Events

Zambombas!

Leave a comment

zambombas

Every time I visit Jerez, I return home feeling like I need to go back for even longer. My first visit was for 10 days in 2013. Then for 14 days in 2015. Naturally, when I went back for harvest it only seemed logical I stay for the month. However, the more I fall in love with this little town, the more I realize I truly need at least one full year to really capture it all! So many festivals, including Zambombas this time of year!

This season is my jam, man! Perhaps it’s because my birthday lands on the 30th in the middle of all sorts of festivities. The holiday season just makes me giddy! For just a moment, let’s put aside the angst of holiday shopping, horrible traffic (though isn’t that every day?), and some sadness this season can bring to the surface. This time of year brings up so many happy memories of decorating the house, singing Christmas Carols on a professional stage in huge choirs, driving to see the “rich” neighborhoods lit up with Christmas lights, and knowing I’ll be the first to get up Christmas morning, turn on the lights in the quiet and open my stocking as soon as the family comes into the living room. As a child, I always knew mom, I mean Santa, will leave gold chocolate coins, a book of lifesavers and an orange at the end of the toe.

zambomba-de-los-reyes-magos

Both my husband and I enjoy traveling abroad. If it weren’t too complicated with family expectations, unpredictable weather, or the intensity of holiday airport travelers, we would love to go experience Christmas in other cities around the globe. Jason’s never been to Jerez, and I would love go during my favorite season to experience zambombas! Every year when December arrives in Jerez, multiple zambombas are preplanned around the city. For the last three years, I’ve been enviously watching social media posts about all the festivities.

Originating back to the 18th century, zambombas start as early as mid November and last through Christmas Eve. Now, to my untrained ear, a zambomba on its own sounds very much like when I was a child playing with my plastic straw in the lid of my soda at McDonald’s. But this earthen vessel is only played at this time of year to accompany local carols. It’s like a Christmas patio party! It’s all my favorite things in one place – friends, bonfires, food, sherry, bulerías dancing and singing to the rhythm of zambombas.

Anyone can join and participate in this party. You better know when the opportunity comes my way, I will be there and prepared to bust out a bulería or two!

 

Sherry Week in Portland

Leave a comment

recapInternational Sherry Week could not have come at a better time to Portland. The week was so emotional leading up to the presidential election, and after with days of protest demonstrations. Without getting too political, I will say Tuesday and Wednesday were difficult days for me. I’ve never mourned for my country before now. Never before have I woken up feeling fearful of what lies ahead or how government decisions will impact the lives of my loved ones. If anything Tuesday’s results will not allow me to be complacent. In the midst of all this, my community paused to open its doors for healing conversations, good food and great sherry!

I know that my sherry journey has only been since 2013, but I really feel Portland is growing in its sherry interest, especially the cocktail scene. I kicked off my Sherry Week as a guest at the Super Sexy Sherry Party. John House of Ole Imports and Ovum Wines, bartender Angel Teta, and many industry friends piled into the Wine Cave on Monday, November 7 for old school vinyl, even older sherry, and karaoke. The Wine Cave was in an undisclosed location in northeast Portland, and certainly the coolest space for a private party. It was a balance of modern masculinity of wood and concrete with the softening touch of candles, lowly lit Edison bulbs and a cozy nook for those who want to sit and talk away from the crowd. The bar was stocked with amazing tapas. John and Chris Dorman, from Elk Cove, poured the drinks starting with glasses of Cava, then two Manzanillas, Sacristía AB and Orleans, followed by a flight of Osborne’s Amontillado 51-1ª, Sibarita Oloroso and Capuchino Palo Cortado. I truly enjoyed meeting more people in the food and wine scene in Portland. The best part was finishing the night with “Sherry-oke.” Who knew these new friends had amazing voices?! I even belted a little Adele before heading home.

