisigothKing Liuvigild (Leovigildo -AD 568-586).

On the way to our next stopthere’s a mirador overlookingthat famous bend in the riverSil. I say ‘famous’ because it

must be the most-photographed part of theriver, and with reason. Itsums up everything that theRibeira Sacra is about –forest, ravine, cultivation and,of course, the mighty riveritself.

The monastery at SantaCristina in Parada do Sil issmall and simple, with abalcony overlooking thebeautiful, heavily woodedvalley, and only half a cloister– the rest had deterioratedbeyond repair. The oldestpart of the building dates

from the 9th century and thebuilding sits in an imposingposition on a steeply-slopinghillside. An interesting facetthat would have surprised themonks is the scalloped rosewindow over the west door.When the sun shines throughit, the patch of sunlight onthe floor of the naveresembles nothing more thanseries of Mickey Mouse headsgrouped in a circle. Anotherlocal tale is the rumor of atunnel which originally ledfrom the apse through thehillside, and there is anopening visible on the wall,but if there was a tunnelthere, it’s been blocked off.

There are several very old‘blasted’ chestnut trees aroundthe church, and the onenearest the west door is saidto have miraculous healingproperties: children sufferingfrom rickets would be passedthrough the hole in thehollow tree, and be cured.The tree is still there, butwhether anybody has triedout its magical powersrecently is unknown.

A vineyard with aviewWhere there are monasteries,there is always wine. TheRibeira Sacra is not only oneof Galicia’s most devouthillsides but also a D.O.(Denomination of Origin)wine area since 1997,although its wine has beenfamous since Roman times –

the wines of Amandi were,according to legend, a favoritewith the Emperor Tiberius.Amandi is one of five winedistricts along the banks ofthe Sil and the Miño, andmodern wineries tend to besmall and family owned. Thegrapes hereabouts are likely tobe as much the smoky,delicate Godello as the peachyfresh-fruit Albariño for whitesand Mencía for reds, a grapewhich has been ‘tamed’ for itsferocious acidity only withinthe last ten years.

Our first visit was in theprovince of Lugo to AdegaAlgueira in Sober, in thisAmandi district. This is afamily affair (they also have arestaurant in the town)established in 1998 with asmall (20 acres) vineyard onschist and slate soils, andsmart, modern winemakingkit, in a lovely old stonebuilding, and FernandoGonzález Riveiro is theviticulturist and winemaker.He grows Albariño, Godelloand Treixadura for whites,and Mencía for reds, and wetasted through the range,including samples still incask, starting with Brandán2005, his white wine of theyear, which had the light,fresh fruit typical of theregion: a delicious glugger.The mainstream white winesare all branded Algueira, bothtank and barrel-fermented,the latter with five months onthe lees and showing excellentfruit and complexity.

TOMBS BEAR A SILENTWITNESS TO A MILLENNIUMAND A HALF OF MONASTICHISTORY

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When, however, yourneighbor is the white-winepowerhouse that is the D.O.Rías Baixas, it’s the reds fromRibeira Sacra which show themost interest, especiallybecause as recently as tenyears ago winemakers foundit very difficult to handle as aresult of its high aciditylevels. The answer, as so oftenin winemaking, was to useonly grapes from low-yielding, old vines and theresults have been spectacular.Algueira 2005 Joven showedbig, spicy fruit with crisp butmanageable tannins and someconsiderable structure; the2004 with 11 months in oakwas equally good but with aricher, more complexstructure, and samples still inthe cask showed equalpromise: these have thepotential to become excellentwines.

Bodegas Regina Viarum is inDoade, in the Amandi district,with spectacular views of theriver Sil beyond its ownterraced vineyards (49.5acres, all Mencía) whichencroach on the manicuredgardens of the spankingmodern winery. The namemeans ‘Queen of the Camino’in latin and they made theirfirst vintage in 2000. Forwhite wines they buy inGodello and Treixadura buttheir main business is redfrom their own vineyards,both jóvenes (young) andwines designed to age for twoor three years. Via Imperial

Ribeira SacraBack in 1993, the denomination Viños da Terra (Country Wines) was approved for wines of thisregion around the rivers Sil and Miño, in the provinces of Ourense and Lugo. But it’s takeoffactually started in 1996, with the Denomination of Origin Ribeira Sacra.

Anyhow, the Romans had already made wine here and it is thought that, between the 8th and12th centuries, the monks in the monasteries along the river Sil replanted for their own andothers' needs. Along with the monasteries around it, the Ribeira Sacra is one of Spain's mostspectacularly beautiful vineyard areas, its vines planted in the steep valleys and precipitousgreen gorges of the Rivers Miño and Sil.

This D.O. has five wine districts: Amandi, Chantada and Ribeiras do Miño in the south of theprovince of Lugo; Ribeiras do Sil in the north of Ourense; and Quiroga-Bibei, in both provinces.

Their white wines are made from Godello, Treixadura, Loureira, Albariño, Torrontés, and DonaBranca grapes. Main allowed varietals for reds are Mencía, Merenzao, Brancellao, along withGarnacha Tintorera.

RibeiroRibeiro is a traditional growing area and has been a registered D.O. since 1957. The vineyardsof this district were first planted by the Romans. From medieval times to the 18th century thearea was famed for its tostados, or sweet wines, often known as Ribadavia wines, made fromsun-dried grapes long before this process was used in the Canary Islands and Andalusia.Today, the D.O. has returned to its origins, basing its resurgence on the native varieties thatbrought it fame, both white and red.

Main varieties for whites include Treixadura, Albariño, Godello, Torrontés and Loureira; and redsare mainly made from Caíño, Ferrón, Sousón, Brancellao, Mencía.

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Fancy a wine from Ribeira Sacra? Spectacular views are on the house

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2005 teases out the naturalfruit of the grape to match thetannins and acidity - unoakedand very fresh; Regina Viarum2005 is made with grapesfrom 25-year-old vines andshows more structure andausterity, with an excellent,long finish and the promise ofa rewarding maturity. The2004 is already starting toshow this class, developing arichness and structure whichshould see furtherimprovement over the nextcouple of years. ReginaExpresión 2003 is made fromtable-selected grapes with 12months in French oak andhas a classic ‘black cherry’nose with musky fruit and a‘bite’ of tannins on the palate,but the fruit comes throughon the finish and, once again,promises well for the future.These are wines of a qualitythat most producers wouldonly have dreamed aboutwhen I first visited RibeiraSacra.

Ribadavia: wine,history andGreeneWe began the next day bycrossing into the D.O.Ribeiro, which centers onRibadavia, Graham Greene’ssummer home for many years,of which more in a moment.This is another area whichachieved considerable fame inthe past: the D.O. was createdin 1957 and Ribeiro wineswere once amongst the best-

known in Spain. Withrenewed interest in Galiciagenerally, their reputation isonce again advancing.

Our first visit was toBodegas Campante in Puga,between Ourense andRibadavia. This wasestablished in 1940 and isnow based at the FincaReboreda, and run by AnaMéndez Gil, thegranddaughter of thefounder, along with her sisterLaura and father José Luis.The bodega has 74 acres of itsown vines and buys in fromcontract growers, and most ofthe wines carry the name ofthe estate: Reboreda.

The basic Viña Reboreda2005 is an easy-drinking,everyday white made mainlyfrom bought-in Palominograpes – decent, with apleasant finish. GranReboreda is more interesting,made from Treixadura,Godello and Loureira itshows good fruit, a light mid-palate and easygoing finish.The red Viña Reboreda 2004is made from Mencía with alittle Caíño and Brancellao –it’s a pale red with somedelicate fruit and a ‘bite’ oftannin. All of these representexcellent value for money.

Onward again, then, toRibadavia itself, which mustbe one of the most unspoilttowns in Spain. Traffic is verysensibly directed round theedge of the old town, whosenarrow streets are paved asthey have always been. The

town came to prominence inthe 11th century andexpanded under the influenceof the local monasteries, andits prosperity, then as now,was firmly based on the winetrade. The tourist office (inthe former palace of theCount of Ribadavia) hasexcellent maps and guides,and a tour of the town takes acouple of hours on foot.

