Articles – Page 36 – Colin Harkness on Wine

A New Bodega & Boutique Hotel Opens In Yecla!

BODEGAS & BOUTIQUE HOTEL CASA BOQUERA

It’s not every day that one is invited to the inauguration of a brand new bodega here in Spain. The more so when the opening also includes a luxury boutique hotel, surrounded by its own nascent vineyards. So, you can imagine my delight when founders, Katherine and Harald Schalde*, sent us an official invitation!

We weren’t alone! Local and national press and radio were represented (including, of course, the Costa News Group and Total FM!), along with regional television too. There were also representatives of DO Yecla as well as owners of the other bodegas in the area, who have welcomed the new kids on the block with open arms.

And why not? Although Casa Boquera could be considered competition to the established bodegas, this new concern also adds a highly attractive extra dimension to the area, from which all will benefit. The concept of wine tourism is already firmly embedded in the psyche of the wineries of DO Yecla. Now, however, with the arrival of the luxury hotel whose restaurant is driven by Michelin Starred Chef, Fran Martínez, Enoturismo has been taken to the next level!

And, of this, I can talk with experience. I will soon be taking a group of twenty wine, food, culture and travel enthusiasts to stay for three days at Casa Boquera, visiting and tasting their wines, of course, but also touring other top DO Yecla bodegas where we will also taste (claro) and lunch! Plus, located as it is, equidistant from Yecla and Jumilla, visitors to Casa Boquera will also be able to take in Jumilla’s fine wine bodegas with the same ease. Everyone’s a winner!

The sight of several ladies and gentlemen dressed in the national costume of Norway must have been quite startling to any of the locals who have not been following the progress of this new venture. The reason – well Harald is Norwegian, and his wife, Katherine, whilst being originally Welsh, might just as well be considered Norwegian too – even to the point that she has forgotten some words in English, having lived for so long in Norway!

Together they have been extremely successful in business back home – they must have been, as I dread to think of the extent of their financial investment in this new oh-so-impressive business in the sunshine of Spain! After visiting the coast of South East Spain frequently in years gone by they felt, each time they returned to Norway, that something was missing. Once they realised it was not just the weather, but also the culture and people of Spain that was calling them, they set about finding a way of enjoying the best of both worlds.

They had always liked the sunshine that seemed to be bottled along with the wine that they’d tasted from Yecla and the surrounding areas, and when they heard of a bodega that was for sale, as the owners had no descendants; a bodega that had been farming organically for many years with the certificates to prove it – well it must have seemed like a sign! The purchase was a short story, however, the project has been, and will continue to be, a long story.

Old and unproductive vines were taken out. New, young vines were planted, site specifically, three of four years ago. Queen Monastrell is the principal variety, supported by Garnacha Tintorera, Syrah and Petit Verdot for the reds, with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Moscatel for white wine. The old finca that had housed the previous owners was used as a rather bucolic base camp for Katherine and Harald, and continues to be so, whilst the builders of the bodega and the hotel converged on the area set aside by the architect and design team.

Knowing that the date set aside for the official opening was 1^st April, I initially visited on a cold, though sunny, January day when it was clear that there was still a lot to do. Were they being a little ambitious, I’d asked, considering the scale of the task yet to be completed. No, I was told, with unshakeable confidence, they were sure that all would be well for the Spring opening. And how right they were!

Katherine’s brother, also practically a Norwegian, played a very appropriate violin immediately before the ribbon (diplomatically decked out in the colours of the Spanish flag) was cut by their immensely proud father, whilst the, what 200 invited guests(?) looked on appreciatively. We were then invited into the pool area for cocktails whilst Claire Marie (www.clairemarie.es) sang her selection of classical and contemporary music as well as playing some flute favourites.

Some steps (as well as a ramp for disabled visitors – the hotel is very disabled friendly) led us all down to the courtyard where some impressive flamenco dancing took place, followed by a parade of those in Norwegian dress. Whilst excellent tapas (well they would be wouldn’t they, designed and cooked by such a chef!) were served, local, regional and national dignitaries and politicians addressed the crowd welcoming the newcomers and thanking them for their confidence in Spain in general, in Murcia and in Yecla specifically.

