El spot navideño de Freixenet es  todo un clásico, por su espectacularidad, intriga y expectación que despiertan.   Pero este año no veremos las nuevas burbujas Freixenet porque, con motivo de la crisis económica la marca de cava ha decidido emitir el mismo spot del año pasado modificando, claro está, el brindis final por el 2010.

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I’m the world famous music journalist(ess) Hilkka Pattila – also a music science drop-out, but not famous for that, since it’s common.. I know why men choose this career – it’s because of free booze. I’m more into cocktails.

Last Saturday a friend of mine – the legendary dj Ender was turning years. He had invited a bunch of friends – mostly other deejays and music people to Korjaamo culture factory to celebrate – which in this case meant buckets of sparkling with a cake avec.

I was the only music critic there. My gentleman colleagues don’t hang around in the dj scene too much. Half of them were probably in Tampere (Music and Media fair to get themeselves wasted) and the other half at Tavastia club digging on Ane Brun. I was happy enough to recollect her gig in Huvila tent last August. She was so strong and fragile. All points to her, that night she touched my emotional side, but I don’t long for deep waters in November! Musicwise, the only deep I want is deep house…

Back to Korjaamo..I sipped on my sparkling – probably Freixenet and vodka cranberry (again) and drowned into work related conversations with some music people e.g Tuomas Kallio who’s the man behind Flow festival and Nu Spirit Helsinki. Very mind blowing discussions from a critic’s point of view, even though I couldn’t persuade him to reveal a tiny bit of next year’s line-up.

Talking about music people – my cell started beeping continuously. What a surprise, the contradictory musician friend approaching me with the lines introduced to me already 13 years ago! Further details later. I was (for once) in the mood to go to Botta or someplace else as boring (but oh so popular), to meet him and hear about HIS career since mine is not interesting. He was apparently pondering between different options so I carried on with my interesting conversations and stomped my feet to the beat of dj Eppu’s and Lauri Soini’s ( a.k.a 80’s cop) goodies.

The ever- weird musician couldn’t make up his mind. What’s the point in sending smses without an outcome and why can’t he approach me in the daytime? I’ve given my critics on him way back and I think I just have to stick to it. Seems we are playing musical chairs here!

La crisis ya esta empezando a tocarme las narices. No es que no nos llegue la camisa al cuerpo, es que nos está llegando el agua al cuello.

Desde que era pequeño, al pasar por la Plaza de España, miraba siempre el reloj del Ayuntamiento (posteriormente convertido en Parador Nacional de turismo) incluso, un año retransmitieron desde allí las campanadas de fin de año por telecinco y todo, pero últimamente cada vez que paso por allí el reloj no funciona. Será por la crisis que no hay ni para darle cuerda o ponerle pilas, si ese fuera su defecto.

También desde pequeño me hacía mucha ilusión ver la iluminación de la Navidad. Sin embargo, este año en muchos Ayuntamientos han decidido recortar gastos en estos menesteres, algunos los van a eliminar del todo ¡la crisis que se va a llevar por delante todo lo llevable! desde la iluminación hasta los más mínimos detalles.

Pero lo que ya no se puede soportar es que nos quiten la ilusión de las ilusiones. En muchas familias se esperaba el día que ponían por primera vez el anuncio de Freixenet, pero este año (por culpa de la crisis) van a volver a repetir el anuncio del año pasado. Que no digo yo que no estuviera bien, las chicas de la natación sincronizada son muy monas, pero eso de no tener para llevarnos a la vista un George Clooney, Antonio Banderas, Charlize Theron o Sharon Stone… Nos han quitado hasta a Maribel Verdú vestida de burbujita ¡con lo guapa que estaba ella con ese vestidito!

Así que señores que arreglan las cosas: arreglad la crisis ya, pero que ya. Que una Navidad sin la ilusión del nuevo anuncio de ese cava es como si llega el mes de marzo y no tenemos el “Ya es primavera en el Corte Inglés”. Soluciónenlo rápido, por favor.

Publicado en “La Voz de Ronda” 24/10/2009

Este año no va a haber anuncio de Freixenet. Van a repetir el del año pasado. Yo les propongo a los señores Freixenet que, a la vista de las cabriolas que he sido capaz de hacer hoy en la pisicina, deberían enviarme una cámara y yo, al ritmo de canciones de La Monja Enana, les hago unas coreos graciosísimas y podrían venderlo como una versión 2.0 del del año pasado. Les saldría baratito y sería innovador. Por mi parte, señores Freixenet, sólo dos condiciones: que el bañador sea decoroso y que si me tengo que poner una pinza en la nariz como las menguales, pido por favor que sea de las de la ropa, a poder ser de madera. Piensen que soy capaz de decir “Freixenet les desea felices fiestas” en todas las lenguas oficiales del país, y si me apuran hasta en bable.