Thursday was a great day to recharge. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Jordan Felix and Kyle Sanders at the Green Room. The two of them have created an amazing space for those waiting to go upstairs to the Multnomah Whiskey Library. Downstairs, their classic prohibition style sherry cocktails prepare the palate for the full menu upstairs, including the 1600 bottles of whiskey. Jordan prepared me Louis Eppinger’s famous Bamboo cocktail while I chatted with Kyle about their sherry interests. Predominantly they’ve chosen sherry from Gonzalez Byass, not only because their staff was so well educated by Christopher Canale-Parola, but also because they’ve found that Tío Pepe Fino encapsulates everything they need; salinity, dryness, floral + green apple notes. They do carry Hidalgo La Gitana Mananilla, and are expanding their library of Lustau sherry. Overall, the cocktails are a mix of classic inspirations as well as house originals. They also enjoy pairing whiskey and sherry side-by-side like Highland Park 12 year Scotch and Oloroso. Another fun tasting I hope to try when I return is the Tomatin Cuatro Series – single malt scotch with sherry inspiration from Fino, Manzanilla, Oloroso and PX butts.

Shortly after my visit at the Green Room, I finally got to check out the newly opened Bar Casa Vale for their sherry pairing dinner. It was an intimate setting with one-on-one sherry education with Front of House Manager Bryon Adams-Harford. Each dish prepared by chef Louis Martinez was perfectly matched to a sherry. First course was tapas of anchovy stuffed Manzanilla soaked olives, Halloumi cheese montadito on a crustini with delicious pear jam, and Moorish spiced pork belly that melted in my mouth. This was all paired with Fernando de Castilla’s Fino Antique. The second course almost was reminiscent of an Italian dish of fried bay shrimp, calamari and fennel along side a brightly dressed octopus salad with cherry tomatoes, olives and capers. Valdespino’s Manzanilla Deliciosa was a great choice for wine.

Third Course was by far my favorite of the night! I barely saved room for it all. I completely devoured the locally sourced braised rabbit, chanterelles and cipollini onions. The Amontillado Antique from Fernando de Castilla was the perfect choice. The other two components also paired well, but for me it was the rabbit that soared above the charred brussels covered in romesco + manchego or the New York Strip with chimichurri. Finally the evening ended with the Crema Catalana. Essentially a lovely crème brûlée paired with Hidalgo’s Faraon Oloroso. This pairing surprised me. The contrasting flavors actually worked well together despite the sweetness of the dessert and the dryness of the sherry. I really cannot wait to go back and try some of the sherry cocktails Daniel Parker-Guidry has created. The Trident, which combines Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado with Krogstad Aquavit, Punt e Mes and bitters, just might be my new Negroni.

Saturday I had the privilege to partner with one of my favorite wine shops Pairings Portland. Jeffrey invited me to share my passion for sherry with his patrons. It was a steady flow of about twenty or so people. Nearly all of them were brand new to sherry and so willing to taste and learn. We selected a great line up with simple pairings to really make the sherry pop! Guests started with Fino en Rama from Equipo Navazos and Marcona almonds, followed by Manzanilla La Cigarerra with olives. I loved how the olives brought out the Manzanilla’s fruity notes with a a bit of a smoky finish. Of course I chose to showcase my favorite Amontillado La Garrocha from Bodegas Grant. Jeffrey sautéed up some yellow trumpet mushrooms to go with the wine. I feel both enhanced the other! The favorite for most customers was El Maestro Sierra’s Oloroso. This was classically paired with slices of manchego cheese. Jumping from dry to sweet, we paired Cesar Florido’s Moscatel Pasas with dried black fig and El Maestro Sierra’s Pedro Ximénez with blue cheese. It really was a fun night and hope to do it again soon!

If I hadn’t had my tasting scheduled at the same time, I wanted to participate in the Sherry Obstacle Course at Bar Vivant! Judging from the Instagram pictures, it was a huge success! Cheryl Wakerhauser said it was really steady without chaos, just how she likes it! Tables were set up around the restaurant with different stages for sherry learning. Even a venencia challenge was set up outside on the patio! The real challenge of course was choosing the perfect pairing from the buffet in the kitchen. Guests had fun AND learned about sherry, so mission accomplished!

