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Madrid - Days 5-8

15-Apr-10 - ...Except for that b****y volcano, of course. I'd seen the news item on the BBC website, but at that time it only seemed to be threatening Scandinavian and Scottish airports. I arrived at the airport in good time, with the prospect of a comfortable hour in the first-class lounge. This was not to be. I may have mentioned before that I choose to travel via Madrid terminal 1 (as opposed to the hell-hole that is terminal 4) because it's quick: my record so far is 12 minutes from the taxi to airside, although at that time I was travelling with hand-baggage only and had checked in on-line. This was different. There seemed to be mile-long queues everywhere, and I staggered to the business-class check-in desk pleading 'special assistance'. The clerk was helpful but was unable to check my bag in as the 15:00 flight was not confirmed. He advised me to come back at 14:00. That was when I discovered that there are NO SEATS of any kind in Terminal 1. People were sitting/lying on the floor or perching wherever they could. I managed to find an unmanned desk and perched on the partition between the two luggage belts until the man from special assistance arrived. To cut a very long story short, things began to happen after that: the Air Europa desk said that the earliest they could get me on a flight would be Monday (bear in mind this was on Thursday) and issued a new ticket. Fortunately I have travel insurance and realised that I'd need a hotel for four nights, and my mental filing system was running through the hotels I know in Madrid. I couldn't afford to go back to the Wellington and was considering my old favourite, the Plaza Mayor... But I needn't have worried. The girl on the desk had made all the arrangements and I was whisked out to a luxury coach (along with the rest of the passengers who'd been trying to check in) and we were driven to the Hotel Auditorium, which is a magnificent new four-star hotel just outside the airport. This claims to be the largest hotel in Europe, with 869 rooms, and seemed to be effortlessly geared-up for coachloads of people arriving unexpectedly. The hotel's main business is conferences and events, and the foyer is the size of an aircraft hangar with an atrium four storeys high, a huge lobby bar, glass-walled lifts, some rather kitschy but very nice lighting gear and an exploded Chevrolet ('Crash' - modern art).

The Great Glass Elevator (and Chandelier). Pic.: www.hotelauditorium.com

 'Crash'

 The Great Glass Chandelier (Airport Beyond)

As I checked in I asked what the deal was: "The airline is paying full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Buffet-Madrid..." The clerk handed me vouchers stamped with the date and my room number. "...Just hand these in at the desk." And that was it. The room was on the first floor and half as big again as the one I'd had at the Wellington, with a double bed, armchair, table, desk, marble bathroom, TV (with BBC World News and Sky News) and free (!) Wifi. This last was to be a particular boon as I was to spend most of the next few days working on the laptop. Luxury accommodation! Having investigated the lobby bar I headed for the Buffet-Madrid with the first of my vouchers. This is a spectacular affair, with 1,000 covers and two self-service counters with hot and cold food, salads, fruit, desserts and what have you. I loaded up a plate and found a seat - communal tables - and looked for the wine list. There wasn't one: a smoothly-efficient waitress appeared as if from nowhere and put bottles of mineral water and Rioja on the table, and went away. The Rioja proved to be the house red: 2008 Antaño from Bodegas Garcia Carrión and was, quite frankly, excellent. This was not haute cuisine but extremely welcome, unlimited in quantity, and a blessèd relief after the sight of passengers from 'budget' airlines sleeping on their luggage at the airport. If this was being 'stranded', well, I wasn't going to complain, and neither was anybody else I spoke to. We were being treated like honoured guests rather than airport refugees - the level of service was spectacular.

Salón de Gourmets Madrid - Day 4

14-Apr-10 - Having missed out on a visit to the Mercado de San Miguel last Monday I was determined to get there today, and so spent just the morning (well, until about 14:00) at the show. As I was enjoying my regular 'Spanish breakfast' (coffee and brandy) in the cafeteria I was approached by Carmen Muñoz, who was staying in the same hotel and had spotted me in the foyer. She's the export manager of Bodegas Sauci in the DO Condado de Huelva, which is another relatively obscure region which I like to investigate when I have the opportunity (see post of 30-Mar-09): their main stock in trade was fortified wines in the Sherry style, (digression alert!) made famous in the fourteenth century by Chaucer in 'The Pardoner's Tale':

Now kepe yow fro the white and fro the rede,
And namely fro the white wyn of Lepe
That is to selle in Fysshstrete or in Chepe.
This wyn of Spaigne crepeth subtilly
In othere wynes, growynge faste by,
Of which ther ryseth swich fumositee
That whan a man hath dronken draughtes thre,
And weneth that he be at hoom in Chepe,
He is in Spaigne, right at the toune of Lepe,
Nat at the Rochele, ne at Burdeux toun.

