LAST MINUTE WINE AND FOOD PAIRINGS FOR CHRISTMAS

It’s like BANG and we’re in the middle of the Festive Season, just like that! It kind of creeps up on you and even though you think you’re organised there’s always that last minute rush. So much so, that even the ‘last minute rush’ is becoming traditional!
I’m sure that by now most of you have sorted out your food shopping, but I bet wine is still on some kind of list. Why is this? I can think of a few reasons; 1) with quite a number of lavish meals coming up we like to spend time, which we have less of at this time of year, choosing something special; 2) our special wine choices also need to appeal to everyone’s taste so the indecisiveness prevents us from getting it done; or 3) (without offence!!) drink ordering tends to be left for the male members of the family to organise.
Whichever the reason, wine is definitely on the cards and we get there in the end. In case you’re at that last minute stage, here are some suggestions for a ‘merry’ Christmas.

APERITIF
Champagne is a great way to start a special celebration. St Reol Brut Grand Cru €24.99 is a perfect choice to get those spirits well high. Tweak it a little by adding a little Cassis for a Kir Royale.

PUCHERO (CLEAR CHICKEN SOUP)
This soup together with Drake & Friends Fino en Rama €12.99 really opens up those tastebuds.

ROAST HAM
The start of the roasts, because under our roof this is normally eaten on Christmas Eve and French is perfect. Henri Villamont Brouilly L’Erminette €11.50 or Olivier Leflaive Pommard €35.99

POACHED SALMON
In Spain they tend to have fish on Christmas Eve. Whether Christmas or New Year’s Eve, it’s bound to be on your menu. Elegant choices here with William Fevre Chablis €15.75, Henri Villamont Pouilly-Fuisse €18.99 or Mezzacorona Castel Firmian Pinot Grigio €9.99

TRADITIONAL ROAST TURKEY
As one gets older it’s no longer the gifts, but the turkey lunch with family which we look forward too. Can’t wait!! Dourthe St Emilion La Grande Cuvee €14.99, or Olivier LeFlaive Bourgogne €14.99 and white Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alex Chardonnay €16.99

GOOSE
Anyone? Wines from the Rhone Valley are terrific with goose. Domaine Grand Nicolet Rasteau Vieilles Vignes €14.50 or Montirius Gigondas Terres des Aines €21.99

ROAST PORK
For those willing to stomach New Year’s Day lunch after the night before! Succulent roast pork with Marques de Grinon Petit Verdot €24.99 or Cono Sur Pinot Noir Reserve €13.50

CHRISTMAS PUDDING, MINCE PIES & BRANDY BUTTER
No matter how full, there’s always a little pocket for Christmas pud and mince pies. A favourite is Madeira and we serve it with the stilton that follows too! Henriques & Henriques range at €29.99

STILTON
The marriage made in heaven, Port and Stilton, although as mentioned above, Madeira is also delicious as indeed Chateau Fontebride Sauternes €16.99. We have a wide range of Port including LBV and Vintage by Quinta de la Rosa, Ramos Pinto and Churchills. If serving an assorted cheese board, also serve some white for the softer cheeses.

LEFTOVERS
One of the things we love about Christmas Day is the relaxing evening enjoying a Christmas movie or comedy they tend to air with a sandwich of leftover turkey together with a glass of Champagne!! Perrier Jouet Brut €28.50, St Reol Brut Grand Cru €24.95, St Reol Millesime €29.50
Come January and still getting through the Stilton? An impressive and very easy mid-week supper is a Stilton soufflé with salad and a Bordeaux or Burgundy.

HAVE A FABULOUS CHRISTMAS AND EXCITING NEW YEAR AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE SHOP IN 2012.

WEEKDAY SUMMER WINES FOR WEEKDAY SUPPERS

My favourite times of the day - early morning and late evening. Its that peace and tranquillity that comes with each which almost matches each other. I say 'almost' because although I can spend both in the exact same place with what seems exactly the same overall light, (despite one being sunrise and the other sunset)

psychologically each is a completely different experience. The simple reason being that with morning follows the usual rat race and with evening I'm winding down and seeing that rat race fade in the distance only to be interrupted from thought to suggest a wine to open for the evening. A golden moment and happily one which at this time of year happens all too often!

Whites, roses and more whites are what I can’t get enough of right now. So much so that our little fridge in the basement is connected yet again to take those extra orders. I'm really into light weekday suppers of cold soups like ‘gazpacho’, different salads and anything grilled, so at the moment it’s all dry, light and very drinkable. Here’s a peek at what that basement fridge is offering us this week:

Folonari Soave, Veneto, Italy €6.60 We had this last night with an all in one dish of grilled chicken breast, courgette and aubergine. Just perfect. It’s also a fab party wine. Crisp and fruity with hints of ripe white peach.

