Sevilla Blog

BurNarj Sparkling Orange Wines

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burnarj

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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

 

 

Olive Oil Tasting Carts

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olive oil tasting cars
This is a fabulous idea! Fifty olive oil tasting carts will be placed around the centre of Sevilla 5-7 and 12-14 December – you can have a look here to see the exact locations. They will be out and about from 10.30 – 14.30 offering four types of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Arbequina, Cornicabra, Hojiblanca and spicy Picual) with fresh bread for dipping. Don’t forget to pick up the little brochure with info about the different oils and a few recipes using each of them. What a great way to learn more about this wonderful product.

Aceites de Oliva – Toda una Experiencia

Casa de Huéspedes Santa María

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casa huespedes bed
This quirky and charming family-run guest house was recommended to me by a friend who lives in El Puerto de Santa María and I have to say it was perfect for my overnight stay there mid-November. My room was on the ground floor at the back of the house, so not much light from the row of small windows just under the ceiling (presumably opening onto a patio), but it was brightly decorated in primary colours against white walls and bedding, which made it quite cheerful. The bed was super comfortable and everything was clean-clean-clean. I had an ensuite bathroom (some of the rooms share) which was small but serviceable. In fact, my only two complaints about the place had to do with the bathroom: no hand-held showerhead option, and the opaque window in the bathroom that opened onto the hallway (which wasn’t actually opaque enough and – bizarrely – had a curtain covering it on the hallway side of the window). I don’t know, just made me feel a bit “exposed” late at night.

casa huespedes room

[my room]

Owners Carlos and Myriam were very welcoming and helpful. I arrived with about fifteen minutes to spare to make my appointment for a sherry tour at Bodegas Gutierrez-Colosía, which happily was not far away, and Carlos not only gave me easy directions but also a couple of recommendations for places to have tapas afterwards. Unfortunately this meant I didn’t have time to take a peek at some of the other rooms and by the time I got back after lunch they were all occupied.

casa huespedes common spaces

[common areas of the hotel – click to enlarge]

Nice touches included a small kitchen where you could make tea or coffee and snacks. The fridge was stocked with bottled water that you could take and leave payment (1€) in a tin on the countertop. There were two complimentary coffee capsules with cups in my room and additional ones were also 1€ each, which seemed reasonable to me. The common rooms on the ground floor were also charming. A TV/reading room with a stack of books and comfy retro chairs, and a typical patio Andaluz, not-so-typically decorated. There was free WiFi in the common areas. All in all a pleasant stay and, at 40€, also a very good price.

It’s also an excellent location. It was about a 15 minute walk from the train station and just a 5 minute walk to the catamaran, which I took to Cádiz city the next morning.

Casa de Huéspedes Santa María
Calle Pedro Muñoz Seca 38
El Puerto de Santa María
Tel 956 85 36 31

Hotel Argantonio | Cádiz

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argantonio beds

The Argantonio is a small 2 star hotel in a traditional style building, not luxurious, but with considerable charm. I stayed there with a friend mid-November and our room on the third floor was simply decorated, clean and comfortable with a good sized bathroom that had a walk-in shower. Tip: ask for a room with a balcony on the (very quiet) street as these get better light than the interior rooms. Also, the rooms with two beds are considerably larger than those with a double bed. There was also a pleasant little terrace on the roof with a couple of comfy chairs for relaxing with a drink and a book, though the day I was there it was a bit too cold to take advantage of it.

Breakfast was included in the price (79 euros, double occupancy), with fresh hot coffee made to order from the bar, juice and toast, charcuterie, pastries and some hot dishes of eggs and sausages. Another plus was that the staff were friendly and helpful. We came back around midnight from our evening tapeo and a couple was being served a nightcap at the bar in front of the reception area, which I thought was a nice touch. And very important: there’s free WiFi with good reception throughout the hotel.

argantonio hotel

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 The location was excellent, on the edge of the old town and not far from the train station, giving easy access to both. Overall I thought it was good value for money. My only tiny “complaints”: the lack of a detachable shower head, and that the safe in the closet wasn’t bolted down, rendering it pretty much useless. But I would definitely stay here again.

Hotel Argantonio
Calle Argantonio, 3
Cádiz
Tel 956 21 16 40
Hotel Argantonio Website

Monuments (Inmaculada-Constitución Puente)

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In case you were wondering which monuments will and won’t be open – and when – during the upcoming long four-day long weekend, here ya go. Thanks to Turismo de Sevilla @sevillaciudad for the info.

horario puente 2013

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