30.7.13 Manzanilla..with Fish

Bodegas Delgado Zuleta and Sanlucar Fish Spa have reached an agreement to offer during August and September the enjoyment of their joint services, to enhance the local activities for tourists and locals alike at the best price. What is on offer is a unique and appetising mix of Manzanilla and good Health. There are three different options available.

The first, at 15 euros, is a 20 minute ictiotherapy session in the Urban Spa followed by a visit to the bodegas of Delgado Zuleta. {Ictiotherapy is putting your feet into a tank of warm water where lots of tiny fish eat away the dead skin on your feet – tickly at first, but effective}.

The second, at 24 euros is a 20 minute ictiotherapy session, a manicure or pedicure, a tour of Sanlucar and a visit to Delgado Zuleta.

The third, at 32 euros, is a 20 minute ictiotherapy session, a massage at the Spa and a visit to the bodegas with a tasting of tapas

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Separately, the Spa is offering a free glass of La Goya Manzanilla with any ictiotherapy treatment between the 15^th July and the 15^th September.

This is definitely a new way to enjoy Manzanilla with fish!

27.7.13 Osborne's New Museum of Old Wines

Starting yesterday, Osborne has opened the doors of one of its most interesting bodegas, La Mora in the Calle Moros, Puerto de Santa Maria, to the public. The bodega has been converted into a sacristy containing some 635 butts of very old and historic wine of all types, some dating from well over 200 years ago. This is a veritable enological museum containing the biggest collection of historic wines in the Sherry zone. There are 26 soleras, all real jewels which make up the original range of old Osborne wines and also those which were bought, such as Domecq, Duff Gordon, Blazquez and Bobadilla. It has taken a year to assemble all these wines, which were previously in their original bodegas or at various Osborne bodegas in El Puerto, into one single bodega.

The opening of this exhibition took place last night with a reception for local politicians, tour operators, travel agents and members of the Consejo Regulador, along with directors of Osborne. A piano recital was held, followed by a visit, the same visit which locals and tourists can now make. The exhibition is more than just barrels of Sherry, however. There is also an exhibition of old labels and one of old bottles, signed by the more – or less – famous personalities of the last two centuries or more, and some sculptures of well-known locals.

The visit starts at the beginning with two giant butts of 2,300 litres capacity, the founding butts, which preside over it all. From here the genealogical tree grows outward: Duff Gordon 1768, Osborne 1772, then the Washington Irving and Zar de Rusia soleras and many more.

Osborne, which is now run by the sixth generation of the family, has other such projects in the pipeline. They are planning a bullfighting museum, a museum of tools, and one of brandy. The company currently produces 2.5 million litres of Sherry, of which 70% goes for export, and they are the leading producers of brandy. A lot has been achieved in the last 250 years, all recorded in the sediments of these historic wines.

Tickets for the visit cost 8 euros, and tours by an expert guide are in Spanish, English and German. A tasting will follow of four Sherries and a solera reserva Brandy with nibbles.

26.7.13 Great Exhibition at Jerez Museum; Last Pre-Harvest Consejo Meeting

Antes de las Soleras y el Catavino (before soleras and tasting glasses) is the theme of a new activity in the Jerez Arqueological Museum, dedicated to the relationship between wine and the history and culture of Jerez. There will be four events on the 6^th 13^th 20^th and 27^th of August at 19.30 in English and at 20.00 in Spanish.

These will comprise a tour of the Museum, highlighting the most relevant exhibits to the theme.  The Museum director, Rosalia Gonzalez, explained that wine, which has so marked the city’s history, will be the protagonist, so that visitors will be able to get to know the different aspects of the art and culture of wine in Jerez up to the end of the XVIII century, when the solera system came into common use.

The Museum has all sorts of ceramic vessels, amphorae, sculptures, reliefs, mosaics and pieces of glass among other things, which speak of gods, myths, symbols, rituals and business, all relative to wine, whose consumption is generally accepted in this area as dating back to the fist millennium BC in the times of Tartessos with the arrival of the Phonecians. The Carambolo painted ceramics belong to this era, and were excavated both at the necropolis and at the area called Mesas de Asta, and recent studies have shown they were used for wine.