Fontana Candida Frascati, Italy €8.54 The most famous Frascati in the world! Dry and crisp with a zesty citrus finish. On the menu tonight with pasta pesto and a mixed green salad. Also very delicious with seafood.

Marques de Riscal Verdejo, Rueda, Spain €6.87 We love this wine. It’s smooth, refreshing with tropical notes and has this slightly bitter touch on the finish. Grilled fish with a salsa verde – so good, so easy and so quick to prepare.

Vina Cimbron Sauvignon Blanc, Rueda, Spain €6.50 A real salad wine. It’s fresh yet also expressive. You’ll find floral notes, fruit and even herbs.

Domaine de Caseneuve Rose, Provence, France €9.99 How about refreshing ‘Gazpacho’ followed by Salade Nicoise? A celebration of the Mediterranean! This is definitely going to be Sotogrande’s summer 2011 rose!

Find them all at Anglo Wines. Buy a mixed case now - we'll deliver FREE of charge locally.

NEW WINES AND LAUNCH WINE TASTING AT ANGLO WINES

NEW Spanish wines have arrived at Anglo Wines courtesy of Bodegas Vitis Terrarum.

Situated in the region of Castilla la Mancha, Bodegas Vitis Terrarum is a pretty new ‘bodega’ having been founded in the year 2000.

Boasting biodynamic cultivation, Vitis Terrarum has a style which is quite different to classic winemaking as we know it. They have tremendous respect for the environment, therefore all agricultural processes are performed manually and only fermented organic sheep residue is used instead of chemical fertilisers. They do not use herbicides or pesticides, and neither do they resort to additional irrigation.

Grapes of mainly Tempranillo and a little Cabernet Sauvignon are hand-picked and sorted after which a natural fermentation process is followed. When it comes to aging, Vitis Terrarum doesn’t follow any set time scale, with the wine being moved from cask to cask 3 times within the year until it reaches the perfect balance between wine, wood and time.

Filtration, clarification and stabilisation are not carried out in order to maintain the qualities of such a fine and laborious wine. Bottling then takes place and the wine is left to age for 12 months under very strict conditions of darkness, controlled temperature and total silence.

Vitis Terrarum produces 20,000 bottles per annum of each of its two wines which are as follows:

Vitis Terrarum Tempranillo

A ‘Crianza’ style red wine using 100% Tempranillo which has been aged in French Allier oak for 12 months and another 12 months in bottle. Combining complexity and structure, this wine is at its best between 5 and 8 years.

Vitis Terrarum Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon

Also a ‘Crianza’ style red wine with plenty of character. Produced from 90% Tempranillo grapes and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon which has spent 12 months aging in French Allier and American oak and a further 12 months in bottle. Best consumed within 5 years.

You’ll have the opportunity to taste these wines at a WINE TASTING at ANGLO WINES in Sotovila No IV, Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro on SATURDAY 23^rd APRIL 2011 from 7.30pm.

Please confirm your attendance by emailing richard.bell-young@anglowines.com

MOTHER'S DAY CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH

Make this Mother's Day really special by treating 'mum' to a very well deserved Champagne breakfast. Or, let her sleep in and surprise her with a Champagne brunch, inviting family and friends, although make sure she really keeps those feet up. After all, anyone can prepare breakfast and even brunch.

Brunch Menu Ideas

Coupe Sante (a muesli, fruit and yoghurt compote)

Waffles topped with Cream and Fruit Compote

Pancakes with Maple Syrup or Chocolate Sauce

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Cold Meat Platter

Smoked Salmon

Chicken Liver Pate

Quiche Selection

Bread Basket (including crispy French baguette, croissants, fresh olive bread, multi-grain loaf and rye bread)

Champagne Recommendations

Being brunch, it's of course the norm to provide fresh orange juice, tea and coffee, although with Champagne on offer, you'll

probably find unused cups and plenty of leftover caffeine!

Here are 3 excellent value Champagnes which are just perfect for brunch and are readily available from Anglo Wines:

Champagne Enkvist Brut €24.40

Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Flavours of baked apple, vanilla and notes of hazelnut.

Champagne Jean-Noel Haton Brut €26.44

Majority Pinot Noir. Fresh, rich and toasty.

Champagne Perrier Jouet Rose €39.99

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier. Fresh and soft fruit - strawberries and redcurrants.

