Cuando tuvimos la idea del blog, nadie en Abadía Retuerta imaginaba que pudiera llegar a tener la repercusión que está teniendo hoy en día transformándose en un medio de referencia e influencia para quienes estamos en esto. Tanto en la esfera de los negocios, como en el de nuestro microcosmos del vino, los blogs han permitido la comunicación con los clientes y los consumidores en una forma que nunca había ocurrido antes.

Ahora tenemos la oportunidad de estar informados acerca de nuestros eventos de actualidad, chatear con vosotros acerca de nuestra cultura y gastronomía, nuestras tradiciones, noticias… Ahora mismo incluso, podéis chatear con nosotros acerca de cualquier curiosidad o inquietud que os interese. Nuestra intención es, no sólo construir un vínculo con los consumidores, sino también abrir un canal de comunicación directa para que os enteréis de los acontecimientos de la bodega. Nos parece una buena idea.

Es por eso que cuando os hemos contactado para contaros de nuestro evento de cata destacado en el Congreso Europeo de Bloggers especializados en vinos españoles y portugueses, nos sentíamos sumamente ilusionados por las siguientes dos razones; la primera y la más obvia, es que realmente esperamos que este congreso contribuya a que los bloggers de toda Europa tengan la oportunidad de conectarse físicamente para discutir acerca de los temas y desafíos asociados con este nuevo medio. La segunda -y quizá ésta sea un tanto egoísta en cuanto a su objetivo- queremos que las bodegas ibéricas den a conocer sus propias historias y de este modo, darle a los consumidores la misma oportunidad que nosotros hemos tenido al contactar con vosotros.

Es por todo esto que os deseamos un gran éxito para el Congreso y, ¡oh! Si vais al blog de EWBC, encontraréis la cobertura del evento en vivo durante el fin de semana del 29 al 31 de agosto, así que ¡no os olvidéis de visitar la página!

Hay un recién llegado en pueblo, con una nariz tan potente que ni siquiera necesita degustar un vino para decirte de qué está hecho. De atuendo siempre impecable, nunca bebe demasiado como para divulgar información reservada en las celebraciones de empresa y ademas, tiene un lugar el Libro Guiness de los Records Mundiales. Si, has adivinado. No es otro más que el Pequeño Bugger -el Robot Sommelier- cuyos sensores infrarrojos colocados en una de sus manos, le permiten identificar las características del vino al irradiarlo con diferentes longitudes de onda. Fue creado por los científicos de la compañía NEC en Japón y la Universidad Mie. Este “Pequeño Bugger” es capaz de identificar diferentes tipos de vino, ingredientes de la uva, e incluso cuán dulce o seco pueda ser el vino en cuestión. Utilizará posteriormente esa información para sugerir diferentes tipos de maridaje y como si esto fuera poco, también puede hacer lo mismo con diferentes tipos de queso y frutas.
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El pasado viernes 25 de julio llegaron a la finca Abadía Retuerta las esculturas del reconocido escultor alemán Ulrich Rückriem. Para los que no sabéis de qué os hablo, comentaros que Abadía Retuerta contará, el próximo año, con un Museo permanente, que se situará a unos 50 metros del ala este del monasterio, flanqueando una parte de nuestro viñedo.

El museo se llama en inglés “THE HEDGE MUSEUM” y constituye una colección única en el mundo del afamado escultor. En total serán 13 esculturas que representan la espiritualidad del monasterio del siglo XII.

Ulrich Rückriem ha desarrollado su trabajo desde los años sesenta como escultor independiente. Empezó su andadura en una cantera aprendiendo todos los procesos de transformación de la piedra así como sus reacciones ante distintas intervenciones, conocimientos que han sido la base de su trabajo y que se han materializado en sus características estelas. Su trabajo se ha presentado principalmente en Europa, destacando su participación en la Bienal de Venecia de 1978 representado a la República Federal Alemana.

Aún estamos pendientes de recibir la última escultura, de nombre “the stele”, que, con sus 6 metros de altura, recibirá y dará la bienvenida a los visitantes, a la entrada del museo.

