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Basques are good eaters and demanding ones, and the Basque version of tapas - pinchos or pintxos - tend to be both more filling and more elaborate than ordinary tapas. San Sebastian Tourist Board announces that it is launching pintxos.sanse, a kind of pincho workshop. Its scope is a little larger than that, though, and they promise that you can "Know San Sebastian through its pintxos." So the workshops begin with a visit to San Sebastian's La Bretxa market, continue around specialized shops, bars and places of interest in the historic city centre and end with the class making twenty or so pintxos under the guidance of the teacher - and consuming them, of course, with a suitable wine. More information and contact details here.
Posted by : John Ross on Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 01:07 PM 324 reads
Spain is a tippler's country, with a splendid variety of drinking experiences to offer. Now I am not talking about Brit-style binge boozing here, drinking for the sake of it, getting ratted in Magalouf or sotted till you fall off the balcony in Lloret, though farbeit from me to censure if that is how the whim takes you. No, I am referring to traditional customs in which alcohol happens to play a part, the dipsomaniac side of Spanish culture, from the kalimotxo to the queimada, cider pouring to sangria and from the day-to-day tapeo to sherry by the bottle at a feria. Read on for my Top Ten Drinking Experiences in Spain.
Posted by : John Ross on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 12:11 PM 596 reads
While I was putting the finishing touches to the new Spain and Portugal for Visitors Map of Portuguese Wine Regions, I came across a recent article in the Boston Globe by one Stephen Meuse. It discusses the negative effect of the strong euro / weak dollar on European wine prices in the US (the situation must also exist in the UK, less acutely), but points out that Portuguese wines are an exception, being notably underestimated (and underpriced) in comparison to other European wines. Meuse says that "modest" Portuguese wines will cost "a dollar or two" less than Spanish or Italian ones of the same quality, and that he has "actually found some entirely drinkable $5 or $6 Portuguese offerings - a number that's quite unthinkable elsewhere." I don't entirely agree with the article, as I believe one reason for the low prices of Portuguese wines to be the fact that the industry has simply not made the kind of progress in recent years as the Spanish wine sector, for example, but you might like to read on for more and to see Meuse's list of great value Portuguese wines.
Posted by : John Ross on Friday, February 08, 2008 - 10:39 AM 766 reads
January 18th to March 9th is the Garoinada, the sea-urchin season (in the gastronomic sense), in Catalonia's Baix Empordà (the Lower Ampurdan, on the Costa Brava). In Palafrugell, particularly (which includes its three resorts, Tamariu, Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell), a set menu is offered by various restaurants consisting of a first course of garoines, sea urchins, and second course cazuela de calamares y escamarlán, a dish of squid and Norway lobster, with Peralada wine, dessert, and coffee thrown in for 35-45 euros. More of this story.
Posted by : John Ross on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 06:41 AM 482 reads
While I was researching the Map of Wine Regions of Spain, I did a comparison of the different Spanish wine DOs in terms of value for money - the Aragonese region Somontano came out best. I also took a look at Robert Parker's top-rated Spanish wines and where they come from. In this case, the winery Bodega Artadi in the Alavese Rioja is a clear winner, which directly conflicts with the value for money rating, in which the Rioja region came in unimpressively at position 34. Read more about Spanish wine regions.
Posted by : John Ross on Friday, December 28, 2007 - 11:17 AM 811 reads
