Category: Cordoba

BurNarj Sparkling Orange Wines

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burnarj

[click on image to enlarge]

I was treated to a private wine tasting yesterday, along with friends Fiona @Seville_Writer and Amelia @TravelCuisine1, arranged for us by BurNarj @Burnarj, a young family-run winery in Palma del Rio, Córdoba. BurNarj – a pormanteau of “burbujas” (bubbles) and “naranja” (orange) – is the world’s first and only sparkling orange wine made from 100% orange juice. All other orange wines presently on the market are grape wines that have been infused with orange juice, zest, etc. BurNarj wines are made using the traditional méthode champenoise which, aside from champagne (obvs), is also used for making Spanish cava. There are four wines in the Burnarj range: Brut Nature (dry 11% alc), Brut (slightly sweet 11% alc), Semi-Seco (semi-sweet 11€ alc) and a Semi-Seco light (7% alc). It is recommended to drink these wines well-chilled between 1º – 3º C.

BurNarj general director Alfonso Diéguez arrived at Travel & Cuisine headquarters with a cooler full of wines and a lovely selection of snacks. We started off tasting the bone dry Brut Nature, which paired very well with the smoked salmon and jamón Ibérico (Alfonso also recommends it with Rio Frío caviar from the same region), and which ended up being everybody’s favourite. I found the Brut to be a “neither here nor there” wine and was surprised to find I liked the Semi-Seco light second best out of the four. At 7% alcohol it would be a perfect brunch wine, like a ready-made mimosa. Also great for picnics, come to think of it.

Alfonso talked us through the process and explained the different characteristics of each wine with obvious passion. I was surprised to learn that it takes 5 kilos of oranges (2 litres of fresh juice) to make just one bottle of wine. It was also interesting to find out more about the origins of the company and the labour-intensive méthode champenoise. Just two years old, the winery is already selling well in Japan, Poland, Mexico and the UK, as well as at home in Spain. At 11.90€ – 13-50€ retail this would probably be a special occasion wine for most people, but I do recommend giving these wines a try, especially the Brut Nature and the light Semi-Seco.

For more information and to visit the BurNarj online store…

BurNarj Website
Pol. Ind. El Garrotal, Calle E, parcela 5
Palma del Río, Córdoba
Tel. 957 644 059 / 672 289 105

 

 

Córdoba | Palacio de Viana

azahar

blue potsCórdoba is undoubtedly one of the most important historic cities in Europe, with a list of world-class monuments topped by the splendid Mezquita. But it also has quieter, less obvious charms. Among these are the famous Córdoban patios and courtyards (which even have their own festival), decked with flowers, often in the distinctive dark blue flower pots that can be seen all over the cities. Of course, patios and courtyards are not unique to Córdoba, being a typical architectural form all around the Mediterranean, but here they have been developed more than almost anywhere else, and have become almost a local art-form.

For this reason no visit to Córdoba can really be considered complete without going to see the Palace of Viana, the Museum of the Patios, and a few days ago I was fortunate enough to be invited to a tour both of the patios and the palace of which they form a part (it was actually my second visit as last year I saw the patios shortly after the museum had opened). In fact, I have only been in summer (first last June and now August) and really must go again in the spring.

viana collage

[a few of the Palacio de Viana patios]

The palace is known to have existed since the 14th century, and in the 15th became the home of the Don Gome family. In the 17th century it became known as the Rejas (grilles) de Don Gome, because of the barred windows of the patio giving on to the street outside. The original palace occupied a much smaller area than the palace as it is now, but under a succession of owners it has grown and changed over the centuries. In the 19th century, when it was the residence of the Marques de Villaseca, the house of Torres Cabrera, another palace that lay alongside, was taken over in its entirety. In 1902 the Palace became the property of the second Marquis of Viana, and over the next two generations completed its evolution into almost the form we see today. In 1980, on the death of the third Marquis, the Palace was sold to the CajaSur foundation and registered as a monument of national historic importance.

The palace today has twelve courtyards and a garden, intertwined with the various wings and sections of the palace, whose rooms and galleries house important collections of artifacts and artworks, including Breughel and Goya, tapestries and furniture, as well as an impressive library with over 7,000 books. I recommend taking the guided tour of the upstairs rooms. Although it is only given in Spanish there are printed handouts in different languages that give you a brief description of the rooms and collections.

There are also nighttime events and concerts which must be magical in that setting. You can check events, dates and times on the Palacio de Viana website.

Palacio de Viana
Plaza de Don Gome, 2
Córdoba

 

The Reluctant Feriante

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more ferias

Since going to the Feria de Córdoba last year I seem to be turning into a bit of a feriante. Which is particularly odd as I don’t much like the massively famous (and massive) Feria de Abril here in Sevilla, though this year I ended up going twice – haven’t done that in years. I also haven’t been to the fabulous Feria del Caballo in Jerez for years – five to be exact – so I have booked off a couple of days next month to do that, in case I feel like staying overnight. And then I was told about the Feria de Primavera y Fiesta del Vino Fino in Puerto de Santa Maria, which started yesterday. So I think I’ll be popping over there on Sunday. But I’ll probably miss the Córdoba Feria this year as I want to go to the Patio Festival there, which finishes the week before. Ah well, can’t be everywhere. I have to say that I really prefer these much friendlier ferias with their casetas open to the public. And I like how the Feria in Málaga also takes to the streets and spills over to the centre of the city, though I haven’t actually been to the fairground there.  Maybe this summer. How many ferias have you been to in Spain?