Perhaps the most beguilingpart is the Jewish quarterbetween the south gate in theold town walls and the Plazade la Magdalena, whose

history dates back as far as1063, when Galicia was anindependent kingdom andRibadavia was its capitalbetween 1065 and 1071under King García I. Thisking entrusted his financialand business affairs to Jewishclerks as, indeed, did most ofthe aristocracy, and Jewishbusiness acumen laterextended to the wine trade,rents and property. The streetsare steep and narrow, andmost of the houses have theirown small wine cellar.

The Jews were expelled

HERMINIA BAKESTRADITIONAL JEWISHPASTRIES WITH NAMES LIKEKAMISH-BROIT, MAMUL ANDKUPFERLIN

Ceilings at Oseira and medieval quarter in Ribadavia

20 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

from all of Spain in 1492,although many converted toRoman Catholicism andstayed on, but there is nosignificant Jewish communityin Ribadavia today. The areawas designated a nationalmonument in 1947 and hasbeen beautifully preserved.One old tradition is carriedon at the Tafona da Herminia,where Herminia has an old-fashioned wood-burning ovenand bakes traditional Jewishpastries with names likeKamish-Broit, Mamul andKupferlin, with ingredientsimported from Israel andnorthern Africa, such aspoppy seeds, dates, clovesand orange blossom. Some ofthese specialties aren’tavailable anywhere else in theworld.

Where books restOur final visit was to SantaMaría la Real at Oseira, oneof the powerful monasterieswhich shaped the history ofRibadavia and the province ofOurense in the twelfthcentury. The earliest recordsgo back to 1137 but thebuilding was enlargedperiodically, especially underthe patronage of King AlfonsoVI in the 17th century. Themonastery today is amagnificent, palatial buildingwith a splendid Baroquefaçade, and still home toabout a dozen monks of theCistercian order. We wereshown round by brother Luíswho explained that themonastery’s treasures hadnearly all been looted in theanti-clerical atmosphere of

the republican era, and as aresult it’s rather plain, but thebuilding itself impresses withsoaring ceilings, magnificentcloisters and a beautifulchurch to which thetownspeople come for masson a Sunday.

It was here at Oseira thatGraham Greene would comeon retreat, and it was herethat he received inspirationfor some of his best-lovedworks, most notablyMonsignor Quixote, which waspublished in 1982. Greeneoften used episodes fromadventures in his own life inhis novels, and this book isno exception: it tells the storyof the simple parish priest ofEl Toboso in La Mancha who,after a chance encounter withan Italian bishop, is promotedto the rank of Monsignor,much to the annoyance of hisown bishop, who sacks him.Monsignor Quixote thenembarks on an odyssey acrosspost-Franco Spain in thecompany of the communistex-mayor of El Toboso,

culminating in a visit to themonastery at Oseira. Whenthe book was filmed in 1985(with Alec Guinness as thepriest and Leo McKern as themayor), much of the locationshooting was done inside themonastery, in parts notnormally open to the public.

Greene died in 1991 at hishome in Switzerland, but lefthis personal library to themonastery, where it remains,along with a reading-roomhung with photographs of histimes at Oseira. This place,this countryside and Galiciahad provided events,landscapes and inspiration forone of the 20th century’sgreatest writers.

John Radford is a freelance writer,broadcaster lecturer, speaker andactor with a special enthusiasm forwine, food and travel and an in-formed interest in Spain. He is theauthor of The New Spain, widelyconsidered a ‘must have’ guide toSpanish wine.

www.johnradford.com

GREE

NESP

AIN

Bay of Biscay

AtlanticOcean

A Coruña

Lugo

Ourense

Pontevedra

Santiago deCompostela

VigoRibadavia

Ferrol

Betanzos

Mondoñedo

MiñoRiver

Sil River

Portugal 15,53 mi (25 km )

Asturias

Castile-León

MiñoRiver

A-6

AP-9

A-52

D.O.RibeiraSacra

D.O.Ribeiro

GALICIA

Monforte deLemos

Javi

er B

ello

so

Santa María la Real at Oseira

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 21

PLAN YOUR TRIP

How to get thereThe best place from which toexplore both Ribeira Sacra andRibeiro wine regions is the city ofOurense. This city has no airport,but it’s connected by highways andtrain with Vigo and Santiago deCompostela (for trains, www.renfe.es);none of them is further than 110 kmaway from Ourense. Vigo andSantiago de Compostela airportshave many daily flights to and fromMadrid and Barcelona.

Once in Ourense, there are rent-a-car companies in the train station.The Tourist Board (Patronato deTurismo) provides completeinformation about organized toursand how to get on your own to bothareas described in the article. Theyare located in Progreso, 28(Ourense). Their contact number is+34 988 391 085 and their emailpatronato@turismourense.com.

Where to stay

for a stay in an oldrestored monastery.Monasterio de Santo Estevo inNogueira de Ramuín, Tel: +34 988010 110. www.parador.es Email: sto.estevo@parador.es

a country décor lodging.Rúa Maior, 10 in Luíntra (Nogueirade Ramuín), Tel: +34 988 201 025.www.hotelaforxa.com Email: info@hotelaforxa.com

for a top rural point of view.Cristosende (A Teixeira), Tel: +34988 207 529

to feel life in the countrysideLugar do Souto (Castro Caldelas),Tel: +34 988 207 545

a 4-star hotel in a restored monasterywith a recommendable restaurant.San Clodio (Leiro), Tel: +34 988 485 601

a 16th century manor house. Esposende (Ribadavia), Tel: +34 988 491 891.www.pazodeesposende.com Email: info@pazodeesposende.com

a country manorhouse with its own wineyards andwinery. Their restaurant is alsoremarkable.San Andrés (Ribadavia), Tel: +34 988 490 803.www.casaldearman.net

rural hotel with a spa.San Clodio (Leiro), Tel: +34 988 485 688

•

4-starhotel in the city center.Curros Enríquez, 1. Tel: +34 988 371 811. www.gh-hoteles.com Email: ghourense@ghhoteles.es

another well-located 4-star hotel.Bedoya, 17. Tel: +34 988 242 095

brand-new hotel.Avda. Habana, 45. Tel: +34 988 269 538.www.hotelprincess.net

Where to eat

awarded with a Michelin star.Pereiro de Aguiar. Tel.: +34 988 380 425.www.restaurantegalileo.com Email: info@restaurantegalileo.com

A Derrasa, (Pereiro de Aguiar). Tel.: +34 988 380 038

in the Parador of Santo Estevo deRibas de Sil.Nogueira de Ramuín. Tel: +34 988 010 110

•

San Clodio (Leiro), Tel: +34 988 488 727

•

San Miguel, 12. Tel.: +34 988 220 795

Avda. das Caldas, 11. Tel: +34 988 219 111

Avda. Habana, 61. Tel: +34 988 228 319

Julio Prieto Nespereira, 32. Tel: +34988 243 332

The Albariño grape makes arguably

the greatest white wine of Spain.

John Radford traces its reputation

and its modern incarnation during a

visit to the wineries of the D.O. Rías

Baixas, in Galicia.

In search of the great white

RÍAS BAIXAS

24 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

ALBA

RIÑO

TextJohn Radford

On the first of May last yearÁngel Suárez Vicente,winemaker at Lagar deFornelos, took me to amirador in the heart of theRias Baixas. From this highpoint you can look down thevalley to the river Miño, southto the baroque church towersof Portugal, and west to theAtlantic, close enough to hearthe breakers on the beach.And that’s about all you canhear, apart from the distantsinging of the spring’s firstcuckoo, hiding somewhere inthe towering pine forestssurrounding the vineyards.

This is Albariño country –immaculately-trained vines onpergolas and espaliers tomake sure that the bunchesare sheltered from theburning sun during the

ripening season, and wellabove the soil when autumn’sdamp could threaten thehealth of the grapes. Thepeace and tranquility, the pinewoods and narrow, windingroads are a million miles awayfrom the busy autovías andcityscapes of Vigo andPontevedra. This is, surely,where God comes for Hisholidays: perfect peace,magnificent scenery, andexcellent wine to boot.

