Spring

After some dreary weather, we opted for a trip to the Botanic Garden rather than a day at the stove working on a new Cooking from the Books with K. 

Below, some signs of spring.

10!

The birthday cake Candied Violet Ice Cream Cake from Mr and Mrs Miscellaneous. Plus, Star Wars plates!:

Guimarães: 2012 European Capital of Culture

One of our cultural visits was to the town of Guimarães, which has been designated the 2012 European Capital of Culture. What does that mean, you may ask? Or at least, I asked. It turns out that "A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union, for one year, during which public and cultural events are held to showcase the city or region’s identity and cultural dynamics. The purpose of the initiative is to highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures and the features they share, to promote the sustainable cultural, social and economic development of the cities and communities hosting the event, and to facilitate greater understanding and proximity between European citizens."

As such "In 2012, Guimarães will be hosting a major gathering of creators and creations: music, cinema, photography, fine arts, architecture, literature, thought, theatre, dance, street art. In Guimarães, the artistic products imagined and created by its residents will merge with those coming to the city from all over Europe. Over the course of one year, the city will be the promoter of Europe’s cultural diversity, revealing its creations and welcoming those from other countries." 

The city has created a heart-like logo and many businesses and venues customized and displayed it in their windows. Below, some examples I spotted on our walking tour across the city center.

Vinho Verde Trip: The Wine

Much delayed, but there was a sick cat and then a sick child plus two deadlines for the 2013 edition of this. More travel thoughts to come, but now, the wine.

First, a few facts , to serve as an introduction to the region, from the Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos Vinhos Verdes.

The Geographical boundaries of Vinho Verde are naturally defined. 

• In the North by the Minho River

• In the South by the river Douro and the Freita, Arada and Ontemuro hill ranges

• In the East by the Peneda, Gerês, Cabreira and Marão ranges

• In the West by the Atlantic

There are: 

21,000 ha vineyards (Portugal 240,000 ha)   

129,000 parcels of vineyards  

25,500 grape growers
2000 wine brands 

The US is their largest export market. 

A Seal of Guarantee, issued by the CVRVV, assures the quality and authenticity of Vinho Verde Region wines. This Seal is the final result of a certification process that includes Sensorial and Physicochemical analysis in order to assure that its characteristics meet those set for the region's products. Approximately 500 wines are tested each year and we were told that up to 6 or 7% of the wines tested fail, more on sensory than on chemical.

The production is 70% white, 20% red and 10% rosé. The rosés are starting to be exported in greater quantities while the reds, are essentially available only in the domestic market.

The recommended varieties for whites are:

• ALVARINHO  • AVESSO  • AZAL  • ARINTO • LOUREIRO  • TRAJADURA

300 year old vine

If my math is right, we visited with 10 producers and tasted wines from quite a few more at three different multi-producer tastings. The producers we visited ranged from the large and very well known Quinta da Aveleda, whose non vintage Casal Garcia is the most sold Vinho Verde in the world, to those with with either no or limited US distribution.

Many think of Vinho Verde as a light, refreshing, summertime white wine.  Easy to drink, perhaps even gulpable, while sitting under a beach umbrella. And that is not a criticism. As one of my trip-mates said, "It could be the best bargain wine in the world." There is a market for good $7 wine and, sure enough, there is plenty of it produced in Vinho Verde. Some of these bargain wines are very good, some less so, but rarely were they bad and that is a rare thing in such an inexpensive wine.

That said, what really stood out to me on this trip were the high quality, age-worthy single grape Alvarinhos and Loureiros. These were wines that I was not familiar with at all and they were a revelation. The wines of both Soalheiro and Anselmo Mendes stood out to me as prime examples of this with fruit, floral notes and balanced acidity. Alongside their current releases, Soalheiro poured both a 94 and a 99 at lunch. At Mendes, we tasted verticals, in several cases 05-11. A standout for me was the 08 Muros Antigos Alvarinho, which was beautifully fresh and bright. I carried a bottle home with me and look forward to tasting it again very soon. Although these wines may be harder to find, they are imported into the US and are well worth seeking out. 

Portugal Trip: The Food

I have several posts coming this week about my recent Vinho Verde trip.  To start, the food. It was excellent, both at restaurants and at the meals served to us at wineries. Although we had beef one night (in Spain), the focus was very much on seafood and pork, which made me very happy. A few points below and then some images:

• We had salt cod at almost every meal. Many fritters, but also a memorable casserole I sadly did not photograph featuring salt cod, turnip greens, black-eyed peas and bread crumbs. I'll be googling for a recipe.

• Custard: not just the expected individual egg tarts, but also flavored with orange and in cakes.

• Squid and octopus, oh my! Very much highlights at several meals and the star of my favorite meal of the trip.

• Excellent bread, but also many meals served with both excellent rice and roasted potatoes.

• Oranges were growing almost everywhere. Orange juice, along with large quantities of tea, accompanied my breakfast daily.

• Multiple meals were roasted over wood. Made me want to try it in my fireplace at home.

• Ham so good that I wished I could have brought some back to San Francisco with me.  

 

Not just for show: Pork, rice and potatoes roasting.

Salt cod fritters with rosé and cured pork in the background.

At  Dop in Porto. A silver dollar sized burger.

Scallop, mushroom and egg. Plus a perfectly seasoned salad. Also at Dop. 

Ham at the market in Ponte de Lima

Salt cod, also at the market.

Beans at the market.

My favorite meal of the trip: Octopus and potatoes roasted over a wood fire with lots of olive oil and garlic.

Bakery window.

Bread with the symbol of Guimarães, the 2012 European Capital of Culture

 

Oranges were everywhere.

Contador Ban: Two Years

Nothing like a bit of cycling news released immediately following the Superbowl. I have not yet read the decision, but info can be found at Cycling News,  Podium Cafe, The Inner Ring and probably every other cycling site out there. The decision will be discussed and argued about for a long time, but the immediate takeaway seems to be that the ban is backdated, starting from January 1 2011. Contador loses the 2010 Tour & 2011 Giro victories and is out from racing until August 5 2012, with the time deducted for the provisional suspension served. He'll miss this year's Giro, Tour de France and the Olympic competitions, but can return for the Vuelta. This also means that Andy Schleck gets the 2010 Tour win and that Michele Scarponi is the winner of the 2011 Giro.

And in case you have not yet seen it, be sure to read Bonnie Ford's story on the end of the Lance Armstrong case: End of Armstrong Case Raises Questions.

In other cycling related news, I'm still looking for suggestions for either the Wines of the Giro or the Tour de France.