The town of Lepe is within the province of Huelva (although outside the modern-day DO Condado de Huelva), and it seems that the wines were legendary even in those days, and apparently on sale in Fish Street (London EC3) and Cheapside (London EC2). Chaucer's use of the word 'fumositee' implies that wines from Huelva were fortified at that time - no-one really knows when fortification of Andaluz wines began, although it is believed that the Moors, who ruled much of Spain from 711 until 1492 AD, introduced distilling. Until 1933, when the Sherry Consejo Regulador was founded (although it wasn't called that then), the wines were cheerfully shipped down the coast to Jerez for blending with Sherry. Since then the region has had to find a different role for its wines, although the fortified Condado Pálido (Fino type) and Condado Viejo (Oloroso type) are still made, and generally represent excellent value for money.

(Further digression alert!) Interestingly, too, Chaucer mentions La Rochelle which was originally the main port for the export of Cognac (although Cognac wasn't made until the 16th century, so the town would have been exporting wine at that time) and Bordeaux which, since the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II of England in 1152 was an offshore part of England and which was shipping wine, duty free, in large quantities. The Worshipful Company of Vintners had been established in London in 1363 and it's as well to remember that Chaucer's father was a wine merchant.

(Further further digression alert!) Chaucer rhymes the town of Lepe with 'cheap' but, of course, its modern-day pronunciation rhymes with 'Pepe'. In popular culture the jokes which the English used to tell about the Irish, the Irish told about people from County Kerry, the French told about the Belgians, the Belgians told about the Dutch etc., etc. (these are not allowed any more, of course, as they are not politically correct) are told in Spain about 'Fernando from Lepe'. This is, perhaps, from the comic actor José Álvarez (1890-1967) who was known as 'Lepe', or, indeed, it may be that he took his pseudonym from the town because the jokes were already extant (he was born and died in Madrid). In either case, at one time the mayor of Lepe became so fed up with its reputation that, working on the basis that 'if you can't beat 'em, make a profit out of 'em', instituted a clowning festival which brought very welcome tourist income to the city. (All right, digressions over).

So, getting back to the job in hand, later in the morning I found my way to the Condado de Huelva stand and met up with Carmen. Sauci does not own vineyards but buys in musts and wines for blending and ageing (in Jerez it would be called an almacenista). The bodega produces wines from joven afrutado (100% Zalema - pleasant, undistinguished) all the way up to PX and the new classic style (well, all right, since about 1850) of vino naranja, fortified with spirit which has been used to marinate the skins of Seville oranges (no, honestly. They're all doing it now):

Sauci Espinapura (Condado Pálido)  - 100% Palomino, 15% abv, 4 years solera - lovely flor freshness, clean on the nose; also clean, fresh and light on the palate, rather like a Manzanilla - delicious - 16/20 - €5

S' Naranja (Generoso de Licor) - Palomino and PX, 15% abv, 10 years solera - orange-scented, I wrote 'Terry's chocolate orange' in my notes; on the palate the orange flavour doesn't dominate and it comes across as a pleasant 'after dinner' type drink. Interesting - €12

S' PX (Vino Dulce Natural) - 15% abv - toffee with a hint of citrus on the nose, and a lovely, rich freshness (I wrote 'Montilla-style' but they'll probably hate that), clean fruit and a clean finish with 'toffee-apple' flavours - 17/20 - €13 (50 cl)

S' PX Solera 1989 - 15% abv - again that hint of citrus on the nose, fragrant and very softly-sweet on the palate, clean and gentle on the finish - delicious - 16/20 - €20 (50 cl)

These are, by and large, excellent wines and ridiculously cheap... But you try selling them in the UK. Interestingly, during the tasting with Carmen who should come by but Marta Angulo from 'A Taste of Spain', for whom I'd done a presentation at Alimentaria a couple of weeks ago (see post of 25-Mar-10). She is based in Andalucía, too, in Cádiz. It's a small world.

So, off to the Mercado de San Miguel. My colleague Ana Vitienes, who runs a food and drink PR agency in Madrid, wrote a piece for YES CHEF! Magazine singing the praises of the market which was reopened after a major revamp in May, 2009. It's a relatively small complex but with a wide range of  stalls - meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, and various bars and cafeterias, humming with activity. If you're a lover of fresh produce, olive oil and good wine, this is a must-visit in Madrid, and it's only a stone's throw from the Plaza Mayor. It's open from 10:00 to midnight Sunday-Wednesday and 10:00 until 02:00 Thursday-Saturday. As a venue for after-theatre drinks, it's a magnet for the city's trendies: a fabulous place.