Galicia and itsAlbariñoGalicia is a unique part ofSpain: the culture is seafaring-Celtic but the local languageis Gallego (Galician or, as theysay, Galego), a Romancelanguage older than Spanish

itself. The iconic householditem is the hórreo: an outsidestore for grain and otherproduce to preserve themduring the winter. Rather likea large tomb, it has a stoneroof and stands on legstopped with mushroom-shaped stones to prevent micefrom clambering up andgetting inside. The walls areslatted with wood to allow thewind to keep the grain dry,and the pediments aredecorated with religioussymbols to protect theharvest. In the days beforerefrigeration the size of ahousehold’s hórreo was ameasure of its wealth. Today,presumably, you’d need tolook at the size of its freezer.

The origins of the Albariñogrape are unknown, although

it’s been in this part of Spainfor many centuries. There arethose who have suggestedthat it was originally theRiesling, brought along theCamino de Santiago (Way of StJames) by monks on theirpilgrimage, possibly from theabbey of Kloster Eberbach inthe Mosel valley in Germanyin the fifteenth century. Butthere is no written evidenceand, in any case, after half amillennium of evolution thetwo varieties would havedeveloped rather differently.It’s also grown across theborder in Portugal, where it’sknown as Alvarinho andmakes the best Vinho Verde,and in neighboring Castile-León to the east, but it’s inGalicia, and especially in theD.O. (Denomination of

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 25

ALBA

RIÑO

the rivers), as well as twolocal specialties, the centollo(spiny crab) and percebes(goose-foot barnacles). Thelatter are amongst the oddestsea-creatures ever to grace atable and need sheet-metalcutting skills to get throughthe shells, but are deliciouswith, of course, the localAlbariño.

South of VigoBack to the mirador. Thebedrock all over Galicia isgranite, but not your averagegray, sullen stone: it has apinkish tinge and, mostbeguilingly of all, sparkleswith diamond crystals ofquartz, which flicker andsparkle in the sun. Here andthere are outcrops of schist, a

porous and fragmented rockwhich allows the vine roots tofind water even in the hottestsummer, and whichunderpins many of Spain’sbest vineyard areas. We droveback to the winery, adega inGallego, between verges andmeadows alive withwildflowers and butterflies,the only sound provided bywind and water, birds andwildlife. The silence, apartfrom those, is awesome.

Lagar de Fornelos belongsto the group which owns LaRioja Alta in Haro and makesonly one wine – Lagar deCervera – and one Orujo, aspirit distilled from the graperesidues which is the other‘national treasure’ of Galicia.By law the distillery used formaking this eau de vie may

not be in the same building asthe winery, and here it’s justacross the road, housingantique copper stills fromPortugal in a beautifully-restored building. GoodOrujo is not the fierce‘firewater’ made elsewhere inthe wine world, and as adigestivo it’s enjoyed all overthe region. We tasted the wine– 2005 vintage – in thewinery. There are barrel-fermented Albariños inGalicia, and those aged in oakfor short periods, but Ángelwill have none of that. Hewants the freshness and the‘peachy’ fruit of the grape toshine through thewinemaking, and it does:beautiful, refreshing, a crispacidity and delicious richnesson the finish which never

Origin) Rías Baixas in theprovince of Pontevedra, that itproduces its best wines.

Wines, wherever they areproduced, tend to reflect therealities of their birthplace,and one of the major factorsis what food was freelyavailable in the days whenthere were few, if any roads,and transport was slow anddifficult. One thing thatGalicia has in abundance iscoastline and rivers, so it’s nosurprise that fish and seafoodhave always been the staplediet. The range is wide: notjust the ‘usual suspects’ oflobster, crab, langostinos (kingprawns), hake, turbot andsea-bass but lampreys inseason (you’ll know when theseason is by the lamprey-netsstretched across the mouths of

PhotosXurxo Lobato/ICEX

26 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

becomes sweet. This istextbook Albariño:lipsmackingly fresh anddeliciously cool. Thewinemaking process ismeticulous, with grapescollected from the vineyardsby refrigerated trucks toensure freshness, andharvesting only during themorning to avoid the perilousheat of the afternoon sun.And, just to make absolutelysure the wine turns out theway he wants it, from the2005 vintage the entireproduction has been bottledunder screwcap.

Galician terroirOnward then to AdegasValmiñor on the main roadbetween the coastal town ofA Guarda and the border-town of Tui, which has abridge across the Miño intoPortugal. This winery wasfounded in 1997 and thewinemaker, Cristina Mantilla,is an enthusiast for cold skinmaceration – she describes itas her ‘religion’. The idea isthis: all grapes for all winesgrow in vineyard sites whichhave other flora growingaround them, and especiallyin Rías Baixas, where many

plots are very small andsurrounded by a variedcollection of wild flowers andherbs. The micro flora,including natural yeastswhich are produced by theseplants, are carried by the saltysea wind on to the skin of thegrapes, where they form thefamiliar ‘bloom’. In industrialwinemaking areas the grapesmay be washed andfermented with controlledyeasts, but here it’s different:by allowing the grapes to‘marinate’ in their own juicein a chilled tank, those microflora become part of the juice

before it’s fermented, givingthe wine the unique characterof where the grapes camefrom. In France they call thisterroir: the combination ofsoil, surroundings,microclimate and quality ofthat particular year to allowthe wine to express its ownindividuality.

Valmiñor has no vineyardsof its own and uses contractgrowers, who provide notonly Albariño but also twoother local varieties, Loureiraand Treixadura. They areexperimenting withfermenting in oak vats butCristina is not yet satisfiedwith the results, so the 2004was oak-free, with a lovely,herby nose – spice andrichness on the palate with afresh, complex balance of fruitand acidity. The 2005 was, ifanything, even herbier on thenose, with fresh scents of wildthyme and a more robustrichness (though notsweetness) on the finish.

Deep in RíasBaixasThe heartland of Rías Baixas isthe Val do Salnés, around thecity of Cambados, and one ofmy first ever visits back in1990 was to the co-operativeVilariño-Cambados. Iremembered a small,unpretentious winery withexcellent wines fromhundreds of growers, somewith very tiny plots, and apleasant luncheon in the

Ángel and his Albariño of the year, Lagar de Cervera. On previous pages, Palacio de Fefiñanes

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 27

ALBA

RIÑO

courtyard outside, enjoyingthe winery’s flagship wine,Martín Códax, named after apoet and troubadour whomade his compositions backin the 13th century. Today agreat deal has changed, with amagnificent new winery and aburgeoning internationalreputation. One thing thathasn’t changed, however, isthe difficulty in harvesting.

The winery has access to593 acres of vines, but this isdistributed in 1,400individual plots: an average ofless than half an acre each.This was the obstacle whichhad to be overcome in theearly days of Albariño: thesheer cost of picking it makesthe wine expensive before it’seven pressed. The bodega has,however, bitten the bullet andgone for the best fruit ratherthan the cheapest: as anexample they paid $2.25 akilo for grapes in the 2005harvest against a market rateof $1.30 to $1.60, and itshows in the quality of thewines.

Martín Códax Albariño isthe mainstay, and a classic ofits kind with the deliciousfruit and freshness which socharacterizes the grape.Burgáns (named after aparticular hill-plot of vines)reliably produces some of thebest quality fruit, with analmost tropical complexit; andOrganistrum is made from thebest 1% of fruit harvested inthe year, barrel-fermented inAlliers oak and left on its lees

for three months. Thecomplexity is astonishing,and the fruit powerfulenough to match the oakinessof the barrel.

The most unusual isGallaecia-a late-harvest wine(late October) which hasbeen affected by Botrytis. Inother parts of the wine worldthis ‘noble rot’ lets waterevaporate from the grapes,concentrating the juice tomake a sweet wine. Here,however, the juice has beenfermented out, leaving arichly complex, almost gameynose, and a palate whichmanages to be rich anddelicious whilst remainingcompletely dry: anastonishing piece of work.

Aging AlbariñoWe move on to Meis andPazo de Señoráns, anotherwinery which has changedradically since my last visit.Or not, in some ways. It’sbased around a lovely oldfamily house and estatewhich has been adapted to bea venue for weddings(complete with chapel),corporate and other events.