What better way to end sherry week than with the people who started it off with me! I joined my friends at Ataula for a paired brunch with Gonzalez Byass sherry. It was no surprise that the place was packed! It’s always a pleasure to learn about sherry from Christopher Canale-Parola when he is in Portland. Once again, Chef José Chesa created amazing dishes to go alongside these delicious wines.

We were greeted with Angel Teta’s Welcome Punch (Gonzalez Byass Amontillado AB, Pampero Anniversario anejo, Grapefruit cordial, lime and Angostura). Since we were mostly seated in a family style, it was a nice way to end an emotional week eating and drinking with people from the community. First course was a lovely Sunday Salad of organic greens with a glass of Tío Pepe. Next was Spanish Tortilla with chorizo and a very large pour of Leonor Palo Cortado. The final dish was the fan favorite Sunday Brunch Paella of rice, chicken, jamon de bellota, bacon, and eggs on top. This was paired with Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Oloroso. To my shock, I was given seconds of that sherry without even asking. I happily accepted. Like all good brunches, we ended with something sweet with a little coffee. I love Chesa’s Xuixo de Crema. They’re so light and flaky and the cream isn’t heavy or too rich. Angel made a delicious Coffee Action using Gonzalez Byass Nectar PX, sous vide infused with cocoa nibs and espresso beans, strong brew coffee, Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Bitter Cube Corazon bitters, Banana brown sugar 2:1 and Matusalem 30 year Oloroso whip. I wish I could have that to start every day!

I am proud of my city and community. I love seeing it rally together. I love that Portland embraces culture and the sherry revolution! I wasn’t able to make it to every event listed for my city during International Sherry Week, but I’m making note of where to visit next!

ataula-natalia

Sherry Sips + Bits

1 Comment

sherryweek

It’s International Sherry Week and it could not have come at a more perfect time! With all of the emotions I’ve been processing from the political climate in the US, I’ve needed these days to celebrate something I love.

This year, I am excited to co-host of one of many sherry-focused events in Portland, Oregon! As a recent Certified Sherry Educator, I’m so excited to guide guests through the styles and story of each sherry. Saturday November 12th, I will be at Pairings Portland Wine Shop from 3-6pm. Come taste 6 sherries with 6 pairings that POP!

Sherry may be a bit intense for someone tasting it for the first time. Sherry Sips & Bits will be a simple display of “POP—The Power of Pairings”. The bits purpose is to alter your experience of the beverage you’ve just tasted. Sometimes POP can be for the worse or it doesn’t change the experience at all. Most often POP is an interesting change that will both enhance the sherry and the food. This experience may not make you a sherry lover overnight. The key is to come try something new and have FUN!

WHEN: Saturday November 12 between 3-6pm. Come when you can.

WHERE: Pairings Portland Wine Shop – 455 NE 24TH AVE. PORTLAND, OR 97232

COST: $20

Can’t make it to my event? No problem! You might see me at one of the many happenings around Portland! Be sure to try and go to at least one of them before the end of the week!

sherry-flight

Sherry Tasting + Social Anxiety

Leave a comment

dcec-map

I am really proud of all that is done in the effort of introducing sherry to others around the globe; Copa de Jerez, Sherryfest, International Sherry Week to name a few. Unfortunately, I’m not always able to attend any of them. Mostly it comes down to the affordability of flights, rental car, lodging, and food, in addition to just attending an event.

I’ll also be the first to admit that even despite logistics and excuses, I’m extremely intimidated. Despite what you may have seen in pictures, I’ve never enjoyed large crowds. Throw in extra volume levels of music and screaming conversations and it’s sensory overload for me! The other part that makes me nervous is feeling like I’m so new to the sherry and wine scene, that I wouldn’t know the “rules” for attending a grand tasting event. How could this wallflower even hope to fit in? I’m so much better at one-on-one conversation in a quiet corner.