Plus, of course, the first ever wine made at Bodegas Casa Boquera, a rich, young red, was served copiously, along with white wine from nearby DO Jumilla, and beers etc, throughout the afternoon. The red wine, incidentally, was made by Casa Boquera’s Head Winemaker, Rafael Lopez Perez, from organic grapes bought in from local Yecla growers. The Casa Boquera vines are not quite mature enough to make wine, though their first, from their own vines will come on tap this vintage. Watch this space!

I knew what to expect with this wine, as I’d tasted it live on-air on Total FM with Harald and Katherine as my guests some weeks before. I’d considered it very good then and was gratified to hear my friend, Mariano, Head Winemaker at Bodegas Castaño (and surely one of the best at his trade in the whole of Spain) also praise the wine!

Our little group was then taken on a tour of the hotel by Katherine herself, as if she hadn’t enough to do! Well, luxurious alone, doesn’t really do Casa Boquera justice! It is stunningly beautiful! The rooms, termed Reserva and Grand Reserva are wonderful, all en suite, and all having superb views from their private terraces. Plus there is the private Grand Suite, which is amazing!

Some of us, and we count ourselves to be so lucky to be included, were also invited to the superb, gourmet dinner at night. Chef Fran Martínez had clearly been given carte blanche to design and cook imaginative, beautifully presented and delicious dishes, ably supported by the kitchen brigade he has himself trained. What a wonderful experience!

www.casaboquera.es

colin@colinharknessonwine.com www.colinharknessonwine.com @colinonwine Facebook Colin Harkness

Please note: Katherine and Harald* will be returning to the Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine Programme, Total FM 91.8 & www.totalfm.es, on Sunday 21st May, 18:00 – 20:00 hrs, to chat about their progress since opening!

HOW TO AGE WINE, WITHOUT A CELLAR!

IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN!

VINOTECA SOLVES THE CONSERVATION CONUNDRUM

I’m fortunate, I know. I receive wines from all over Spain each month, sent by bodegas hoping for a review – they know that the readers of the Costa News’ four titles are very wine friendly! A good Cork Talk review is valuable to them. The result of this, significant continuous supply of bottles of wine, is that in my house there forms a queue of wines to taste!

When can I taste them – if not now, then when – and will they be in the same, perfect condition? Living as I do, on the Costa Blanca, there is a wide variance in the ambient temperatures of the four seasons. This isn’t good for storing wines. Plus, as we know on all of the Costas, the temperature in summer is sometimes unbearable for us, and frankly, always, for wines.

So what can we do? Well, we could hire a digger and dig down, what 10, no, more – perhaps 15 – 20 metres where the temperature will remain a fairly constant and a fairly wine friendly, maybe 16 – 18ºC. But, hey that’s a lot of effort, and of course, money – moreover money that could be spent on wine! But don’t worry, there’s an answer.

Vinoteca, a Spanish company specialising in the supply of all manner of wine coolers, from tiny 2 bottle jobs, to far larger affairs that can hold, in perfect wine storage conditions, up to 400 bottles, is the leader in the field – and that’s in Europe! My problem solved – so much wine, and now somewhere to keep it until the time is right!

If you go to the Vinoteca website (www.vinoteca.es) you’ll see a huge array of wine coolers, comprising the best brands in Europe – Le Nez Du Vin; Caveduke; La Sommeliére; Liebherr; Vitempus; to name but a few, from a list of 14! If you can’t find a wine cooler here, you can’t find a wine cooler!

Your choice will depend on the number of wines you want to store until it’s time for drinking them and, of course, the space you have available for the wine cooler. I don’t have much space available so I went for the 36 bottle La Sommeliére LS36A, which will suit my needs perfectly. This is the newest model in the well respected La Sommeliére range, the first units only arrived in the warehouse last week! It is Class A Energy Efficient (a concern for all of us these days), has a digital display and touch-button technology.

