“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!
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!
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 ….
El exportador aspirante no lo tiene fácil. Se encuentra en una economía inversa cuyo espacio se ha vuelto demasiado pequeño para la cantidad de productos cuales quieren acogerse en el. ¡Una penetración agresiva y masiva de las últimas décadas ha pasado factura; tenemos de todo y lo tenemos de sobra! ¿Así como debe actuar uno en un mercado saturado, selecto y cada vez mas complicado?
Exportar parece una ‘Missión impossible’ una operación sin final feliz en una hacienda la cual ya no reparte refugios a cualquiera. Esto es lo que ‘parece’ lo que nos invita a dejarlo y a darle el espacio a otro, mas fuerte con mas persistencia, mas constancia y mas continuidad. Uno que no caduca nunca a pesar de la crisis y de los demás elementos cuales arrastra el capitalismo. La crisis nos ha vuelto vulnerables, inseguros, dudosos, indefinidos y vagos en cuando debería habernos vuelto mas fuertes, concretos, seguros, innovadores y estables.
El exportador aspirante no tiene otra salida que retomar el reto como ya lo hizo cuando decidió a crear su propio negocio y cuando se arriesgo a ser autónomo. Operar dentro de un mercado saturado no tiene porque ser un obstáculo si apostamos por la aptitud. Hay que hacer los deberes y hay que hacerlos bien si querremos triunfar. Ver nuestro producto Novell en un mercado maduro y sofisticado puede ser realidad si reinventamos conceptos existentes, si nos adaptamos a las nuevas tendencias y captamos el Zeitgeist de la época en la cual vivimos.
Montau de Sadurní se encuentra en su fase inicial de exportación. En 2008 hemos entrado en el programa Nex Pipe ejecutado por COPCA cuyo objetivo se basa en consolidar la presencia exportadora de las empresas catalanas y ofrecer apoyo formativo y técnico. El Consorcio de Promoción Comercial de Cataluña (COPCA) presta a al exportador aspirante un servicio de calidad animándole a afrontar el reto de la internacionalización. Además asigna a cada empresa un/una tutor/a quien da soporte directo y ayuda a resolver las dudas cuales suelen surgir en situaciones concretas.
Con el formativo apoyo de Nex Pipe y con nuestra insistencia y continuidad hemos logrado encontrar un importador en Alemania, Bélgica e Inglaterra en solo un año. La introducción de una marca nueva como la nuestra en un mercado ajeno puede tardar hasta 3 años. Así aun tenemos mucho camino por recorrer y no todo depende de una subvención, aunque hubiera sido mucho más difícil sin ella, sino también de la gente que esta detrás de un proyecto o una causa cual puede tener éxito siempre si uno esta dispuesto de creer en ello.
Lolita Masip Vendrell, dueña de la bodega Montau de Sadurní, me hizo un viaje alegórico a su pasado recordando su inolvidable encuentro con una de las figuras mas emblemáticas del sigo XX: Salvador Dalí.
Solía veranear por la Costa Brava, un boyante Cadaques de los años 60, eterno lugar del reconocido pintor, brillaba con fuerza y esplendor. Ella tenía apenas 20 añitos cuando percibió la llamativa presencia del artista con el bigote más sugestivo de aquella época. Ocurrió de casualidad. Lolita acompañada por una amiga y por el padre de ella desfrutaba de la playa de La bahía de Portlligat, cuando el padre de su amiga se acerco a un hombre de expresión rimbombante casi enfático. Llevaba su larga melena y un traje veraniego folklórico. Aquel hombre era nadie menos que el famosísimo Dalí, se conocían del pueblo y después de intercambiar unas charlas sobre las últimas tendencias Dalí dejó que su conocido le hiciera una foto con su hija y la amiga de ella, Lolita. Así se originó la foto más famosa de la masia. Se encuentra en el restaurante Can Sadurní, recordándole a Lolita un tiempo más allá de un verano venturoso, imaginativo, y sobre todo surrealista.
Lolita Masip Vendrell, owner of Montau de Sadurní Winery, took me on an allegoric journey through her past, remembering her unforgettable encounter with one of the most emblematic figures of the XX century: Salvador Dalí.
She used to spend her summer holidays on the Costa Brava, a buoyant Cadaques in the 60’s, eternal home to the painter was shining with strain and splendour. She was only 20 years old when she perceived the eye-catching presence of the artist with the most suggestive moustache of that time. It happened by coincidence. Lolita, accompanied by a friend and her father, was enjoying the beach of La bahía de Portlligat when her friend’s father approached a man of ostentatious almost emphatic expression. His hair was long and he was wearing a folkloric summer dress. That man was no one less than the very famous Dalí, they knew each other from the village and after having a chat about the latest tendencies Dalí allowed his acquaintance to take a picture of him with his daughter and her friend Lolita. That is how the famous picture has originated. It stands in the restaurant Can Sadurni, and frequently reminds Lolita of a time beyond a fortunate, imaginative and above all surreal summer.
I would like to finalize the harvest episode of this year with pictures of a very special grape: The Syrah
Special because it is the first harvest of this variety that Montau has planted only three years ago. The Syrah, notorious for its ability to grow on different soils and in different climates, seemed to have adapted itself very well to the Garraf terroir and to the Mediterranean weather. It flourishes especially on poor soils and when given lots of sun; conditions that only strengthened the winemaker’s decision to go for the Syrah since the Penedes not only offers a poor but calcareous soil but above all the adequate Mediterranean temperature required from the Syrah to prosper.
