Dear readers,

Times have been even more hectic than usual here at Spanish Vines because as soon as I got back from Spain a few weeks ago, Spain came here to visit me! A few days after I got back from Spain, Tomas, the representative to the U.S. From the ENATE Winery came here, and I took him on a whirlwind tour of the southeast, going to tastings in SC and GA. After Tomas left, my Spanish Vines business partner in Spain, Javier, came here for ten days and we went to tastings all up and down the east coast as well. Finally, overlapping with Javier’s visit was Bernardo’s visit; Bernardo is a representative from a winery in Spain where we might be getting one of our new wines from (more on that in the future…stay tuned!)

Here is an overview of the whirlwind past few weeks:

Time with Tomas:

We had an awesome tasting in Myrtle Beach SC where we presented ENATE to loyal drinkers as well as new drinkers of the brand. The location was right along the beach- beautiful. We presented the ENATE Chardoanny 234, Rosado, and Crianza. Continued to shock the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) drinker with the Chardonnay 234 from ENATE.

Next we drove to Atlanta to introduce ENATE to some of the top restaurants in the area. We also had a wine tasting the first night there (at the location we had advertised via our Facebook page). We had tremendous results as as we sold a number of cases that evening. Then we worked the market the next day and were unable to make it all the way to Charleston that night because of how late we finished with visiting restaurants. So where did we go that night!? We stayed with some good friends of mine in Columbia, SC and Tomas absolutely loved the experience. He really struck a chord with me by saying that no tour book could capture the experience of that evening and was so honored that I brought him into the lives of my best friends.

We then went on to Charleston the next day to work the market there for the next two days. We also had an incredible tasting at the Charleston Grill. We had a wonderful turn-out and a great success showing the wine to the restaurants in the Charleston area. Please have people write us to find out restaurant locations that are selling ENATE wines in both markets.

Time with Javier and Tim in NYC:

After Tomas left and Javier arrived, we went to NYC along with Sommelier and Mad Monkey partner Tim Gardner, who has been helping Spanish Vines to choose new wines. We had an incredible tasting with Wine Enthusiast’s Michael Schachner. He really appreciated what Spanish Vines is accomplishing and was very excited to be present at the tasting. He wants to continue with annual Spanish Vines tastings! We’ll be submitting all wines to him ASAP in order to receive new ratings from Wine Enthusiast.

Back in the Southeast:

Then Javier and I came down to Charlotte for the Charlotte Wine and Festival. We had a great experience there and a tremendous response to the wines. By that time Bernardo had arrived in the USA, and we drove to Columbia SC with Bernardo and had a great evening, again embracing him with my family by introducing him to both my parents and Mad Monkey.

Then Bernardo, Javier and I drove back to Charlotte for a tremendously successful tasting on the 26^th at Pewter Rose. Over 50 people showed up for the tasting and were incredibly enthusiastic about Spanish Vines as well as learning more about Spanish wines in general. Of course, Javier was tremendously entertaining and continued to demonstrate qualities of the ”black tiger” (his company nickname). People absolutely loved both Javier and Bernardo.

Now Bernardo and I are in Northern VA for a bottle signing and tasting in two different Harris Teeters on the 28^th , as Javier flew back to Spain early on the 27^th. He’s got a lot of work to do to coordinate our next shipment of wines as well as continue the search and negotiations for new wines from Toro, Priorat, & Ribera del Duero. As soon as he has them narrowed down, I, my dad, Javier and Tim will all reconvene for our final blind tasting.

More to come on our big Harris Teeter cross promotion with one of the top Manchego brands in the US in May!

Entender es Disfrutar,

-Josh

Hello Fellow Wine Enthusiasts!

A few entries back I wrote a series of entries where I profiled authentic foods from various regions of Spain, and today I will begin a series on instruments in Spanish culture. If you have any additions or want to learn more about a specific instrument I cover, please give feedback!

In addition to loving the wine and cuisine of Spain, I especially love the music. The faithful companion through the good and the bad, music has the incredible ability to take you back to the exact moment that you first were affected by that song, whether you were sitting outside a cafe in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain or sitting on a friend’s back porch in Myrtle Beach, SC.

There is nothing like a great glass of wine, good food, and great live music. As you can imagine, Spanish culture is rich in musical history and today I am going to touch on a significant portion of it: la guitarra.

