Montau de Sadurní desea felices fiestas

This Christmas

It didn’t happen until today that I got to feel the merry spirit! Throughout the past weeks none of the insinuating Xmas allegories managed to get me into the mood even though the festive attitude already evolved out of its prevailing pattern by the beginning of November. I couldn’t feel more regardless towards the gradual attack of promising bubbles than to any other suggestive event. An odd discrepancy towards the most loved and loathed period of all for I can affirm that if it wasn’t for the songs, the food and the wine I would have not felt the Xmas spell on me by now.

In Germany, people get together as soon as the Christmas market opens as there is nothing as exiting and as fulfilling as a friends gathering on one of the mulled wine stands. Wrapped in thick winter clothes and surrounded by a cloud of hot steam coming from the cauldron no one minds the cold. Hence for me it used to be the smell, the well prepared Glühwein, the Xmas candies and the winter cold that made the atmosphere and eventually got me into the merry mood. In Barcelona we have small markets equally crowded though but less inspiring however since inspiration is up to oneself and mulled wine is served here too after all the size doesn’t matter. It takes a bit longer to feel jolly but it does strike in the end.

Talking about mulled wine, Glüwein or what I have been drinking here most; Swedish Glögg I can recommend Café Suec in Gracia where you get it served the traditional way with nuts, raisins and ginger biscuits. For me, the most stirring Christmas suggestion since the Christmas market I used to enjoy so much. When you prefer to drink Glögg at home you can get it in Ikea or you make your own Glühwein and add the complements yourself as follows:

There are as many variations how to make Glühwein as there is wine so I picked the most classic one:

• 1 bottle good red wine
• 0,5 l water
• 250 ml Port wine
• 6 cloves
• 3-4 berries clove pepper
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 tea spoons sugar
• 1 lemon slice
• Optional 1 orange slice
• Optional raisins and nuts

1. Boil the spices in water and then let boil on low fire during 20 minutes
2. Remove the spices through a strainer and add the wine
3. Add the port wine and the sugar and stir
4. Heat thoroughly, but do not allow boiling!
5. Decorate with lemon or orange and serve with raisins and nuts

Merry Christmas – Feliz Navidad – Frohe Weihnachten

Warum eigentlich Brut Nature?

Der Leichtigkeit wegen!

Kaum Zucker, ein Cava so gut wie nackt nur mit einem Hauch von Seide bedeckt. Schlank mit sinnlichen Rundungen, frisch und jugendlich trotz seines reifen Alters. Der sanfte Kuss seiner goldenen Perlenkette erinnert an ein Wolkenbett weisser geschmeidiger Federn. Nuancenreich wie ein greifbarer Traum zudem natürlich und ungeschminkt wie der Morgengrauen. Unser authentischster Reserva in seinem besten Moment.

Weil Brut Nature für Qualiät steht!

Verkostung Pro Wein 2010 Düsseldorf 21-23 März Halle 6 Stand E20

Beer: Liquid Diet / Program: Friday 11 December 2009

Tangible traces of the origins of beer in Europe go back to the 3rd millennium BC and to Catalunya, more concrete to Can Sadurní, whereas the rest is hard to pin down. Thus each region has its own significant mythology; Finnish Kalevala,  Chech Radegast, ancient Ninkasi to name a few of the figures that we have probably never heard of but who are unofficially related to the beginnings of beer. Only Gambrinus, legendary king of Flanders, might sound familiar to us even though he is another illegitimate patron saint of beer and its brewing. Historical sources however affirm that Gambrinus learned the art of brewing from the Egyptian goddess of motherhood and fertility Isis.  It results hard to picture the retrospective on beer especially since it has its origins in sagas and legends.

However from time to time archaeologists are lucky and come across proofs with more ground. Such mentioned fortunate discovery has happened not so long ago literally just around the corner on our plot Can Sadurní. Hence a prehistoric cave located on our farm turned out to preserve more than Neolithic descent and ancient objects; the cave conserved a good part of the elusive Gambrinus’ legacy; Ancient ingredients that used to be employed to brew ale during the so called Neolithic era 5500 cal BC.

A noteworthy finding that raised interest among people especially in Catalunya and that obviously inspired others to share this recently discovered heritage with everybody. Catalan local television with collaboration of the University of Barcelona have reconstructed the brew according to ancient Neolithic methods. TV3 and 33 will be broadcasting the procedure starting off at Can Sadurní and finishing at Microcervesería del Montseny. Furthermore experts will give their opinion regarding the, so far slightly diffused, positive secondary effects of beer. Consequently only few people know that beer has many vitamins like sodium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B1 and zinc and that physiology doctors actually recommend drinking it after exercise.

You can find out more about this topic watching the following programs

canal 33 11/12/2009	21:30 Cervesa: aliment líquid	Capitol 113
canal 33 12/12/2009	02:05 Cervesa: aliment líquid	Capitol 113
canal 33 12/12/2009	12:25 Cervesa: aliment líquid	Capitol 113
canal 3 Cat 12/12/2009	12:45 Cervesa: aliment líquid	Capitol 113
canal 3 Cat 13/12/2009	06:20 Cervesa: aliment líquid	Capitol 113

Los Guapos del Cava

Estamos ante una autentica síntesis de un cava desnudo poniéndose un traje de diseño. Arrels brut nature reserva de Montau de Sadurní esta en forma; ligero con apenas azúcar añadido, delgado pero con curvas y por ende muy fresco a pesar de ser vintage. Rebelde y atrevido, un reserva en su mejor momento ideal para el mejor brindis. Nuestros amigos de moda también están en su mejor momento; emocionados por haber finalizado el largo proceso de elaboración de unas piezas originales, extravagantes, únicas. El diseño requiere sobre todo mucho gusto igual como la elaboración de un cava; usamos nuestra improvisación, el mejor material, la mejor artesanía y con un poco de suerte llegamos a crear tendencia. Brindamos por la realización de un proceso creativo con el acabado de una transformación química capaz de despertar sentimientos felices.Y nos dejamos llevar con el sueño de que si un día el cava Montau de Sadurní llegará a ser el mas fashion de toda la cuidad. Uno puede soñar…

Os dejo con unas impresiones tomadas en el evento Dress Up

Muñecas

Otra Copa

Solo ellas

El beso del cava

Inauguración & Degustación AmberArt

Mis apreciados compatriotas y amigos Diana y Lukas de Amber Art tienen el placer de invitar a todos los aficionados de piedras preciosas a su nueva galería de joyas  en el Poble Espanyol.

