Category: jerez

Manzanilla 50 Years

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manzanilla monday

The Sherry Regulatory Council was established in 1935 and is the oldest Denominación de Origen in Spain, though of course the wines have been produced for hundreds of years. At first manzanilla, the unique sherry that is only produced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, was included in this denominación, but in 1964 it received its own D.O., recognising the special characteristics that set it apart from other sherry wines. This past Monday I went to a fabulous event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Manzanilla, held at the Alfonso XIII hotel in Sevilla. The fourteen bodegas represented included all the main players and well-known names from Sanlúcar de Barrameda: Álvaro Domecq, Barbadillo, Barón, Covisan, Elías González Guzmán, Delgado Zuleta, Francisco Yuste, Herederos de Argüeso, Hidalgo – La Gitana, Juan Piñero, La Guita, Lustau, Miguel Sánchez Ayala, and Williams & Humbert.

manzanilla 50Nuria (Delgado Zuleta, Momoko (Bodegas Baron),
Antonio Barbadillo (Sacristia AB), Valeska & Fernando (Paladar y Tomar)

I missed the morning session, arriving after lunch, and immediately got into some serious sherry tasting. Visitors could wander around and meet the exhibitors, and the event included a formal tasting for invited guests. Along with the familiar hallmark brands we were able to sample a number of “en rama” and other special manzanillas “sacas”. It was great to see friends, and fellow sherry lovers, and chat again to some of the people I met when I visited a few bodegas last summer. Looking forward to another trip to Sanúcar soon.

Gourmet Club Sherry & Food Pairing

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hidalgo

Another day, another sherry tasting. Which is not a bad thing, of course. This one was held last week at the Gourmet Experience Duque in El Corte Inglés, which has become an important venue for such events since opening in December 2013 . The featured bodega was family-run Emilio Hidalgo, with three of its special aged dry sherries, in pairings with Riofrio Caviar, mojama (cured tuna) and melva canutera (frigate tuna) from quality fish processors Herpac, and hand-made Zamorano cheese from Vicente Pastor.

hidalgo collageFirst up was La Panesa, a fino from a solera that is bottled sparingly, and has consequently aged longer than a standard fino, paired with two varieties of caviar. Both of these had a delicate, subtle buttery flavour that worked well, neither masking the other. Next was a pairing of much stronger tastes. El Tresillo 1874 is a well-aged amontillado, complex and full-bodied, with a particularly excellent “nose”, that added its richness to the strong flavours of the fish. The last pairing brought together an aged oloroso sherry, Villapanés, and an artisanal cured Zamorano sheep’s cheese. I think this was my favourite of the three pairings, with an exceptionally rounded, full flavoured sherry that was perfect for the quite chewy, salty cheese.

I have to say that I think this was one of the best tastings I’ve been to, very well organized by sommelier Silvia Flores, with the excellent sherries and exquisite food products introduced and explained by their respective owners. Many thanks for the invitation, Silvia, and I look forward to future Club del Gourmet experiences.

Jerez de la Frontera | Nuevo Hotel

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nuevo hotel (1)
I had been invited to Vinoble in Jerez de la Frontera, which meant having to stay over at least one night. I had told a friend that I was looking for somewhere “cheap & cheerful” where I could lay my head for a few hours – I knew I wouldn’t be spending much time wherever I stayed. And The Nuevo Hotel turned out to be perfect. At 25€ for an individual room with a single bed you obviously wouldn’t be expecting the Ritz, but I was very pleasantly surprised at my cheerful clean room and comfy bed, with a balcony that opened onto a small side street. My room was on the first floor of the two-storey hotel, and I was happy there was a lift as I was still on crutches due to a recent accident. The bathroom was small but serviceable, with a small bathtub and shower.

nuevo hotel (2)

Nuevo Hotel is centrally located just off the Plaza de Arenal, near the Alcázar, and is about a 10-15 minute walk from the train station. There are plenty of good tapas bars nearby and it felt like a nice cosy neighbourhood. Breakfast at the hotel is 5€, served in a big bright dining area on the main floor, but I’m always happier going out to find a small bar. There are a couple of charming common areas and excellent WiFi connection throughout the hotel. The hotel staff were welcoming, friendly and helpful. I would definitely stay again.

Nuevo Hotel
Calle Caballeros, 23
Jerez de la Frontera
Tel 956 33 16 00

Sherry & Tapas Tasting Menu

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sherry tasting menu vineria
It’s International Sherry Week and, along with offering my Introduction to Sherry & Tapas Tours, I also worked with Vineria San Telmo owner Juan Tarquini on this fabulous Sherry & Tapas Tasting Menu which I was invited to try yesterday along with friends and fellow bloggers Fiona @Seville_Writer and Rai @ComiendoporSVQ. The four-course menu features four sherries from four different bodegas:

  • Jamón Ibérico de Bellota and cured sheep’s cheese
    Manzanilla La Guita
    Bodegas Hijos de Rainera Pérez Marín
  • Bacalao a la Roteña
    Amontillado Botaina
    Bodegas Lustau
  • Pluma Ibérica with curried pumpkin
    Oloroso Gobernador
    Bodegas Hidalgo
  • Chocolate cake (by @Gollerias)
    Pedro Ximénez Nectar
    Bodegas Gonzalez Byass

sherry week vineria
The Vineria San Telmo has long been one of my favourite tapas bars in Sevilla with consistently good food and an excellent wine list. This is a beautifully balanced menu with well-matched wines, and great value at 25€. You can try it yourself at the Vineria until Sunday June 8th. Be sure to book ahead and let them know that you’ll be wanting the menu.

Vineria San Telmo
Paseo Catalina de Ribera, 4
tel. 954 410 600
Open 7 days a week 11.00 – midnight
Kitchen closed 17.00 – 20.00 with cold snacks and desserts available

sherry tasting fiona rai juanThe aftermath! Fiona, Rai and Vineria San Telmo owner Juan