The Wine Academy of Spain in London

29-Jan-09 - I first met Pancho Campo in 2005, when he invited me to speak at a conference in Marbella as part of a programme for the Wine Academy of Spain, which he had founded in 2003. My subject then was the wines of Málaga, and it gave me the opportunity to visit new and up-and-coming bodegas around the region, including some spectacular developments in the Sierras de Málaga, where they're making a new generation of red and white wines which are nothing like the great, sweet fortified classics. I was back there in May last year and saw how some of those new bodegas had grown and developed. In the meantime, Pancho has become the first Spanish MW, has also joined the Circle of Wine Writers (CWW), and the Academy has been conducting seminars in the US and all over Europe.

This particular one was in London at the International Wine and Spirit Centre (home of the WSET) in London. It was a two-day affair covering all the Spanish regions, and he asked me which one I'd like to cover. I chose Castilla y León, as for me it's one of the most exciting parts of Spain in terms of winemaking, with the six 'new' areas of Arlanza, Arribes, Benavente, León, Valtiendas and Zamora having joined the established Bierzo, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro and Cigales over the last few years. Indeed, I'm hosting a CWW trip to see 'The Alternative Castilla y León' during March, to have a look at the 'unknown' wine areas.

Castilla y León wine regions
(the red rings are the new areas - click to enlarge).
Map - Guía de Vinos Gourmets

On the day there were some 50 participants, ranging from MW students to interested members of the public, and Pancho recommended an approach at approximately Diploma level to meet everyone's requirements. In the event they were an enthusiastic bunch and asked some very challenging questions. We tasted wines from Ribera del Duero, Toro, Bierzo, Rueda and the white Altozano of González Byass, which is a Verdejo/Sauvignon mix but badged as VdlT Castilla y León. Probably the best wine was the 2005 Honoris de Valdubón, Ribera del Duero (Freixenet) although it was really too young to drink, and the best value was the 2004 Viña Bajoz Toro (about £8.49 over here), which was drinking splendidly and had all that Toro warmth, ripeness and fruit. Biggest disappointment was the Bierzo - 2005 Tercer Motivo of Bodegas Conde, which tasted as if it had been over-cropped. The Mencía grape does not perform well from young vines and needs low yields to give of its best. The only stockist I could find for the wine was a French wine merchant in Dijon, who's selling it at €4.20, which speaks volumes. I recommended that the students should try the excellent 2005 Martín Sarmiento (£8.54 from Waitrose), which is a very good entry-level example.

A keen bunch

It was a very pleasant experience speaking to such an enthusiastic group, and good to see some familiar faces at the WSET... AND, catching the train home in the early afternoon meant that I got a comfortable seat all the way home without having to pay extra to go in first class. And also I'd had a call in the morning to select the wines for a presentation I'm doing at Wine+ at Olympia next Tuesday (not a lot of notice, then) which occupied me for the rest of the afternoon and most of Friday morning. More on that next week.

¡Salúd! (that's Pancho on the left)

Heathrow Terminal 5

23-Jan-09 - No, it's all right, this isn't going to be yet another rant about the awfulness of airports in general and LHR in particular. Apart from the fiasco of its opening, people have told me that, miraculoso, somebody, somewhere, for once, has actually expended some thought on how to design an airport, rather than just creating a mega shopping mall surrounded by aircraft. I have yet to catch a flight from there so I don't know how much of a marathon race-walker you have to be to get to the gates, but I can tell you that getting to check-in is, well, you may find this hard to believe, relatively easy. I got the Heathrow Express from Paddington (£32 return for two 21-minute journeys! How do they get away with it?) To Terminal 5. It no longer goes to Terminal 4: you have to change at Heathrow Central and get the Heathrow Connect service instead.

But, once there, the lifts are barely 100 metres from the platforms, and they take you straight up to the check-in hall. I don't know if it was a quiet day but I saw no three-mile queues at the desks such as are commonplace at all the other terminals (and at LGW, Luton, Stansted, etc., etc.). I was joined by our photographer, Myburg, who has actually flown from T5, and he confirmed that it's a lot more civilised than the rest of the airport. We were met by Cat Jordan, who looks after the press department, and she took us first to the security office where we had to show our passports and have a further photograph taken for airside passes. Once done, she led us through those 'secret' doors to which only the staff have access. I don't know if you've ever been 'behind the scenes' at an airport, but all those glamorous shopfronts and sole-destroying marble floors give way to plain concrete and industrial cladding. At security we had to show our passes and our passports again, and then go through x-ray. Yes, I know, you've done it a million times. But this was different. After x-ray our bags were meticulously unpacked and every item within scrutinised and checked with a kind of probe tipped with a piece of cloth. Cat told us that staff who work airside have to go through this every day on their arrival (although it's a bit less complicated as their records are already on file), and that if she has to go landside (for example, to meet us) and then come back, she has to go through it all over again. In the meantime, two security staff were taking Myburg's cameras and lights apart, as well as my laptop bag. This latter is a raggedy old canvas bag I got free at Madrid-Fusión in 2005 so, after four years, it's a bit the worse for wear. I keep meaning to replace it but it's just the right size for the laptop, cables, notebook, pens etc. that I need to carry. Cat explained that the probe is looking for traces of explosives: the cloth swab is inserted into a machine which analyses the dust it's picked up (quite a lot in my bag) and then beeps if it finds anything. It beeped. Apparently bags and other things (particularly cameras) which have been all over the world inevitably pick up some dodgy dust, and this is what appeared to happen. I did get through, but only after the guard had looked through my business cards and notebook, scrutinised my spare batteries and opened my memory stick and laptop lid.