The winery itself isthoroughly modern, althoughthe boss, Javier IzurietaRomero, believes in certaintraditional methods: mostcommentators will tell you todrink the most recent vintageof Albariño, but Javierbelieves that well-made wineswill improve in bottle for at

least a year and, indeed,maintains that his SelecciónAñada will continue toimprove for 8-9 years, afterhaving spent three years onits lees in the tank.

The wines are certainlyimpressive: the 2005 Pazo deSeñoráns took me back tothat first visit, seventeen yearspreviously, and my firstencounter with thecomplexity, richness andsheer vibrance of theAlbariño. This is a moretraditional style, withstructure and elegance alongwith that same delicious fruit.

To prove his point, Javier thenproduced a bottle of the2004, which had taken on amore subtle, herby style, andan unsuspected structure andminerality, which was almostBurgundian (or Riesling?) incharacter: a serious wine. TheSelección Añada 2001 boreout Javier’s claims forlongevity in Albariño wines:this had floral andhoneysuckle hints on the nosebut amazing complexity onthe palate, the mineralelement clearly defined; thewhole perfectly balanced andstill delicious.

A Coruña

Lugo

Ourense

Pontevedra

Santiago deCompostela

Vigo

Ferrol

Betanzos

Mondoñedo

Padrón

MiñoRiver

Sil River

Portugal

Asturias

MiñoRiver

A-6

AP-9

A-52

D.O.Rías Baixas

GALICIA

O Rosal

Salvaterra do Miño

Cambados

Soutomaior

Bay of Biscay

AtlanticOcean

Castile-León

15,53 mi (25 km )

LIPSMACKINGLY FRESH ANDDELICIOUSLY COOL: THAT ISTEXTBOOK ALBARIÑO

Javi

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SPAIN GOURMETOUR 29

Family traditionGerardo Méndez Lázaro runsa small family winery inLores, near Meaño, along withhis daughter Encarna, and thewinery is an adjunct to theirlovely family home. Thebusiness was established byGerardo’s grandfather, and hetook over in 1973. They havejust 5 ha of vines of which1.5 ha are very old, trainedon pergolas and pruned theold-fashioned way, with about7-8 bunches per vine. Thisplot was bought by the familyin 1850 when the vines werealready old – up to 300 yearsnow, and ungrafted:Phylloxera has never visitedhere.

Gerardo, like Javier, believesin longevity in the Albariño,and put up samples of hismain wine, Albariño doFerreiro from the 2005 and2000 vintages, forcomparison. The 2005 hadthat lipsmackingly crispacidity and floral freshness,and the 2000 had a richnessand mineral character on thenose; the palate had lost someof its freshness, but had taken

on more weight, with somereal warmth and ripeness onthe finish.

His top wine is CepasVellas, made with grapesfrom those 250-300-year-oldvines, and only in the verybest years. The 2004 showeddeep fruit, warmth and fullacidity with a certainausterity on the palate,implying that this, too, is awine for aging, perhaps fortwo or three years more.

The oldest wine-producerin Rías Baixas is Palacio deFefiñanes, in Cambados itself.This is a severe-lookinggranite palace, built in 1647by the first Vizconde deFefiñanes, Gonzalo SarmientoValladares, who haddistinguished himself in oneof the many European warsfought between the middle ofthe 16th and 17th centuriesand who later becamegovernor of Bolivia.

Today the estate is run byhis descendant Juan Gil deAraújo, Marqués de Figueroa,who describes his wines as‘traditional’ in style, althoughFefiñanes was the first to

produce a barrel-fermentedwine, more than 50 years ago.The winery went into thewine business in 1940 andwas bottling Albariño formore than thirty years beforethe D.O. was created. There isa small amount of grapeharvested from the palace’swalled garden, but mostcomes from contract growers,many of whom have beensuppliers for decades.

Albariño de Fefiñanes 2005had a classic, fresh, crisp anddelicious style, yet another‘textbook example’ of how touse this noble grape. Onceagain the 2004 had evolved tooffer more richness, weightand warmth. ‘1583’ is namedafter the birth year of the firstVizconde, and is barrel-fermented with 4-6 monthson the lees, according to thequality of the individualvintage, and this 2004 sampleshowed gently oaky ‘notes’ onthe nose with a nicelybalanced palate and ratheraustere fruit: probably neededa little longer in bottle todevelop fully. Albariño deFefiñanes III Año is fermented

in the tank and then given 30months aging on its lees. The2002 had a rich, gamey aromawith warmth and richness,the palate worked its lovelycrisp fruit and, again,richness, but bone dry on thefinish: a very traditional styleof Albariño and a wonderfulcounterpoint to the widerange of different styles I’dtasted during the week.

These are truly world-classwines, justifiably making aname for themselves in exportmarkets. For twenty yearsAlbariño from Rías Baixas andVerdejo from Rueda inCastilla-León have beenslugging it out for the title of‘classic white wine of Spain’..Over to you, Rueda.

John Radford is a freelance writer,broadcaster lecturer, speaker andactor with a special enthusiasm forwine, food and travel and an in-formed interest in Spain. He is theauthor of The New Spain, widelyconsidered a ‘must have’ guide toSpanish wine.

www.johnradford.com

For more information: www.riasbaixaswines.com

Do Ferreiro’s vines, as seen from under an hórreo

30 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 31

Ever since the ancient

rustic olive was

elevated to the Dry

Martini, numerous

soberer applications

have been found for

the adaptable fruit.

Spain has come up

with a fair few itself,

from the simple plain

olive in brine to the

herb and spice

marinades available in

any self-respecting

Spanish market. Ed

Owen reports

Dressed to thrill

OLIV

ESSpanish

32 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

“Except the vine, there is noplant which bears a fruit of asgreat importance as the olive,”wrote Pliny the Elder in hisHistoria Naturalis in the firstcentury A.D.

Two millennia later thedemand for the versatile oliveis so great that, just like thevine, its cultivation hasextended far beyond itsoriginal Mediterranean habitat.But that is where its roots godeepest and where the largestand most appreciated cropsgrow.

It was allegedly theCarthaginians that firstintroduced the olive to Iberiain the 4th century BC(although earlier seeds havebeen found): little could theyknow how their seeds wouldthrive. Spain is the countrywith the world’s mostextensive olive groves: over8,000 sq. miles of the gray-green evergreen, which canlive for hundreds of years, arecultivated, mainly in warm

southern Spain. The region around Seville,

specifically, is renownedthroughout Spain for thequality of its table olives. TheAljarafe groves of Seville, it issaid, have some specialcharacteristics that suit twoparticularly popular varieties:the big fat Gordal (also knownas Queen) and the slightlysmaller Manzanilla greenolives. It is here that 40% ofSpain’s table olives are picked.

It comes as small surprise,then, that Seville has been atthe forefront of global oliveproduction for many a year.The automatic pitting andstuffing machine whichrevolutionized the table oliveindustry, for instance, wasinvented there by a Sevilleengineer, Leopoldo Salvador,in 1970. And, perhaps moreimportantly, it pioneered whatis now known as the SevillanoProcess of elaboration, whichemploys lactic fermentation tomake olives edible.

The SevillanoProcessThe Spanish or Sevillanoprocess of producing oliveshas evolved from one vitalproduction necessity: makingolives edible. Natural oliveshave to be cured to removeoleuropin, a very bitter andunpalatable glucoside found inthe skin of the fruit.

Specific olive varieties areharvested in the autumn whenthe fruit has reached full sizebut is not ripe and thereforestill green and firm.

After cleaning and grading,the green olives are immersedin tanks containing a lye oralkaline solution whichremoves the bitterness. Freshwater is used to leach outimpurities. They are thenstored in large undergroundvats to ferment for 60 to 90days in a strong salt brine. Theprocess converts natural sugarsand some added sugar intolactic acid. When the level of

lactic acid exceeds 5% and thepH is reduced to 3.7, theolives are rinsed, graded,checked and stored in weakerbrine prior to final processing.

In order to end up withmellower black olives, thegreen olives undergo a factoryoxidization process whichmatures them in a series ofJacuzzi-type tanks. As theymature and their oil contentincreases, the color of olivescan turn to brown and black.