Ya os iré contando más detalles

Un saludo,

Cristina

En mi opinión, los complejísimos vinos de Abadía Retuerta tienen dos desventajas: la primera es que siempre se acaban pronto -y la segunda- es la marca que dejan estos potentes vinos sobre las paredes del decantador. Sobretodo cuando me gana la pereza y decido lavarlo a la mañana siguiente… Enfrentado a una de estas crisis la semana pasada, luego de haber disfrutado una noche sensacional junto a un Pago Valdebellón de la bodega Petit Verdot, resolví adentrarme en el misterioso mundo de la limpieza de los decantadores y descubrir la mejor técnica, de una vez por todas.

En sí la cuestión que me preocupa no es que la Reina de España venga a visitarme por una copa de vino y encuentre una mancha en mi decantador… El tema realmente es que lo que se utilice para lavar un decantador podría dejar un dejo de aroma dentro de él y posteriormente, afectar los aromas naturales del vino. He consultado un número considerable de páginas y foros web visitados por entusiastas del vino y la cristalería y descubrí que existe una gran variedad de limpiadores que van desde utilizar pequeñísimas bolas de acero inoxidable -comercializados por un varios sitios web incluyendo Wine Enthusiast- que se cubren con agua y se remueven de forma circular contra las paredes interiores del decantador durante un par de minutos. La ventaja de estas bolitas es que se pueden enjuagar y reutilizar una y otra vez, además su precio es de 20 dolares.

En cuanto a líquidos y soluciones, he encontrado las siguientes recomendaciones. Estas fórmulas han de mezclarse y agitarse circularmente dentro del recipiente antes del enjuage:

• 
  Arroz mezclado con detergente suave y agua
• Hielo picado y sal
• Zumo de limón y sal
• Vodka puro o alcohol isopropílico (que se evaporará rapidamnete sin dejar marcas)
• vinagre blanco y sal

Para el secado existen varias posibilidades tales como utilizar un papel absorbente envuelto alrededor de una cuchara de madera, o invertir el decantador sobre un soporte específico para su secado que puede comprarse o construirse.

Además de estas alternativas, también se comercializan diferentes tipos de cepillos de distintas formas, tamaños y flexibilidad.

Solamente con el objetivo de comprobar la veracidad de estas técnicas, me obligué a mi mismo a beber más vinos para luego experimentar con alguno de estos métodos. He aquí los resultados:

Tanto el vinagre blanco como el jugo de limón mezclados con la sal removieron la mancha de las paredes interiores sin problema. Tened en cuenta que han de dejarse actuar dentro del recipiente durante unos minutos. Sin embargo, éstas dejaron leves -aunque agradables- aromas que luego podrían transferirse al vino, sin mencionar que conviene diluir el vinagre blanco con bastante agua.

Me pareció un tanto excéntrico utilizar vodka para lavar una mancha de vino y por esto mismo opté por el arroz (sin cocer) mezclado con el detergente suave y el agua. Tal como hubiesen actuado las pequeñas bolitas de acero, la textura del arroz removió la mancha de las paredes del cristal al agitarlo y el detergente se enjuagó sin problemas y además, sin dejar nungún rastro de aromas. Invertí el decantador sobre una toallita de papel absorbente y luego de costado para permitir que el agua restante se evaporara. Seguramente habrá una mejor técnica, asi que ¡tendré que comenzar el experimento desde el principio nuevamente!

El pasado fin de semana (del 18 al 20 de julio) patrocinamos un Torneo de Golf en Andoain, un pueblecito situado a unos 15 km de la ciudad de San Sebastián. El campo de Golf, “Goiburu Golf Club” está ubicado en lo alto del pueblo, rodeado de verdes montañas y con unas vistas y paisajes dignos de cuento

