Category Archives: Food Recipes

Vega Sicilia Tinto ‘Valbuena’ 5°. A Complex and Super Fine Wine!

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Vega Sicilia is without any doubt the best and most refined wine made in Spain. In 1864, Eloy Lecanda founded the winery that symbolizes the golden legend of Spanish red wine. Throughout its long history, it has belonged to different owners, although it has always maintained an unquestionable personality, making concentrated, mature, generous and extremely elegant.

This spectacular wine typically made from is one of the best examples of what great wines are supposed to taste, smell and look like. Vega Sicilia only makes three different wines under the Vega Sicilia winery brand: ‘Valbuena 5°’, ‘Reserva Especial‘ (with no vintage as this is a blend of different vintages) and ‘Único’. Vega Sicilia also owns Pintia, Alion (often called the poor man’s Vega Sicilia) and Tokaj Oremus which are not sold under the Vega Sicilia name, however, they happen to also be some of the best wines in the world.

Bodegas Vega Sicilia is located in the town of Valbuena de Duero between Peñafiel and Valladolid in the wine region of Ribera del Duero in Spain. Since 1982, the company is owned by the Alvaréz family.

What makes this wine so unique and excellent?

The aging of the wine begins in January; first in containers and then in new American Oak wooden casks. For the ‘Valbuena 5°’, the duration of the aging process in wood is three and a half years, and for the ‘Único’, a minimum of seven years. During this time, the wine is rotated form new casks to casks that are more and more used. With a view to achieving a perfect balance between the wine and the wood. Once this has been achieved, the wines finally rest in large wooden vats, which prepares them for later bottling. The aging in the bottle requires time and care. The wines of Vega Sicilia end their journey with a calm rest in the bottle in specially acclimatised installations. The time they remain there depends on the format of the bottle: Vega Sicilia ‘Único’ in Bordeaux format (0.75 litres) takes three years or more to age. For the ‘Valbuena 5°’, the period for aging in the bottle is around a year and a half. A system that takes us back in time. There is no hurry in Vega Sicilia. Considering the time that it takes for a certain vintage to make it to the stores you are guaranteed a wine with certain level of maturity and perfection when ready to be drank.

Retail Price Range in the U.S.: $180-$230 and be prepared to look for it as hard as you can. It is so hard to find because of its limited production and because only 100 stores in the U.S. carry it.

The wine is characteristically deep ruby red in color with a very full body and a great oaky cherry aroma and an amazing complexity that you get as you are pouring it out of the bottle. The complex notes on this wine include: oak, tobacco and coffee accompanied by a very long lasting taste. What Vega Sicilia would refer to as a ‘pedigree wine’. Once you take a sip, your mouth is so overwhelmed that as the wine starts going down your throat it almost feels like it is magically disappearing without giving you any alcohol sensation or bite.

This wine is a great pairing for complex flat breads with Délice de Bourgogne, Manchego cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly sliced ‘jabugo’ Pata Negra, Mangalica Ham or Aldo Adige Speck.

On a rating scale from 1 to 10 we give Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5 a perfect 10. This wine is so amazing. Drinking a Vega Sicilia is a lifetime experience and one of the most amazing ways of pampering your senses.

‘Joselito’ The Best ‘Pata Negra Iberico’ Ham in the World!!!

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Once you have filled your winebota with a beautiful Spanish wine, you need to indulge yourself with some ‘Ibérico Pata Negra’ (Black Hoof Iberian) ham that can only come from those pigs that are acorn fed and with a black hoof. Without a doubt the best ‘jamón’ (ham) maker in Spain is ‘Joselito’, a company based in ‘Guijuelo’, south of Salamanca and west of Madrid. To give you a better idea, chefs like Ferran Adrià, Joël Robuchon, Juan Mari Arzak and  Andoni Luis Aduriz serve ‘Joselito’ ham in their restaurants. “The quality is unbeatable,” Arzak says. Rafael García Santos, the highly influential Spanish food critic, rates the ‘Joselito Gran Reserva’ at 9.75 out of a possible 10—which in his view makes it the best food product of any kind in the country.