Our final 'formal' event of the trip was dinner at Ramón Freixa, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Hotel Selenza in the calle Claudio Coello. Freixa is a Catalan from Barcelona, where his family has run a restaurant for yonks, and he now also consults for a restaurant in Melbourne, writes books, appears on telly etc., etc.

Anyway, the meal was excellent, kicking off with an amazing 'washing line' of crispy nibbles (hard to describe) but absolutely fabulous breads, French unsalted butter and Catalan olive oil, The main menu is very inventive, including a duck-burger with mustard ice-cream (I passed on the ice-cream) and loads of puds - apparently Freixa is an ambitious pâtissier. I was most impressed by a dessert of tiny fruit including an apple the size of a cherry, covered in gold leaf. There was also a basket made of 'Rice Krispies', delicious membrillo and a tiny marshmallow, a chocolate 'wedge' and, well, quite a lot of chocolate. We finished off with coffee and La Bota de Brandy from Equipo Navazos in Montilla. This was an excellent finish to a wonderfully-organised trip. Nothing could go wrong...

Pictures to follow

Salón de Gourmets Madrid - Day 3

13-Apr-10 - Work starts today at IFEMA, the major exhibition centre of Madrid. I had been booked by the Club de Gourmets (CdG) to do a presentation on pink wines but circumstances had led to the cancellation of that particular project. My contact, Reyes López, who is a director of the CdG Magazine, was apologetic but confirmed that the agreed fee would still be paid, which proved to be a boon later in the week (thanks to that volcano - more later). So I was free to wander, look up old chums and taste whatever presented itself.

I started off at the stand of Bodegas Barbadillo, the classic Sherry producer which now owns wineries in Ribera del Duero and Somontano. I was hosted by Ignacio Morán who explained how the company has developed over recent years, and invited me to taste some of the range. Prices, where quoted, are approximate retail (£) in the UK or, failing that in Spain (€) as listed by www.wine-searcher.com:

Solear Manzanilla - this is a classic of the genre and I know it well, but it's still wonderful, with a lovely, fresh, nutty flor nose and a delicious, bone-dry palate, fresh, clean, and reminiscent of blanched almonds - 18/20 - £8.59

2009 Castillo de San Diego, VdlT Cádiz - a bit of history here: unfortified wines from Jerez, made from the Palomino, had always been rather neutral, dull. uninspiring, and usually a bit oxidised. Then, a few years ago at the London Wine Fair I was called on to the Barbadillo stand to taste the new vintage of this wine. I refused initially but was convinced by the promise that the company had a new winemaker - Montserrat Molina - and that she had revitalised the wine. Oh yeah? Well, yeah! I was astonished at the freshness and cleanliness of the wine and, indeed, it went on to become Spain's best-selling white on the home market. The 2009 showed a hint of herby fruit on the nose with some fresh acidity, and although rather light on the palate was a clean, easy-drinking dry white and very pleasant - 16/20 - €4.20

The Vega Real (DO Ribera del Duero) wines seemed to need a bit more work - the 2008 Roble showed warm spicy fruit on the nose but a rather tannic austerity on the palate, and the 2007 Crianza was similarly tannic and seemed to need more time: 'fruit struggling' was what I wrote in my notes.

Then it was on to Bodega Pirineos in the DO Somontano. I first visited here in the 1990s when it was a new DO and this bodega was the Cooperativa de Somontano de Sobrarbe, owned by its members. On my next visit it had become Bodega Pirineos, a limited company with its former members as shareholders, and it was bought by Barbadillo in 2007. I particularly remember it as the winemaker there was one of the last few in Somontano to be working with the local, indigenous grape varieties. On my first visit (which was in 1989) we'd tasted samples of wine made from the white Alcañón and the red Parraleta and Moristel. Almost everybody seems to have given up on the Alcañón, and, as most of the major producers in the region are owned by giant multinationals, they aren't interested in experimenting with minority-interest local varieties when they can use grapes with a guaranteed track-record such as Cabernet-Sauvignon (which the DO website describes as 'a Burgundy grape' - great research there: must be a big surprise to them in Dijon!), Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, er... Sorry, I was nodding off, there.

