Various individuals from the wine and hospitality sectors including Ferran Centelles of El Bulli and Josep Roca of El Celler de Can Roca will give talks on “wine production and enjoyment as part of the culinary experience” at the international culinary congress, San Sebastián Gastronomika 2011 – Euskadi Saboréala commencing Monday, 21 November.   The conference, Continue Reading »

Some of the world’s leading chefs and sommeliers, including Ferran Adria and Jose Andres have given their support to a coalition calling for truth in wine labelling.    Adria and Andres have signed an open letter lending their support to protect wine place names.   Others who have given support are The French Laundry’s Thomas Keller and Pontus Elofsson of Noma, Joel Robuichon, Wolfgang Puck and Alain Ducasse.

Spaniard Jose Andres, who has restaurants in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington DC said, ‘We support the Joint Declaration to protect wine place and origin because place names are central to understanding the foods and wines we work with every day’.

The United States has agreed, in a deal signed last year between US and Europe, to prevent new wine producers from using the names ‘port’ and other semi-generic names such as Sherry and Burgundy. However, the agreement has a ‘special clause’ that allows producers in the market before March 2006 to continue the practice in some cases.

The Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin, a coalition first formed in 2005, has the support of 15 wine regions including Champagne, Jerez, Porto and Napa and
according to the Napa Valley Vintners Association, producers from countries as wide ranging as Germany and China have put ‘Napa’ or similarly misleading labels on their wines.

The coalition hopes that, with the support of chefs and  food and wine experts this will persuade lawmakers to better protect wine place names.

Distinguished American wine writer Robert Parker has become the only wine critic to be awarded Spain’s Gran Cruz al Merito Civil.  In a ceremony on Wednesday, 11 May Continue Reading »

The Bordeaux answer to Bilbao’s Guggenheim was revealed recently, we feel it could look like a thumb or a decanter or even wine swirling in a glass – what do you think?

Plans for this futuristic Wine Centre, which were unveiled in Bordeaux , will be designed by Parisian architects X-Tu, with London company Casson Mann working on the interior.  The two companies, selected from 113 candidates, will start building in early 2013, with a completion date set for 2014.

Philippe Massol Project Director,  said, “We selected the most spectacular building. It reflects the sensual side of wine, and is in harmony with the river which it will be built alongside”.   He  additionally stated that the building would be ‘environmentally sound’, built out of wood and glass, ‘which themselves are materials used in wine’.

Spanish Gonzalez Byass has doubled production for the re-launch of its Tio Pepe En Rama.  Tio Pepe En Rama – rama means ‘raw’ – is an ultra-fresh and Continue Reading »

Gran Cerdo or Big Pig, is a great wine, dedicated to the Bank Directors who denied a loan, saying that wine is no guaranteed equity.  No doubt these fat, oily and suited people will one day discover that the most important things in life can never be held to ransom.  Continue Reading »

In the last two decades, contemporary architecture has staged a thrilling encounter with the unlikely world of viticulture. Originating in California’s Napa Valley, the earliest of these winery designs were Continue Reading »

Jay Miller, the timid but very likeable “Nose & Mouth” of Parker’s The Wine Advocate is here in Catalonia from 12 – 23 January, 2011 to taste for the first time in situ our wonderful Priorat, Penedes etc., wines, after 25 years of close collaboration with Robert Parker.   He will taste up to 1,300 Catalan wines and cavas and will visit small and large Catalan wineries in the following DO’s:  Penedes, Cava, Catalunya, Priorat, Montsant, Terra Alta and Emporda. Continue Reading »

Capçanes winery in Montsant, is the very first winery in Spain to produce a Kosher wine in the 20th century, although Kosher wine has been in existence since 636 AD in Israel and may have been in Spain prior to Capçanes innovative move to commence making Kosher wine.   If you would like to enjoy a visit to Capçanes Winery, we at GourmandBreaks.com will be very happy to make arrangements for you.

The history of Judaism in Spain dates back to Roman times, while some research even suggests that Continue Reading »

The European Network of Wine Cities (RECEVIN) which is a commingling of wine cities from five different European countries (Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Germany), established in 2009 the celebration of the European Day of Wine Tourism, that will take place every second Sunday of November (this year on the 14^th November) in each partner Continue Reading »