Me he levantado tarde (mi cuerpo estaba agotado de la digestión de los huevos fritos) y he desayunado mucho, y como entre bocado y bocado siempre pajareo, he estado desayunando casi toda la mañana. He ido comiendo mi bocata de Polenghi con jamón presuntamente york y algo más de un litro de zumo/batido/mejunje de una papaya, dos naranjas, una lima y mucho hielo. Aunque la intención inicial era ir a la playa, se me ha complicado el día. Entre el desayuno, la piscina y la dura misión de borrar canciones, sólo he salido de casa para comprar unas cosas que me faltaban y ya está. La playa podrá esperar a mañana.

Con todo lo que tenía en la nevera he ido haciendo batidos con todas las combinaciones posibles. Creo que lo único que me queda por mezclar y batir es el césped del jardín. Y entre batido y batido, noticias y webs. Hoy la palma se la llevan los obispos africanos, que insisten en que el preservativo favorece el sida. Si lo pensaran ellos y ya está, pos no pasa nada, pero es que hay gente que piensa que creer en dios implica creer en esta gente, y no es así. La próxima bomba religiosa será el sínodo del papa donde defiende la pobreza de la iglesia. Le tenían que meter al papa cada joya de los tesoros de la iglesia por donde yo me sé.

A parte de enfadarme con los obispos, que es un deporte mío muy practicado, tenía algunas cosas pendientes, por ejemplo hace días que investigaba cómo funciona un insecticida. Al principio pensaba, inocentemente, que el Raid sólo era algo pegajoso que ahogaba a los bichos y les impedía moverse, pero luego me incliné por lo que algunas webs me ha confirmado: atacan directamente al sistema nervioso central  de los bichejos. Eso es como si nos echaran un líquido encima que destrozara nuestro cerebro y la médula espinal. Es cruel, lo sé, pero ni así voy a dejar de usarlo. Los insectos llevan en la tierra muchísimo más tiempo que los humanos, así que ya saben cómo perpetuarse y como sobrevivir. El día en que se hagan inmunes al Raid estoy perdido.

Otra cosa que llevo días mirando es una máquina que venden en la web de El Mundo. Es una máquina para hacer perritos calientes (en Brasil, cachorro quente). Es absurda, pero de tan absurda e inútil me tiene enamorado. Miradla, no me diréis que no quedaría bien encima de cualquier encimera de silestone. Hacedme un caso relativo, una vez compré a medias con un amigo una máquina de coser de la teletienda de 30 euros.

En fin, que he estado ocupado y aún así he podido borrar unas 300 canciones que nunca debería haber tenido. Os dejo unas fotos de Pipa, bueno más de la entrada de Pipa. Si otro día me siento tan solícito como hoy haré algunas del centro.

Suena Telescopio, de un grupo llamado Travolta. Esta no la borro ni de coña. Aquí ya es de noche, pero aún así voy a voler a hacer de Burbujita un rato.

Perdón: ya había colgado la entrada pero tengo que editarla porque me he acordado de una cosa que he leído hoy. Un psiquiatra llamado Fernando Leal Herrero ha dicho que las mujeres que abortan notan una sensación de vacío y que lo más habitual que suelen hacer estas mujeres es, textualmente: “engordar y suplir esa saciedad y así simular el embarazo ‘aliviando’ ese malestar”. Todo el mundo tiene derecho a hablar, pero ningún médico tiene derecho a ser gilipollas.

Cada año por estas fechas nos invaden los anuncios que, valga la redundancia, nos anuncian que la navidad está a las puertas, y sobre  todo lo notamos porque nos bombardean con anuncios de perfumes. Este año la crisis también ha afectado al mundo del marketing y las empresas este año van a reciclar los anuncios de años anteriores, que por otra parte tampoco pasa nada y si no que se lo digan al del turrón, ese hijo que siempre vuelve por navidad…

El preciado cava catalán, Freixenet, será uno de los que va adoptar dicha medida, y este año repetirán el anuncio de Gema Mengual y sus nadadoras de gimnasia sincronizada para la campaña de navidad. La verdad es que dicho anuncio siempre es un reclamo por parte del púbico, y casi un regalo de navidad, porque al fin de al cabo hacer un anuncio siempre es arte, y por ello siempre intentan que el anuncio cree expectación por saber quién va a protagonizar el anuncio. Así que este año nos tendremos que conformar, que no es poco, con el spot del año pasado, aunque también tenéis la opción de quedaron con la versión de Pablo Motos y los chicos de “El Hormiguero”. ¿Con cuál os quedarias vosotros?…ya lo colgué el año pasado porque me hizo mucha gracia, así que os dejo sólo el enlace para no repetirme.

