Category: Media

Published August 2011 in DO Rias Baixas News Bulletin

NOTA DE PRENSA

 PAZO DA BOUCIÑA SE HACE CON LA MEDALLA DE ORO DE LA XXIII CATA CONCURSO RÍAS BAIXAS ALBARIÑO DE CAMBADOS

 8 de agosto de 2011.- Después de catar 60 marcas de Rías Baixas en dos días, los profesionales que integraron el panel de cata de la XXIII Cata Concurso Rías Baixas Albariño decidieron que los premios de esta edición recayesen la medalla de oro en la marca Pazo de Bouciña, de la adega Arousa de Bebidas; la medalla de plata en el Rías Baixas Albariño de Esencia Divina, Bodegas Gran Vinum y; la medalla de bronce en Bouza de Carril, de la bodega Bodega Bouza de Carril.

I was honoured to be one of the above 25 panelists (in fact the only foreign wine critic invited!) in this major wine tasting event where the best three Albariño wines of the 2010 vintage were determined!

Sitting on the panel as an equal with such luminaries as: Antonio Palacios (master wine maker, President of the Federacion Española de Asocianes de Enologos, and a member of the Palacios family, the most famous winemaking dynasty in Spain);

His young daughter Barbara, a fine winemaker in her own right, whose fledgling Barbarot Bodega, with its excellent Vino de Autor Rioja wine, would surely be voted Best Newcomer, if there was such a title in La Rioja;

Jesús Flores, doyen of Spanish wine writers and tasters, author of several acknowledged wine books and guides, in fact the Spanish equivalent of Hugh Johnson;

Pablo Amate, renowned national wine and food critic on radio and in various newspapers and magazines;

Cristino Álvarez, famed wine critic and writer who has attended over 20 of these catas over the last decades;

Plus many more, was of course a memorable experience, to say the least!

Thus, as a panelist, I played a part in deciding which Albariño wines were the best three of the 2010 vintage:

1st Place – Pazo de Bouciña, Gold Medal

2nd Place – Esencia Divina, Silver Medal

3rd Place – Bouza de Carril

The owners of the bodegas making these wines were delighted when the announcement was made in front of TV Cameras and hundreds of invitees including dignitries, politicians, celebrities and of course the judging panel!

My congratulations to the winners of course but also to all the others who make the excellent Albariño wines of Denominación de Origen Rias Baixas, Galicia.

Bay Radio’s Sunday Brunch On-Air Wine Recommendations!

Salad:
A really mouth-watering list of ingredients which needs a similarly flavourful wine to accompany this Antipodean salad! I’m recommending Bodegas Dominio de la Vega’s Sauvignon Blanc 2010, although this is something of a misnomer as there are two other grape varieties used in the blend.
 
The grassy, herby Sauvignon which has some gooseberry, kiwi and faint passion fruit notes is joined by Chardonnay for added exotic fruit and finally Macabeo which can on occasions produce some very appropriate pear aromas and flavour.
 
The Sauvignon will be good with the chilli element, the Chardonnay will lift the bacon a touch and the Macabeo will compliment the salad leaves and of course the pear.
 
Chicken Risotto
Risotto is one of my favourite dishes – an Italian Sangiovese would be ideal here I think, but when in Spain don’t do as the Romans do! We’ll stick with red wine though and go to the more economic end of the wine price-scale. You can buy Bodegas Fariña’s Arco Iris in Mercadonna – in it’s litre bottle, which they claim is better for the environment.
 
It’s an every-day-drinking wine for enjoying without complication and one which will mix very happily with the risotto. However that’s not to say it is just a glugging wine. The Tempranillo grapes with which it is made have a faint strawberry aroma but darker bramble fruit on the palate – all adding to food/wine combined flavours.
 
Salud!

SUNDAY BRUNCH PROGRAMME, BAY RADIO

Despite the salt content of Gammon this meat can be overwhelmed by strongly flavoured wines and tannic reds would feel even more harsh in the mouth. Reds just wouldn’t suit cauliflower cheese, being honest a white wine would be its best partner. So we need a compromise and why not use a rosado?
 
Spain is the Rosado Capital of the wine world, with a myriad of choices from light pink to dark crimson and every shade between – one rosado I know, made with the very dark skinned Petit Verdot variety is practically the same colour as most reds and in fact darker than some!
 
I’d go for a Tempranillo Rosado for this dish – Marqués de Cáceres in La Rioja would be a good choice, or one from Valdepeñas where the Tempranillo grape variety is called Cencibel.
 
French Style Chicken with Peas and Bacon
Chicken, still the wine lover’s favourite meat as it sits happily with many different wines. The bacon will make an impact too though, so we are looking here I think for a fruity red wine. You cold try Care Tinto from DO Cariñena – this very fruity un-oaked red is made with Syrah and Tempranillo and is really juicy on the palate.
 
Or if you like a bit more substance with your fruit try a joven (young) red from Ribera del Duero where the Tinto de Pais (aka Tempranillo) always seems to have a bigger fruit content than Tempranillo’s spiritual home, La Rioja. I think Viejo Mundo Roble 2009, which I presented at a tasting last night, would be a super match. It’s had a few months in oak, but it’s understated, being used simply to add some body and a touch of extra flavour. 
 
Salud!
Sunday Brunch Presenters Noelle and Bob, with empty glasses!

Gammon and Cauliflower Cheese

BAY RADIO SUNDAY BRUNCH WINE RECOMMENDATIONS

Croquetas de Jamon:
There are possibilities here – a rosado would be good, and as this is the land of super rosé wines there are plenty to choose from.
 
However I think the best match would be a fruity Monastrell from Jumilla or Yecla. Some oak ageing wouldn’t go amiss but I think a crianza with it’s minimum of 6 months oak would be the limit, lest we lose the upfront fruit.
 
So I think the ideal would be a Semi-Crianza or Roble Monastrell. Such terms are not legally defined. Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are, with minimum time in oak and bottle specified. Semi-Crianza is perhaps self-explanatory, as it indicates that there has been oak ageing but not enough to satisfy the criteria for a Crianza.
 
Roble, essentially means the same – Roble is the Spanish word for Oak. Sometimes the number of months in oak will be recorded on the label, sometimes not. 
 
Salud!
PS Don’t forget the next On-Air tasting will be Sunday 5th June 12:00 – 13:00 hrs; Listen Live by internet: www.bayradio.fm !!