They are finally sterilized tostop further biological activity.

Serving it Spanish“The style and presentation ofSpanish table olives is themost extensive in the world,”states Professor AntonioGarrido Fernández at theworld renowned Instituto deGrass of Seville. And althoughsevillanos have been known toexaggerate, the virtualomnipresence of olives of allcolors and sizes in Spanish

OLIV

ES

TextEd Owen

PhotosJuan Manuel Sanz/ICEX

34 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

bars, restaurants and homeslends weight to his claim. InSpain a few olives will beoffered as a free tapa with adrink in civilized bars, but75% of consumption takesplace at home after choosingfrom the wonderful selectionof marinades, dressings andflavorings available in thespecialized stalls that dot mostmarkets from the Pyrenees tothe deepest South.

Miguel Ángel PérezMarquez, the third generationin a line of olive alchemists,has had a stall for 17 years atLa Paz Market, nearfashionable Calle Serrano incentral Madrid, where heoffers 23 types of olive mixes.

“Not everyone knows howto season olives but it helps ifyou like to cook,” he says,“Preparing olives is a traditiongoing back centuries in Spain.Olives are also usedextensively as an easy tapa ontheir own, in salads and instews.”

The most popular, he says, isthe simplest: ManzanillaSevillana olives in brine.Second choice is Campo Realolives from near Madridmarinated for three to fourdays in oregano, garlic, salt,bay leaf and water. CocktailMurciano is a mixture of greenand black olives with whitepickled shallots, gherkins,cauliflower florets, braisedeggplant slices and capers inbrine. Aceitunas Picantes areblack olives mixed with driedchili pepper, thyme and garlic.

OLIV

ES

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 35

GlobalTrendsettersThe small market stall, alas, isnot as common back home asit is over in Spain. Butsophisticated food processingand packaging methods havehelped revolutionize the globalmarket for table olives,spreading Spanish olives andits traditional preparations theworld over. With endlesspossibilities for styles, stuffing,flavorings, dressings andpresentation, Spanishproducers are now sellingspecific products to suit theparticular tastes and demandsof different markets, as well asmaking it more convenient touse, whether ready sliced forpizzas, flavored as bar snacks,dressed for salads, chopped forcooking or blended as a pâté.

Spanish producers havebeen quick to find eachcountry’s preferred treat: theUnited States fall for thetraditional green olive stuffedwith sweet red pimiento(natural or in paste); Spaniardsprefer anchovy stuffing;Russians love spicy blackolives and the Britons andFrench are choosing newsnack packs of olives with achoice of flavors and stuffing.At the last count there were astunning 100 different types ofstuffing available includinganchovy, pimiento, salmon,tuna, almonds, lemon andjalapeño.

The Spanish Crespo family,for instance, has been

Aceitunas a la Sevillana – Seville Olives1/2 lb cured Gordal green olives, lightly crushed

1/2 tsp cumin, ground

1 tsp fresh rosemary

1 tsp fresh oregano

2 tsp fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 tsp sweet red ground pimiento

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

4 tbsp Vinegar

4 anchovy fillets

Water

Mix the ingredients in a container and cover withwater. Seal and shake. Marinate for 3-4 days 3-4days at room temperature.

(Traditional)

Garlic Olives1 small jar of green olives in brine

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tsp dried oregano

Olive oil

White wine vinegar

Drain off half the brine from the jar. Mix in thecrushed garlic and oregano. Top up and cover withequal quantities of olive oil and vinegar. Reseal andleave to marinate for two weeks.

(Traditional)

Spicy Green Olives2 1/4 lb cured Manzanilla green olives with pits

2 small dried chilli peppers, in small pieces

1 tbsp Thyme, dried

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Brine to cover

Mix and leave in sealed container at roomtemperature for three days.

(Miguel Ángel Pérez Márquez, Mercado La Paz,Madrid)

Mixed Olive Cocktail1 lb each of cured Manzanilla green and Cacereñablack olives with or without pits

9 oz white pickled French shallots

9 oz small gherkins

3 1/2 oz small cauliflower florets

3 1/2 oz eggplant, sliced

3 1/2 oz large capers

3 1/2 oz carrots, sliced

7 tbsp cumin, ground

7 tbsp sweet Pimentón (a Spanish type of paprika)

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Brine to cover – 1 tbsp salt per litre of water

Mix all ingredients in a large container, cover withbrine, seal and leave at room temperature for atleast three days. Will keep for up to three months.

(Miguel Ángel Pérez Márquez, Mercado La Paz,Madrid)

Dressed Black Olives2 1/4 lb cured Cacereña black olives with pits

1 small onion, sliced

1 tbsp Sweet ground pimiento (pimentón)

3 tbsp Olive oil

1 tsp Oregano, dried

Mix all, without brine, and marinate in sealedcontainer at room temperature for three days. Butbest after a week.

(Miguel Ángel Pérez Márquez, Mercado La Paz,Madrid)

DRESS AT HOME

Even if there is always an olive stall handy, asizeable amount of Spaniards still prefer to marinadeand prepare their olives at home, with each regionin Spain home to a wealth of different recipes.

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36 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

processing olives for over acentury. Their Crespo brand isone of the longest establishedand is the retail brand leaderin the United Kingdom andFrance while in the UnitedStates it has its owndistribution company,Transmed.

Siân Enticott, ExportManager for Crespo, says that95% of Crespo’s products areexported, chiefly to the UnitedStates. “We follow thetraditions of Spanishmarinades and dressings, butalso produce many specialtyproducts, such as snack packsthat sell in shops, bars andother food outlets or olives insnack tubs which includecocktail sticks”.

The Spanish custom ofaccompanying a drink with asmall dish of olives, sheclaims, is rapidly gainingpopularity outside Spain. “Ourblack olives with herbs, spicesand coriander, for example, aregood with beer, dry sherry,wine or cocktails, and we havefound that, in Russia, they arepopular with vodka.”

Oleícola Hojiblanca incentral Andalucía is the largestolive oil producer in Spain andthird biggest producer of tableolives. Last year the companysold over 33,000 tones of their

Gordal

A large fleshy oval shaped olive grown mainly aroundSeville. Also known as a "Queen" olive, it has adistinctively rich flavor enhanced by spices andstuffing. Good as a snack, in Martini, salads andprepared foods.

Hojiblanca

A medium sized, pale green colored olive, round inshape. Fibrous texture, soft fruity, bitter-sweet taste.Popular as black olives. Snack, sliced for pizza, insalads and for prepared dishes.

Manzanilla

A tender small to medium size oval olive, green orbrown, produced mainly around Seville. May taste alittle bitter, smoky or of almonds. Popular stuffed.Snack, in salad, drinks, prepared food.

Cacereña

Similar to Manzanilla, grown around Cáceres inwestern Spain, very popular as black olives withexcellent flavor and texture. Good as an aperitif, insalads, pasta or for sauces.

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What should be in your Dry Martini? Miguel Setién, aprofessional mixologist who runs the cocktail bar attrendy Loft 39 in Calle Velázquez, Madrid, as well as aconsultancy for restaurateurs, advises: “I always usebig fat Gordal. They have a lot of meat, they are notsalty and look much better in the glass than smallpitted olives. I use a very dry gin, like Ten, and alwaysserve two olives on a stick, with one to eat beforedrinking and the other at the end.”

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Acorsa brand of olives. As thecompany’s name implies, mostof them are the adaptableHojiblanca variety althoughrecently the company hasincorporated a cooperativebased near Seville to supplyManzanilla.

“Hojiblanca is a unique olivesince it’s good both as a tableolive and for producing oil,”explains Juan Soler, ExportDirector, “It is magnificentlyfruity and is especially valuedfor catering. We sell 70% asblack and 30% green.”

Interoliva, founded over acentury ago in Dos Hermanasnear Seville, has exported tableolives under the Mario’s brandname for over 50 years. JoséManuel Ruiz, CommercialDirector, stresses thatproduction lines vary to suitall tastes. “Black olives are themost popular in Russia butAmericans prefer greenManzanilla stuffed with redpimiento paste. So ourphilosophy is to find out whatpeople want and get it done: ifsomeone wants mixes withgarlic or oregano or herbs, wewill do it.” Edward Owen is a foreign corre-spondent in Spain for The Times andThe Sunday Times of London and al-so writes on Spanish gastronomy,wines and restaurants for variousmagazines.