Ayer vi en el telediario que la marca de cava español FREIXENET ha anunciado que para su anuncio de estas navidades optará por repetir el del año pasado.

El motivo por el que repiten anuncio es que creen que en el periodo de crísis en la que nos encontramos, realizar un nuevo anuncio para este año 2010 sería una muestra de ostentosidad y se quieren solidarizar con todas aquellas familias que en la actualidad, pasan apuros para llegar a fin de mes.

Así que ya sabemos cual será el anuncio Freixenet de 2010 para felicitarnos las fiestas… el mismo del año pasado con el equipo olímpico de natación sincronizada.

Puedes ver el anuncio aquí

Por lo visto como medida anti crisis, Freixenet ha decidido repetir campaña publicitaria para despedir al 2009. La verdad, no me parece mala idea, si pensamos en el ahorro.

Pero, ¿por qué no pensamos en el consumo? El consumo va directamente ligado al empleo, en este caso queda bastante claro, y no, no me refiero a los actores y/o actrices contratados/as, que también, si no al equipo de cámaras, luces, sonido, edición y montaje, etc.

En tiempos de crisis, ¿tenemos que ahorrar o gastar?

Por suerte o por desgracia, vivimos en un sistema capitalista basado en el consumo. Creo que no hay más que decir.

Buenos días, pies izquierdos.

No, la Navidad no ha muerto, pero es lo que parece porque este año no habrá anuncio nuevo de Freixenet. Dicen los de la marca que la crisis aprieta pero no ahoga, así que emitirán el anuncio de arriba, del 2008, tuneado con imágenes nuevas de los triunfos del equipo español de natación sincronizada. Cualquier parecido con aquellos anuncios de una marca de leche será pura coincidencia, espero.

Me hace gracia que acudan a la crisis para explicar algo mucho más sencillo y menos rocambolesco. Ese tipo de campaña publicitaria ya no es rentable, al menos para empresas de ámbito nacional (multinacionales como la Coca Cola lo siguen haciendo). Me voy a poner en plan abuelo Cebolleta y voy a rememorar aquellos tiempos previos a los años 90 en los que sólo teníamos dos cadenas (y la UHF ya era minoritaria entonces). El estreno de un anuncio de estos era un acontecimiento nacional, las celebridades que lo componían eran de órdago para aquella época y después de haber visto el anuncio todo el mundo lo comentaba. Ahora esto ya no pasa ni en broma por la multitud de plataformas televisivas, y menos teniendo en cuenta que gran parte de los reyes del mando son jóvenes que antes que descorchar una botella de champán prefieren consumir alcohol en cantidades industriales con toques menos exclusivos.

¿Por qué la marca no dice nada de todo esto? Por su imagen, claro. Igual les convendría hacer un replanteamiento pero eso son palabras mayores. Sólo digo que eso de las “burbujitas” no me parece el camino adecuado para rejuvenecer la marca. Puestos a repetir, yo habría repetido un anuncio más antiguo. Hay algunos que me siguen gustando. El de Scorsese me parece genial, pero como es demasiado reciente he escogido este otro para que veáis a Miguel Bosé.

I’ve already said (see A paradise in Southern Brazil) that Florianópolis is one of my favorite places in the world, not only because I was born there, but simply because this island is, in fact, a place not to be missed.  If you happen to come to Brazil follow my advice and spend a couple of days visiting Santa Catarina Island (where the city of Florianópolis is located).  I’m quite sure you won’t regret it.

Once in Florianópolis go to the “Mercado”, the city market, situated in the heart of the city.  Take a seat in one of the existing bars, grab a beer and try some of the local specialities.  I personally recommend Box 32, owned by chef Beto Barreiros (we went to highschool together), a place also recommended by internationally recognized French chefs like Claude Troigros and Laurent Suadeau.

External view of the "mercado" (city market) in downtown Florianópolis/Southern Brazil

Inside the city market in Florianópolis/Southern Brazil

The market is rich in seafood, offering a variety of crustaceans, molluscs and fish.

Blue crabs, prawns, fish, mussels....The price? R$ 11.00 = US$ 6.00 (price per 1.0 kg = 2.2 pounds)

This time my eyes were caught by the fresh live oysters, which were costing only R$ 4.00 a dozen (around US$ 2.2).