The main purpose for my recent visit to Jerez was to experience harvest and the harvest festival. Part of the festival included De Copa En Copa, a three-day public tasting event at the Claustros de Santa Domingo where several bodegas could show off their sherry. For me, the three days of De Copa En Copa were mostly about networking, as well as tasting amazing new-to-me sherry that’s not yet available in the US, all in one location.

I was actually surprised by how many remembered me, kissed their hellos and then introduced me to other sherry connections. I finally met Margarita from No Solo Jerez who introduced me to José Caireles who’s making an amazing Manzanilla at Bodegas Los Caireles. I ran into Juan Mateos Arizón from Lustau who introduced me to Carla Terry from Osborne. Edmundo (hijo) from Bodegas Grant introduced me to Alberto and Gabriel from Bodegas Yuste as a future sherry author. Food for thought – Sherry Sip Memoirs.

The best part of course while conversing were the extra sample pours my tickets didn’t pay for. I really do hope to find products from Yuste in Portland. Originally, I fell in love with their labels and hoped to connect with them in Sanlúcar. Their Manzanillas are amazing and very refreshing on a hot day! I highly recommend La Kika!

I also got to try the Vermouth, or Vermut, from Gonzalez Byass, Fernando de Castilla and Lustau, each one uniquely different. My favorite on its own was the one from Lustau because there wasn’t a strong bitter note on the finish. The trend is growing, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see other bodegas join the competition. I could really see them doing quite well in the US cocktail scene!

for-all-generationsWhat I didn’t realize until hindsight was the diversity of who attended. It wasn’t just an older crowd. I saw entire families attend. I saw children learning to use a venencia. I saw a global representation of people, not just Spaniards. Most importantly, I saw men and women in their 20’s either working the event or hanging out with their friends drinking sherry instead of going out to the bars. It was truly a snapshot of what the sherry revolution is trying to achieve.

De Copa En Copa stripped away my fears of fitting in or being overwhelmed. I actually felt quite welcomed and at home. I had a wonderful time! Perhaps it will give me courage to try others in the near future.

dcec-me-sergio-alex

Welcome Home

Leave a comment

planeThe best part of traveling to Jerez is that I can always pick up right where I left off. Compared to my ever growing, ever changing city of Portland, Oregon, Jerez relatively remains the same from year to year. I can slide back into life right along the daily routines. My landlords Manolo and Carmen will have an apartment waiting for me. My friends at Bar El Porrón will have toast and coffee ready in the morning. I can text Rubén should I need a taxi. Best of all, Rocío is my lifeline when I just need a bff!

There’s nothing better than walking off my plane battling jet lag to be greeted with a huge hug from Rocío! She was so generous to pick me up this time and whisk me off to Urium to see her father and husband. Reunited as if no time had passed, glass of fino in hand, I was home.

family2

My first evening in town, she took me to Tabanco El Pasaje for the photo exhibition of Paco Barroso. Paco has an amazing eye and talent. I have admired several of his photos focused on local flamenco dancers. This evening, the first to grab my attention set the tone for my reason for coming – harvest. Sherry starts with the hands that work so hard to hand-cut the grapes for long hours in unforgiving heat. If I could, I would hang this photo in my home as a reminder each time I enjoyed a glass, to pause and silently thank them for their efforts.

This evening also highlighted moments frozen in time in some of my favorite bodegas: El Maestro Sierra mother Doña Pilar and daughter Maria del Carmen smelling copas of wine, Urium father Alonso and daughter Rocío holding a copita, and best of all the silhouette of recently passed enologist Manuel Lozano from Lustau. This was rightfully placed in the center and caught my breath a little with the title, “Seguimos caminando…” or “Let’s keep on walking…” Paco explained this was a phrase Lozano would repeatedly say during their visit. But what a reminder this evening for those who grieve his loss.

crowd1

The entire evening I was squeezed into a tiny space full of loud conversation and kissing hellos to key locals in the sherry and tourism industry. Despite my jet lag, this was the perfect way to dive right back in and feel completely welcomed home.

paco-group

Me, Rocío, Mario, Paco + Fran

From Blog to Boutique

Leave a comment

 

sherry-boutique-logo

I just returned home from a month in the Sherry Triangle. Part of my visit I finally met Helen Highley in person. I’ve been following her criadera.com blog since I first started diving into my sherry obsession three years ago. I’m very excited to help announce that she is now launching an online store SherryBoutique.com TODAY! (Sadly, the store is only serving the UK.)