Special because the Syrah used to be exclusive French and Australian patrimony before it started extending itself throughout the world and throughout Spain in the early 80’s. Thus there is a lot of speculation regarding its origin whether the northern Rhone region or the Iranian city of Shiraz can claim its derivation. Some legends romanticize its descent by creating myths of how the variety had been brought to France from Persia however these myths lack proper evidence as they primarily base themselves on the grape name’s orthography and etymology. There are numerous synonyms like Antourenein Noir, Balsamina, Candive, Entournerein, Hignin Noir, Marsanne Noir, Schiras, Sirac, Syra, Syrac, Serine, and Sereine that are actually used in various parts of the world.
Most researchers nonetheless argument in favour of the Syrah’s French origin due to the certain fact that the grape was the breed of the local French father grape Dureza and mother grape Mondeuse Blanche. Certain is as well the Syrah’s establishment in the Rhône vineyards of Tain l’Hermitage by the 13th century as well as its second great establishment in Australia in the 1860’s. Today it is the world’s 7th most grown variety being cultivated primarily in France and Australia but also in the rest of Europe and in the New World. Due to its massive extension it is impossible to generalize its flavour and its aroma that varies depending on the soil and climate it has grown on and with.
Generally speaking we can point out its dark almost black colour and its high acidity and high tannins whereas the rest depends on the climate. In warmer countries the Syrah develops sweeter aromas that remind of blackberry and liquorice while milder countries like France furnish the grape with rather spicier and darker aromatic characteristics.
Harvesting the Syrah at first sight we can affirm that the grape looked healthy and well; we obtained little quantity with an approximate alcohol volume of 12,5% which is not bad at all for a first harvest. We do have great expectations though and hope to accomplish a powerful flavour that reflects Montau’s and somehow Spain’s personal way of viticulture.
I will definitely come back on this topic and keep you updated about the results and about the vine caring until the next harvest. Until then enjoy some pictures of our Syrah taken a few days before the harvest.
August, September, October, the most important months for a winemaker and time of great expectations as to the outcome of a year’s work consisting of daily examination, surveillance, meticulous scrutiny and caring treatment.
We harvest a variety when it has reached its optimum state of ripening, namely when the concentration of sugar and acidity has found the balance and is at its best. Following certain parameters we first harvest sparkling wine grapes like Chardonnay, Xarel.lo and Parellada because we want to obtain lower sugar levels. Red wine grapes are usually harvested at last because they need more time to achieve complete maturation. Here too, we wait for the acidity level and the polifenoles, compounds that give the red grape its reddish colour, to reach full equilibration. After all everything depends on the weather, on the amount of rain in particular. Thus too much rain would certainly increase the quantity of the grapes but it would as well dilute them which means that the grapes would loose some of the aromas accumulated in their skins and that on the other hand would harm the quality of the wine.
A crucial decision is the harvest method which can be done mechanical or by hand. It’s hard to say whether the first or the latter is more adequate as there are pros and contras for both of them. Traditional hand harvesting surely grants better treatment as the picker collects only the mature fruits that are in best condition whereas the machine is unable to separate and collects everything the good and the bad grapes. Furthermore the grape suffers a lot of pressure and even runs the risk of oxidation which can cause that the grape juice comes out and produces an out of control fermentation. Consequently the wine would become sick. Hand harvesting guarantees better care and almost no pressure due to the fact that we collect in light plastic buckets that keep the grapes safe. However hand picking is time consuming and expensive for we have to employ more labour than we would need for mechanical harvesting.
We at Montau de Sadurní do the harvest both ways. We collect the Xarel.lo by hand, mainly due to the fact that the vineyards are too old and the machine would probably harm them. The rest is being harvested mechanically. Last week we picked the Xarel.lo, in more or less good weather conditions, with on and off rains. We obtained less quantity because we had a rainless summer but I can affirm that the result is much better than last year. The grapes are juicier and have accumulated more flavour and more aroma.
Too bad that the economic situation is as critical as it is at the moment; Catalunya still comprises 140.000 hectolitres surplus over a production of three million per year. A very paradox situation as this occurrence will provoke a mighty price reduction for a kilo of grapes that have never been as good as this year.
Hace dos semanas Alba Vidal periodista del XTVL Xarxa de Televisions Locals nos hizo una visita “sorpresa” cual finalizó con un mini reportaje en el cual Xavier Vendrell, director técnico de Montau de Sadurní, dió la palabra referente a las expectativas de la vendimia 2009. El programa llamado “La Setmana” se estrenó el día 21 de agosto en varios canales locales. XTVL amablemente nos dejó el disco para poder colgarlo en nuestra web.
Las uvas están madurando y las bodegas nos encontramos en la época más crucial del año La vendimia. Desde finales de agosto hasta el mes de octubre se cosecha las diferentes variedades. Una mas temprano que otra ya que todo depende de cuanto azúcar queremos que tenga. Buscamos el equilibrio entre azúcar y color; cortamos la chardonnay en cuando su piel es fina y la concentración de azúcar y de acidez la adecuada.
Tenemos buenas expectativas para esta añada gracias a unas condiciones climáticas óptimas; numerosas pero suaves lluvias durante el invierno con temperaturas más bien regulares. Una primavera soleada con suficiente humedad y un verano largo y seco. Factores que favorecen una maduración lenta y confeccionan que las aromas se acumulan en la piel de la uva lo que por ende se refleja en la calidad del vino.
Ayer vendimiamos la chardonnay porque su concentración de azúcar y su sustancia aromática acumulada en su piel esta en su punto mas equilibrado.
A cava after the viewing
Food & Wine Pairing
After effects
