Entrechuelos Wine Tasting at La Revuelta

entrechuelos cata (1)La Revuelta opened earlier this year as a kind of all purpose cultural drop-in centre with books, art and events, especially food and wine events, and that was why I was there recently – for one of their “off the beaten track” wine tastings, this one featuring a small winery, Entrechuelos, run by Miguel Domecq, a member of the renowned Pedro Domecq sherry family. Miguel presented each wine like a proud father and I always find this kind of personal connection helps people relate better to what they’re tasting.

The Entrechuelos winery opened in 2008 on the Cortijo de Torrecera (the central farm of a grape growing estate), an area long used for vineyards, named for an 11th century Moorish watchtower built on the top of a hill overlooking the surrounding land. Although the winery is not far from Jerez, the wines produced there are not sherries, but table wines of the Tierra de Cadiz.

entrechuelos cata (2)We sampled four of these, starting with a young Chardonnay, which proved light and refreshing, slightly sweet with a good, fruity taste. This was followed by two red wines blended from Syrah, Merlot, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, the first called Roble 2012, aged for six months in French oak, the second a Tercer Año 2011, aged for a year. The contrast between the two was surprising. The first failed to impress, but the extra six months of ageing of the second produced a pleasantly full-bodied and quite complex wine with a deep colour that I thoroughly enjoyed. The fourth was the Alhocen Personal Selection 2010, a slightly different blend of the same four grapes, also aged for 12 months to make a nice fruity red wine.

Check the La Revuelta Website for information about upcoming events and activities.

La Revuelta
Siete Revueltas, 33
Tel 954 21 08 06
Open: 10.00 – 14.00 / 17.00 – 20.00
Closed Sunday

El Mercadillo Inglés

mercado inglesWhenever I wander down Calle Acetres on my way home I remember the time I had to find an old glass shop when years ago one of my windowpanes broke and my landlord wouldn’t replace it. Well today I passed by the old shop only to discover it was no longer there and the delightful high ceilinged space had been recently taken over by a colourful and chaotic emporium called El Mercadillo Inglés (so-called because a lot of its stock comes from the UK). I can’t even begin to list the variety of things you can find here, both first and second hand, but I think it’s safe to say there something for everybody.

I had a nice chat with co-owner Marta Nuñez, a Sevillana who used to live in England and who now runs the shop along with partners Patricia Toscano and Santiago Toscano. They also have a section offering fabrics from their other local business Entretelas. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift this looks like a good bet.

El Mercadillo Inglés
Acetres 8
Sevilla

La Abacería del Sur

abaceria del surco-owners Antonio M. Lebrero and Andres J. Guerrero

La Abacería del Sur, a little gourmet food shop tucked away in a quiet street just outside the main shopping district, has just celebrated its first anniversary. Founders Andres J. Guerrero and Antonio M. Lebrero were getting into the Christmas spirit today by giving a little cheese sampling outside the shop – and very nice cheeses they were too. As well an impressive range of exclusive cheeses you can find good selections of fine wines, canned fish, olive oils and, more surprisingly, a selection of English biscuits and preserves, including marmalades, from the Mrs Bridges range (named for the Upstairs, Downstairs housekeeper).

It’s a charming and well-maintained spot, a sign of the owners’ pride in their dream. Treat yourself by stopping by for a bit of fine food shopping. Ideal for unique and delicious Christmas hampers too.

La Abaceria del Sur
Calle Lagar 11
Tel: 609 049 022

Gourmet Club Sherry & Food Pairing

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.

Wines & Liquors & Anis – Oh My!

vinos licores, etcSample the best of Sevilla’s towns and villages in the heart of the city.

Starting today the Diputación de Sevilla will be the site of the annual exhibition (this is the 5th edition) of wines, liquors and anis produced in the province. It’s a great way of getting to know new local products and enjoying old favourites.

November 7th – 9th
Diputación de Sevilla
Menéndez Pelayo, 32