Durante toda la semana, Abadía estuvo presente en el club de golf, se decoró el exterior con soportes publicitarios de la bodega y, de martes a viernes, Chrystelle, Brand Ambassador de Abadía Retuerta, realizó una serie de catas para un número reducido (en torno a 25 personas) de clientes VIP, tanto de la bodega como del club de golf. Las catas fueron todo un éxito y la gente salía encantada. Se cataron los siguientes vinos: Cuvée Palomar 04, Pago Garduña 05 y nuestro recién estrenado Pago Valdebellón 05. Al término de la cata, se sirvió un picoteo en la terraza del club, que tiene unas vistas inmejorables al campo de golf que se desliza entre las montañas

El sábado por la mañana montamos una carpa, la cual daba la bienvenida, tanto a los participantes del Torneo como a sus acompañantes, en el acceso al club. A lo largo de todo el fin de semana, todo el que se acercó al stand puedo degustar nuestro Selección Especial 05, así como hacerse con todo tipo de información sobre la bodega, los vinos, las vistas y el futuro hotel. El domingo por la tarde fue la entrega de premios, a la cual asistí como representante de Abadía Retuerta y, entre los premios que se repartieron se encontraba un doble-mágnum de Palomar, un mágnum de Selección Especial, una maqueta de la Abadía, polos y botellas de sales, entre otros. Como colofón de la jornada, sorteanos entre todos los participantes del Torneo un vale para una visita a la bodega, con cata premium, para dos personas e incluyendo una noche en el Hotel Fuente de la Aceña. Los ganadores estaban encantados con el premio y ya tienen reservada la fecha para venir a visitarnos

En mi opinión, ha sido una excelente acción de relaciones públicas; todos los socios que se acercaron al club entre el lunes 14 y el domingo 20 de julio, como poco, se familiarizaron con nuestro “angelito” (nuestro logo) que estaba estratégicamente colocado por las instalaciones del club. Los clientes que tuvieron la suerte de asistir a la cata, aprendieron un poco más sobre nuestros vinos, a través de los conocimientos que les transmitió Chrystelle, al igual que disfrutaron de 3 de nuestros mejores vinos; finalmente, los que participaron en el torneo, o simplemente se acercaron al club el fin de semana, pudieron probar nuestro Selección Especial y conocer un poco más sobre el enoturismo en Abadía Retuerta. Los más afortunados, se fueron a casa con algún que otro premio de la bodega.

El tiempo acompañó durante toda la semana; incluso el sábado las temperaturas fueron demasiado altas para lo que están acostumbrados en esa zona, pero, ya el domingo, amaneció un día gris, típico del norte, y estuvo casi todo el día lloviznando; a pesar de eso, la gente se fue con un buen sabor de boca a casa, con el sabor de los vinos de Abadía Retuerta

Cristina Garicano

El pasado viernes 27 de junio, y debido a una avería causada por telefónica, en Abadía Retuerta nos quedamos sin línea ADSL, es decir, sin conexión a internet. Y, para colmo, el sábado por la mañana, se quemó un poste de la luz y, como consecuencia, se produjo un corte en el suministro eléctrico, lo que hizo que nuestro servidor de correo se cayera y nos quedásemos sin correo electrónico. (El foto gracia a Peter Becker)

El lunes día 30 de junio, al incorporarnos a trabajar, comprobamos que no teníamos ni internet ni correo electrónico….imagináos qué locura….No sé cómo hemos podido vivir tantos años sin estos adelantos!!

La avería ha durado prácticamente una semana, durante la cual hemos tenido que trabajar de manera telefónica y vía fax.

El viernes 4 de julio “volvimos al mundo real” y a última hora fuimos recuperando la normalidad y tratando de sacar adelante todo el trabajo que no habíamos podido hacer la semana anterior.

Como véis, un fallo técnico puede paralizar una empresa durante una semana… pero bueno, “después de la tempestad siempre llega la calma”.

Cristina

El pasado miércoles 11 de junio organizamos en Madrid la Presentación del Programa “Soñando entre Viñas”. Este programa enoturístico propone realizar visitas a las bodegas Abadía Retuerta, situada en Sardón de Duero, Cepa 21, ubicada en Castrillo de Duero y De Alberto, en la localidad de Serrada, alojándose en el Meliá Recoletos Boutique Hotel, situado en el centro de la ciudad de Valladolid. En el proyecto también colabora la empresa RENFE con su Tren de Añta Velocidad (AVE).