Live oysters at the city market in Florianópolis/Southern Brazil

For dinner?  Oysters, of course.  Although I also like them raw, as it’s when you can really evaluate the freshness and have a taste of the sea filling your mouth,  my sister-in-law (Manuela) prepared them gratiné with some very mild cream cheese sprinkled with a generous amount of parmesan. Each oyster was followed by a drink of a cold sparkling wine (we had the Spanish cava Freixenet).  The perfect end for a perfect day in my hometown (or a perfect beginning, for this was only the first dinner of a long weekend).

Ready for the oven, with some cream cheese and parmesan

On a hot summers day, this is a great thirst quencher, so refreshing and light.

The thirst quenching trio

Cobra Commander and I brought this limoncello back from our honeymoon in Venice, it’s about time we opened it. I used cheap champagne here, you could use prosecco in it’s place for a little extra sweetness,

There's a lemon in my ice cube

and then the cocktail will use only  Italian drinks.

I like to add one ice cube, just to keep it chilled, I bought these trays that you

can make ice cubes around slices of lemon and lime a while ago, and they’re my favourite.

I measure the limoncello in fingers,

Three fingers of tongue tingling tart limoncello

It’s not that much really, they were made in a champagne flute.

Pop the pips

The sound of heaven

Fill to half full

You can alter the sweetness of this cocktail by adding more or less of the Raspberrytini.

I filled the glass with equal parts of the two mixers.

Look at those bubbles, and the pretty pink hue

The occurrence Enotourism emerged as a niche alternative before it became an almost indispensable option for wineries that eventually started to exploit their given patrimony and offer it to a remarkably interested public. Last year 1.8 million people visited Spanish bodegas which are nowadays offering wine culture in the most vivid and vibrant way. One can find an extensive tender that suggests much more than a plain bodega visit; bodega cycling tours, helicopter vineyard flights, viewings on horseback, festivals, concerts, only to name a few. Wineries are opening their gates for the new wine consumer who, grew up or not with Falcon Crest, is becoming more and more interested in wine culture and its surroundings.

Big wineries like Torres, Freixenet and Codorniu have opened their bodegas to the public long ago however smaller wineries with less marketing budget and less commercial expertise could not alike take advantage of the new tendency. There is potential and there is a breathtaking scenery and most important there is demand to see, visit and experience these incredible locations. Luckily there is people for everything, thus some like to see bigger industrial premises while others prefer familiar, rural installations. Some enjoy commercial places while others prefer unexploited insider settings. Right now there is almost as much choice as there are interested people.

Every winery is different; unique in its own way, diverse in its wines, distinctive in its people and colourful in its own individual story. And that is what makes it so interesting; the people behind the Xarel.lo etc. vineyard, the winemaker behind his coupage, the history of a family who has been making wine since …, the masia that has been home to generations of winemakers and the little stories around the vineyards. There are approximately 5000 bodegas in Spain that means 5000 different stories for it would be a big mistake to throw all Catalan or all Rioja wineries into one pot affirming that they are all more or less alike. No, as pointed out before every single winery is one of a kind and has its own interesting story!

Last Monday we received our first group of US American visitors through tour agent Spanish Trails. We have already been working with tour agents and receiving groups from time to time however this time we did it different. More ‘loose’, not slack but free, movable not tied up but relaxed. The result was a 6 hours wine and cava gathering; we shared our anecdotes and our little stories, to make a long story short: WE HAD FUN

Lorimar, Cristina, Jonathan, Danny and Brandon, tasting Arrels Brut Nature

group cheers with their hosts Barbara & Xavier

Jonathan & Danny – serious about Dalí

Danny doing breakdance on a wine barrel

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La Huerta del Obispo (Palacio Arzobispal) de Alcalá de Henares vivió anoche el último de los conciertos gratuitos programados en las Ferias y Fiestas 2009. A las 23:00 horas dio comienzo esta última actuación, que corrió a cargo de los Mojinos Escozíos (recoge el relevo de David Bustamante, Russian Red y las Noches del Pop), que ofrecieron un gran espectáculo musical a los asistentes como ellos están acostumbrados a hacer: creando un gran feeling con los espectadores a base del sentido del humor de su cantante, El Sevilla.