In recent years the UK has rediscovered its love of sherry, with a new generation learning that sherry doesn’t have to mean a sticky, sweet bottle brought out by a great-aunt at Christmas. In the same way that we’ve embraced craft beer and gin, the fresh, exciting and complex wines produced in Spain’s tiny ‘sherry triangle’ have found an enthusiastic and growing audience in the UK.

Part of the band of bloggers and food writers helping to drive this growth is the team behind criadera.com – a blog about the people, places and wines of the Sherry Triangle. The success of the blog, coupled with their passion for sherry has prompted the Criadera team to launch the online store sherryboutique.com – giving UK sherry lovers the chance to buy some of the most exceptional, limited release sherries available.

As the name suggests, this is a truly boutique approach to online retailing – a small range will be available, from a classic bone-dry Fino to accompany olives or seafood, to a VORS Oloroso with an average age of 45 years. Currently, sherryboutique.com imports wines from two very small, family-owned bodegas – Bodegas Urium and Bodegas Faustino Gonzalez – that make exceptional wines in small volumes in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucía. These are artisans producing very special premium products. Future plans include featuring guest sherries from other bodegas to complement the range.

uriumBodegas Urium is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for owner Alonso Ruiz, whose father passed on his passion for sherry and inspired a desire to make it. Alonso bought a bodega containing soleras dating back to the 18th century and in 2009, with daughter Rocío, launched Bodegas Urium. As well as Fino En Rama and Manzanilla Pasada (both eight years average age), they produce two ranges:

  • Clásicos – with average ages of between 12 and 15 years
  • VORS – minimum certified average age of 30 years, but in reality close to an average of 45 years

They also produce a very special Palo Cortado (Gran Señor de Urium) – average age of 100 years. Bodegas Urium sherries can be found on the wine lists of Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain and the rest of Europe.

cruzviejaBodegas Faustino Gonzalez was founded in 1971, when a local doctor bought soleras dating back to 1758 and moved them to his wife’s bodega in the part of Jerez known as Cruz Vieja – the old cross. In 2014 his family launched the Cruz Vieja range of sherries, the first time sherries from the bodega have been commercially available. Each sherry is ‘En Rama’ meaning that it has been bottled without any filtration, clarification or other treatment. This means that all the flavors and fantastic complexity are retained for you to enjoy.

These are very exclusive sherries, with only 1000 bottles of each type released each year worldwide. They grace the wine lists of several Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain and every sherry in the range has been awarded 90+ Parker Points. The listing for each sherry includes knowledgeable yet accessible tasting notes and descriptions, and information on the bodegas themselves to give customers an understanding of the people behind these wines. There’s no minimum order quantity and the sherries can be shipped throughout the UK.

Helen Highley comments “We are sherry lovers first and foremost, and over our years of visiting the region we became convinced that the UK was ready to rediscover sherry and fall in love with it all over again. The success of criadera.com proved that there is clear sector of consumers who want to learn more about this wonderful wine, but we wanted to do more. We’ve been lucky enough to taste amazing wines from tiny bodegas that simply weren’t available in the UK and we felt passionately that they should be. They trusted us to bring their brands to enthusiastic sherry lovers in the UK, and we’re thrilled that a number of independent wine merchants and restaurants now stock these wines and we can share them with people who love them as much as we do. But not every sherry lover lives in a big city with indie wine shops or restaurants that ‘get’ sherry. sherryboutique.com is for those sherry lovers who want to enjoy these very special sherries but don’t have a stockist nearby.”

criadera-team

Ataula Presents González Byass

1 Comment

SONY DSC

When it comes to pairing sherry with entrees, I owe a lot of my knowledge to Ataula, a Spanish and Catalan restaurant located in northwest Portland. Unlike the home-cooked Spanish comfort food of its sister restaurant CHESA, Ataula is where chef José Chesa and his team push gastronomic creativity and the dining experience to its fullest potential.