El acto estuvo presentado por el periodista Goyo González y contó con las intervenciones del Director del Hotel de la Cadena Sol Meliá, que actuó como portavoz de las empresas implicadas y de la Consejera de Cultura y Turismo del Ayuntamiento de Valladolid, que también se desplazó a Madrid para apoyar esta iniciativa que, sin duda, ayudará a fomentar el enoturismo en la provincia de Valladolid.
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El pasado miércoles 21 de mayo entró en la finca el primer camión; por fin empiezan las ansiadas obras de restauración de la Abadía…después de aproximadamente 3 años de espera… El hotel en la Ribera del Duero se convierte en una realidad y cada vez está más cerca. Está previsto que las obras duren unos 15 meses y, si todo va bien, en octubre de 2009 abriremos nuestro hotel de lujo en la Abadía del siglo XII.

Seguiremos informando puntualmente de la evolución de las obras.

Cristina.

Como bien sabeis en Abadia Retuerta nos encanta que tengáis la oportunidad de probar todos nuestros vinos. Por este motivo, hemos lanzado un nuevo programa con los mejores restaurantes de cada ciudad donde ofreceremos un gran menú especialmente ideado para maridar perfectamente con nuestros vinos. En esta ocasión el restaurante elegido es Llantén, en Valladolid.

Desde Abadía Retuerta te damos la bienvenida a nuestras nuevas actividades y te invitamos a ser partícipe de los Encuentros Gastronómicos entre Abadía Retuerta y restaurantes de primer nivel, en los que se ofrecerán las especialidades de cada restaurante maridadas con nuestras marcas más emblemáticas.

Para la primera ocasión, hemos escogido como compañero de viaje al Restaurante Llantén de Valladolid. A partir de este viernes día 18 de Abril, la carta de Llantén ofrecerá un menú especialmente diseñado para acompañar 3 grandes etiquetas de nuestra bodega: Selección Especial 2005, Cuvée Palomar 2004 y Pago Garduña 2005.

El menú se basa en platos de caza:

Aperitivos

Terrina de faisán y foie con frutos secos.
maridado con Selección Especial 2005

Arroz meloso de conejo de monte
maridado con Cuvée Palomar 2004

Ravioli de jabalí, verduritas y lenguas de vaca (seta).
maridado con Cuveé Palomar 2004

Lomo de cierva, garbanzos y uvas.
maridado con Pago Garduña 2005

Quesos artesanos.
maridado con Pago Garduña 2005

Arroz con leche, cítricos y azahar.

Petit fours

Como puedes comprobar, Donald Michael, se trata de una combinación gratamente atractiva. Además, unido al excelente trato, amabilidad y profesionalidad del equipo de Llantén, harán que tu comida o cena se convierta en un momento memorable. Este menú maridaje se ofrecerá exclusivamente del 18 al 27 de abril, previa reserva en el restaurante.

Una gran ocasión para disfrutar de la calidad de los platos de Llantén junto con los grandes vinos de Abadía Retuerta.

Lugar: Restaurante Llantén. C/ Encina , 11 - Pinar de Antequera - Valladolid (ver mapa)

Teléfono de Reservas: 983 244 227

Hasta la próxima.

Abadía Retuerta

La semana pasada, llevamos a cabo nuestra primera cata de vinos en la cual exhibimos nuestros vinos de pago junto a algunos de los más renombrados y respetados vinos franceses, italianos y portugueses en el mundo. Hemos invitado a aproximadamente 120 sommeliers y representantes de negocios vinícolas de Barcelona y zonas cercanas, hemos pasado toda la mañana y parte de la tarde discutiendo la posibilidad y las razones de colocar nuestros vinos junto a los grandes.
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When we first had the idea of a blog, I don’t think any of us here at Abadia Retuerta imagined that blogging would become such a large and influential medium as it appears it is becoming. Throughout the business world as a whole, and within our small microcosm of wine, blogs have provided the framework for us to communicate with our customers in a way we’ve never done so before. Now, we have the opportunity to keep you up-to-date on our events, chat with you about our culture and cuisines, our traditions and norms are commonplace news, and above all else, you can now chat with us about any comment, concern or curiosity you may have. This not only creates a relationship between us, or so we hope, but also gives you direct peek into our day to day happenings in the winery. Pretty cool stuff!