Durante todo el concierto, entre canción y canción, El Sevilla hizo gala de su arte para conseguir un clima de buen rollo de todo el público que asistió al concierto gratuito. Alusiones a la homosexualidad de los miembros del grupo El canto del loco (como dijo El Sevilla, los Mojinos Escozíos tienen tal pinta de mariquitas que continuamente les confunden con El canto del loco), alusiones a Miguel Bosé, las bromas entre los miembros de Mojinos… todo ello hizo vibrar a los asistentes, que corearon los nombres del guitarrista Chicho, de El zippy, de El Puto, de Vidalito… y de esta manera todos los miembros de Mojinos, como no podía ser de otra manera, fueron los protagonistas de los monólogos que El Sevilla intercala entre canción y canción.

Entre las canciones que interpretaron ayer por la noche están Musho Gay, Queremos ser las burbujitas del anuncio de Freixenet, Al carajo, Qué bueno que estoy, Semos las niñas del colegio de la Salle, Ladillas, La mamá de Jose… canciones viejas y canciones nuevas (el público gritaba que prefería las canciones viejas a las nuevas, y democráticamente El Sevilla hizo caso a la mayoría del público y cantaron las viejas, sin olvidar algunas de las nuevas -como La mamá de Jose-. Porque en el concierto de Mojinos quedó demostrado que este grupo sabe cómo tratar al público, interactuando con él en la mayor medida de lo posible; y siempre lo consiguen.

El rock and roll de Mojinos Escozíos, con sus letras tan peculiares (El Sevilla no se cansó de comentar lo bonitas que son las canciones de Mojinos, además de pedirle al técnico de luz Ramón que encendiera la luz, momento en que el público gritaba), brilló durante el concierto. El público cantaba los temas con más fuerza e ímpetu que en conciertos anteriores en la Huerta del Obispo, a modo de coro, y durante unas dos horas y media los asistentes dejaron claro que no tenían prisa por irse del concierto. Esta situación provoca que la hora del inicio de un concierto sea más fácil de saber que la hora del final. Pero todo concierto debe llegar a su fin.

Con la música de Status Quo (Whatever you want), los Mojinos pusieron punto y final a la actuación. Una buena actuación que no defraudó a los asistentes. Con un final poco parecido al del concierto de David Bustamante, en el que las luces se apagaron tras una corta despedida y no dio pie a que el público le pidiera una última canción.

The Wine Academy of Spain, an educational organization run by Pancho Campo (Spain’s first Master of Wine) stopped in San Francisco last week as part of a US tour currently wrapping up in Washington DC.
I joined a group of Spanish wine enthusiasts for the three day seminar that covered all of Spain’s regions, grapes and winemaking styles. I got to brush up on my Spanish wine knowledge and tried many new wines as well as some familiar favorites.
Esteban Cabezas and his crew did a fabulous job of squeezing a ton of information into a short space of time. I gleaned all sorts of tidbits of information that I will be sharing with you in the days and weeks to come.
My thanks and appreciation go out to The Wine Academy of Spain and to Catavino for sponsoring my attendance to the seminar (I won the scholarship for my why-I-love-Spanish-wine blog entry). Hopefully I passed the exam and in a few weeks will have a handsome Spanish Wine Educator certificate to hang on the wall.
I retried a few wines at the Wine Academy of Spain course that are making a repeat appearance here as a result of a good showing at the seminar. Check out this week’s wine notes for the Aria Brut Cava, Gramona Imperial Cava and the red Fra Guerau Monsant. They are now back in stock and drinking beautifully.

Espelt Vailet 2007 After my recent trip to the Empordá region of Spain (up along the French border on the Mediterranean side) I have been eagerly buying all the wine from this little known, rocky, sparsely populated corner of the globe. A few weeks back we featured the red from Espelt as well as the rosado. The white wine from Espelt has just come back in stock and I recommend it this week as a new option for those seeking bright, fresh white wines with distinctive character. The blend is 60% Garnacha Blanca and 40% Macabeo (Viura for you white Rioja fans). Crisp minerality is supplemented here with a bit of green herb and citrus character. $12.99
Aria Brut This Cava has been a well loved favorite and is finally back in stock here in Berkeley. This frothy blend of the three traditional Cava grapes (Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada)presents a fresh, balanced side of Cava with a bit of green apple fruit adding counterpoint to the mineral foundation. $10.99
Gramona Imperial 2004 For those who appreciate the complexity of long aged Cava, this vintage sparkler is always a welcome sight. 3-4 year of cellar age gives this wine a very Champagne-like character. Adding 10% Chardonnay to the blend of 50% Xarel-lo and 40% Macabeo adds to the similarity with French bubbly. Yeasty brioche aroma, an elegant mineral backnote and a bit of brandied fruit on the finish. $31.99
Fra Guerau 2003 This was one of the first wines that caught my attention back when I started with The Spanish Table. I recently retasted Fra Guerau and was reminded of the pure pleasure that comes from this blend of numerous grapes (Syrah, Garnacha, Cariñena, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Monastrell) from the Montsant region. Dark garnet color, sweet berry fruit character and well integrated barrel character (thanks to several years of bottle age) make this an easy wine to pair with all kinds of food. $13.99
Zaumau Priorat 2008 Carlos Escolar make miniscule quantities of wine in DOC Priorat. Old vine Garnacha and Samsó (the local name for Cariñena) are blended here in an unoaked red that expresses the rocky terruño of the region in a pure, darkly colored, ripely fruited style. Foregoing the barrel ageing regimen brings the price down significantly for this wine from a region not known for bargains. $17.99
Viña Lanciano Reserva 2001 Nothing says ‘Spain’ quite like a slowly matured Tempranillo from Rioja. This wine,from the superlative 2001 vintage, is composed of the best estate grown fruit from Bodegas LAN. Two years in the barrel followed by 5 years resting in the bottle in the cellar have created an elegant, traditional wine that blends tannic oak with tart cherry fruit character. Aromas of fresh earth, cured meat and wood smoke add depth and nuance to this excellent example of old school Rioja. $28.99