SONY DSC

Recently, they had a private ticketed event pairing Chef’s cuisine to the amazing sherries of González Byass. I was elated that my non-sherry loving husband would join me, and be sure to capture the experience. (I still have not mastered how to stay on task, capturing both pictures and conversation, whilst drinking my way through the sherry rainbow.)

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Emily Metivier, General and Beverage Manager for both restaurants, and Christopher Canale-Parola, Area Manager for González Byass. Christopher has been a wonderful mentor and networker for me since we first met at Ataula in 2015. His enthusiasm and knowledge for not only sherry, but for González Byass as well, is infectious!

cocktail + fino chaserTo start the night, we had a lovely Tío Pepe Fino based cocktail created by Angel Teta. I’ve always been cautious about the sherry cocktail trend, but Angel’s creations are on point! As she described it, she added Ontañón Moscato, a touch of Aveze Genitian Apertif, watermelon syrup, Pares Balta Cava and a touch of saline, all garnished with fresh flowers. It was so refreshing, and both the watermelon and Fino came through. It was specifically paired to the amuse course, but I drank mine way too quickly whilst mingling with other guests. I hope she adds it to their main menu!

Once seated, chef came out to greet us and explained that sherry was always used in his home for cooking and Tío Pepe was always the go-to bottle. Pairing five sherry wines to Jose’s wonderful creations from the kitchen, he would explain the entrees and Christopher would explain the sherry wine and history of González Byass.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

With a traditional tumbler of Tío Pepe Fino, we warmed up our palates with an amuse bouche of seared watermelon and fried anchovy or house cured boquerones. As Christopher explained, we’re in a time where sherry it taking a very important place in the world’s food and wine scene. And yet, it’s still a niche.

If you’re new to sherry, the important first thing to know is that the vast majority are bone dry. Some of them at the other end of the spectrum are intensely sweet. This is the reason why they are an absolute gift to gastronomy, chefs and sommeliers. You’re able pair some powerful flavors of the wine with powerful dishes without necessarily covering each other up, which is really something quite special. The potential, when paired correctly, is a flavor explosion!

First Course: Ajo Blanco – white gazpacho, marcona, red wine poached foie; Tío Pepe Fino en Rama, 2015 bottling

As Chef explained, tomato gazpacho is the most drinkable, fully vegetarian option in the summertime in Spain. In Malaga, they use ajo blanco the most. This dish used Marcona almonds with milk, sherry vinegar and a little salt and drops of olive oil. This particular dish, Chef has made for over 15 years. In the middle he added a slice of red wine poached foie gras – the four most beautiful words ever heard together! The dish was finished with olive oil pearl caviar from Spain and white currents underneath for texture. You know a dish is good when the room goes completely quiet!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The wine paired with this was Tío Pepe en Rama. This is award-winning wine is really quite new to the sherry world. Essentially, it is just the Tío Pepe Fino sherry, using 100% Palomino grape, fortified to 15% alcohol and then aged in 600 liter American oak barrels. This style of this wine is really almondy, intensely savory, and has an oyster shell component that plays really well with the Marcona influence of the dish.

En Rama is local jargon meaning totally unfiltered. Typically like most white wines, a Fino goes through a stabilization and clarification process. But this is a sample pulled fresh from the barrel. The most exciting thing about this is it was bottled April 2015, so it had considerable time in bottle with the natural yeast as well. These wines age in barrel under a fluffy blanket of yeast because the wine is never filled up to the top of the barrel like most wines in the wine world. This yeast grows on top and gives it a really pungent yeasty nose. Even more so after a year in bottle!

