Winemaker Emilio Rodriguez of Terras Gauda in Rias Baixas

High expression, or “alta expresion” is a termed used in Rioja for new wave red Rioja, but in the northwest of Spain, winemaker Emilio Rodriguez of Bodegas Terras Gauda seeks ultimate expression of the heirloom whites of Rias Baixas and reds of Bierzo. Combine his wines with the tapas of Gerald Hirigoyen’s Bocadillos Restaurant, and one experiences the authentic flavors of Spain the way they are meant to be.
Rias Baixas is the only exclusively white wine appellation in Spain located in the northwest region …

My favorite time to travel to wine regions is the spring; its not too hot, not too cold, and not too frenetic such as around harvest.  Airfares and hotels are reasonable and winemakers have time to meet with you.  There are other interesting things that go on around springtime.
The first time my friend and I visited Rioja in the spring, my friend looked up and asked what those gigantic birds were on the roofs of the buildings.  Being a New Yorker, I glanced up and with the gravest certainty and without …

You may not realize it yet, but you love this wine!  The U.S. is the #1 export market, by a wide margin, for the wine region Rias Baixas which is located in the far northwest of Spain by the ocean.  Rias Baixas means the “lower estuaries” because it is marked by inlets of water that extend miles from the Atlantic.  Rias Baixas is the only exclusively white wine Denominacion de Origen (regulated quality appelation) in Spain and is dominated by the white grape Albarino.  Albarino grapes produce light-bodied, crisp and faintly …

One could spend days in Jerez being amazed by the infinite pairings of dry sherry with food, if mostly to satisfy a curiosity of pairing a low to medium acid, non-fruity, fortified wine with seafood.
My revelatory meal was at the Restaurant “El Marques” in Jerez where we had an all-sherry pairing dinner.  Our starter was a plate filled with carpaccio of cod topped with an olive and lime vinaigrette, a crepe filled with smoked salmon, guacamole, cray fish and baby onions, and thin slices of king prawn dressed simply with local extra-virgin olive oil and Jerez vinegar …

Barnyard rooster with chocolate scent

Ribera del Duero is about 70 miles wide along the banks of the Duero River, with the large city of Vallodolid to the west and Burgos to the east.  Valladolid is one of the biggest cities in Spain, and an industrial one at that with many highways converging onto it and therefore may not be the best choice to stay while visiting bodegas.   Once out of the city, the wine region is a very bucolic and beautiful area with most bodegas within easy access from the central highway of N122.  …

From the eastern part of Rioja to the heart of Ribera del Duero, it is only 125 miles or an easy 2 1/2 hour drive, which makes it a compelling visit to compare the different styles of tempranillo wines.  While relatively close, Ribera del Duero is on the “meseta” or plateau of central Spain and at higher elevations of 2,500 feet above sea level, providing a strong continental climate.   Everytime I think of visits to Ribera del Duero, I am reminded of the blinding luminosity and unpredictable thunderstorms characteristic of continental climates.  …

One of the many reasons why I love Spanish food is that it suits my lifestyle and diet, which includes small plates (tapas) and Mediterranean cuisine.  I also love it for its simplicity, for example, the grilled baby lamb chops (chuletillas).  These are typically served grilled with just a sprinkle of salt, no more, a long rib with just a nugget of juicy lamb and fat at the tip.
If you live for tapas, the best neighborhood for tapas bars and restaurants is in the capitol of Logrono, about 30 miles East of Haro …

Rioja, like the rest of Spain, is a contrast between the traditional and the cutting-edge.  It is reflected in the historic bodegas of Haro to the modern architectural wonders along the Ruta del Vino.   The greatest contrast remains in the wines, with traditional, long-aged blends of Lopez de Heredia, Faustino and Marques de Murrieta to the fruit-driven, often single-varietal “alta expressions” or “high expression” wines of Seniorio de San Vicente,  Valpiedra and Finca Allende.  It makes a visit to Rioja a great adventure in wine discovery.
There are really two Rioja’s:  the wine region (“Rioja”) and the …

I think if we called it pulpos  more people would be encouraged to read on.  Pulpos is prepared in many different ways in Rias Baixas, all with the objective of keeping it tender to eat.  Some barely poach it, others stew it for an hour.   Being of Japanese heritage, I was raised eating octopus raw, so I was delighted to eat it in as many ways as our various hosts could prepare it.   At the Adega d’Altamira, their technique is to dip the live octopus in boiling water nine times – not eight …

This photo recalls a dreamy evening in Seville on a warm October night.  We flew in late, around midnight, from the cool region of Santiago de Compostela in the northwest of Spain, to a vibrant night scene just getting started.  It was almost startling to see, at this time of night, people of all ages walking around in the park, reading on a bench, and to see families with small children dining next to us outdoors.  Our local friend informed us that due to the density of the city and …