Anyway, Pirineos is still persevering with Parraleta and Moristel, albeit in minority percentages, and they were showing the 2004 Marboré which is mainly Tempranillo with 12 months in oak, and a smoky fruit on the nose, big but austere fruit on the mid-palate but bright fruit on the finish with 'working' tannins, and should improve in a year or so - 16/20 - €17

A quick word about Somontano: the last time I was there it was a frosty February, with snow on the ground (remember that we're up in the Pyrenees here) and we visited several wineries (including Pirineos) but the one that sticks in my mind is Bodegas Lalanne, not only because of the excellent quality of their wines but because on our visit the boss was happily driving the forklift truck in the background, and we were shown round by his three beautiful daughters, Leonor, Laura and Lucrezia, all of whom are trained winemakers. As far as I'm aware the wines are not at present listed in the UK, which is a great pity.

And, staying with Somontano, the export manager at Bodea Pirineos is Martin Abell, and his wife Kathy works on behalf of the Ruta del Vino Somontano for those who want to visit this astonishingly beautiful part of Spain.

Anyway I digress - back to the Salón: at these shows I'm always interested in seeking out wine regions that are largely unknown and which, quite frankly, are so obscure that I couldn't really justify a trip to visit them. One such is Cantabria, which has two VdlT zones - Costa de Cantabria on the north coast, and Liébana further inland. I'd heard of them but never tasted any of the wines and, although Cantabria is yet another beautiful, mountainous part of Spain (incorporating part of the Picos de Europa) my only experience of it is driving through, after arriving at the port of Santander on the car ferry.

Bodegas Vidular was founded in 2006 in Junta de Voto, VdlT Costa de Cantabria, at an altitude of 120 m:

2007 Ribera del Asón - Albariño/Chardonnay/Riesling - a combination of 'peachy' Albariño and 'meaty' Chardonnay on the nose with big ketones, lovely soft fruit on the palate with weight provided by the Chardonnay, very clean, light and delicious on the palate - 16/20

Bodegas Picos de Cabariezo was founded in Cabezón de Liébana (VdlT Liébana) in 2000 when the vineyards were planted, and the first commercial vintage was made in 2007. They grow mainly Mencía grapes with a bit of Syrah:

2009 Picos de Cabariezo Roble - 5 months in oak - dark chocolate and spice on the nose and a very individualistic style on the palate, with the crispness of the Mencía softened by the peppery spice of the Syrah. Some acidity on the finish but this should soften - 16/20 - €6-7

I also tasted the 2007 with 6 months in oak, which showed more Syrah style but a rather bitter and austere finish. I think the winemaking has moved on since then.

Heading towards a tapas lunch generously provided by the CdG, I paused at the Extremadura stand which was very handsomely laid out with subsidiary presentations on individual tables celebrating the region's fantastic ham and oil as well as wine. I settled on the section devoted to Bodegas Ruíz Torres (VdlT Extremadura) with a view to tasting their range of wines, but this was not to be a success. The man I took to be in charge of the stand managed to avoid eye-contact at all costs, and spent most of the time talking on his mobile 'phone. Eventually I resorted to opening the bottles myself: the white Anteros (Pardina) was pleasant enough (15/20) as was the pink (Tempranillo - also 15/20). I was interested in these wines particularly because they registered 10% and 9.5% abv respectively, and in a market climate where people are, allegedly, looking for lower-alcohol wines they showed great potential. I would have liked to know more about them and also to taste the red, but mine host was still glued to his mobile 'phone and facing in the opposite direction so I left.

After the excellent tapas I was targetted by the lovely Paula Zuñiga of Bodegas Ramón Bilbao (DOCa Rioja and also with bodegas in Rías Baixas, Ribera del Duero and the VdlT Castilla) with an offer to taste through the range. Normally at events like this I don't go for the 'big-name' areas and especially not Rioja, as I seem to visit there on almost a monthly basis, but Ramón Bilbao has won so many awards in recent years that I succumbed to Paula's blandishments and went along:

2009 Mar de Frades, DO Rías Baixas - grapey, peachy Albariño fruit on the nose, very crisp, lipsmacking acidity and bone dry on the finish but with great aromatics - excellent - 17/20 - €11.30

2008 Finca Valiñas, DO Rías Baixas (barrel-fermented with 6 months on the lees) - I was quite surprised to like this, as in general I like the fresh fruit of the Albariño untouched by oak, but apart from hints of toasty oak on the nose, the palate showed good, clean, clear fruit and a lovely crisp finish. This is world-class winemaking - 17/20

Then it was on to Rioja. Paula told me that their agent in the UK is Ellis of Richmond, whose website seems to give every detail about the wines... Except for the price. Odd or what?

