A Free Wine Encyclopedia!The history and legacy of the Rioja district in Spain is rich in tales and stories. I would suggest, if your are interested, a book by Jan Read “Wines of the Rioja”. I was captivated by the accounts of not only Rioja, but of the capital of Rioja, Logrofio. The Rioja district of Spain is… read more »
Over 200 years have passed since the prominent and enterprising Don Juan Sanchez de la Torre founded this venerable sherry house. The company has distinguished itself for the unsurpassed quality of its products many times over, receiving coveted appointments as purveyor to the Royal Family of Spain, the Vatican and the House of Lords. The… read more »
In the year 1647, on top of a hill that slopes down to the Mediterranean, in what is now the province of Cataluna (Catalonia) in Spain, someone constructed a farmhouse in the likeness of a mediaeval fortress. Two hundred years later, this imposing property became a winery, Las Cavas Jaume Serra. Surrounding the cavas (caves… read more »
In 1874 the Navajas family founded the Bodegas Montecillo winery in the Alavesa district near the Rio Oja (“Oja River”), namesake of what has become Spain’s most acclaimed wine producing region. Montecillo was one of the pioneering wineries which adapted French (Bordeaux) wine-making techniques to Spanish grapes last century and in so doing created a… read more »
During the 1880’s a vine plague, the root burrowing phylloxera vastratrix, spawned a mass exodus of several hundred French families from Bordeaux due south 150 miles to Spain’s uninfected Ebro Valley. An unprecedented surge in Spanish wine production ensued. The Rioja vine growing region got its name from a small tributary called Rio Oja of… read more »
Wine with Food: Malaga By Paul Kalemkiarian Sr. | The name Malaga has always intrigued me. My thoughts visualized warm Mediterranean breezes and balmy summer afternoons with a chilled glass of wine on a veranda overlooking the blue waters off the southern coast of Spain. The vivid scene dictated a fresh, young, fruity, style of… read more »
Wine with Food: Tapas By Paul Kalemkiarian Sr. | A most refreshing custom of Spain is the serving of a tidbit every time wine is served. These wonderful appetizers are standard fare at all restaurants, wine bars, and gatherings. In fact, it is automatic. Most establishments will place one piece of tapas on a small plate, and… read more »
Wine with Food: Rioja By Paul Kalemkiarian Sr. | I am writing this on the eve of departing for Spain. I was motivated to the topic by my expectations of the culinary surprises I am looking for, and maybe some discoveries of wines. Spain is best known for its sherry wine. They are in a… read more »
FINO SHERRY – SAVORY & JAMES by Paul Kalemkiarian Sr | December 1983 Hugh Johnson, the well known wine authority and writer draws an interesting comparison between sherry and champagne. Both wines are white. Both wines are distinctly different from table wines: one is a sparkling wine, and the other is a fortified wine. Both need… read more »