30.3.14 Marida Jerez - New Tourist Agency

When Jerezanos are away from Jerez, they really miss its magical beauty, and they see it in a new perspective. This happened to Abel Garcia, a young Jerezano far from home, who decided to go back and set up a way to connect Jerez to the world. He set up a new business, www.maridajerez.com, which offers all sorts of organised visits to the fair city, but in a different way to the current offering. He wants people to really experience Jerez in all its glory and tell their friends and family about this wonderful place. 

The website has all sorts of specially designed visits, and I recommend you have a look. It is not just Sherry (as if that wasn’t enough!), but visits to the Arabic Baths, the world famous Equestrian Centre, Flamenco, tabancos, vineyards, bullfights etc. are all on the menu, along with carefully organised meals at the best restaurants and accommodation at top quality hotels. This is a great idea!

29.3.14 Tio Pepe Sign Nearly Ready

The illuminated Tio Pepe advert which for 80 years stood at no. 1, Puerta del Sol in Madrid, should be back in place – though atop a different building, number 11 – by the end of May. After lengthy negotiations about a new site and skilful restoration work, Tio Pepe will be once more looking his best. The company responsible for the restoration, Spoluz, allowed the press to view some of the work completed so far, and it looks splendid. After 80 years exposed to the elements, the sign needed a lot of sanding and re-painting, all extremely carefully by hand, and 12 people have been working on it over the last 4 months.

(Imagen Diario Jerez)

27.3.14 Al Andalus Train; Jerez Kids to Learn Wine Culture; Russians Visit Jerez

Jerez railway station was the scene recently of a promotion of the famous train “Al Andalus”. This classic old fashioned luxury tourist train is running new routes through Andalucia, and these were announced at the promotion. The season has already begun, with routes visiting Sevilla, Cordoba, Baeza, Ubeda, Granada, Ronda, Cadiz, Jerez, Sanlucar and the Doñana Park. It is a wonderful way to see Andalucia, as one can enjoy the train itself as much as the country.

(Imagen: Renfe)

 Jerez city council is to include education on wine culture at its schools as part of the European City of Wine programme. The initiative has been made possible by the donation of over 150 copies of Jesus Rodriguez’ book “La viña, la bodega y el viento” by the Gonzalez Gordon Foundation. It is worrying how many young people from the area know little of their own culture.

Bodegas Lustau has been entertaining 20 members of the Russian tourism trade to a tasting of its wines and a flamenco show. The Jerez city council has been involved too, and the event is designed to show what the city’s tourism resources can offer the tourist with plenty to spend; luxury hotels, shopping, culture etcetera. Russia is rapidly becoming an important source of tourism in Spain.

Bodegas: Baron

Manuel Baron Fernandez began his career in the wine trade with the acquisition of some old soleras from the Sanlucar almacenista Anselmo Paz in 1895. His wife, Dolores Romero Sanchez, however, came from an old Sherry family, Romero de la Balsa, who had been in the business since the mid XVII century. They were already in the business in 1630 when the Duque de Medina Sidonia led a revolt against Phillip IV, and remained in the business right up to Dolores' father, Rafael Romero. Thus, the newly started bodega could count on centuries of knowledge and experience.

In 1984 the bodega was acquired by businessman Jose Rodriguez Jimenez, and is now run by his two heirs, Juan Luis Rodriguez Carrasco and Jose Rodriguez Carrasco. The bodega is only part of the business which is mainly agriculture and farming. They own three albariza vineyards totalling about 140 ha. in the pagos surrounding Sanlucar; Finca Atalaya, Finca Martin Miguel, the prized Finca El Poedo of 47 ha. on slope looking toward the Guadalquivir estuary, and the 5.7 ha viña El Hato, all farmed organically.

The bodega Molinillos is sited at the lower end of the Barrio Alto facing the river to attract the sea breezes. You can't miss it driving into town. Its central naves date back to 1631, while the rest of the buildings are from 1871. Here the 150 year old plus soleras of Anselmo paz are still guarded, and are still used. There were once coopers here, and wheelwrights for the carts, but they have gone leaving more space for wine. Baron has another bodega complex in Sanlucar, which brings their total to 20,000 square metres and 10,000 butts.

The firm makes a full range of wines, specialising in Manzanilla naturally:

Fino Baron 3 yo

Manzanillas: Atalaya 3 yo; Baron 3 yo; Micaela 5 yo; Manzanilla Pasada Baron (8yo, 15 criaderas)

Amontillados: Atalaya 10 yo; Amontillado Viejo Baron 30 yo

Olorosos: Pino Viejo 3yo; Oloroso Baron 8 yo;

Moscatel: Baron 3yo; 6yo

Cream: Atalaya 3-4 yo

PX: Baron 6yo; Baron 8 yo

In 2014, there are changes to the range: Soluqua, a range of wines never before released, having been reserved for family consumption, and the bodega's top wines, mostly VORS. Xixarito is the new standard premium range to replace the Baron range. Also new labelling has been introduced for all the wines. How's this for design?