2005 Ramón Bilbao Reserva - 90/10 Tempranillo/Mazuelo and Graciano with 20 months US oak - good rich dark fruit on the nose with a gentle perfume, very clean fresh fruit on the palate with a nice balance between fruit and tannin. A crisp finish - needs 1-2 years - 17/20 - €10.25

2001 Ramón Bilbao Gran Reserva - spicy dark fruit in excellent, classic Gran Reserva style on the nose; rich fruit, crisp oak, lovely balance and fruit on the finish - superb - 18/20 - €19

2007 Ramón Bilbao Edición Limitada Crianza (this is the 'second wine' of Mirto - see below) - old vines Tempranillo with malolactic in the barrel - subtle deep, dark fruit on the nose, perfumed; lovely classic Rioja style on the foretaste with rich fruit, crisp tannins, nicely balanced and a long finish. Superb - 18/20

2006 Mirto (i.e. 'myrtle' in Spanish, after the wild plants around the vineyard - this is the bodega's flagship wine made from 70+ old vine Tempranillo) - very concentrated rich, dark fruit on the nose, which translates on to the palate with amazing structure and complexity and endless length. Fab - 19/20

And finally to Ribera del Duero, and Bodegas Cruz de Alba near Peñafiel, founded in 2003 and currently working out of a rented bodega until a new one is commissioned:

2007 Cruz de Alba - dark purple and big deep, dark fruit with a subtle perfume on the nose; big fruit and big tannins on the palate with power and warmth, a rich, powerful finish which is excellent but this really does need more time - 18/20

And that was it for day 3 - apart from dinner at the hotel. The restaurant Gozeiko-Wellington is run by Jesús Santos and, rather obscurely, it doesn't seem to be well-signposted from the main lobby but, no matter, we found our way there and I am indebted to my fellow traveller Florence Hernández who took copious notes while I simply immersed myself in the food (no change there, then. Ed):

We drank Durón Rueda (Verdejo) 2008 and Fos 2005 Rioja (made especially for the restaurant) and ate, variously, joselito ham 5 jotas, shrimps a la gabardina (tempura), piquillos verdes from the Basque country, anchoas a la plancha, merluza con chipirón en su tinta with mash (with truffles from Soria); jarrete de ternera lacado cocido 35 horas (fab pork!). It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. I slept well that night.

Pictures to follow

Salón de Gourmets Madrid - Day 2

12-Apr-10 - A not-too-early start (10:30), and met (some of) my fellow travellers: Rupert Parker from London, Florence Hernández from Paris, Cristina de Hevia from the tourist board and Javier Ruiz-Ogarrio who was to shepherd us around. Another member was Alberto Schieppati from Milan, but he'd already left for the Salón, and we were to meet up later.

We started off with the touristy bit, and a visit to the Reina Sofia Museum which is a gallery devoted to 20th century art, as opposed to the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza which both cover a wider spectrum, and is great if you happen to be, as I am, a fan of Picasso, the early surrealists and, especially, Dalí. We were hosted by Cristina and shown around by Susana Jarabo who is an expert on the subject. Unfortunately, although the corridors around the galleries are well-supplied with benches, the galleries themselves are not. If you're lucky the attendant may have left his/her chair for some administrative purpose and you can sit on it for the duration, but this is rare. I like going to art galleries, especially those which have benches in the middle from which you can admire the exhibits, but this does not have them. It does, however, have some spectacular works, not just in terms of painting and sculpture but also film: restored DVD versions of Un Chien Andalou and l'Age d'Or are on permanent loop in two of the galleries. And there's a whole gallery devoted to Picasso's Guernica (Gernika), a huge and emotional evisceration of the devastation suffered on April 26th 1937, when Hitler's Luftwaffe destroyed the city on the orders of General Franco. It's a disturbing experience.

I was fascinated to watch some of the school and student groups which were visiting the gallery. All ages were represented, and I saw the teacher of a group of a couple of dozen primary-school children desperately trying to count them as they milled around. Most beguiling of all was a crocodile of infant-school age children (say, 5-6 years old) dutifully following their teacher, each one hanging doggedly on to the pullover of the child in front. It's good to see children getting the opportunity to appreciate culture, but I did wonder, given the turbulent history of Spain from General Primo de Rivera in 1923 to the new constitution of 1978, whether 20th-century art is, perhaps a bit 'brutal' for young children to appreciate until they're old enough to understand the politics behind it.

Next stop was the CaixaForum and post-modern art on the Paseo del Prado, also on foot, but my creaking joints were such that I chickened out and hitched a lift in the minibus to the Cafeteria Siguero on the Plaza de la Lealtad for a cold beer. Next-door is the Hotel Ritz, where we were to have lunch.