And, check this out – I’ve negotiated a 5% discount on all models, for Cork Talk Readers! Simply add the code COLIN5 in the appropriate box when ordering online – and that’s a 5% discount, extra to any discounts available for the model you choose!

When saddled with having to make a choice from such an array, I’m not the quickest! I therefore went back to the website a number of times over a period of about three weeks. Each time I visited I noted that there were always discounts, indeed the cooler I chose had 19% off the usual price, translating to an 80€ saving!

I spoke with the Sales Department. Now, whilst I’m fairly confident in my wine related Spanish (I should be, after 20 years working in the Spanish wine sector!) and was certainly prepared to chat about my requirements etc in that language, whenever I was stuck with a certain word, I was given the word I sought. There were times when we spoke just in English and I asked if this was normal. The Sales Department is as happy talking to clients in English as they are in Spanish, and I wouldn’t be surprised, in a number of other European languages too.

Talking of clients, I was also informed that they have many on the Costas of Spain from further south than Marbella, reaching to Barcelona, and inland as well. These, apparently well satisfied customers include many of the different nationalities of Europe as well as Americans and others from several parts of the world – including, claro, Spanish!

So what are the advantages of having such a wine cooler? I know from the tastings I present that there are always those who tell me, with a knowing smile, that they don’t need such assistance, as they drink their wine, almost on arrival! I know what they mean of course – but what about when you see that offer in the bodega or supermarket? It’s 36º+ in the house in the summer; there are 12 bottles of this lovely red going for a really good discount, but today only! Well, the idea of a wine chiller starts to look a little more useful, no?

And what about that special celebration that’s coming up, but isn’t here yet? A wedding anniversary or a special birthday. What about buying a fine wine for your grandchild’s 18^th (hoping, like me, that he/she doesn’t like wine when that landmark age is reached!). Why not buy the posh wine for it now, put it in the cooler and know that it will be perfect for when it’s needed.

Bear in mind also that, sadly (almost criminally, in my view), many of the supermarkets are not at all concerned with storing their wines under correct conditions. So you will find that wines you buy will sometimes be disappointing, if you wait. Buy them now and put them in the chiller!

Wine coolers keep the wines at the correct temperature and humidity. Depending on the model chosen, there is a range of temperatures that can be set, and at different levels of the chiller. They usually also have an anti-vibration system built in, as well as shaded glass – two other problems that wines do not like! Their designs can be ultra modern, traditional, and a combination of each.

So, Tracy (Chapman, the title of whose song I’ve plagiarized above!) – it doesn’t matter when it is, if it’s not now!

colin@colinharknessonwine.com www.colinharknessonwine.com www.totalfm.es Twitter @colinonwine Facebook Colin Harkness

Spain is a really happening place for wine making and indeed, innovation!

In essence, the article said that which I’ve been saying for several years now – Spain is a really happening place for wine making and indeed, innovation . . .

MUSIC TO MY EARS

Bear with me – this is the Wine Column!

The eponymous Celler, at Celler del Roure!

Politically, it’s fair to say that I inhabit the middle ground. I abhor extremism, be it left or right. Blinkered allegiance to a political party is anathema, in my book. And the blind reading of the same, wholly biased, newspaper year in year out which is insidiously molding readers’ views whilst simultaneously honing and strengthening those already held, oblivious to any other view, has to be folly.

I trust politicians, like I trust Football Club Chairmen (I use the generic term, I’m not sexist) who publicly express their confidence in their current Manager!

My news-feeds are: Sky, on the radio, and, via the internet: the BBC, the Guardian, the Times and the Telegraph (the Costa News goes without saying, of course!). I find some newspapers’ bias to be so repugnant that I will not read another word, nor use them to wrap my chips or light a fire, lest I’m seen with them!

I look for a balanced view, digesting the wheat from the chaff of the above, when forming my opinions, and once formed, I’m not afraid to change my view.

So, why am I leaning so heavily on an article in a rather right wing newspaper like the Telegraph?