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SPAIN GOURMETOUR 37

WITH OVER THREE DECADESOF EXPERIENCE IN

RECOMMENDING WINES TOMATCH MEALS, SOMMELIERCUSTODIO LÓPEZ ZAMARRA

IS A VERITABLEENCYCLOPEDIA OF SPANISH

WINE. MIKE ELKIN SEEKSHIS ADVICE ON WHAT TO

DRINK IN THE HOT SUMMERMONTHS.

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AWORDIN YOUR EAR...With the scorching Spanishsummer approaching, visitorsto Iberia will need a guide tohelp ease the sun’s rays whenthe time comes to choose abottle of wine to accompanythose ceramic bowls ofgazpacho, fresh seafood andfideuá. Enter Custodio LópezZamarra, the professorialgodfather of Spanishsommeliers. Born in a countrytavern in Toledo, Zamarraenjoyed an auspicious start tothe food and drink business.For the past 33 years, Zamarrahas honed his craft at Zalacaín,a classic upscale Madrid eatery.

“There is no doubt about itwith this heat: young wines toaccompany light meals,” saysZamarra, who recentlyabdicated the presidential

throne at the MadridSommeliers’ Association.“There needs to be a balancebetween the food and thewine. Nothing too strong. Iwould recommend someyoung reds from La Mancha –and there is a wide array ofinteresting choices from thisregion. Wines from La RiojaAlavesa are another good pick,or from Navarra as well. Onearea that produces verysmooth and light reds isBierzo in León: wines madefrom Mencía are especiallysubtle. And if we’re talkingwhite wine, head to Galicia forRibeiro. Rueda from Valladolidand Penedés from Cataloniaare very balanced as well.”

Zamarra began hisoenological career whenZalacaín opened in 1973. Theowner at the time chose the

novice Zamarra to handle thewine and handed him a bookto study and a sommeliercourse followed. The rest ofhis know-how comes fromyears of experience. All whichcomes in handy whenchoosing a wine for someSpanish summer meals: theycan be quite a challenge withflavors ranging from the strongbut refreshing garlic soupknown as ajoblanco to thesweet-and-salt mixture ofmelon with Serrano ham.

Sherry drinkers have reasonsto rejoice, because Zamarrarecommends Amontillados,which are darker than thetraditional bone-dry Finos, toaccompany these“complicated” dishes –“People have forgotten theharmony these winesproduce.” Stay in the Jerez

region if you savor gazpacho,because Zamarra says that itsvariety of sherries is perfect tomatch the vinegar added tothe cold tomato soup. “Ingeneral vinegar is always a badpartner to wine, but if thegazpacho is done properly andthe vinegar is blended wellinto the gazpacho, then a glassof Amontillado or PaloCortado will fit perfectly.”

For in-house wine lessons,you can find Zamarra atRestaurante Zalacaín, Álvarezde Baena, 4, 28006 Madrid.Tel: +34 91 561 4840.www.restaurantezalacain.com

Mike Elkin is a Madrid-based free-lance journalist who writes about alittle of everything for Newsweek,The Daily Telegraph, MLex News,American Lawyer and Archaeology.

Summer wines

38 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

PhotosToya Legido, Tomás Zarza,

Patricia Soto/ICEX

Galicia and Andalusia are among Elías' favorite culinary destinations. The

traditional fish dishes of Galicia, and the light and fresh dining of the Spanish

South. Elías is lucky that he can travel in his kitchen – as his selection of recipes

for this number shows – because he will have precious little time to travel

anywhere else with the opening of his new restaurant in the Spanish city of

Valladolid. Elías therefore follows in the steps of his mentor, Alain Ducasse, and

sets up a second kitchen in the Ribera del Duero, the famed wine region north of

Madrid. His new place, Corinto, will have him moving from Madrid to Valladolid

every week, giving anyone en route to the Ribera a chance to dine on his fusion

mediterranean cuisine twice.

Citra: Castelló, 18; Madrid; +34 915 752 866

Corinto: María de Molina, 16; Valladolid; +34 983 345 937

RECI

PES

40 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME1 hour (including 45 minutes in

the oven)

DIFFICULTYVery Easy

INGREDIENTS4 toasted loafs of bread1 lb Spanish green olives1 onion3/4 cup Extra virgin olive oilSaltPimentón de la VeraGrilled king prawns (optional)

1 .Preheat the oven to 230ºF.

2. Take the stones out of theolives and place the meat in anoven dish.

3. Cook in the oven for 45minutes, till be semi-dry

4. Chop the onion.

5. Mix the olives with the oliveoil and the chopped onion.Process.

6. Add salt and Pimentón de laVera.

7. Serve with thinly sliced toastor crackers. Garnish with thegrilled king prawns.

TIPS AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Pimentón de La Vera is renowned forits strong, smoky taste. If you want asmoother taste, try regular sweetpimentón instead. You may also usepitted olives to save yourself time.Simply remember to use regular olivesin brine, not marinated ones.

40 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

FINGER FOODOLIVADA

they are covered in them,taking care not to break them.

7. Preheat a generous amountof olive oil in a pan. 7 minutesat 360ºF should be enough.

8. With the aid of a skimmeror a slotted spoon, gentlylower the eggs into the oliveoil. Fry for 1 minute and then‘lift’ them out again.

TIPS AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Heat up the mashed cauliflower andplace a spoonful in the middle of theplate. Then place two ‘almonded’ yolkson top. Season with salt and pepper.The asparagus and chard leaves cango next to it, giving color to the dish.

HUEVOS FRITOS ALMENDRADOS CON PURÉ DECOLIFLOR, ESPÁRRAGOS Y ACELGAS ROJAS‘Almonded’ fried eggs with cauliflower purée, asparagus and red chard

VEGETARIAN

SERVES 2

PREPARATION TIME40 min

DIFFICULTYMedium-Hard

SPECIAL EQUIPMENTA skimmer or a slotted spoon

INGREDIENTS4 eggs3/4 lb Cauliflower 1/3 cup finely choppedMarcona almonds4 fresh green asparagus4 leaves baby red chard5 fl oz creamExtra virgin olive oilSaltPepper

1. Chop the cauliflower intopieces. Place them in a pan fullof cold water, and bring to theboil. Boil for 15 minutes anddrain.

2. Add the cream to the drai-ned cauliflower. Lower theheat to medium and stir untilit thickens.

3. Process and set aside.

4. Place a pan full of waterover high heat. When it beginsto boil, put in the asparagus.Boil for 5 minutes, drain, setaside and cool.

5. Season the chard leaves withsalt, pepper, and a little oliveoil.

6. Separate the egg yolks fromthe whites. Gently roll the yolkin the chopped almonds until

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME 50 min

DIFFICULTY Medium

INGREDIENTS3 lb octopusCooking saltSpicy and sweet Pimentón deLa Vera (a Spanish type ofpaprika)Extra virgin olive oil

PULPO Á FEIRA OR PULPO A LA GALLEGA (Galician-style octopus)

TRADITIONAL

1. Freeze the octopus a fewdays before preparing the dish.Then defrost it the day beforeyou cook it. This will tenderizethe meat.

2. Wash the octopus and cutout the beak, which is the hard,thick piece inside the head.

3. Bring a very large pot ofwater to the boil.

4. Hold the octopus in a pairof cooking tongs. Dip it brieflyand pull it out of the water 3or 4 times, in order to scaldthe skin and preventing frompeeling off.

5. Put the octopus in the potand let it cook over mediumheat, allowing some movementof the water but without lettingit boil strongly for 20 to 25minutes.

6. Turn the heat off and let itrest in the water for another 20to 25 minutes, then drain.

7. Cut the octopus into smallpieces, then dress it with rocksalt, sweet or spicy pimentón(or both) and extra virgin oliveoil.

