Tuesday, May 27, 2008

On the Spanish Wine Road: Rioja and Castilla

I´m in Spain, tasting wines from the north (in Rioja) to the South (Jerez) and hitting points in between such as Tierra de Castilla which is pictured here--but not by me. (image from lacomunidad.elpais.com)

This has been an unbelievable experience that is only half way over, so it will take me a while to digest and process all that I´ve heard, seen and tasted. I´ve met legendary winemakers, seen some cutting edge science at work in the vineyards, and am on my way to the historic Osborne sherry operation in Jerez. I´ve been stunned at the range of Tempranillo, and charmed by what a really fresh Fino Quinta sherry tastes like served very cold, in a frosted glass, after a long day of walking and talking. And the food has been excellent, too, so I´ve got some new tips on what to drink with your Spanish and Portuguese wines.

The weather in Spain is a bit uncharacteristic right now, as it´s cold and wet. There was hail in Rioja just a few days ago, but in Castilla the red poppies were in full bloom. I´ve been reminded all week about Nature´s fickleness, and how difficult it is to work so hard to produce any product that depends on good weather.

I´m not sure if I will be able to post again before I head back to the states, but wanted to send out a mini update to let you know what I´ve been up to and what you will be hearing about soon here on the blog.

4 comments:

Gabriella Opaz said...

Wow Deb, we had no idea that were troopsing around our neck of the woods. How fun and exciting! I'm curious to hear about your adventures and your take on what you've experienced, but while you're here, please don't hesitate to get in touch: +34 656 432 417. We'd love to share a glass of wine with you ;-)

Pat B said...

Deb,

I'm JEALOUS! And looking forward to your stories, especially about sherry and the foods that go with it in its different forms. Have a safe trip home.

Pat B

Anonymous said...

Awesome trip. You MUST go to the Wine Museum at Dinastia Vivanco in Briones. If you've passed it already then turnaround immediately and go. This is the world's greatest wine museum and is remarkably unknown outside the area. Have fun! -Richard

Dr. Debs said...

Thanks, Gabriella, for the offer but I wasn't in control of my own time, so this will have to wait for my next trip to Spain--and there will be a next time. Pat, have I got recipes for you--stay tuned. And Anonymous, for all the same reasons I couldn't see Gabriella and Ryan I didn't get to the Wine Museum either. Next time!