Last Sunday the San Francisco Chronicle ran a feature on the Spanish wine & food walking tour that I do called TapasWalk. Using my tour as an example, Janet Fletcher wrote a detailed piece on the burgeoning tapas scene now happening in downtown San Francisco. “In this new little world straddling North Beach, the Financial District and Russian Hill,” Fletcher wrote, “a Bay Area tapas enthusiast with good walking shoes can do the sort of bar hopping that many Spaniards enjoy nightly.” She included a lexicon of useful terminology for those less familar with Spanish cuisine as well as a few recipes for traditional tapas that you can make at home (with a few ingredients from The Spanish Table, of course). If you missed it in the paper last week you can still read the article online here.

Txakolí Wisdom

In tandem with last week’s San Francisco Chronicle article by Janet Fletcher about the downtown tapas scene, Jon Bonné put together a detailed and up-to-date summary of the current state of Basque Txakolí wine. If you have yet to experience the distinct joy of Txakolí, this article tells you all you need to know to get started. We carry all the Txakolí wines and (just between you and me) we even have some of the elusive Txakolí rosado still in stock.

If you have visited San Sebastian in Spain’s Basque Country you probably noticed how the local bartenders pour the Txakolí wine with an outstretched arm from high overhead. Now our good friends from Vinos Unico have made an instructional video that shows just how to pour Txakolí like a pro. Check them out here:

A great place for a day trip down the coast from Barcelona is our beloved cava country. One of the world’s greatest sparkling wines, more cava is exported from Catalunya than champagne from France.

The word cava is the Catalan for cave, or an underground wine celler. Around here cava flows like water.

It’s not just for super-special occasions although nothing is really special without it. So any time of the day or night just chill it up any time of the day or night and pop that cork.

A relaxing 40-minute train ride from Plaza Catalunya takes you right to the belly of the sparkling wine beast: Sant Sadurni D’Anoia. This town oozes sparkling wine through its pours; even the metal auto barriers are in the shape of champagne corks.

From the train station you are within walking distance of the Cordoniu and Freixenet, the two cava giants and two of the four biggest sparkling-wine producers in the world. Both have excellent English tours and tastings, but to be safe, reserve ahead.

Let’s start with my personal favourite: the great “bodega” (winery) Codorniu (winery): Designed Puig y Cadalfach, this beautiful art nouveau building has been declared a Monument of National Historical Artistic Merit, no less. A little long-winded perhaps, but it is an obligatory pilgrimage for students of architecture as well as lovers of wine.

Everything at Cordoniu is done with artistic flair: their turn-of-the-century advertising posters are classics of the belle epoch. Cordoniu was one of the pioneers of “wine tourism” and their tour is an absolute must.

Freixenet is the other of San Sadurni’s giants. As you arrive by train there is, right next to the railway station. This is the center of a great bubbly empire.

In fact Freixenet is the largest sparkling wine maker. You get a feel for its breath-taking size and modern organization in a half-hour trolley tour. And then the tasting is really excellent. You can then contrast the size and power of the giants with any of the many smaller bodegas found throughout the town and be back in Barcelona for a chilled glass of cava before dinner.Throughout harvest time, from September 26 to October 14, there are almost daily special events.