 The Ritz is, of course, the grandest hotel in Madrid and was designed from the ground up to be so. It has five red towers in the Michelin Guide and for a while it vied with the Hotel Villa Magna on the Paseo de Castellana to be the greatest hotel in town. Since then the Villa Magna has changed hands and now has to languish with 'only' five black towers, but the Ritz has had massive investment from the Orient Express Group, which bought it in 2003. I confess to a slight feeling of inadequacy as I was wearing a short-sleeved, open-neck shirt, and I've been thrown out of the Ritz in London (owned by a completely different group) for not wearing a jacket and tie (see post of 13-May-09). But this is Spain, and although the service staff wear morning tails in Ascot grey my (our) informal appearance was not remarked upon, and we were conducted to an elegantly-laid table for six on the terrace overlooking the Paseo del Prado. This is just about the most must-be-seen-to-be-there place in the city for celebs and the super-rich, etc., so as a result, until this occasion, I had not been seen there. Indeed, some years ago (before Orient Express days) I was on a press trip which involved a stay in Madrid and the then owners of the hotel expressed an interest in hosting a group of UK journalists, and offered a 50% discount on their usual rates. The organiser told me that, even at that price, it was still double the price of any other hotel in Madrid, so we stayed at the Meliá Princesa instead, which is jolly good but... Well, it's not the Ritz.

Anyway, the lunch was hosted by Encarnación Muñoz who manages the public relations department of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade and it was spectacularly well-organised. If you've read earlier posts on this blog you'll know that, as a food and drink journalist of umpty-nine years' standing, I am fascinated by all aspects of food and beverage service. The first manifestation came as I shoehorned the Tijuana Brass (Cockney rhyming slang for the uninitiated) into the cushioned wickerwork armchair: a waiter appeared with a chair from indoors and suggested that I might be more comfortable without the arms... Spanish anatomies tend to be slimmer in that department (especially, and very attractively, in the female of the species). Next up was the menu, which started with a fabulous mille-feuille with fresh white asparagus, and an excellent Albariño from Rías Baixas. The next three courses (count 'em!) however, involved shellfish and my allergy to creepy-crawlies from under the sea came to the fore. I was presented with a very pleasant but undistinguished lentil risotto as a substitute. Ironically, one of the few marine denizens I can enjoy, lobster, was featured in the main course but the chef had prepared a special plate for me... Without the lobster. That is real food-service, of course, which you expect from the Ritz.

 The Terrace at the Ritz - although this is a night-time shot. Pic.: The Ritz

By this time my aching limbs were asking for repose and, with the prospect of yet more walking during the afternoon and evening, I made my apologies and headed back to the Wellie for a very welcome siesta and, in the evening, a room-service steak and chips in front of the telly (yes, I know, boring boring boring but very good indeed). And the evening and the morning were the second day.

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Salón de Gourmets Madrid - Day 1

11-Apr-10 - Things started very well  although this was not to last thanks to a certain volcano (more details to come), but let's not detract from a good start - mid-morning flight from LGW, a couple of large ones in the Linfield Lounge and then a lift on the milk-float to the gate. Boarding first (and, milagroso, next to an empty seat so I could fold down the table next to me and have a sandwich and a glass of wine) (and another large one, no doubt! Ed.) The flight was half an hour late departing and arriving, but I had plenty of time as the itinerary didn't start until dinner that night. I was picked up by a chauffeur-driven Mercedes and arrived at the hotel at about 15:00, in time for a shower and a siesta.

The trip had been arranged by the Spanish Tourist Office in London as well as the Club de Gourmets, and they very generously put us up at the Hotel Wellington on the calle Velázquez. I stayed here last year (for the same event) and it's very posh indeed with fantastic service (and fantastic bar prices - €22 for a large one) but very comfortable. Last time I stayed here I sloped off to the Bar Goya in the nearby calle Goya for a bit of local colour, but this time it was different: the 'dinner' was a room-service dinner: order what you want and (apart from a bottle of wine, for which I had to pay - no problem) it's all included. So, after a sleep, and still dripping from the shower, a bowl of vegetable soup and a steak sandwich and chips (yes, sorry, I know it's boring and predictable but one of the many things they do really well in Spain is the pepita de ternera) and a bottle of Rioja arrived on a trolley and I troughed the lot in front of the telly. Why don't more trips do this? When you've got people from all over the world arriving at different times, it makes sense to let people (a) wind down from a day's travelling and (b) eat and, perhaps, more importantly sleep at whatever time they choose in advance of the week's events. An excellent start.