TIPS AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS

If the octopus is not going to be servedimmediately after cooking, just leave itin the water and take it to boil for amoment before serving it. Serve on itsown or with boiled potatoes.

42 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

HAKE

1. Peel and cut the potatoes inthick round slices.

2. Place the potatoes in a pot,cover them with the fish broth,add the bay leaves and bringto the boil. Simmer until ten-der, then set aside, reservingthe broth.

3. Peel away the outside of theleeks, and cut off the roots andgreen part. Chop the remai-ning white part into 3 pieceseach. Peel the onion and cutinto quarters.

4. Add the leeks, onion andsome salt to the broth and boilover low heat for 8 minutes.

5. Stir the cornstarch into a lit-tle cold water to make a smo-oth paste, then add to thebroth and stir.

6. Add the hake steaks andsimmer for another 8 minutes.

7. Take the pot off the heatand drain the broth, savinghalf for the sauce.

SAUCE

1. Chop the onion and garlic.

2. Put the oil in a frying panover medium heat and fry theonion and garlic.

3. Once cooked through andtender, take the pan off the

heat and add the pimentón.Take care not to burn thepimentón.

4. Add half of the broth andheat again, allowing it to thic-ken.

TIPS AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Place the hake on a dish along withthe boiled vegetables and pour the hotsauce over it.

RECI

PES

MERLUZA A LAGALLEGA (Galician-style hake)

REGIONAL

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME30 min

DIFFICULTYEasy-Medium

INGREDIENTS2 1/2 lb hake steaks3/4 lb potatoes2 leeks3 1/5 oz fresh peas1 onion2 1/4 pints brothSalt2 bay leaves

SAUCE INGREDIENTS5 garlic cloves1/2 onion2 bay leavesSweet Pimentón de La Vera1/2 pint extra virgin olive oil1 tsp cornstarchSalt

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME10-15 mins

DIFFICULTYVery easy

INGREDIENTS3 large ripe tomatoes1 red bell pepper2 onions1 1/2 lb strawberries1 1/3 cup pistachios3 cups day-old bread (withoutcrusts)1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil2 cups waterSalt

1. Peel the tomatoes andonion. Cut off the strawberrystems. Chop the vegetables andtomatoes into small pieces.

2. Process in a mixer with thewater until smooth. Add salt totaste

3. Slowly add the olive oil andkeep processing so that itblends well.

4. Cool in the fridge.

5. Chop the pistachios andsprinkle over the top beforeserving.

TIPS AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Do not hesitate to use stale bread ifyou have any. If you wish to serve thisas a small tapa or appetizer, you couldpour it into shot glasses for yourguests. Although, with cooling, thisrecipe will take more than ten minutes,a common trick to make “expressgazpacho” in Spain is to use a littleless water and then add ice cubes tocool it down instantly. Simplyremember to stir it well before servingto blend in the melted water.

TEN MINUTE TAPA

GAZPACHO CONFRESÓN (Strawberry‘Gazpacho’)

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 45

RECI

PESDESSERT

MOUSSE DECASTAÑAS(Chestnut Mousse)

1. Prepare a syrup mixing the4 tsp of sugar in 4 tsp of water,stirring continuously over lowheat. Add the drop of vanillaessence and set aside to cool

2. Separate the egg yolks fromthe whites, keeping them both.

3. Beat the yolks, then add thecold syrup while you keep bea-ting the mixture.

4. Whip the cream, mix it withthe chestnut purée and addthis to the egg yolks mixture.

5. Whip egg whites until fluffy,then gently fold the chestnutand egg yolk mix in.

6. Pour into individual bowlsor dessert glasses and cool inthe fridge. Once firm, decoratewith the candied chestnuts.

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME25 min

DIFFICULTYMedium-Hard

INGREDIENTS1/5 lb chestnut purée2 eggs1/2 cup cream4 marron glacés (candiedchestnuts)4 tsp sugar1 drop vanilla essence

TIPS AND SERVING SUGGES-TIONS

For an easier recipe, buy whippedcream.

Huevos AlmendradosWine CLARIÓN 2004/2005Varietal Secret CoupageOrigin D.O. SomontanoWinery Viñas del VeroDescription This is, aromatically, the bestwhite wine of its region. Pears and apples,grapefruit skin, orange and apricotsdominate the first scent of the wine, whilstdairy, flowery and musky backgroundreveals itself after the first impact.Once in the mouth, it is potent butbalanced and harmonious, with goodacidity and a very pleasant finish.Why this wine? The crunchiness of thealmonds, combined with the creaminessof the egg. The bitterness of the almonds,with the unctuous yolk, the subtle taste ofthe cauliflower…this dish has so manyflavours and textures to enjoy that wemight as well throw a couple more intothe mix. The many flavours in the winecontribute to the complexity in the dish,balancing some like the bitter almonds,and contributing others like the fruit.

OlivadaWine FRANSOLA 2005Varietal Sauvignon Blanc and ParelladaOrigin D.O. PenedésWinery Bodegas Miguel TorresDescription Distinguished, intense andcomplex nose. Tropical fruits – passionfruit and pineapple – hit you first, givingway to scents of grapefruit peel, flowers,herbs and, finally, toasted almonds andvanilla.Great structure and fantastic acidity, witha slightly tannic tinge due to the time itspends in oak. Expressive, persistent andpleasant finish.Why this wine? The culinary marvel thatis Olivada has a great aromatic potency,and requires a wine that will match thebitter and acid peaks that the olives andPimentón grant the dish. For this reason apowerful white with months in oak: awine with a similar aromatic structure tothe dish.

46 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

Pulpo á feiraWine ALBARIÑO DE FEFIÑANES 2005Varietal AlbariñoOrigin D.O. Rías BaixasWinery Bodegas del Palacio de FefiñañesDescription Elegant and refined, withconsiderable intensity. Ripe white fruits,apples and pears, blend with grapefruitpeel herbs, spices and white flowers.Rewarding and silky on the palate, with acompletely balanced acidity. Long finishin which the herby tones of the winedominate.Why this wine? Another complicateddish to find a match for. The combinationof sweet and hot Pimentón give the dishboth a spiciness and a smokiness over thesmooth yet flavorful meat of the octopuscan “drown out” many wines. I havetherefore chosen a wine from the sameregion, a traditional match. It can hold itsground and, at the same time, refreshesthe palate between mouthfuls of the spicydish.

WINEMARRIAGE

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 47

(Caracas, Venezuela, 1970) “I consider myself a true believer in Galician wines” saysFrancisco, sommelier at Citra restaurant in Madrid. “I’d say that the region makes thebest white wines in Spain – I’d go so far as to say that, in very little time, they will becompeting with the traditional ‘greats’ of Burgundy, Alsace and the Loire valley”. Howwould you describe these wines? “In a nutshell, they are very complete and satisfyingwines. Albariños, for instance, are unique in that they have a pleasant fruity entrance inthe mouth and a refreshing, dry finish, so everyone that tries them, no matter what theirtastes are, can enjoy them.” Their strongest asset? “Their longevity, without a doubt.Most wine critics would have you believe that Albariño should be drunk within the yearit is released, but I disagree. The climate of the region gives the wines a marvelous,balanced acidity, which lends itself to aging. I’d go so far as to say that Albariños onlyreach their true potential after spending a year or two in the bottle, when you give timefor their mineral character to develop”.

YOUR SOMMELIER IS… FRANCISCO JAVIER TRUJILLO MATA

Gazpacho con fresónWine MANZANILLA SAN LEÓNVarietal PalominoOrigin D.O. Manzanilla-Sanlúcar deBarramedaWinery Bodegas ArgüesoDescription Clean, potent anddistinguished nose, with the astoundingcomplexity that only a sherry can have:salty tones, green olives and nuts,especially walnuts and toasted almonds,rise over a background of yeast andbakery aromas.At first sip, this wine wraps itself aroundthe tongue, rendering a pleasant saltiness,a satisfying dryness and a balanced acidity.The long, nutty finish adds a hint ofbitterness that begs for more. Why this wine? A perfect marriage, inmy opinion. The acidity of the winematches that of the tomatoes, the yeastyaromas blend in with the toasted bread,whilst the salty notes of the wine and thebitterness of the nuts bring new flavoursto the mix.

