Cold Soups of Southern Spain

                         In Andalusia gazpacho is commonly served in small glasses to drink

I’m on the island of Mallorca but will soon be heading to Spain’s southernmost mainland province, Andalusia.  Home to the magnificent Moorish cities of Granada, Seville and Cordova, it’s also the epicenter of Sherry wine.  But, another compelling reason to visit Andalusia is that it offers the best culinary experience for discerning foodies.   While there are many Andalusian dishes I love, its cold soups are simply stunners.

An Andalusian gastronomic specialty, these cold soups come in several different colors.   There’s probably not a traveler who has been to southern Spain during the summer that has not enjoyed a refreshing brilliant red gazpacho soup.   Gazpacho is synonymous with Andalusia for many reasons.  First, the temperatures of inland Andalusia pulsate during the summer  at >100 degrees so a cold, light soup is the perfect choice.  Secondly, Andalusia is the agricultural capital of Spain---it is where the country’s tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions and garlic are grown.   Home to millions of olive trees, Andalusia is also ground-zero for Spain’s olive oil.  Sherry wine vinegar is also produced in the area.  All of these are the ingredients of gazpacho.

                                         Salmorejo looks super creamy but there is no cream

Gazpacho, however, is only one of the cold red soups Andalusia has to offer.  A “cousin” of gazpacho, Salmorejo, is made using only tomatoes.  It is thicker and creamier than gazpacho because of bread that is added.  The way that the tomatoes, bread and olive oil emulsify make some think that there is cream in the soup, however, there is not.   Salmorejo, is typically served in a bowl with a diced hard-boiled egg on top and small pieces of cured Spanish ham so it can easily be a meal in itself.  

                                  Gazpacho verde (aka green gazpacho) is a crowd pleaser

But, wait.  There’s another relative of gazpacho that you must try.  It’s called green gazpacho and here’s why:  it’s made from green tomatoes (popular in Spain), green bell peppers, cucumber, spinach, parley, mint and avocado---along with the traditional onion, garlic, olive oil and sherry wine vinegar.  Try it.  You’ll like it!

                                                Ajo blanco is sometimes called "white gazpacho"

Ajo blanco is yet another cold soup of Andalusia.  While it literally translates to “white garlic soup,”  this is not a vampire dish as there is very little garlic.  In fact, it’s mostly Marcona almonds and it’s often made with the addition of a green apple and topped with green grapes.   Ajo blanco is thought by some to be the original cold soup of Andalusia and the precursor for today's gazpacho (before tomatoes were bought from the New World).

Why not celebrate the first days of autumn by making a refreshing cold summer soup?

The Making of a Sherry

                                     Sherry's unique Solera system operates on gravity flow

Last week on this blog two different types of dry Sherry were discussed.  Produced only in a limited geographical area of southwest Spain not far from Gibraltar, Sherry is different from other wine because of its “solera” system.   Think of the solera  as a vertical system where wine can be transferred via gravity flow.

To understand the process of making a sherry we must first start with the “base wine.”  Sherry begins as a regular wine made from the white Palomino grape.  The wine is initially aged for the first few years in contact with the yeasts left over from its fermentation.  These yeasts float to the top and create a layer called “flor.”  This flor cap creates a barrier to prevent oxygenation, and also gives the wine below it many flavors.

                     Dead yeasts from fermentation top the sherry in the base wine stage

Once the base wine goes through the initial aging with the flor of yeasts, it is then transferred to a holding area we’ll call the “nursery.”   (The flor is not transferred but remains behind.)  The nursery then babysits the wine until it’s ready for transfer to the the very top layer of the usually four tier Solera system.

To understand the Solera system, we’re now going to move from its top fourth level to the very bottom tier.   Solera in Spanish means "on the ground."  The very bottom level of the Solera system is a mixture of the wines that have been passed down through the varying levels bit by bit:  from the fourth level to the third, then to the second layer, and finally to the bottom final level.   The bottom ground level of the Solera is from where the finished sherry comes.  It is important, however, to note that the bottom level casks are not emptied.  Only a small amount of the cask is removed from the "ground floor."  After this removal, the bottom layer is then topped off with wine from the levels above.

      Some Sherry bodegas don't have verticality so must transfer the wine between levels by hand

What is removed from the lowest level of the Solera system for bottling, is then replaced from the above level three.   This third tier is then replaced with wine from the second tier.  Likewise, Sherry from the first level of the Solera is allowed to flow into level two.   Finally, a small amount of Sherry that has been patiently waiting in the nursery is permitted to flow into tier one of the Solera.

                    The solera system has been used to make Sherry since the 18th century

The bottle of Sherry that is ready for the consumer, hence, is a combination of all tiers of the Solera system, having been passed down slowly ounce by ounce from the nursery through all the levels.  In summary, the solera system is a unique form of aging, as well as a form of blending.   This system is unique and is only used to create Sherry.