Forgotten Sherry

With countless reports that Sherry consumption is in decline and that producers are engaging in time-consuming and costly efforts to re-launch 'brand Sherry', we think this wonderful wine style deserves some attention. After all, it is unique and is part of that Spanish culture which most of us here in Andalucia enjoy and love; crowded bars that burst with atmosphere and serve finger licking good 'tapas'. It also reminds us of fair week when locals take to the streets in celebration of their 'Feria Real' and enjoy a 'copita de Fino' (glass of Sherry). Even those who don't normally consume Sherry will have a glass! Why the decline in consumption though? Apart from it having an acquired taste, the fact that other more appealing beverages have flooded the market and the consumer seeing it as a drink of the past, we think another reason is that the consumer doesn't quite understand it and will therefore not try it out. But Sherry actually has many advantages in that it's probably one of the best food wines, one consumes less of it, it keeps well once opened and there are so many different styles that it will never bore!

Wine making began in Jerez in as far back as 1100BC and Sherry became very popular, especially in Great Britain in the 16th Century, which led to many styles being developed and cellars founded in Jerez by British families.

Palomino grapes are predominantly used for the dry varieties and Pedro Ximenez for the sweeter styles, as well as Moscatel, although this is not as common.

SHERRY STYLES

Fino: This is the driest and freshest style. The wine is aged under a cap of yeast (flor) to avoid contact with the air and therefore maintain its freshness.

Drake & Friends Fino en Rama €12.99

Lustau Puerto Fino €9.66

Manzanilla: Very similar to Fino although it is aged in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda which gives it a rather unique and interesting salty touch.

Lustau Manzanilla Papirusa €9.66

Manzanilla Pasada: As above, although is has been aged or partially oxidised to release nuttier flavours.

Lustau Manzanilla Pasada €16.99

Amontillado: An aged Fino that has lost its flor and then purposely exposed to oxygen to finish as a beautifully amber-coloured and nutty Sherry.

Rey Fernando de Castilla Amontillado €9.66

Drake & Friends Amontillado 12YO €26.99

Palo Cortado: As with Amontillado, this is also a Fino that has lost its flor, although its style is in between a Fino and an Amontillado. Nutty and complex, yet also fresh.

Lustau Palo Cortado Peninsular €19.84

Oloroso: This ages in barrel for many years without its flor. The result, brown-coloured, wonderfully rich and nutty. A favourite!

Lustau Emperatriz Eugenia Rare €35.60

Drake & Friends Oloroso VORS €79.99

Pedro Ximenez: The darkest in colour and richest in style. It is very sweet and has been produced by dried grapes whose fermentation has been stopped prematurely by the addition of spirit to maintain the sweetness. Delicious poured over vanilla ice cream.

Lustau Pedro Ximenez San Emilio €19.84

Drake & Friends Pedro Ximenez Very Old €69.99

Cream Sherry: A commercial style of Sherry that has been sweetened by the addition of Moscatel or Pedro Ximenez.

Rey Fernando de Castilla Cream €9.66

Shrove Tuesday

It’s Shrove Tuesday this week which means Pancake Day! Make flipping fun and special by pairing with wine. Ca’ Bianca Gavi at € 8.09 is ideal with savoury filled pancakes such as spinach, or if sticking to the favourite, simply lemon and sugar, Prunotto Moscato d’Asti at the special price of € 10.00 is heaven! Go to Delia Online for a spot on pancake recipe.

Further images from the Pago Vineyard

Images from the Pago Vineyard

Vinos De Pago - Pago Wines

What is a Pago wine?

Or rather, a wine with DO de Pago (Denominacion de Origen de Pago) status?

If I mentioned that this was a sub-category in Spain’s quality wine regions table, many would wonder where it fell in status, for we’re all very familiar with ‘Vino de Mesa’ etc and the more popular sub-categories DO (Denominacion de Origen) and indeed DOC (Denominacion de Origen Calificada), which many of us believe to be the highest quality status achievable. Nevertheless, and without crushing the DOC sub-category which represents regions with a proven track record of consistent quality, such as Rioja and Priorat, DO de Pago is the very highest classification a winery can reach in Spain’s Quality Wines Produced in a Specified Region (QWPSR) category.

There are only 10 estates with this status of quality which was first introduced in as recent as 2003. 7 are in the Castilla la Mancha region and 3 in the Navarra region.

Now regional wine laws are strict enough, so what must an estate do to achieve a greater status than DOC you may ask. Well, an estate under DO de Pago can only produce wine from estate-grown grapes having followed strict geographical measures, wines can only be processed and aged at the winery located on the estate and the estate needs to be known to produce wines of exceptional quality.