So when we contacted to contribute our wine to the Keynote Tasting for the European Wine Blogger’s Conference (EWBC), featuring the premier wines of Spain and Portugal, we were really excited for two distinct reasons. The first, and the most obvious, being that we truly hope this conference will give wine bloggers around Europe a chance to connect physically, rather than virtually, to discuss the topics and challenges associated to this new and exciting medium. Secondarily, and maybe this is selfish on our end, but we truly hope that more Iberian wineries share their own stories, providing consumers the same opportunity we’ve had to connect to you.

So with that, we wish the conference great success! And if you go to the EWBC blog, they will have live coverage of the event throughout the weekend of the 29th through the 31st of August for you to comment and ask questions.

Saludos,

Abadia Retuerta

I was just checking out a recent discussion posted on the forum of the Open Wine Consortium, which posed the question, “Why do you buy an unknown wine?”. In other words, all things being equal, when you walk into a shop (or a restaurant) filled with wines you are unfamiliar with, what factors influence your decision to chose one wine over another? There are of course, several possibilities, for example: the region or country the wine is from, the year, the type(s) of grape, the presentation, the label, recommendations from shopkeepers or sommeliers, the price – obviously, special offers, the food you’re going to pair it with, etc.

Depending how adventurous of a mood I am in, I either start by looking for a grape whose wines in general I know I like, or I go by a region. I tend to get somewhat obsessed with a grape and then drink my way around the country, while trying all of its different applications. For about six months it was Monastrell, and now I have moved to Petit Verdot.

In a country like Spain where we don’t get a lot of imported wines to chose from, this can be a great way to try a huge variety of wines and getting out of that regional rut. Otherwise, I look for interesting combinations which might mean wines from places I’m less familiar with, or grapes that I’ve never heard of. After all, that is the fun of it. When I visit the USA, I am always floored by the amazing variety of international wines that are at my fingertips. In order to not get too overwhelmed, I usually pick an area or a type of wine and try to taste my way through it. Last Christmas it was Sauvignon Blanc’s from Australia and New Zealand. I like to read the comments and recommendations from the store, although I usually prefer to ask someone at the shop what they prefer. I tend to be suspicious of “write ups” as I used to have to do them at my old shop and it was more of a sales obligation than a chance to talk about something I really felt enthusiastic about. And finally, I may be a sommelier, but I admit that the presentation and the wine label is still very important to me. It hurts my soul to buy something with a shoddily designed or an ugly or gimmicky label. I recognize that this can be subjective, but I can´t help but think that wineries that don’t take their time to design a good label for their wines, really must not care about the wine all that much after all.

I asked several people around the office how they picked out a wine that they had never tried, and their answers ranged from choosing the grape, to the region, to the kind of display in the store (i.e. special displays or offers to taste it first); although almost everyone I talked to confessed that the label and kind of bottle plays an important role in their purchase. One person told me that she looks for unique looking designs that are elegant and understated. More than one person said that they like labels that include a short description of the wine on the back, including service temperature and different kinds of foods that it should be paired with. A graphic designer friend told me that in his opinion one of the chief crimes of wine label design is crowding by various different fonts on the same label. This is his deal breaker, and apparently severely influences his ability to enjoy the wine.

We are all different in the way we choose our wines, but this is also a sure sign of what makes us unique, in what things stand out and attract our attention. What attracts your attention? How do you choose your wines?

Flickr photo attribution by darkpatator

So, speaking of picnics, last week’s post on the legal gray area surrounding wine and picnics in Spain has gotten me thinking that I’ve had picnics on my mind all week (of course the gorgeous summer blue skies don”t hurt either). When I think picnic, the American half of my brain starts thinking “potato salad, dill pickles, sourdough bread; while the half that has been living in Spain runs off in the direction of cured pork products just as rápido as its little feet can carry it. So what would the typical Spanish picnic entail, and almost more importantly in this forum, what would be the ideal Spanish wine to accompany it?