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Alimentaria - Day 2

25-Mar-10 - This was my day for the presentation, but first I was asked to give an interview to an agency journalist called Oscar García from the website www.efeagro.com, who has promised to send me the copy once it's published (I have looked in vain on the internet), and subsequently I was very pleased to be invited to a tasting of the wines of El Puntido. I may have mentioned in an earlier post that, at a blind tasting of Rioja Reserva 2005s I had picked out two wines at 19/20 and one at 18/20 which turned out all to have been made by Marcos Eguren at one of his Rioja Bodegas. The best known are Señorío de San Vicente and Sierra Cantabria, but Viñedos de Páganos is the most recent, situated in the village of the same name, and producing two wines - La Nieta and El Puntido. I visited the then-new winery in 2003 while I was researching The Wines of Rioja and was surprised to see that alongside the stainless steel were small oak tinas for pressing grapes from individual plots. Some of the wines are also still trodden by foot, in a marriage of traditional and modern techniques.

The Páganos barrel-cellar. Pic.: www.eguren.com

So, the opportunity to taste a vertical of El Puntido, six years on, was not to be missed, not to mention meeting once again the devastatingly attractive Valvanera Valero, who is Eguren's head of Communications. Marcos himself conducted the tasting, and we were presented with six vintages, from 2007 back to 2002. They were all 100% Tempranillo harvested from the single, 25ha vineyard, and with 16-18 months (according to vintage) in French oak, and at rather lower yields - typically 25-30 hl/ha - than the permitted maximum, which is about 41 hl/ha.

Interestingly, all six wines showed a very similar colour - 'vvdpu' in my notes which is shorthand for 'very very deep purple'. Even the 2002 was as dark as the 2007, which may say something about time spent in maceration for every vintage. Prices, where given are approximate retail in the UK or, failing that, in Spain as listed by www.wine-searcher.com.

2007 - big, deep, dark fruit and lots of it on the nose, big fruit and big tannins on the mid-palate, big structure and long, hot complex finish - 17/20 - €22

2006 - dark, tight, 'strawberry' fruit - more aromatic than the 2007; similar structure but there is notable development with fruit prominent - 17/20 - €32

2005 - spiky/brambly and yet subtle fruit on the nose; that big structure again, and considerable complexity. This needs time but is already splendid - 18/20 - £27.50

2004 - more depth and darker, richer fruit on the nose; big 'chewy' fruit on the palate with a lot of tannin but excellent balance and prominent fruit - 18/20 - £23.50

2003 - darker, richer, deeper fruit on the nose, and starting to show some maturity on the palate. Tannins still working well and a long, spicy finish - 17/20 - £40 - €30

2002 - big, concentrated fruit - almost 'Rowntrees Fruit Gum' strawberry intensity with a hint of wood-oil - very rich. On the palate lovely rich fruit, maturing well, hot spice on the mid-palate and richness on the finish - 18/20 - €32

I have visited all three of the Eguren Rioja bodegas and one thing all the wines share is this concentrated fruit intensity. These are very modern generico wines and, on this showing should continue to improve for many years.

The El Puntido Vineyard

Then it was time for the presentation 'Improving International Communication about Spanish Wines'. They had originally asked me to do it in Spanish, but when I sent Marta the first draft of the PowerPoint presentation she suggested diplomatically that I should do it in English and that they would provide simultaneous translation. There was a good turnout including several old acquaintances, including Manuel Duran, former boss of Freixenet (now retired), Stanley Moss, formerly of Torres and now with Bodegas Laus (DO Somontano) and Helen McEvoy, formerly of Sainsburys, now with Laithwaites, and a regular panellist on my team at the DECANTER World Wine Awards (coming up very shortly). The event was filmed for the internet, and is theoretically to be found on the website, but I haven't been able to get hold of it so far. It all went very well except for a glitch in the middle when the simultaneous translation broke down, and I soldiered on for the next few minutes in English and Spanish until it was fixed. They very kindly gave me a round of applause for my Spanish which, I think was more in sympathy than adulation. Whenever I'm presenting in Spanish or French many people in the audience seem to be smiling to themselves... And I don't think it's because of my brilliant wit - more likely because I sound to them like Manuel from Fawlty Towers sounds to us!

Anyway, more people to meet and wines to taste although, as ever at these events, I didn't get round to see everyone who'd invited me, so here's a random selection of what I did manage to do (only those marked 16 and above):


2009 Oro de Castilla Verdejo, Bodegas Hermanos del Villar, DO Rueda - lovely fresh Verdejo fruit on the nose, delicious, crisp fruit and lipsmacking acidity on the palate - 16/20 - €8

2008 Rejadorada Roble, DO Toro - nice ripe fruit aromas and good, tight, ripe fruit on the palate, with crisp tannins - needs a bit more time (fab value) - 17/20 - €7

Bodega del Jardín, VdlT Ribera del Queiles
A word of explanation here - this was formerly Guelbenzu but the Guelbenzu brand-name and most of the vineyards were sold to the Caja de Ahorros de Navarra group in October, 2009 . The family, however, retained the garden vineyard (hence Bodega del Jardin) and the winery, and now produce wines on a more 'boutique' scale. Ricardo Guelbenzu is still in charge of winemaking and he and his sister Inés were at the show. The wines are available in the UK at Moreno's in London, but no current prices seem to be available.