Cava is Spain’s sparkling wine, using méthode champenoise for production. D.O. Cava is unique in Spain because it includes five Spanish regions. All other D.O.s consist of only one region. These include Utiel-Requena, Aragón, Ribera del Guadiana, Rioja and Catalunya. However, 85% of Cava comes from Penedés in Catalunya. As the D.O. was established in 1993, Cava was already produced in these other regions creating a unique situation. Officials couldn’t suddenly tell winemakers they couldn’t produce Cava thus the creation of D.O. Cava.

Josep Raventós i Fatjó was the first to produce Cava on a large commercial scale in 1872. With phylloxera destroying vineyards in France, consumers, including the French, turned to Spain for sparkling wine. Cava officially replaced French Champagne at the Spanish Court in 1877. Cava continues to be the largest export for Spain according to the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade.

The five different D.O.s offer a variety of climates and temperatures. However, the area producing the most Cava is Sant Sadurní d’ Anoia in Penedés. This area features Continental weather, with an average temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and Mediterranean, coastal influences. Winters are mild and summers are not excessively warm. The area receives a moderate amount of rain, distributed throughout the year. The soils are generally calcareous or chalky and permeable to water. Recent vintages considered excellent include: 2000 and 2006.

The minimum aging for Cava is 9 months. To be considered a Gran Reserva, it must age at least 30 months. The Spanish like their Cavas dry, with no additional sugar. This traditional style is called Brut Nature, having 0-3 grams/lt. The brut Cavas will always be drier than the bottles labeled dry. From driest to sweetest look for these labels on the bottle: Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry, Semi Dry and Sweet.

Three grapes are known as the Cava grapes, Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel.lo. A typical Cava blend consists of 50% Macabeo, 30% Xarel.lo and 20% Parellada, but winemakers can alter this blend to fit their style. Parellada adds a creamy, soft body and delicate aromas, Macabeo provides crispness and fresh acidity and Xarel.lo adds elegance, body and structure. Chardonnay is also allowed in the Cava blend. Pinot Noir, Trepat, Garnacha or Monastrell can be used to create a Rosé Cava.

We tasted several Cavas in class, but they were all from Penedés. Cava is one of my favorites, however I don’t think I’ve ever tasted one from any of the other regions. I’m very interested to see how they compare. Below are my tasting notes.

Aria Cava (Segura Viudas)
-Brut Nature
-60%Macabeo, 20% Parellada, 20% Xarel.lo
-3 years in second fermentation
-Green fruit aromas, crisp fruits
-Flowery on the palate, fresh, crisp
-Explosion of fruit remains in the palate
-Not very complex
-$11-12

Freixenet
-Cordon Negro Brut
-40% Parellada, 35% Macabeo, 25% Xarel.lo
-9 months on lees
-More effervesce than other Cavas
-Weak nose – not much there
-Very straightforward
-Crisp fruits and acidity – young
-$10-12

Segura Viudas
-Brut Reserva
-50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, 15% Xarel.lo
-2-3 years fermentation
-Floral palate – some sweetness
-Lots of acidity
-$13

Castillo Prelada
-Brut Reserva
-40% Macabeo, 30% Xarel.lo, 30% Parellada
-15 months on lees
-Soft nose with bakery, dough aromas (autolysis)
-Richness on the palate
-$15

Juvé y Camps
-2004 Grand Reserve Brut
-1/3 of each Cava grape
-40 months on the lees
-Funky nose – musty, moldy
-Flat

Gramona
-2004 Brut Nature
-50% Xarel.lo, 40% Macabeo, 10% Chardonnay
-Soft fruit nose – hints of pears
-Doughy, bakery aromas (autolysis)
-Round, balanced 

Garmona
-2001 Grand Reserva
-70% Xarel.lo, 30% Macabeo
-Doughy, warm, toasty nose – best nose
-Still in the mouth
-Doughy, rich, almond, nuttiness, coffee
-This was my favorite

Es una buena temporada para descorchar una botella de champagne: en la playa, en la piscina, en el jardín, en la terraza, con tus amigos, con tu chico/a, con tu familia y preferiblemente en ayunas, como aperitivo; parecen ya lejanas aquellas épocas en que nos “obligaban” a tomar el champagne junto o depués del postre, después de celebraciones (por Navidad, cumpleaños..) pantagruélicas, dónde lo último que te apetecía eran unas burbujas extra para hincharte como un globo.
El champagne, como producto de lujo o semilujo en algunos casos, no suele utilizar el medio televisión para anunciarse, utilizando fundamentalmente campañas gráficas en medios afines con su target, o acciones de RRPP.
Sí en cambio lo utilizan los cavas españoles, donde marcas como Freixenet o Codorníu tienen tradición de realizar campañas televisivas que llegaban a ser esperadas por el público, para ver al famoso de turno protagonizando el spot: así Pierce Brosnan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kim Basinger, han sido algunos de los elegidos.
Hace dos navidades, en un giro a su estrategia comercial, Freixenet realizó una joya para Internet, Key to Reserva, dirigida por Martin Scorsese, que obtuvo diversos premios en festivales publicitarios.