The obvious thing to start with would be jamón, the most noble of all Spanish gastronomy. Thin, hand cut slices of the Iberian or bellota ham that can be eaten alone, melty piece after melty piece, or accompanied by mini crunchy breadsticks known here as picos. This could be complemented by some Iberian lomo, cured pork loin, or other meats such as chorizo, or the easily transportable fuet, a Catalán hard sausage that is usually bought in one long segment.

The next most important element would probably be the tortilla española, a traditional dish that is often prepared at home and then eaten cold for the next couple of days for supper, mid-morning snack or stuffed between two pieces of bread with a grilled green pepper as a sandwich. The traditional tortilla consists of potatoes and onions fried in a good amount of oil until soft. The oil is then drained and beaten eggs are added and left to essentially form a firm round omelet, that can sometimes be a couple of inches thick – depending on personal taste.

And of course it wouldn’t be summer in Spain without the appearance of gazpacho on every menu and in every home. This cold tomato soup makes the perfect transportable picnic basket item. It can be stored in a pitcher, plastic or glass bottle and then served in a cup with, or often, before the rest of the meal. It is both refreshing and light for a hot summer day, but also filling enough as it is made using (left-over bread).

And what to bring along for this oh-so Spanish experience? It’s hard to say, especially given the challenge of keeping a bottle of wine at the correct temperature in a picnic basket in the summer, in Spain; but assuming we had that technology… Both jamon and tortilla can be easily paired with just about any wine, but as we’re talking picnic, I think the best wine would be something with a certain complexity, but that still retains a large amount of fruit and that is refreshing and smooth on the palate, such as Rivola. However, eager to test my theory, I also tried Rivola with gazpacho (store bought, mind you) and it was strangely dwarfed by the heavy garlic, pepper and tomato flavors of this cold soup. The acid of both became more acidic and the fruit became sweeter. A clash of the Titans if you will. Much better was the bottle of Primicia, slightly chilled for the summer, with a slightly spicy and fresh fruitiness that offset the punch of the gazpacho and was refreshing all the way down.

Cheers,

Adrienne Smith

I recently read a post on Blame it on Rioja (reacting in turn to a post on Dr Vino) about New York City and the (il)legal and practical applications of drinking a bottle of wine while enjoying the city’s many concerts, movies, and other outdoor summer events. He mentions the friendly mockery of a Swiss friend living in Spain, laughing at having seen Americans carrying bottles around in brown paper bags – hobo style – to avoid detection by the law which in theory takes a more lenient approach to the city’s “no open container” law in the summer months. And while I wish that I could jump on that bandwagon of derisive European headshaking at the puritanical and restrictive attitudes of American laws, I must confess that in Madrid the legal rigmarole surrounding drinking in the street is actually quite similar. While I can’t speak for all of Spain, a few years ago the government of the capital city launched a new alcohol law that seriously restricted what we once considered a right, nay, a characteristic of European life itself!

The new law, which went into effect in Madrid in 2002, prohibits drinking in the streets, with the exception of during sanctioned fiestas and in designated areas (which I assume refers to restaurant terraces and the like). At the same time, the law also prohibited shops from selling booze after 10 pm – an incredible feat given that most people here don’t even have dinner until well after that hour. The main purpose of this law is to discourage botellón, a common practice among youngsters which involves hanging out and drinking in parks and plazas on weekend nights.

All of this being said however, I still wouldn’t bat an eyelash at grabbing a bottle of wine and heading off to the nearest park for a picnic. And I truly find it hard to believe that the police would “bust” me for having it. After all, is their anything more European than dropping down to the corner store, buying a baguette, a lump of cheese and a bottle of wine, throwing it all in the wicker basket of your bicycle and riding to the park, the country, or a river bank to have a picnic (possibly passing an accordionist on the way or some boaters in stripy blue tops)? I suppose I could be speaking from the romanticized point of view of an American (albeit one who has lived in Spain for 10 years), but I do know one thing – if Europeans do have to resort to the paper bag, “ours” will be much more fashionable.