2007 1 Pulso - 70/30 Tempranillo/Garnacha - lovely fruit, fresh, crisp tannins and a spiky/spicy finish - delicious - 17/20 - €5.50

2007 2 Pulso - 40/40/20 Tempranillo/Merlot/Garnacha with 12 months' oak - another big spicy fruit style with working tannins and a bit of austerity on the finish; needs time - 16/20 - €11

2007 3 Pulso - 80/20 Tempranillo/Garnacha, 24 months' oak - rather closed on the nose but with hints of dark fruit, but very rich 'hard' fruit on the palate overlying some hard tannins - this really does need time to develop - 17/20 - €21.50

Abadía Retuerta - VdlT Castilla y León

2006 Pago Negralada - Tempranillo with 24 months in oak - spicy fruit on the noise, big spice, warmth and ripeness on the palate and a long finish - 17/20 - £21.50

 2006 Pago Garduña - Syrah with 24 months in oak - big spice and 'Fruit Gum' concentration on the nose and big, hot peppery fruit on the palate - 17/20 - €56

2005 Pago Valdebellón - Cabernet-Sauvignon with 24 months' oak - herbal 'green pepper' on the nose, great big fruit and spice, pepper, power and heat on the palate - 18/20 - €60

2006 Pago Valdebellón - do. - big soft, meaty-spicy richness on the nose, big power and fruit with lotsa tannin on the palate, warm, ripe length - 17/20

Verdict - great wines but yawn, yawn Syrah and Cabernet...

I made a last call at the stand of Bodegas César from Eivissa (Ibiza) more out of curiosity than anything. About three years ago I spoke at a wine conference in Mallorca and became interested in the wines of the Balearic Islands, and I learned that there are also a few wineries on Menorca and Eivissa and even Formentera. The best wines of Mallorca are world-class but in short supply and, frankly, too expensive for the international market. Since then I've chased up wines from the other islands at various wine shows to see how they're developing and, I have to say, usually with the note 'needs more work'.

Bodegas César was showing a Sauvignon/Chardonnay (nice and fresh, a bit off-dry but pleasant) and a red Cabernet-Sauvignon (a bit over-oaky) under the Tentación label (with a rather sexy label), and 'premium' reds Puig de Missa Cabernet-Sauvignon (decent fresh fruit, clean and pleasant) and Cabalonicum (soft fruit, nice grip, again a bit heavy on the oak). The winery produced its first vintage in 2007, and prices are very reasonable - €3-€4 retail on the island. I tried to get more information from their website but, as all too often happens, it's still 'under construction'. Verdict - needs more work and, yawn, yawn Cabernet and Chardonnay again.

And that was it - back to the hotel, shoes off, allow feet to stop smoking, a few large ones in the bar (heart-attack: the bill was €80! It's a very posh hotel) and room service again before zonking out.

Back to Barcelona airport the following morning, and the taxi-driver seemed to be taking the scenic route is we passed what used to be terminals A, B and C. I was to learn why. I asked at the check-in desk for a lift on the milk-float at Gatwick and the clerk asked me if I wanted a lift there and then. I said 'no', as I knew the airport well: up the escalator, right and right again, through security and you're in Module 3, quick sit-down to get breath back and then through passport control to Module 5, stagger into the Salvador Dalí lounge and pour a large one whilst waiting for the flight to be called. The clerk looked at me oddly, and I was about to find out why.

Since my last visit (July 2009) they have (a) opened an entire new terminal called terminal 1, and (b) extended the original terminal (now known as terminal 2) such that only marathon race-walkers can use it. I found myself in Module 0 after security with the prospect of... Well, let's say that it took me 40 minutes to get to Module 5. Most of the shop-units are still under construction and a good deal of the terminal appears to be a building site, but fortunately there are periodic seats and regular waste-bins which are just the right height to perch on for a quick breather. I eventually made it only to find that the Salvador Dalí lounge was closed and I had to pay retail for a coffee and brandy. The flight back was a pleasant contrast by comparison, and the milk-float at Gatwick took me all the way to the car park where my taxi was waiting. I shall know better next time (ho ho ho, Ed.).

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