In some ways I’ve cut off my nose to spite my face regarding this newspaper. I have always considered the writing to be of a different (that’s higher) class than most, if not all, of the others. I used to relish the opportunity to sit down, more than once, with the Weekend Telegraph – reading, of course, the wine article, as well as lots more. It’s articulate and erudite, exemplary in fact.

Indeed, this is why I would often use articles in this section of the paper when teaching. Vocabulary, syntax, sentence construction, etc – they’re all there, plus the articles were often thought provoking and therefore super stimuli for young minds. But, I stopped reading it!

You’ll remember the Members of Parliament Expenses Scandal – I’m now, at best, skeptical about all MPs, and worst, well I expect the worst! What a great disservice these dishonest people did to their colleagues and their profession! Well at, I think a later stage during these revelations, the Telegraph wrote a damning piece about the MPs who had been sentenced and/or those who were yet to go to court – leading with, almost to the point of there being nothing else, the names of the Labour MPs who were guilty or going to trial. Only at the very end of the article, in a tiny paragraph, did they mention that Conservative MPs were also involved – no doubt, in their view, in the interests of balance! This ‘balance’ was almost obliterated by the smokescreen of that which went before it. That did it for me.

But, I’m back, if only for wine!

I was pleased to receive a link to said newspaper from a good friend recently (thanks Sue!). It took me, nostalgically, to Victoria Moore’s article in the Weekend Telegraph. Victoria is the current writer of the Telegraph wine column – over the years I’ve read many equally distinguished writers’ words there. However, there have been few which pleased me as much as this.

Victoria’s opening sentence, “When I started out in 1995,” says Pablo Calatayud, . . . .”, made an immediate impression on me – Pablo is a friend and colleague of mine in the Spanish wine scene! I read on with alacrity, and was delighted to see that it wasn’t just Pablo whom I knew in this very positive article, there were others, and lots of wines with which I’m on the friendliest of terms as well!

The Celler del Roure portfolio – one of the wineries recommended recently by the Telegraph’s Victoria Moore (and by me for several years now!).

In essence, the article said that which I’ve been saying for several years now – Spain is a really happening place for wine making and indeed, innovation. I have the advantage over Victoria, et al, in that I have been saying this in situ. The British wine writing fraternity, mostly, only have the chance to taste a comprehensive number of Spanish wines at trade tastings, to which they are all invited, but only once or twice a year.

However, my colleagues in the UK have an advantage over me too – they write for a far larger audience, and therefore have a greater influence. In my defence, however, their articles do not just concentrate on Spanish wines, as mine do, so therefore their influence may be a little thinner than mine in that respect. No matter, it’s not a competition – the important thing here is that the word is being spread about the wines of Spain, and I’m all for that – always have been!

Victoria goes on, ‘Over the past couple of decades, vignerons in corners of Spain whose viticulture has been uncelebrated for too long have been redrawing the Spanish wine map.’ My sentiments exactly. She talks also of areas that I’ve been championing too – DO Valdeorras, DO Bierzo, the Canary Islands, the Balearics, Valencia, Utiel-Requena, Jumilla, Yecla, and Manchuela.

Also Victoria praises the grape varieties that are to us common currency: Monastrell, Mencía, Godello, Bobal, Merseguera, Malvasia – heard of these varieties anywhere else? Of course you have, here in Cork Talk. Of bodegas Victoria recommends: Pablo’s Celler del Roure; Mustiguillo; Valdesil and others too, most of which have figured in this column at some time or another during the last 20 years.

Victoria singles out the white at Mustiguillo as being a particular favourite, not surprisingly – this is the best example of Merseguera that there is. However, she doesn’t mention Pablo’s white, Cullerot, which was generally the best received wine ina recent high class tasting that I presented, which included wines from Priorat and DO Cava! So, stick with Spanish wines – and me, Victoria!

However, always the gentlemen, I’ll leave the last words to Victoria Moore, “So if you’re a Spanish wine fan still sticking to Rioja, branch out. Pick one from a place or made from a grape you’ve never heard of. And take things from there.”

Next Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine Programme on www.totalfm.es Sunday 26^th March, 18:00 – 20:00 hrs. And after that, 9th April!

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