Dreaming in Córdoba

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Córdoba has long been famous for the Mezquita, the beautiful mosque-cathedral with its perspective-shifting array of columns and arches, but in recent years this fascinating city, which has the second largest preserved historic centre in Europe, has been increasingly recognised as one of the essential must-see places.

The Hospes Hotel Palacio del Bailío (Palace of the Knight-Commander), Córdoba’s first ever 5-star hotel, combines modern luxury with the charm of a building whose history is intertwined with that of the city. The site was occupied by the Romans (there are Roman ruins in the basement) and the Moors, and after the conquest of the city by the Christian king Ferdinand III in 1236 it was given as a reward to one of his supporters. It was owned for many generations by the family of the Great Captain (El Gran Capitán) Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, and the present palace was built between the 16th and 18th centuries. After part of the palace had been donated to the convent of Dolores and the Hospital of San Jacinto, and with the death of the last descendant of the Fernández family, the palace fell into decline until it was purchased by the Castejón family in 1929, who began the work of its restoration. It was declared a historic monument in 1982 and became a hotel in March 2007.

The entrance to the hotel from the street is surprisingly modest, and is watched over by a statuette of San Rafael (the unofficial patron saint of Córdoba), and a small stylised metal dragon. Once inside it’s impossible not to be drawn in by the combination of the grand and the cosy. The basic facilities are what you would expect from a 5-star hotel, but the special charm of this hotel is the way in which these are combined with Hospes’ own emphasis on restfulness and well-being, and expressed through the fabric of a historic building.

Last week my friend Peter (aka Seville Concierge) and I were invited to spend the night and also enjoy a flamenco-themed dinner. Our room was a modern standard (dreamer), with a fabulous slate-tiled bathroom, two balconies that overlooked the main patio garden with its swimming pool and fountain, and of course the amazingly comfy beds that Hospes is famous for. There’s also a pillow menu available. I loved falling asleep – and waking up – to the soothing sound of running water from the garden.

In the evening dinner was in the Roman patio, with an excellent singer and guitarist duo (there’s a different entertainment theme every month) and wonderful food by Senzone. The main restaurant is in the next room, and there’s also an attractive tapas bar, which are open to the public as well as guests. The patio also doubles as the breakfast room, where we had a substantial breakfast (well, it would be really, wouldn’t it?) on our second day. The Roman patio is so called because beneath the glass floor you can see the remains of a mosaic and marble columns of the Roman building that was once there (rediscovered by accident in the 1930s when the owners were building a tunnel to bring coal into the house without blackening the floors). It also has restored eighteenth century murals, including a row of upper story windows to match the real ones on the other two sides.

One thing we didn’t get to do was to sample the pleasures of the Bodyna Spa Roman baths and massage (having slept through our alotted time in the late afternoon – darn those comfy beds!) but we were able to have a look around the next morning when sales manager Laura Baena took us on a tour of the hotel. We were duly impressed, especially by the peacefulness of the cool, dimly lit stone baths (there are three of them, set to three different temperatures). I could certainly have spent a blissful hour there just soaking up the silence. We also got a peek at the Roman ruins, which aren’t open to the public and are under special protection, similar to the mosque.

All too soon our 24 hours of luxury were over. I can honestly imagine spending a couple of days at the Palacio Bailío and not even leaving the hotel, so if you do plan on staying here (and I highly recommend it) book yourself an extra night so that you actually get to see the city. I’m still dreaming of going back…

Oh, and did I mention the free WiFi?

[photo gallery below…]

Continue reading “Dreaming in Córdoba” →

Córdoba Feria 2012

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[youtube=”http://youtu.be/PATKgtofgxs”]

[watch full screen if possible]

Some pics from my first visit to the Feria de Córdoba. Another fair, like the one in Jerez, that is totally different to the Feria de Sevilla and which, in my opinion, is much better. The casetas are larger (with air con) and are open to the public. Depending on what you fancy you can opt for traditional flamenco music (sevillanas), flamenco rock, salsa, disco… the casetas ranged from fairly rough & ready tents to solid structures decorated like country homes with servers dressed in maid’s outfits. You can get some great looking food, watch the crowds or join in, or stroll the streets and enjoy the parade of horses and carriages in the afternoon.

It really felt like being at a country fair – I even went on the ferris wheel! Too bad we were just there for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I found myself wishing that I could stay to see the fairground lit up at night but duty called and we had tickets booked on the 19.30 train (which we almost missed, arriving at the station with about two minutes to spare).

Note: at 2.44 is the horse of the day – a gorgeous beast, my photo doesn’t do him justice.

Travel tip: the Sevilla – Córdoba Avant (19.10€ one way)  is much better value than the Ave (33.20€) and takes the same amount of time (45 minutes). And if you return on the same day you get a 20% discount.