Martes 1 de diciembre 20.00h

Os espera una inauguración brillante acompañada como siempre por una degustación de vino y cava de Montau de Sadurní. Una vez más nos vestimos de arte.

This week’s offer / Oferta de la semana: Cava

I made this offer for the fashion event we promoted but I just decided to share it with everybody;

6 bottles of Cava Reserva Arrels Montau de Sadurní brut nature for 38€ transport within BCN included! Send a mail or give us a call. Plus if you order this week, min. 2 cases, you get a surprise!!!

Oferta no solo para los amigos de moda, solo esta semana regalito con cada pedido de cava, min. 2 cajas!

Days of Wine and … Cava

“The days of wine and roses laugh and run away like
a child at play Through a meadow land toward a
closing door A door marked “nevermore”
that wasn’t there before” (Frank Sinatra: Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and other Academy Award Winners, 1964.)

Wine & Roses a pattern that works wherever whenever!

Cinematographically visualized in 1962 by Blake Edwards; Jack Lemon and Lee Remick portray an alcoholic couple that, due to booze excess, eventually gets to face the point of deterioration.

Acoustically perfectionized by composer Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer the theme has left a great impact on various musicians especially in the traditional pop and jazz genre.  Frank Sinatra released the reprise album Sinatra Sings Days of Wine and Roses, Moon River, and Other Academy Award Winners in 1964. Andy Williams adopted it already in 1963, Tony Bennett in 1966, The Dream Syndicate in 1982 and Oscar Petersen in 2005 Piano Moods.

We at Montau de Sadurní are empirically adopting this subject since 2008; based on our observation, understanding and theoretical knowledge. Todays ‘days of wine and roses’ came to be known as Enotourism; the accessible experience of wine terroir and are offered by numerous wineries with adequate premises, all over the world. I personally prefer to use the more embracing description Wine and Cava Gatherings for that is what we actually do when we receive groups of aficionados. The showing of the cellar and the process of winemaking are one part but the highlight is certainly the tasting which we have rounded up to an amusing gathering.

We like to entertain our guests with anecdotes from the winery and we also like to listen to their singular stories. In this sense we sit together, talk wine, talk culture, eat, taste and drink the wine that we make. We chat, we exchange twitter accounts and we happen to follow each other later on.

In a way we revive the days of wine and roses with a slight difference: ours always has a happy ending!

Pictures from our last wine and cava gathering

A cava after the viewing

Food & Wine Pairing

After effects

 

 

 

 

Dress Up Showroom & Montau Cava

Montau de Sadurni se viste de Arte

Patrocinamos el evento Dress Up Showroom jóvenes diseñadores

Las diseñadoras: http://www.mygrandmotherssofa.com/ http://www.georginavendrell.com/Inici.html http://www.lorenasender.com/ http://www.nerealurgain.com/

Trip to London

Within the framework of our exportation project Montau de Sadurní headed to London to meet a potential importer and simultaneously realize a brief research on the perception of Spanish wines in the UK.

Casa Leal, launched Montau’s Cava reserve and the young red at The Restaurant Show celebrated at Earls Court, London. We experienced a rounded up event, full of latest Horeca tendencies, accompanied by subtle New World fragrances and delicate Old World aromas. Some people, initially sceptical about cava in general, eventually changed their mind after detecting its captivating aroma of rich, lemon notes, mild on the palate and cheerful in the mouth. Sommelier Peter McCombie, Master of Wine, approved it at first taste.  All in all a steady event that, in spite of the glaring light that made it almost impossible to show the edges of the wines, left us with a rather positive impression regarding the British attitude towards the Spanish wine. It’s not their first choice … yet … but there is curiosity, acceptation and there is potential.

Another objective of our journey was a research on London’s wine culture. Based on our mere observation for it doesn’t need more to conclude that London, England, well Great Britain if not the whole United Kingdom has much more wine culture than Spain! If you can chose between five wines by the glass in any pub imagine what you can get in a wine bar: The best of the Old and the New World! Whereas if you sit on the terrace of a Barcelonese bar the best you can get by the glass is the house wine. The country with the most widely planted wine production in the world (1.17 million hectares) can’t do any better?  Hard to believe but, excluding La Rioja, it is apparently so. Maybe restaurant and bar owners should consider that if they pour at least good wine by the glass, the guest will most likely repeat. Is it so obvious that it is too hard to see?

Again, I have great expectations that little by little this grey wine panorama will change and soon we will be able to enjoy a decent even slightly pretentious wine on a simple Spanish terrace in a non-pretentious bar. Concerning London and the Horeca scenario there’s not much left to say as they get all the credits for spreading wine culture in the most colourful and tolerant way. Enjoy some rather bad pictures but my good camera broke ….

Miguel & Barbara at the stand Restaurant Show

Wineblogger Denise Medrano aka The Winesleuth

Miguel pouring cava

Good traffic, bad light, bad camera…