LIVE24SEVEN // Wining & Dining
Patricia Terry VINOS DE MADRID
I am going to jump right in this month and declare that I shall be discussing all things Spanish…in fact I will even narrow it down for you and say that mostly this month I shall be extolling the many, many virtues of Madrid, Spain’s capital – wine, food, venues, the people and not least, how ridiculously easy it is to hop over for a weekend break.
Monarch Airlines are now flying into Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suarez Airport direct from Birmingham and I was able to secure a seat on the inaugural flight. Having taken hand luggage only, I was able to fly through arrivals, hop into a car and make my way to Hotel One Shot Recoletos, a superb boutique hotel, very central and foot friendly to pretty much everywhere. Having flung my luggage onto and looked longingly at my very large and very comfy bed, I ventured out for supper armed with helpful directions of where to eat and drink. In the end I called in at Ana La Santa Restaurant in Plaza Santa Ana 14 and whilst devouring far, far too many tapas, considered the wines from and around Madrid to try – Bodega Maranones Pena Caballera Garnacha and the Piesdescalzos Albillo from the same Bodega.
The Vinos de Madrid designation covers three demarcated wine sub-regions, each with distinguishing characteristics. It was given the coveted DO status in 1990 and a Consejo Regulador (wine authority) was established. Although the region is not particularly well known for its viticulture today, winemaking goes back to at least the 8th century. Phylloxera arrived in Madrid’s vineyards in 1914 and following that, vine hardiness was favoured over vine diversity and so ‘bulk’ wines became the mainstay of the region’s wine production. When, in the 1970s, recession impacted on many Spanish regions, this in turn resulted in a huge reduction of domestic consumption and, as it so often can, almost forced wine production in and around Madrid into modernisation and investment, resulting in the production of much higher quality bottled wines, which in turn led to the region’s DO status.
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Having had to leave a trail of breadcrumbs – à la Hansel and Gretel to find my way off the huge bed and to the bathroom, I went downstairs for breakfast bright eyed and bushy tailed (imagine a chubby squirrel), ate a breakfast that could have easily fed three, all freshly prepared and wonderful! It’s a funny thing, but the only time I ever eat breakfast is when I am away (when I positively inhale it). Not sure why I mentioned that, but it seemed important that I should…
I then exited the hotel and walked… and walked…and walked…really, you should do this. The buildings are magnificent, truly magnificent. The locals are very friendly and helpful and, when lunch beckoned, pointed me to Restaurante El Arrozal, quite rightly famous for its paella and I was lucky enough to receive a bit of a masterclass in cooking and presentation from owner Joanna Wivel. I drank sangria here and it was delicious!!!
However, all (my) roads lead back to wine. The three sub-zones of the Madrid DO create a semi-circle around Madrid’s southern suburbs and comprise:
• ARGANDA: By far the largest sub-zone, with more than 50% of Madrid’s vineyards and 60% of its total production. The climate has extreme seasonal variations in temperature. Prominent grape varieties are Tinto Fino (local name for Tempranillo) for reds and Airen and Malvar (for whites).
• SAN MARTIN: The most eastern part of the DO, with 35% of the region’s vineyards and 25% of its wine. San Martin gets more rainfall than the other zones and
dark skinned Garnacha grapes seem to thrive in this climate and on the mostly weathered rock soil. Albillo produces the top white wines here.
• NAVALCARNERO:This is the middle section of the DO and produces 15% of its wine. The soil here is clay-based and is low in nutrients and lime. Garnacha is the main red grape and Malvar produces the best whites.
A number of other grape varieties are also permitted in every sub-zone, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah for reds and Moscatel, Parellada, Viura and Torrontés for whites. Slowly, but surely, the region is leaving behind its image as a bulk-wine producer and gaining its reputation for good quality, excellent value wine.
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