The Manzanilla Question and the shortage of grapes will be the main topics at the plenary meeting of the Consejo on Tuesday, where it is hoped to finally cure some old wounds. The Manzanilla Question, a proposal by Fedejerez to limit Fino production to Jerez, a vote on which was postponed for a cooling-off period, will be on the agenda, but it seems likely to be postponed again. Also, the Consejo has not yet received a reply from the Junta, from whom it requested an opinion, as the Junta is waiting for an opinion from Brussels on the new Reglamento.

There are other matters needing resolution, such as old customs and rules unchanged since the start of the Denominacion de Origen in the 1930’s which are obsolete, and more so with the arrival of the new regulations. The thorny issue of bag-in-box is another, not to mention the use of the word Chiclana on moscatel from there, the producers of which were threatening to leave the DO.

24.7.13 Ruta Casas de Vina El Puerto

For the second year running, the Puerto de Santa Maria Ruta de las Casas de Viña through the Balbaina vineyards is under way. Last year over 100 people participated. The route, which covers about 8 kilometres starts outside the inn Venta El Cepo on the Jerez – Rota road, where participants meet up at 8 o’ clock pm. Along with the natural beauty of the route is the attraction of getting to know the area in which many casas de viña are situated, forming part of the wine culture of El Puerto, accompanied by experts in local historical patrimony. The route will be on offer next on Friday 16^th August at 8.30 am, and is very well worth doing.

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Tapas: Berenjenas Fritas con Miel

Fried aubergines with honey

This is absolutely delicious, and dead easy to make. The slightly crisp yet juicy aubergine texture with sweet honey is lovely! All you need is:
1 Large aubergine or two small ones
Salty water
Flour
Olive oil - Extra Virgin
Runny honey

Method:
Slice the aubergine and soak in salted water for 10-15 mins. Next flour the slices and fry in very hot oil. Lay on absorbent paper till excess oil has run off, plate up and pour honey on top.
{The salty water prevents the aubergine absorbing too much oil}

22.7.13 Sherry Stock Situation; Lustau Win More Medals

Production in Jerez has swung from an alarming excess to an alarming shortage, aggravated by grubbing up and abandonment of vineyard and a very small 2012 harvest – one of the smallest in history. This could lead to supply shortages in the short to medium term.  The harvest for 2013, which is predicted to be 25% bigger or around 60 million kilos will only provide a short term relief.

This harvest should provide about 60,000 butts, but 80,000 are needed for estimated sales, leaving a deficit of 20,000, meaning that there could be shortages in about 3 years as stock works through the system. It is a major worry, and an analysis of the situation will shortly get underway to find ways to combat the situation.

It had been thought that that the supply and demand balance had been restored, but now it looks as though the grubbing-up was excessive. 10,000 hectares were reduced to 7,000 – almost one third of the vineyard was lost. This was not helped by the poor state of some vineyards caused by the poor economic situation of growers. Action is needed soon.

The vineyards need an integral plan and producers need to discuss the future. Even with the 500 hectares which are now back in the Denominacion de Origen after being used for trials of complementary products, it is estimated that if the next harvest is normal, there will be 75,000 butts, leaving a deficit against sales of 5,000. The cumulative effect over 2012,13 and 14 will therefore be 55,000 butts, or 27 and a half million litres. Meanwhile, bodega stocks have been reduced by 20% over the last three years, from over 400,000 at the end of 2011 to the 315,000 with which it is hoped to end this season.

All available information needs to be put on the table, particularly the state of the vineyards which are theoretically in production but which give low yields for lack of husbandry over recent years. They need to be recuperated, work which takes time and no small financial investment. The bodegas need to clarify their future requirements, in fact everyone in the trade needs to work together.

Lustau’s capataz, Manuel Lozano has won the International Wine Challenge “Best Winemaker” for a record fifth time. Lustau won 35 medals: 12 gold, 14 silver and 9 bronze. Manuel has been the Lustau enologist since 1999 and he looks after the vineyards as well as the 22,000 butts in his care, which he regards as his children. A modest man, he “wasn’t expecting this, as the standard improves every year”, and thanked his team at Grupo Caballero.

Manuel with judge Charles Metcalfe

18.7.13 Homage to Shakespeare in Jerez

For the eighth year there will be a homage to William Shakespeare in Jerez, the city whose wines he did so much to promote. It will take place in the Parque Gonzalez Hontoria on the 7th September at mid-day. As usual the programme will include a floral offering and a toast at the monument, a reading of his poetry in Spanish and English, a musical presentation and a theatrical presentation. The event is organised by Jose Luis Jimenez Garcia and the Cine Club Popular de Jerez.