(foto:twitter.com)

Address: Calle Molinillo Segunda, 2 and 3, 11540 Sanlucar de Barrameda, Cadiz
Tel: (+34) 956 360 796
Web: www.bodegasbaron.es
Visits? By prior arrangement

22.3.14 Latest on Tio Pepe Roundabout; Possible Tax on Spanish Wine

Production of the new sculpture for the Tio Pepe roundabout is under way. Made from high grade stainless steel, Chiqui Diaz’s design will be nine metres high. He has started by moulding the sheet steel into shape, after which he will assemble the piece and then apply patina to the steel, giving it various colours and degrees of polish. Some of it will be mirror-polished to reflect what is going on around the roundabout and interact with the surroundings. It won’t be long now before the roundabout, close to the Corte Ingles store in Jerez, is adorned with its Tio Pepe.

The Spanish Government is proposing to apply a tax on wine. A commission of experts was appointed to look into fiscal reform, and one of their proposals is to raise the tax on wine. This is already in place in fact, but at a rate of zero. France has also done this, but tax is applied at a very low rate on wine and fermented beverages.

The minister for agriculture, food and the environment, Miguel Arias Cañete, who has spent much time in Jerez, has declared his opposition to the idea. He wants to see Spain able to compete with other producer countries, and anyway, sales of wine in Spain are falling. The FEV (Federacion Española del Vino) has also declared opposition to the plan.

21.3.14 Gold for Jerez; Pasion; Madrid Sherry Festival

The results of the Bacchus International Wine Competition have been announced, and in a year when Spain has won a huge number of medals, Sherry is up there with Gold Medals (Bacchus de Oro) for Bodegas Tradicion Amontillado, Oloroso, Fino Viejo and Palo Cortado. Osborne Fino Quinta also won a Gold. In the top category, Gran Bacchus de Oro, Bodegas Tradicion PX was a winner.

Bacchus is the biggest international competition, and 80 international wine experts blind tasted 1,593 wines from 20 countries. The event was held in the Casino de Madrid, and was organised by the Union Española de Catadores.

A meeting entitled “Vinos de España, una Pasion” will take place in Jerez on the 10^th of April in the recently restored cloisters of the old Santo Domingo Convent. Fifty Spanish bodegas, all of whom are family run, and produce high quality wines, will present 180 wines at a tasting from 25 different Denominaciones de Origen. Places are limited, so only 500 tickets are available.

Convent of Santo Domingo (Voz Digital)

This spectacular tasting was the brainchild of Juan Manuel Martin Hidalgo of the famous Bodegas Emilio Hidalgo in Jerez. Each firm will offer its best wines and important bodega representatives will be in attendance. Embutidos (sliced sausages, ham) and cheeses will be on offer as well. The idea is to join with other wine producers of top quality to celebrate Jerez being European City of Wine.

There is to be a huge Sherry festival in Madrid. The first fortnight of April will see 200 brands and 300 professionals promoting Jerez, the European City of Wine. The event is organised by the Consejo Regulador, and oenologists from Jerez will be meeting restaurateurs, chefs, sommeliers, distributors, educators and the media. There will be general tastings as well as tastings led by oenologists. Madrid will host gourmet experiences, tastings, seminars and special promotions in its main wine bars.

Palo Cortado Apostoles VORS 20%, Gonzalez Byass

Appearance

Deep amber to burnt umber with coppery tints through yellow to trace green at rim, legs.

Nose

Quite intense, more oloroso with traces of chocolate, coconut, wood with hints just of PX. A serious and very complex wine with dried fruits, roasted nuts and walnut along with traces of leanness from age, largely hidden behind the PX front.

Palate

Full bodied, just off dry, intensely tasty with the odd savoury note. Deep and nutty yet with a softening layer of PX which makes its presence felt without dominating, and balances the harsher woody notes of age. Round and textured, tangy and fascinating with a trace of coffee at the finish.

Comments

This magnificent wine comes from a solera established in 1862 to celebrate the visit to the bodegas of Queen Isabel II. The Queen was keen to see the pressing of the grapes, but as her visit was in October, the harvest was long over. Manuel Maria Gonzalez sent people out to buy any unused grapes they could find and organised a pressing at the bodega of the large quantity they had managed to obtain. The quality of the resultant wine was so good that it was housed in an enormous specially made butt holding the equivalent of 33 butts. This butt, which is still there, was named El Cristo, as Christ was 33 years old. It is flanked by the Apostoles soleras. The solera consists of 12 butts, each with the name of one of the Apostles - except Judas, whose butt is kept in the vinegar store! After 15 years ageing as a Palo Cortado, some of which is sold as Leonor, the wine is transferred to PX butts and slowly absorbs  about 13% of the PX from the butts. Palo Cortado is normally 100% Palomino, but, well this is special.

Price
£17-19 per half bottle. Fairly widely available.UK distributors Gonzalez Byass UK