Anglo Wines lists an exquisite range of Vinos de Pago from an estate in Castilla la Mancha known as Dominio de Valdepusa. Owned by the Marques de Griñon, Carlos Falcó, Dominio de Valdepusa was the first estate to be declared a DO de Pago by the European Union in 2003. It currently produces 300,000 bottles under the advice of the prestigious Bordeaux oenologist, Michel Rolland, concentrating exclusively on red wine production from grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot.

Caliza, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 10.16

A blend of Syrah and Petit Verdot make their entry level wine fruity, elegant and very easy to drink.

Summa Varietalis, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 18.82

Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot plus 12 months in barrel. A really interesting blend. Complex notes of fruits of the forest with mineral and spicy notes.

Marques de Griñon Petit Verdot, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 25.42

A real favourite! Complex and interesting floral aromas with a touch of wood and rich and velvety on the mouth. Really unique with every sip.

Marques de Griñon Syrah, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 25.42

A great example of Syrah – silky and smooth with mature fruit, spice and balsamic notes.

Marques de Griñon Cabernet Sauvignon, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 25.42

Cabernet Sauvignon power giving intense fruit enhanced by cinnamon, tobacco and chocolate.

Emeritus, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 55.94

A powerful, yet elegant and round blend of all three Dominio de Valdepusa grapes varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Certainly decant before serving to really release this wine’s concentrated fruit and aromatic intensity.

Marques de Grinon AAA, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 122.00

Intense, rich and full, yet with a silky touch and extremely good potential as this wine will simply open up and really improve as it ages. Will keep for up to 20 years!

Anglo Wines at Asador Cancha II

Friday 4^th Febuary 2011 saw Anglo Wines team up with local Argentinean grill Asador Cancha II to present a range of hearty Argentinean and Spanish red wines accompanied by a delicious range of Cancha II’s Argentinean tapas – a perfect combination for a chilly winter night.

The tasting ‘corked’ off with a very appropriate Argentinean Malbec whose velvety and modern style really opened up those tastebuds to fully savour the crispy potato skins with fine herb and creamy white cheese dip and the traditional and moreish ‘empanadas’. Finca La Linda Malbec 2007, Argentina €11.14.

As thirst and hunger pangs really set in it was on to a Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2007 by Luigi Bosca, Argentina €14.85. With 14 months in French oak under its belt, guests were met with a wine of great character, structure and body, softened by tones of black berries and chocolate.

Next, across the Atlantic and on to Rioja for a classic Reserva at its best from the extraordinary 2004 vintage. Being a very food-friendly wine, its complex aromas and flavours

of blackberries, spice and tobacco were a magnet to the ‘chorizo criollo’ and ‘morcilla de

cebolla’ being served. What a match! Lealtanza Reserva 2004, Rioja, Spain €11.95.

Neighbours, Ribera del Duero duo by Bodegas Felix Callejo followed, with Callejo 6MB 2009 (Meses en Barrica) €7.99 giving surprising depth for a young wine, and Callejo Crianza 2007 €14.99 releasing strong and mature fruit, with sweet hints and lovely soft tannins which really welcomed the next range of tapas, the renowned ‘Asado Argentino’ (Argentinean Grill).

Mouth-watering and tender meat strips flowed as the star of the night was poured. This

incredible Argentinean blend of majority Malbec with dashes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat treated the mouth to an immediate warm, sweet and smooth sensation, followed by mouth-filling notes of cherry jam and tobacco. Super long and deliciously creamy on the finish, Septima Gran Reserva 2008, Argentina €17.28 was the perfect end to a very memorable evening of fine wines, exquisite tapas and that Friday feeling courtesy of Anglo Wines and Asador Cancha II.

New Wine: Capilla Del Fraile

Just arrived at Anglo Wines is an award-winning red wine by CAPILLA DEL FRAILE, a bodega situated on the banks of the River Pusa, near the famous city of Toledo.

It is run by Iñigo Valdenebro and his eldest daughter Tamar who together have blended traditional values and modern techniques in winemaking to produce this impressive red wine that is 80% Syrah and 20% Petit Verdot.

The trellised trained vines live on calcareous and clayey soils and survive a continental climate of very cold winters and very hot dry summers, thankfully quenched by a drip irrigation system.

At the grapes’ optimum point of ripeness, these are hand-picked and also hand-sorted. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature following which the wine is left to rest for 12 months in French Allier oak barrels.

Before bottling, it undergoes a very gentle filtration process to maintain the wine’s many properties in bottle where it is kept aging for one year before being released for enjoyment. The resulting wine is full, elegant and complex with wonderfully combined cocoa, spice and balsamic notes on a base of juicy black fruits. A great find for all types of meat. Find Capilla de Fraile Syrah/Petit Verdot at Anglo Wines for only €12.99 (10% discount for facebook friends on this wine)