Want to see the solera system in action?   Come with Wine-Knows in October to visit the Sherry wine countryside, along with Seville and Granada.

http://www.wineknowstravel.com/granada-and-seville-itinerary/

 

 

Sherry---No Longer Your Grandmother’s Wine

                                   A dry Sherry is a perfect pairing for pre-dinner nibbles 

This is a the second article in May's series on Spain.  It’s a back to the future story to do with Sherry:  the wines of the country's Sherry region are coming back into fashion.  But, these are not the insipid sweet wines of yesteryear enjoyed at the end of a meal with a piece of gingerbread or fruitcake.  Instead, the new Sherry is bone dry and is often taken as an aperitif to begin a meal.  Be advised, however, that while Sherry is made in several styles (varying from dry to sweet),  this article discusses only dry Sherry that is aged under a top cap of yeasts.

                      The yeast cap both protects Sherry from oxidation & gives it flavors

Sherry is a distinctive wine made from the white Palomino grape in the southwest of Spain near Seville.  The process of making Sherry is quite different from that of regular wine (next week’s blog will address this unusual process).  Suffice to say that Sherry is aged under a protective film of its own fermentation yeasts that have floated to the top of the barrel.  This “cap” of yeast protects the wine from oxidation, but it also gives flavors to the wine.

These dry aperitif Sherries are called fino and manzanillo.  The fino style, offering bread-like notes (influenced by aging under the cap of yeast), is a relatively  simple Sherry.  Finos offer a delicate bouquet often with almond nuances and savory herbs.  Served chilled, fino is a good, inexpensive introduction to a dry Sherry.

                                     Wine-Knows will visit the top Sherry producer in Spain

Manzanillo sherry is also dry, and like fino, it is aged under a cap of yeast.  The difference is that manzanillo is made in a different part of the Sherry region.  The special climatic conditions of the area, situated at the mouth of a river, favor the formation of a special kind of yeast which gives the wine its unique characteristic.  In addition to flavors contributed by the yeast (e.g. brioche, freshly-baked bread), manzanillo sherry also serves up an almond-like profile, and savory flavors such as camoumille.

Summer is quickly approaching---why not forgo the usual glass of Rosé and try a refreshing dry fino or manzanillo?   Sherry doesn’t deliver the usual uncomplicated charm of a Rosé.  It’s a bit more serious.  For wine-lovers, a dry Sherry can be the perfect way to begin the evening’s festivities.

Jerez de la Frontera, the city of Sherry, offers a stunning backdrop for its wines

There are two slots available on Wine-Knows’ tour to Spain this October.  In addition to Granada and Seville, we’ll be visiting Spain’s premier producer of Sherry.

www.WineKnowsTravel.com

The First Wine to Circumnavigate the Globe

Most Sherry in Spain is bone-dry & used as an aperitif or with a 1^st or 2^nd course

The 500^th anniversary of Ferdinand Magellan’s around the world voyage was celebrated in 2019.   In 1519 Magellan set sail in a fleet of five ships from southern Spain.   King Carlos I of Spain financed most of the voyage in an attempt to outmaneuver the Portuguese who had locked in the eastern route to spice-laden Indonesia.   

In the course of preparing for this 500^th year celebration, historians uncovered a 200 page document detailing the supplies loaded on the fleet before it sailed.  This original manuscript lists 250 casks of Sherry (166,500 bottles).  In today’s dollars, the price would be approximately $80,000.  Magellan spent more on Sherry than he did on armaments to protect his men. 

It’s no surprise that the first wine to circumnavigate the globe was Sherry.  One of the world’s oldest wines, Sherry has been part of the world’s greatest empires and civilizations.  Enjoyed by the Phoenicians (who brought the original grapes for Sherry to Spain), and then by the Greeks, Romans, Moors, Spanish and the British.  During the period when Magellan set sail, Sherry was one of the world’s most popular wines.

                                   The town of Jerez is the capital of Sherry production
 

Sherry is also produced in the south of Spain very near the area from which Magellan sailed, so this may have also influenced why it was chosen.   Since then laws were enacted in the 1930’s to prevent Sherry from being made anywhere else but a small area surrounding the city of Jerez (not far from the straits of Gibraltar).  While many Americans associate Sherry with a sweet wine, there is an entire portfolio of bone-dry Sherry.  In fact, in Spain the most popular Sherry is completely dry with no trace of sugar.

Wine-Knows will be visiting the Sherry wine countryside this October on our tour to Seville (55 miles from Jerez), and Granada.  There are only four spaces remaining.  Home to the flamenco and mind-dazzling Moorish architecture, this part of southern Spain is the most fascinating in all of the country.

http://www.wineknowstravel.com/granada-and-seville-itinerary/