‘Joselito’ has has earned mythic status in Spain. It’s not easy to find – only the most famous restaurants serve it. The company’s annual production is modest – hams are often reserved (and paid for) years in advance. ‘Joselito’ is one of the few ham producers that maintains its own extensive R&D program, and one of two that refuses to use any kind of preservatives, ever.

These special reserve ‘paletas de bellota’ (acorn fed pork legs) are firm and consistent. The ham just melts in your mouth. The fine, translucent fat is sparse, but the meat is evenly marbled. The aromas are spectacular and a lifetime experience. Everything else you’ve heard about Joselito ham is true!

The Perfect Tapas Night!

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No tapas night is complete without your favorite winebota filled with a delicious wine by your side. In our humble opinion, a perfect tapas night should start with a decent bottle of wine from Spain. Whether you like Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Bierzo, Penedes or any other wine region from Spain, you need to get a bottle of wine that it’s at least $13.00 Seriously, you can’t get a decent bottle of good wine for under $13.00

In this case we recommend a mid-price ‘Ribera del Duero’ called Mogar Vendimia Seleccionada 2006 by Bodegas Pagos de Mogar located in Valladolid, Spain. The color is bright ruby red. Fresh and complex notes on the nose. Excellent harmony that includes coffee, oak and berries aromas. On the palate, powerful and sophisticated. This wine pairs nicely with all types of cold cuts and cheeses. On a scale from 0-10 we give this wine an 8.6 Retail Price Range in the U.S.: $18-22 Overall is a good everyday wine.

Now, when it comes to food, you need good quality cold cuts straight from Spain. Some reputable makers are ‘Campofrío’, ‘Redondo Iglesias’, ‘Sanchéz Romero’, ‘Cinco Jotas’ or ‘Fermín’. Your tapas selection should include: ‘Jamón Serrano’, ‘Lomo Embuchado’ and ‘Chorizo Cantimpalo’.

 

When it comes to cheeses you can’t go wrong with a 3-6 month aged ‘Manchego’ or an ‘Idiazabal’ or a ‘Cabrales’. Additionally make sure you accompany everything with some good warm bread, olives in ‘aliño’, ‘Marcona’ almonds and ‘Piquillo’ peppers.

 

‘Pulpo a la Gallega’ Octopus Galician Style

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‘Pulpo a la Gallega’ is one of the most iconic and traditional dishes from Spain. In our opinion it is also one of the most delicious dishes that can be shared with friends during a nice ‘Tapas’ night.

This delicious dish is great when paired with a good Albariño such as ‘Laxas’.

We recommend chilling the wine first and then pouring it into your winebota so that you can enjoy it properly chilled. After pouring it in the winebota the wine should remain cold for at least a good thirty minutes or so depending on the weather conditions.

Galicia where ‘Pulpo a la Gallega’ is from is a large province located in the northwestern side of Spain. The best octopus in the world comes from ‘Galicia’. One of the main reasons why the octopus in this side of the world is so good it’s because of the temperature of the waters and the strength of the tide in this sea. The sea around Galicia and its fishing towns is often is often called ‘Costa da Morte’ (the coast of death) because of its high waves and violent tide.

 

 

 

In order to recreate this traditional dish from Spain all you need is a freshly unseasoned boiled or grilled octopus that should be sliced in pieces about half an inch thick or thinner (if you prefer it that way).

After you have cut the octopus proceed to put it on a plate, drizzle it with high quality Spanish olive oil, sprinkle sea salt on it and add a copious amount of ‘Pimentón de la Vera’ (Spanish Sweet Smoked Paprika from the region of ‘Cáceres’). Then sit down, relax, take a ‘chisguetazo’ from your winebota and enjoy!!!