Last night I met Jose Antonio Zarzana ninth generation heir of Ximénez-Spinola Wineries located since 1729 in Jerez de la Frontera. It is a young, elegant and graceful, soft-spoken and unintentional humor. Gray suit, with shirt collar and tie perfectly knotted, rolled a small artisanal copper still to tell a handful of professionals, lovers of wine and distillates, how to make 3000 bottles of brandy and leave their cellars sold to the market, numbered and signed by hand, one by one, his father, head of the family business. He is the eighth generation and is in charge. I am a worker who does merit in order to someday take over the business.
As he exuded a bottle of Pedro Ximenez wine by the fire, we told the story of a land with culture stemmed wine before and after Al Andalus. After 500 years of abandonment of the practice of viticulture, the political and military authorities began to promote the importation of grape varieties typical of other lands. So he instructed her to bring Fernando Yanez Palomino grape of Valladolid, this strain was left with the name of its sponsor. Charles V was brought from Germany's Riesling, because the military effects of survival in cases of harassment, the ice wine was produced from this variety was very nutritious and stable. But I soon discovered that cartographers were fine and that weather conditions in southern Spain were little or nothing conducive to the creation of this type of wine. Without clutch, the number of hours of intense sun at these latitudes could produce a high concentration of fructose in the grape without the need for the magnifying effect that is created by the molten droplets of frost. Cutting the grapes too soon and making it dry in ferrywomen or almíjares (almíjares that nice word!), Rotating them every half hour to ensure homogeneous exposure to the sun and taking care of the dampness of the night, is that you get, even today , all natural inland desirable concentration of fructose. This and the guard time in American oak casks, is what will result in a wine popular in the world.
The wines of Bodegas Pedro Ximenez Ximenez-Spinola, have a captive market in England and Holland, but do not sell what is produced, only the best barrels. So the grandfather of Jose Antonio came up with the idea of distilling wine that was not sold and thus begins the story of Brandy de Ximenez-Spinola, one of the most famous and exclusive brandy de Jerez.
At this point in history, we had the head, heart and tail of the wine distillate. The first is very strong with 96% alcohol, can heal wounds while anyway and gives flavor to the wine timber, the second, which occurs when the temperature is a hundred degrees is the best of the best, the smell in his optimum point and alcohol almost not perceived. The third, as you said Jose Antonio, is revolting.
The heart of the distillate will be the barrel that had before Pedro Ximenez wine where it will take an average of 25 years into a man brandy, object of desire of many, very few prized possession.
Last night I had the privilege of access to the heart of creation. Last night thanks to good friends Morilla the Celler de la Boqueria I had the great privilege of drinking to tell. And now there is a before and after in my approach to the wines of Jerez and especially to the Winery Ximénez-Spinola, ideal place to visit during the months of January and February, when they light the fireplace and tell stories.
This morning, while walking around town, making a way I know by heart but I always discover new things, I stood before the window of Documenta, one of the best bookshops in Barcelona. I went in and came across the book Drinking to tell, a selection of stories by Irish writers as well known by his pen as by his fondness for drink. Among others, quotes WDYeats widow who said that poets write better when they "tipsy." I can only agree. Without being a poet, which I like, I think if you had written this post last night between divine emanations of wine and brandy, I would have done much better.
Tags: Wineries Ximénez-Spinola, celler boqueria, Pedro Ximenez
Can not be lived on this earth if you have not tasted anything from Jerez. Good for you, because there is a before and after, you'll see. There is something magical in pemanece memoria.Es although something like the "aftertaste" of great wines, but permanent.
Try to get that book is very good as pints. In fact has something of "Gabo" Garcia Marquez.
Un abrazo South
Was recently in Oviedo, but in my opinion poor promotion, I did not learn of this luxury. To see if another time
Hi Malena
I see you're on the front line of battle.
Indeed, Jose Antonio has the elegance of the gentlemen from Jerez, the brake of good Andalusian and thus slow, pinned to the patient to be taken to ensure such products category.
See if captive Palo Cortado, Amontillado or Oloroso. That a group of friends are thinking of setting up a tasting in Seville, to be more in environment.
Greetings
Enjoy Natural Vinis PD.
Cata to which I gladly would join if takes me closer, Bentley.
As commented elsewhere, know something about fine manzanilla (the Lustau, which delight) and always associate it with Andalusian feast. And something about Pdro Ximenez, who joined the ubiquitous steak with foie. But the rest of the world's sherry think it is very unknown in Spain. Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Amontillado, Spanish wines more differentiated and more "Spanish" and lesser known in this country.
Greetings and congratulations Malena read you jealous.
[...] See the rest here: Observatory of wine "Drink to tell [...]
[...] Go here to read the rest: Center of wine "Drink to tell [...]
My dear friends, I love having things that arouse so much interest. Really a pleasure to be in a tasting like this and also to take an example. If every producer and have tried your product, your creation and your dream, we'd have a completely different approach to wine, spirits and generally the culture of good wine. For example I'm sure my fitness professional who says he does not drink alcohol, have good wine and good spirits if someone were to tell you, besides myself, virtues for the body and soul of these delicacies made with the same wisdom, passion and responsibility with which he trains us and communicates healthy living.
Bentley, please stay organized when you let me know that tasting. Like me smiorgan be a bit far but the truth is that one never knows where the wind takes him;)
Sibaritastur, I am sure that the comment regarding the poor communication of this tasting in Oviedo reach good ears and the next will be better:)
Dear Richard, my suitcase is becoming more beautiful and diverse. We offer both that and so many good wines that prove that my next time in Uruguay will have to be longer:)))
I embrace you all. Tomorrow, Saturday Natural Vinis touches. On Sunday rest. And on Monday announced a party chronic;))
Salut and fine wines and spirits:)
With apologies but I must stress that the formula proposed by Pedro Ximénez smiorgan tenderloin with foie :)))) Mamma mia, is that look, smell and taste these wines and he is facing a steak with foie which augmented reality. And this reminds me of one of my favorite scenes of cinema, when the Matrix, Joe Pantoliano pacta betrayal of his colleagues with Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith the ubiquitous) to a steak that looked death. Pantoliano cut a piece, chewed before swallowing and looking at his frigid companion and says "I know this steak does not exist but what good is" ...
Matrix you like this far makes me think even more than you and I'll get along fine
I've done rcordar that brilliant sequence, and I swear that I began to salivate.
With respect to reductions in Pedro Ximenez, recently prepared for some friends toast with foie gras, caramelized onions and reduction of PX that were not lame.
Greetings.