Second Course: Pulpito – spanish baby octopus escabeche, tomato sofrito, confit, marrow bone; Viña AB 12-year Amontillado

Chef cooked the baby octopus escabeche with vegetables, extra olive oil and sherry vinegar. Under the marrowbone was tomato sofrito – onions and tomatoes cooked for five hours. The maltodextrin powder was made using the marrowbone fat.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This was paired with Viña AB, an Amontillado style sherry. This side-by-side tasting from Tío Pepe Fino en Rama to Viña AB Amontillado is one of Christopher’s favorites in the wine world simply because of tasting exactly the same wine at two completely different stages in its life. The Tío Pepe en Rama is bottled around four years average, where as the Viña AB has been in the solera blending system for up to an average of twelve years.

That nice fluffy duvet cover of yeast on top of the wine is an organism coming to the end of its lifecycle, and is breaking away and floating down to the bottom of the barrel. So for the first time the wine breathes. This oxidation process turns the color slightly browner, the flavors more intense, the alcohol starts to creep up a bit to 16.5%, but my goodness does it concentrate all those phenolic compounds. That almond character concentrates into more of a hazelnut character now. That oxidation gives you a slight sensation of sweetness, which is tricky because it’s not really sweetness, but just oxidation playing with your palate. Because it’s more structured, it goes well with more structured dishes.

Third Course: Pato – seared muscovy duck breast, corn, quicos, foie; Leonor 12-year Palo Cortado

By this course, the sherry was flowing and the conversation volumes growing. It was getting harder to catch Chef’s detailed technique explanations. To compensate, Christopher began speaking louder and faster. From what I gathered, the Muscovy duck breast was seared and placed on a bed of corn puree and foie gras.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The wine paired with this was Leonor Palo Cortado. It is a very special style that starts off like a Fino and quickly redirected into a life of oxidation. It’s actually fortified up to 18% alcohol in the very beginning so that the yeast is never protecting the wine. You get a light style in the beginning, but with oxidation over time, you get something much more intense. The wine is aged a minimum of 12 years, similar to the Viña AB Amontillado, but this time a totally different expression. It’s made for these types of meats. Still bone dry, but oxidized to trick your brain to expect sweetness when it isn’t there.

Fourth Course: Bou – painted hills ribeye, charred torpedo onion puree, vegetable menestra; Apostoles VORS 30-year Palo Cortado

The ribeye was nicely charred on the bottom and plated with jus and chanterelles. It was paired with the very special “very old rare sherry” Apostoles. Similar to tasting Tío Pepe much later on in its life, this began as the 12-year Leonor Palo Cortado, but instead of bottling it, it was removed from the solera and placed in another to age for a minimum of 30 years! These wines are often referred to the sacred wines. Nearly all the blend is the Leonor with a little addition of 13% of Pedro Ximénez – another white grape, dried in the sun to concentrate the sugars. Just a touch of PX to the blend adds a natural richness, which creates a very special pairing for red meats.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Once America realizes the flavor potential between Palo Cortado and red meats, I’m going to go on vacation because it’s going to take over! But we’re not quite there yet, so I hope to win over a few hearts every step of the way.

Final Course: Textures – valdeon cheese, strawberries, chocolate; Noé VORS 30-year Pedro Ximénez

Sadly, I don’t think I’m the only one who completely missed the description. By dessert we were very “happy” and dove right in. It was light and refreshing. The classic pairing for Pedro Ximénez is ice cream or cheese. Chef was smart to combine both to conclude this amazing dining experience!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Noé is very simply 100% Pedro Ximénez showcasing the rich sweetness of the greatest dessert wine of the world. Hand harvested, these grapes are dried in the sun for two weeks. This VORS is nearly 40 years old. It is incredibly sweet, yet dark and savory at the same time with a lot of smoky cigar elements and strong aromas of fig.

Noé has around four times the sugar content of Coca Cola, so it’s not a diet wine.

What a fantastic evening that truly delivered and went beyond expectations. I’m still surprised that I ate baby octopus. It only took three glasses of sherry to overcome my aversions. I truly appreciated not only the passion and detailed execution, but also the down-to-earth kindness of everyone involved. It is very rare to find a place like this that truly makes you feel at home time and time again.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.