The guitar pertaining to Spanish music is most commonly seen in Flamenco music. One of the most prominent aspects of Spanish culture, Flamenco music is celebrated globally. If you were to compare flamenco music to weather, the guitar would be the wind, the deciding factor in the direction which the piece moves. One of the most famous flamenco guitarists is Niño de Ricardo, who started as a child prodigy for his guitar skills and is now most famous for his influential role in flamenco music as a guitarist and composer and in the development of the flamenco guitar.

In the late 19^th and early 20^th century, what is now known as the flamenco guitar was originally used by Spanish gypsies, but at that time there was no distinction between the types of guitars and the musicians. Although the dancer or the singer is probably the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Flamenco, the guitar is definitely an equally indispensable part of the equation!

There are many great local flamenco groups all over the United States. These organizations offer classes, can be hired for events and give shows at local venues. Be sure to check them out and support your local flamenco!

So for those of you who would like to create the feel of a taverna (traditional Spanish pub) at home, get to your local music store for some Flamenco CDs (you can’t go wrong with a CD from Camaron de la Isla), pop open your favorite bottle of Spanish Vines, and prepare this recipe below. With this and a buena actitud (a good attitude) you are on track for a great time!

Romesco Potatoes
Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques, the potatoes more generously adapted than the sauce

Patatas Bravas con Salsa Romenco

*Courtesy of www.smittenkitchen.com

Romesco Sauce
5 ancho chiles
2 tablespoons raw almonds
2 tablespoons blanched hazelnuts (or, you can rub their skins off once they are toasted and cooled)
1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 slice country bread, about 1-inch thick
1/3 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes (I bought whole tomatoes, not sure why; I’d use purée next time)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon, for juicing
A splash of sherry vinegar (can’t find it? Use a mild wine or balsamic vinegar instead)
Kosher salt

Potatoes
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (full size or minis work)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 bay leaves
6 springs thyme, plus 2 teaspoons thyme leaves (I left this out, accidentally; it was fine without it)
1 cup Romesco sauce (from above)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Make the sauce: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove and discard the seeds and stems from the chiles, then soak them in warm water for 15 minutes to soften. Strain the chiles, and pat dry with paper towels. Meanwhile, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until they smell nutty and are golden brown.

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil, wait a moment (for it to heat) and fry the slice of bread on both sides until golden brown. Remove the bread from the pan and cool. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and set aside.

Return the pan to the stove over high heat. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil and the chiles and sauté for a minute or two. Add the tomatoes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often until the tomato juices have evaporated. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture in the pan.

In a food processor, pulse together the toasted nuts, garlic and fried bread until the bread and nuts are coarsely ground. Add the chile-tomato mixture and process for 1 minute more. With the machine running, slowly pour in the remaining 1 cup of olive oil and process until you have a smooth purée. Don’t worry, the romesco will “break” (separate into solids and oil); this is normal. Add the parsley, season to taste with lemon juice, sherry vinegar and more salt, if you feel it needs it.

Make the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a roasting pan (I used my 12-inch cast iron skillet, which turned out to be a brilliant idea as I could transfer it to the stove and continue cooking there — highly recommended if you have one) and toss well with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and a heaping teaspoon of salt. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast the potatoes until tender when pierced (this took 30 minutes for my tiny ones, larger ones may need 50). Discard the bay and thyme and squeeze the garlic out of its skin and set aside.

Either transfer potatoes to a large sauté pan or transfer cast iron skillet to stove-top and heat on high for 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil (you can get away with 1 tablespoon if you are using the same cast-iron you roasted the potatoes in and it is well seasoned) turn the heat to medium-high and wait 1 minute more. Add the potatoes and smash them with your spatula or a fork until a little broken up. Season with thyme leaves, salt and pepper and sauté them for 6 to 8 minutes until they are crispy on one side. (If they are stuck to the pan, don’t try to move them, they will eventually release themselves). After they’ve browned nicely on the first side, turn them until they color on all sides. Spoon the romesco sauce and reserved garlic over the potatoes and stir. Toss in the parsley. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Do ahead: Sauce can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and kept in the fridge. Use the extra on sandwiches, with cheese, eggs, grilled fish and roasted meats. One the dish is assembled, if you’re not ready to serve it yet, turn off the heat and leave the potatoes in the pan; just before serving reheat for a few minutes and add the parsley at the last minute.