Una pregunta: ¿por qué los cavas no se anuncian en verano? Os animo a opinar al respecto..
pummmmmmm

A brilliant red tile roof draws your attention to the Gloria Ferrer winery, a blend of Spanish style with California Mission design that sits on a gently sloping golden hillside about seven miles south of Sonoma.

A terrace  overlooking the vineyards provides one of the most memorable vistas in the county.

The soul of the place follows the blending theme, as this  winery’s famous sparkling wines are almost always a combination of different grapes, whose total impact is greater than the sum of its parts.

Gloria Ferrer Winery

Four flags — Spanish, Catalan, California and U.S. — are flown outside Gloria Ferrer every day, giving visitors a hint of the combinations to come as they walk from the parking lot at the rear of the building, climb the steps, cross the wide portico and enter the  tasting room.

The winery combines Spanish hospitality with sophisticated viticulture to produce  a lineup of  sparklers and notable still wines. It’s open daily for tastings.

Visitors this Saturday and Sunday (July 18-19) can help celebrate the winery’s 19th annual  Catalan Festival, highlighting the cuisine and culture of the northeastern region of Spain that is home to Barcelona and the Ferrer family. The festival features authentic music and dancers (flamenco) along with food from regional Spanish restaurants (Sabor of Spain from San Rafael and B-44 Catalan Bistro in San Francisco). Tickets are $45.

Catalan Festival Dancer

On a sun-drenched morning visit, I was guided through a tasting of sparkling and still wines by Cindy Friedman, director of consumer marketing. The quality, across-the-board, was first rate.

Royal Cuvee

When it comes to Champagne-style wine, I really enjoy the creaminess factor. That’s one major selling point for the 2002 Royal Cuvee, a very dry yet creamy  blend of 65 percent pinot noir and 35 percent chardonnay.

This $35 wine spent five and a half years on the yeast before bottling and the benefit of that extended aging produced a fine string of tiny bubbles and a round palate based on apple and baking spice.

My second favorite was the newly released Va de Vi, which means “It’s about the wine!” in Spanish. This $22 bottle is delicious, thanks in part to an unusual addition (dosage) of fruity muscat. It’s less creamy than the Royal Cuvee and its flavors tend more to the peachy part of the fruit spectrum, but the combination is a winner.

Coming in a close third was the 2005 Brut Rose. It’s nearly all pinot (with four percent chardonnay) and the red grape skins are left in the mix after pressing for a brief period of time, giving the wine a lovely pinkish tint. There is not much Brut Rose available outside the winery, but it does pop up from time to time on some restaurant wine lists.

The most complex sparkler was the $50 Carneros Cuvee. The current release, from the 1998 vintage, showcases maturity and a complex interplay of tastes and texture. Tiny bubbles rippled through the pale wine, which smells faintly of lemons. It tastes of citrus (meyer lemon?) and there’s a layer of toastiness that’s interesting . Oh, and that creamy edge doesn’t hurt the taste one bit!

Carneros Cuvee

On the still wine front, I tried three different pinot noirs, starting with the 2006 Carneros ($28). It has a delightful cherry nose, red fruit flavors and a wisp of smokiness that pushed my button in a good way.

Production of the next two wines is in the hundreds of cases, but they are worth seeking out from the winery, at a restaurant or at some high-end wine shops if you are California pinot lover.

I enjoyed the 2005 Jose S. Ferrer, a $35 reserve wine named after the winery founder, for its vibrant cherry flavors and complex nose that hinted of wood, spice and plums and seemingly went on forever — even after the glass was emptied.

The final wine of the tasting was the Rust Rock Terrace ($50). This single vineyard wine  reminded me more of a restrained red Burgundy with its almost silky, elegant texture.

Gloria Ferrer is part of the Freixenet wine group’s holdings, which includes wineries on four continents — Europe, North and South America and Australia.

Check out this great video on Gloria Ferrer Vineyards shot by KTVU videojournalist Evan Borders!

Y no, no me refiero a cerdos (pigs).

No voy a pegar otro pedazo de tocho de texto como en la entrada anterior xD esta vez os mostraré unas imágenes de Freixenet con el vestidito de Solsticio que por cierto, ya es una Vigilate de las llamas.

Ale, a disfrutarlo tanto como yo <3