Toya Legido/ICEX

Merluza a la gallegaWine GRAN BAZÁN AMBAR 2005Varietal AlbariñoOrigin D.O. Rías BaixasWinery Agro de BazánDescription The nose is true to itsvarietal: complex and intense. Aromas ofripe fruits, mainly pears and apricotsdominate over a floral and herbybackground. There is also some mineralityand quince to be found.Fresh light, and easy to drink, the wineproves to have good acidity and excellentbalance. Long, pleasant and dry finish,this is an excellent Albariño.Why this wine? Hake is peculiar in thatit has a very structured taste and quite ahigh natural oil content. The way we havetried to find a harmony is by serving thisfresh and light wine, that will not interferewith the flavors and “clean” the palate, soto speak, between mouthfuls. A simple,classic and time-tested wine marriage, butone that never fails.

Mousse de castañasWine MOSCATEL DE LA MARINAVarietal MoscatelOrigin D.O. AlicanteWinery Bodegas Enrique MendozaDescription This wine’s aroma is allabout ripening fruits: pineapple and sweetpeaches; along with some kind ofcomplexity. It is easy to drink, very gentle, light andglycerin-like on the mouth. Why this wine? Chestnuts tend can havea tinge of bitterness that needs a sweetwine, but it has to be fresh at the sametime or the combination would be toosweet.

48 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

There’s a coffee vendor at the mouthof La Boquería Market in Barcelonawhere you can get a carajillo – anespresso with a shot of brandy in it.Every time I visit Barcelona, I spenda substantial portion of each day ofmy vacation in the venerable market,and so I’ve often had this guy’scoffees. It’s the perfect upper-with-downer experience, and always putsme in the exact alert yet quiescentstate that I need to begin myexploration of the sensual overloadthat is el mercat.

Duly dosed, I pass under the greatsoaring wrought iron and stainedglass entry arch, and find the neat,vibrant pyramids of pomegranates,oranges and lettuces, stall after stallof silver-blue fish, the egg ladies andchocolate guys, the dried fruits, nutsand spices. On it goes with breads,cheeses, chickens, mushrooms, rice– all the wares beautifully arranged,engrossing and tempting.

I especially admire the salt codvendors – their stalls are fitted withwhite marble baths with spigots thatrun a constant flow of fresh cleanwater, and stacks of bacalao are forsale in every stage of salination anddesalination: from dry and stiff as acricket bat to edible right then andthere. The genius of this is that itmakes salt cod for dinner a lastminute possibility: in our worldhere, if you are thinking about saltcod for dinner you had better bethinking of it several days inadvance, in order to rinse, soak,rinse, soak and rinse again.

I also linger along the pre-cookedlegumes counters: black lentils,golden chickpeas, red kidney beans,white navy beans and twelve other

kinds of dried gem-like legumeshave already been soaked, sortedand par-boiled so that half of yourdinner soup work has already beendone for you.

And here, distinct from other greatmarkets of the world, is the Ibéricoham, the ham that summarilyrelegates even the sweetest, nuttiest,pinkest prosciutto di Parma I’ve evertasted to something I could take orleave. Every cured meat vendor hasan entire back wall of Ibérico pigblack foot hams hanging in neatorder, the black hoof and graybristles of the leg left completely,startlingly, intact. Nothing is funnierthan seeing some elderly woman,her morning’s shopping finished,leaving the market with a hairy blackpig’s hoof sticking out of her purse.

No matter how many ways I havetried to insinuate myself into thelocal culture of Barcelona on everyvisit – I use the sibilant ‘c’ and call itBarthelona; I wedge myself into aback table at Cal-Pep and drink redwine from the long-necked carafe –the porrón – held at arm’s length; Itake the public train out to BarTomás for beers and patatas bravas –I have never been able to experienceLa Boquería as a local can. I amalways staying at a damned hotelwhen I visit, and thus have neverbeen able to buy anything at themarket and then cook it. For a chef,this is nothing but the greatestfrustration. I long to be the peoplearound me: any local with anapartment kitchen where I could putall the salt cod and calçots andArbequina olives to work.

When this feeling sets in I turnmy back on La Boquería and her

vendors and stake claim to one ofthe dozen stools at Bar Pinotxo.There, with the market and all hertemptations teeming just behind mebut out of my sight, I have a plate ofsucculent, sticky, gelatinous griddledpig snout, some warm puree of favabeans with extra virgin olive oil, avery effervescent cava served in ajuice glass... I have had springasparagus, as thin and purple aslavender, griddled with salt and oliveoil. I have had golden crispyminnows, fried in olive oil, servedwith a hunk of lemon. An incrediblepotato omelet. A bracingly garlickyalioli.

As much as the food, I love sittingsquarely between the bespectacledlawyers in smart dark suits andbright silk ties on one side –finishing up their morning coffeeand cell-phone calls before work –and, on the other side, themustached men in full orangejumpsuits draining their glasses ofCava at the end of their long streetsweeping and garbage collectingshifts. We all have our gums andteeth and tongues stained black fromthe tiniest baby squid I’ve ever had,giving us that, if only that, incommon.

Gabrielle Hamilton is the chef/ownerof PRUNE in New York City’s EastVillage, which is regularly cited in thetop 100 lists of all major foodmagazines. Gabrielle has written forThe New Yorker, The New York Times,Saveur magazine, Food & Wine andThe New York Times. A collection ofher food essays will be published byPenguin Press in October 2007.

Editor-in-chiefCathy Boirac

Editorial coordinationEtnín C.B.Saúl Aparicio HillIria González Panizo

JournalistsVicky BurnettMike ElkinEd OwenJohn Radford

Design and Art DirectionEstudio Manuel Estrada

Photo ArchiveMabel MansoEsperanza Ibeas

CoverJuan Manuel Sanz

Color SeparationsRastercolor

AdvertisingAll MediterraneaUSA: Thilo Ullmann-ZahnTel: 518 587 94 09thiloullmann@allmediterranea.comSPAIN: CedisaContact: Esmeralda CapelTel: (+34) 913 080 644

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The opinions expressed by the authors ofthe articles are not necessarily shared bythe Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade(ICEX), which cannot be held responsiblefor any omissions or errors in the text.

For more information on Spanishproducts contact: Spanish CommercialOffice Tel. 1212 661 4959 Email:nuevayork@mcx.es and for moreinformation on tourism to Spain see:www.spain.infoAll rights reserved

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IF YOU WANT TO MAKEGABRIELLE HAMILTON HAPPY,TAKE HER TO LA BOQUERÍAMARKET IN BARCELONA. JUSTMAKE SURE THERE'S A KITCHENREADY FOR HER WHEN SHE'SDONE WATCHING, SMELLINGAND SAMPLING THE TREATS ITOFFERS.

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‘86 Spain joins the EU • Robert

Parker enthusiastically reviews ‘82

Pesquera and Vega Sicilia bringing

new attention to Spanish wine

‘88 DO Rias Baixas is founded—

focuses on Albariño varietal

‘89 Modern Priorat is born with

first wine of the Gratallops Five

• DO Bierzo established • Maverick

importer Jorge Ordoñez founds

Fine Estates from Spain • Eric

Solomon opens European Cellars

‘91 Rioja becomes first DOCa

‘92 Cava toasts the world at the

Barcelona Olympics

‘93 Wines from Spain debuts at

the Aspen Food & Wine Classic •

Alvaro Palacios introduces L’Ermita

‘94 WFS launches the Great

Match Wine & Tapas tastings

‘95 First vintage of Pingus

crafted by Peter Sisseck

‘99 Spanish wines begin double

digit growth in US market

‘02 Jerez introduces VOS &

VORS Sherry

‘03 New Spanish wine laws take

effect • Wine Spectator embraces

Spain as the new wine and

food frontier • New York Times

Magazine declares Spain ‘the

New France’

‘05 First DO Pago established

under new Spanish wine laws

‘06 Spain’s top chefs take

US by storm at Spain’s 10

and Culinary Institute of

America’s Worlds of Flavor

‘07 The Wine Advocate

awards five Spanish

wines with 100 points

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