Dear Readers,

A dedication to perfection is why we’re headed to Spain. Tim Gardner and I are headed back on a last minute whim to make sure our new white blend and Spanish Vines ‘09 Tempranillo are 100% perfect. Because the trip was so last minute, my champion father was not able make it but he’ll be back in July with Mom- more on the July trip later.

The bottom line of why we’re headed to Spain is what we call the ‘gut check.’ “Is the wine perfect?,” we ask ourselves every time we make a decision and if we don’t have that 100% confidence of our goal of perfection, we go back to Spain to make sure we get there.

You see, on the last trip to Spain we were finalizing the ’09 Tempranillo from Spanish Vines and the white blend for our new brand, both through our blind tasting method. Once we were back in the US we were sent samples from the chosen wineries. We re-tasted and knew we were close, but the samples were not ideal. Given the sensitivity of time in launching the new brand, and releasing the latest vintage of our Spanish Vines Tempranillo, we had to get back to Spain immediately to make sure the wines get bottled.

As I write, we just arrived to Madrid and are awaiting Javier to pick us up at the Atocha train station in Madrid’s city center to drive to Ribera del Jucar to work with the winery we’ve selected to source the ’09 Tempranillo. Tonight we’re having dinner with Bernardo, the wine maker of our Crianza ’06 from Spanish Vines, and tomorrow we’re headed to a new winery we may start working with in the DO of Toro. On Thursday we’ll be headed to Campo de Borja to finalize the new white before its launch in July (wondering what new product we’re launching? Stay tuned!). Finishing the trip we’ll be spending some time with a new winery in Priorat that we’re about to begin working with shortly. A lot to accomplish in just 4 days, no?

I’ll keep you guys updated via twitter on how the tastings and winery visits go over the next few days. In the meantime, make sure you’re checking our Facebook page frequently to not only see what’s happening on this trip in Spain but also to see the pictures from our last trip to Spain…almost two months ago, wow.

Finally, I leave you with a nice and easy comfort dessert, popular all over Spain as well as other European countries: Rice Pudding (from www.tienda.com):

Rice Pudding (Pudin de Arroz)

Ingredients:

3 – 3/4 cups cooked white rice

2 – 1/2 cups fine sugar

6 tbsp butter

6 cups milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 eggs, beaten

3 tbsp Spanish brandy

Dash of salt

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, heat the milk, rice and butter over medium heat for 5 minutes, taking care not to over boil.

In a small bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and salt until smooth. Add the brandy and the egg mixture to rice and mix well until thickened. Transfer the mixture to a baking pan and place pan inside a larger pan containing about 1 inch of water. Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour or until done.

Remove pan from the water and allow to cool. Chill at least one hour before serving. Serve in individual dessert bowls. Raisins or other dried fruit can be added for flavor.

Entender es Disfrutar,

Josh

Spanish Vines fans,

Looking for something new to to try this weekend? Head over to your local Harris Teeter to take advantage of the Spanish Vines/ Corazon de Ronda promotion! Pair Spanish Vines Tempranillo and Corazon de Rona Manchego cheese together, or Spanish Vines Sauvignon Blanc and Corazon de Ronda Mahón cheese together, and receive a dollar off your bottle of Spanish Vines wine! Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend with a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers, right on your porch or patio. Find the nearest Harris Teeter store to you.

Also, for North Carolina residents: support the North Carolina USO by purchasing a bottle of Spanish Vines, for a portion of your purchase will go towards the USO club of North Carolina. Find out more about the USO at http://www.uso.org/.

And for a recipe to accompany your Spanish Vines wine and Corazon de Ronda cheese! A tapas recipe from http://spain-recipes.com:

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

-8 small tomatoes, or 3 large ones

-4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and peeled

-6 tablespoons allioli or mayonnaise

-Salt and pepper

-1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

-1 tablespoon white breadcrumbs, if using large tomatoes

Directions:

Skin the tomatoes, first by cutting out the core with a sharp knife and making a ‘+’ incision on the other end of the tomato. Then place in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, remove and plunge into a bowl of iced or very cold water (this latter step is to stop the tomatoes from cooking and going mushy).

Slice the tops off the tomatoes, and just enough of their bases to remove the rounded ends so that they will sit squarely on the plate. Keep the tops if using small tomatoes, but discard those large tomatoes. Remove the seeds and insides, either with a teaspoon or small, sharp knife.

Mash the eggs with the allioli -or the mayonnaise, if using- salt, pepper and parsley. Stuff the tomatoes, firmly pressing the filling down. With small tomatoes, replace the lids at a jaunty angle. If keeping to serve later, brush them with olive oil and black pepper ot prevent them from drying out. Cover with clingfilm and keep.

For large tomatoes, the filling must be firm enough to be sliced. If you make your own mayonnaise, thicken it by using more egg yolks. If you use shop-bought mayonnaise or allioli, add white breadcrumbs until the mixture reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Season. Fill the tomatoes, pressing down firmly until level. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then slice with a sharp carving knife into rings. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Entender es Disfrutar,

Josh

Dear Readers,

To continue on with last week’s theme of navigating what I’ve determined to be non-navigable Spanish airports, I now want to offer some key tips if you’ve made it out on to the major highways of Spain.