Saludos,

Adrienne Smith

Flickr photo attributions given to Le Blagueur à Paris and daisybush.

As far as I’m concerned, there are only two real drawbacks to drinking Abadía Retuerta’s rich, and complex red wines: one is that they always disappear too quickly; and two, is that these powerful wines can sometimes leave their mark on my decanter (especially when I’m lazy and leave it until the morning to wash). Faced with one of these decanter crisis´ last week after a fortunate night spent enjoying Pago Valdebellón and the winery’s Petit Verdot, I resolved to delve into the world of decanter cleaning to figure out once and for all the best technique.

More than actual cleanliness per se, the thing that actually worries me the most is not that the Queen of Spain might drop by for a glass of wine and find a smudge on my decanter, but rather that whatever I use to clean the glass might leave a lasting scent which could in turn effect the natural aromas of the wine. I consulted a number of web pages and on-line forums visited by wine and glassware enthusiasts, and found that the variety of decanter cleaning advice ranged from gluing sandpaper on the back of a wasp and setting it loose inside the decanter, to using little stainless steel beads sold on a number of web sites including the Wine Enthusiast, which are covered with water and swished around the inside of the decanter for a couple of minutes. The advantage of these small pellets is that they can be rinsed and reused over and over again and sell for around 20 dollars.

As far as using solutions to wash the decanter, I found all of the following recommendations, all of which should be mixed together and swirled around the container before rinsing:

• rice mixed with mild dishwasher detergent and water
• crushed ice and salt
• lemon juice and salt
• straight vodka or rubbing alcohol (which will evaporate quickly and not leave spots)
• white vinegar and salt

For drying, there are a number of possibilities that range from a paper towel wrapped around a wooden spoon, or buying or building an upside-down looking decanter drying rack.

Aside from these solutions, there are also different types of cleaning brushes available on the market, in different shapes and sizes, and with ranging amounts of flexibility.

In order to try out the veracity of these different techniques I forced myself to drink more wine from my decanter and give one or two of them a try, with the following results:

Both the white vinegar and the lemon juice mixed with salt seemed to work to lift the wine stain, but both solutions had to be left for a while in the decanter, and both of them left faint (although not unpleasant) smells which could later be transferred to the wine – not to mention that I diluted the vinegar heavily with water. I decided that using vodka to clean a wine mark would be just a tad too eccentric and so I opted finally for the rice (uncooked) mixed with detergent and water). Much in the way that I imagine the little stainless steel balls to work, the texture of the rice when swirled in the decanter lifted the stain right off, and the mild detergent rinsed clean with no apparent lasting odor. I dried the decanter first upside-down on a paper towel, and then on its side so that the remaining water could evaporate, although I am sure there is a better technique. I suppose I´ll have to start the experiment from scratch, sigh!

By now most of us have heard the good news about the health benefits of red wine. From its antioxidizing qualities that are believed to help prevent cancer and heart disease, to the rejuvenating effect of the high quantities of linoleic acid found in grape seeds on skin. It seems that this good news just keeps getting better. Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, led by Dr. Joseph Kanner, have found that the pairing of red wines with red meat might actually inhibit the production of harmful chemicals that are released in the stomach when meat is digested.
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There’s a new kid in town, one with a nose so potent he doesn’t even need to taste the wine to tell you what it’s made of. One that is always impeccably dressed, never “tastes” too much and shares too much information at employee Christmas parties, and even has a place in the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records. Yes, you guessed it: it´s none other than Little Bugger, the Sommelier Robot who can identify the characteristics of a wine through an infrared sensor in its hand that it irradiates at the wine at different wavelengths. Created by scientists at the company NEC in Japan and Mie University this “Little Bugger” has the capability to identify types of wines, grape ingredients, and even how sweet or dry a wine is. It will then use the information that it has collected to suggest different food pairings for that wine. And if that weren’t enough, it can do the same with different cheeses and fruits.