Entender es Disfrutar!

Josh

Fellow travelers of the vine:

If you wondered why I didn’t write a blog last Monday, it’s because I was a little preoccupied- Last week I hit the road in northern Spain and traveled just under 2000 miles in about 6 days! I was without Internet for pretty much the entire trip and when it was up, I was either confirming an address or looking up a number quickly before hitting the road again. At the end of the trip the entire American crew, including myself, was completely wiped out…a little agripado as the Spanish say.

In total our group tasted roughly 150 different wines from some of Spain’s most popular wine regions, as well as new regions I had never even heard of before I pulled the newspaper off the bottle (utilizing our classic blind tasting method of choosing new wines).

Our whirlwind trip produced some exciting news for Spanish Vines Inc.:  Within the next two months we’ll be adding three, possibly four, new wineries to our portfolio. We’re also launching our new Pour Favor brand, out of the Campo de Borja region. Needless to say, things at Spanish Vines are both crazy and exciting. I’m pausing to write this blog as I’m in Myrtle Beach, SC before driving to Atlanta and then to Charleston with one of the ENATE winery representatives. Finally, the news I’m most excited about is our private tasting with Michael Schachner, Spanish wine rater for Wine Enthusiast Magazine, next Monday afternoon.

So back to the Spain trip for just a bit: My dad and I flew into Oviedo, Asturias last Saturday while our Mad Monkey partners drove in from Madrid. We all convened at the famously renowned restaurant and birthplace of Spanish Vines, La Cata del Milan. We spent the next couple of days blind tasting roughly 80 wines. We tasted wines from the regions of Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Carinena, Bullas, Jumilla, Campo de Borja, Toro, Ribera del Jucar, La Mancha, Riber del Guadiana, Castilla y Leon, Navarra, Vinos de Madrid, Arlanza, Bierzo, Cigales, Calatayud, Almansa, and Rias Baixas (just let me know if you would like for me to write on any one of these particular wine regions).

After our blind tastings in Oviedo, we took off for Aragon with two clear objectives: decide on the final blends for the new Pour Favor brand in Campo de Borja and taste new wines and vintages at the ENATE winery in Somontano. The dinners in these two regions with both wineries were filled with tremendous laughter and great story telling. I had the tremendous honor of meeting and dining with one of the founders of ENATE- what an experience! Following our time in Aragon, we headed back to Oviedo, but broke the trip up by stopping in Haro, the classic city within the heart of Rioja, for the night. And on Thursday and Friday of last week we were busy in Oviedo before our final drive to Madrid to catch our flights on Saturday. Stay tuned for pictures on both our facebook page and website.

Again, some of the most exciting things coming up within Spanish Vines are the new vintages and label changes that will be hitting stores over the next couple of months. We’ll soon be organizing a launch party in NYC for the summer time. Just keep on following what’s going on within Spanish Vines, and if you’re in Atlanta or Charleston over the next couple of days, please send me a tweet!

This week’s recipe is one of Spain’s most classic snacks. And I really enjoyed it while in Spain last week…Authentic Spanish Tortilla!

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• Salt, to taste
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• Green olives, for garnish

Directions

Crack the eggs into a bowl. Whisk with a fork and add a pinch of salt. Heat some extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan. Add the potato and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the onion and mash together.

When the potato starts to brown a little on the edges and is mashed up with the onion in a lumpy fashion then add the eggs. Make sure the potato and onions are fully submerged by the eggs. Poke the potato to allow some of the egg to seep into the mashed mixture.

Fry this gently on a low heat. While cooking shake the pan to loosen the tortilla from the base and tidy the edges up with a wooden spoon. Do not over cook. The middle is meant to remain runny and gooey.

The egg will start setting, as this happens place a plate over the pan, a large enough plate to cover the pan substantially, and with a quick coordinated movement of both wrists flip the tortilla over onto the plate and slide back into the pan to cook the underside.

Keep shaking the pan lightly so the tortilla does not stick to the bottom.

Once it feels firm on the edges and soft in the middle (after about 1 minute) then slide the tortilla back onto the plate. For the brave heart you can do the flip again if you wish.

Let the tortilla rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Cut into cake slices or cubes.

Always remember: to understand is to enjoy!

-Josh