On the way to your city of destination you will inevitably pass through a number of tolls. Tolls are called “Peajes.” All of the Peajes accept major credit cards, which is incredibly convenient if you haven’t converted your USD. And speaking of converting, make sure you travel with a debit card, not cash. If you pull money out via an ATM once in Spain, the banks won’t charge your card a conversion fee that most currency exchange offices would. The key, however, is to make sure you’re only withdrawing cash twice a week. Withdraw more than two times a week and the bank will send you a notice informing you that they’re going to begin charging you a conversion fee.

Along the drive through Spain, I suggest stopping several times along the way to get some fresh air, drink coffee, and have a bocadillo. Typical rest stops will include just that and much more. Rest stops in Spain are much different than the US; at Spanish rest stops, there is no such thing as a to-go cup. Rest stops include bathrooms and nice coffee bars and restaurants, where people can sit and enjoy their meal and coffee before getting back in the car.

Coffee references:

cafe con leche – 50% coffee with 50% steamed milk

cafe solo – espresso

cafe cortado – coffee with a small amount of milk

Bocadillo (artisan bread) styles:

bocadillo con jamon y queso – artisan bread with cured meat and cheese (go with Iberico ham as opposed to Serrano- it’s a little extra $$$, but eliminating the strings of fat in your teeth is worth it to me).

bocadillo con tortilla – artisan bread with tortilla; Spanish omelet.

Draft beer is called Cana, pronounced CAN – YA. If you ask for a cerveza they will give you a bottle of beer. Don’t confuse the two! Tradition for me is that every time I arrive to Spain’s Barajas airport I always sit down for a few minutes and enjoy a draft beer at the exiting terminal. It gets me extremely pumped for the trip and the days to come traveling the country.

If you have to stop for gas, then say, Por favor, llena el tanque. Make sure you know whether your tank is diesel or regular gasoline. I know it’s obvious, but I made this mistake one time. Not fun

And one last piece of advice about the open road: speeding. Don’t go over the speed limit by more than 20 KMs. And if you see someone called Guardia Civil, be scared. They are the hard-core country police. Be careful not to speed by them, because they are not pleasant to interact with.

Courtesy of Spain-Recipes.com, this week’s simple recipe will be:

Barbecued Mini Ribs

These tasty ribs are known as Costillas in Spain. They are delicious cooked on a barbecue and almost as good when cooked under a hot grill. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, use freshly squeezed orange juice instead of the sweet sherry  (Serves 6-8).

Ingredients

-1 sheet of pork ribs, about 1 1/2 lb

-6 tablespoon sweet sherry

-1 tablespoon tomato purée (paste)

-1 teaspoon soy sauce

-1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

-1 tablespoon brown sugar

-2 tablespoon seasoned plain (all-purpose) flour

-Coarse sea salt

Preparation

Separate the ribs, then, using a meat cleaver or heavy knife, cut each rib in half width ways to make about 30 pieces.

Mix the sherry, tomato purée, soy sauce, Tabasco, and sugar in a bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Put the seasoned flour in a strong plastic bag, then add the ribs and toss to coat.

Dip each rib in the sauce. Cook on a hot barbecue or under a hot grill (broiler) for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked and a little charred.

Sprinkle with salt and serve!

Entender es Disfrutar!

~Josh

Travelers of the Vine,

I’m not sure how many of you have ever been to Spain, or have driven a car around the country, so I wanted to write about a few of my own experiences and give you tips for navigating from and to the airport.

First of all, for those of you that have driven a car around Spain I commend you for your fearless nature. It’s certainly no easy task, especially when leaving and entering the country’s larger airports. For example, Barajas Airport in Madrid is probably one of the biggest nightmares to navigate. Just ask my dad (joe@spanishvines.com) and he’ll be glad to translate a few Spanish curse words he’s spun off his tongue while trying to get to American Airlines in terminal 4!

If you’re flying into the airport, when you land you want to look for the following signs:

“Reclamo de Equipaje”- Baggage Claim

“Salida” – Exit

“Alquiler de coches” – Car rental

“Aseos” – Bathroom (just in case…)

When your trip to Spain is over and you’re heading back to the airport to go home, even if you have a GPS you still may not arrive at the correct terminal. All I can say is that when it comes to Spanish airports in general, don’t assume that the silhouette airplane figure that we Americans always see on the big green interstate signs will take you to the public airport. In the States, you know you’re safe, but in Spain you really have to pay attention; otherwise you may end up at one of their military air bases!

My biggest suggestion is to bus it. No other company is worth your time than ALSA. ALSA is great. They can be found in some of the country’s most rural cities of which the times are usually very flexible. But if you insist on renting a car, definitely pay the few extra dollars to get the GPS.

In conclusion- good luck! The Spanish airports are very hard to navigate, and can be a hassle to deal with at the beginning or end of your trip, but the beauty of Spain and what you experience in between your arrival and departure makes it more than worth it.

If you have any other tips that you would like to provide, then please post as a comment to the site! Next week I’ll discuss driving through Spain- a bit different that driving up and down the east coast on I-95.

Recipe of the week: Brought to you from the region of Catalonia!

“Bread with Tomato” or “Pamb Tomaquet”

serves 6-8

-8 slices of artisan bread

-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half

-2 very ripe tomatoes, cut in half

-TBSP of extra virgin olive oil

-Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Toast bread on both sides

2. Rub warm bread with garlic

3. Rub bread with tomato and squeeze juice onto bread

4. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper

This is a great recipe for just hanging around the house or when guest are just arriving for a dinner party- the perfect tapas!

Entender es Disfrutar!

~Josh

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