So here’s the question, do we all go running for the hills in search of new professions? Is there some field in which we truly have robot-proof job security? The answer I believe is quite simple. Can we truly define, or rather; do we even want to be able to define what makes a wine great? While wine may be a sum of its components, by the same token, two wines that are made the exactly same way and from the exact same variety of grapes, may taste and smell completely differently. Wines are influenced by the soil in the vineyard and the plants that grow in the surrounding areas, by humidity levels and rainfall, by the exact yeasts that are involved in their fermentation, the way that they are stirred or moved or monitored, by the exact toasting of the barrels in which they are stored and the forest from whence they are hewn, by the shape of the glass that they are poured in, their temperature and the food they are accompanying, and of course, by the person who is enjoying them. As a collective of wine lovers we can set certain standards for what makes a wine great, but it is our individual ability to subjectively enjoy a wine, to find unique aromas and flavors in it, and to absorb the evocative effect that it can have on our emotions and our lives, that makes one wine different from another – or even the same wine different to us on different occasions. And that is more than reason enough for us to tell the Little Bugger to bugger off, even if he is very cute.

Cheers,

Adrienne

This is true even among winemakers, several of which have taken up the renewable energy cause and are looking for ways to lessen their negative impact on the environment – whether through eliminating the use of pesticides, creating new types of packaging, cutting back on waste, or tapping into sources of sustainable energy such as wind or solar power.

One example of a winery working on “going green” is Boisset Family Estates, the third largest winery in France. In order to capitalize on the growing trend of young and “casual” wine drinkers, they decided to swap their traditional glass wine bottles for Tetrabriks, boxes made from an aluminum coated paperboard that is commonly used here for milk, juice, soups and even the local plonk. According to the winery, this material helps to protect the wine from oxidation, and another advantage is that the thinner walls allow the white wine to chill faster. This packaging is used for young wines that are meant to be consumed immediately, rather than stored, and therefore ends the discussion on the effect of the brik on aging or the lack thereof of cork or tetrabrik vs. bottle storage.

The winery has not stopped there, however. Also driven by environmental concerns, the company’s latest packaging innovation was the launch of the Yellow Jersey brand in a bottle manufactured out of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) and lined with a special material that is supposed to protect the wines from oxidation – although again they are not meant to be stored for long periods of time. Like the tetra brik, the production of this material reduces energy consumption and transportation requirements. While there is nothing that could ever replace the elegance and desirability of a glass wine bottle, I think that there is some growing interest in experimenting with different types of wine packaging.

For their part, Abadía Retuert’s winemaking process has already been pretty darn “green” for some time. To give just a few examples, they shun the use of pesticides and use wind energy to keep frost off the vines, while the winery itself has a revolutionary design and layout in which actions are carried out according to the natural gravitational flow – thereby consuming much less energy. Most recently, Abadía Retuerta´s latest focus on sustainability and renewable energy resources involves their new hotel project. One of the hotel’s most significant factors includes the construction of solar panels to harness the sun’s energy and use it to heat the water in guests´ rooms – dramatically reducing the hotel’s dependence on “traditional” energy sources.

We’ll keep you up to date on other sustainable practices we’ll be implementing in both the winery and the hotel in the future, but for now, we hope together, we can make a market impact by reducing, reusing and recycling in our own personal sphere.

Adrienne

On the 11th of June, I had the pleasure of attending an event in Madrid held to celebrate the kick-off of a new and exciting joint venture undertaken by the emblematic wineries Abadía Retuerta, Cepa 21 and De Alberto, in conjunction with Renfe (the Spanish train company) and the new Melía Recoletos Boutique Hotel in Valladolid.

Referred to by the name “Soñando Entre Viñas” (dreaming amongst the vines), the presentation was directed towards the Spanish national tourism sector in order to promote a new project geared towards wine tourism in the city of Valladolid and its surrounding area. While wine tourism has enjoyed many years of success in a few Spanish wine regions, it is still a relatively new phenomena in Castilla-León, although it is probably experiencing more growth here than anywhere else in Spain at the moment.
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