I asked why security here, on a booked visit with full accreditation and escorted by a member of staff, was so much more stringent than for ordinary passengers. She said that, because passengers have booked and paid, "we already know quite a lot about them". This is another piece of evidence for my theory that the government has a massive database with all of us on it. Remember when I lost my passport in France? I gave the border guard the passport number and it was obvious that everything about me immediately popped up on the screen in front of him. And another thing, while we're on the subject of passports. The replacement document (£72!) Came with an embedded microchip and a built-in aerial loop, presumably so that they can snoop on what's in there without even asking to see it. And what is in there? I don't know, and I have no means of finding out.

But back to T5. Once airside we were to visit Plane Food, the major restaurant in the terminal, and part of the Gordon Ramsay empire. It's a big, airy space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the tarmac, and so a plane-anorak's paradise. I interviewed Stuart Gillies, the chef, and his second in command Nathan Johnson about what it's like to cook in a restaurant which opens at 05:30 and closes at 21:30, seven days a week. There are certain challenges - passengers with only 20 minutes to spare, getting the right staff to fill the shifts - but somehow they make it all work. Myburg was photographing the food before I tasted it (the croque madame was spectacular) and if you want full details, the article will be published under the 'cooking in strange places' feature series in the April, 2009 issue of YES CHEF! Magazine.

Going back was actually slightly easier. No security, of course, and there were plenty of cabs at Paddington. The train back to Worthing was a sardine tin, as ever (four carriages for Littlehampton and four for Ore) so I once again had to sit in first class and pay the extra. It was rather disappointing as a week or so ago I discovered a 12-carriage train all the way to Littlehampton, but it may just have been a wild dream. Was home by 20:30, however, and getting stuck into a large one thereafter.

WSET Diploma at Plumpton

22-Jan-09 and 15-Jan-09 - My regular Spain and Portugal lectures at Plumpton College, and what a change: I was last there on the 16th July last year and parked next to the tumbledown 'farm shop' building as usual, squelching across the muddy tarmac to the new winery building. Six months later everything has been transformed. The old building has gone, to be replaced with car parking and a flower bed, and the lecture-room I use has been fitted out with individual tasting-stations with stainless-steel spittoons, running water and light-boards - the full professional kit.

I've been lecturing at Plumpton since the early 1990s and I've seen it go from being a rather muddy agricultural college with a winery the size of a garage to a smart, modern, state-of-the-art educational facility which is, according to Chris Foss, the head of wine studies, having to turn people away from the courses as there are simply too many applicants (Independent 21-Jan-09). Plumpton has been a college of the University of Brighton for the past few years, and offers the UK's only B.Sc. In wine studies, as well as all the courses provided by the WSET from Intermediate Certificate to Diploma.

Another change is the new Wine Business lecturer, Matthew Hudson, who expertly arranged everything from the wines to the laptops, leaving me to concentrate on the presentation. There were between 25 and 30 students (I can remember courses when there were only 7!) and they were really enthusiastic, asking intelligent questions and obviously determined to get the best out of the course. If this is the future of the wine trade then I think it's probably in good hands. And, as a lecturer, there are few greater pleasures than to walk into a wine-merchant and see one of your former students behind the counter.

Rioja at the White Horse

16-Jan-09 - To the annual 'Rioja pre-tasting' at the Sloaney Pony in Parson's Green, hosted by Natalie Potts and Lucy Richardson of Phipps PR, who have the generic Rioja account. Each year in January they bring together half a dozen Rioja enthusiasts to taste a range of wines - 167 this year - completely blind. This year's panel included Olly Smith, Patricia Langton, Susy Atkins and James Griswood, and we tasted half the wines each, even and odd numbers. It's always useful to get a broad overview of what's on the market and the range was tremendous, including a couple of excellent whites and quite a few blockbusting reservas. It should be a good year for Rioja if this tasting is anything to go by. When I have more details I'll post them here.

We then adjourned to the restaurant for a pub lunch (excellent bangers and mash, but then they always are at the Pony). I look forward to taking up residence there in April for the week of the DECANTER World Wine Awards, which are held just across the green at The Worx.

Interview with Herbert Berger

08-Jan-09 - 1, Lombard Street is not actually on Lombard street at all but on King William Street, which rather confused the taxi driver, who dropped me at the Gracechurch Street end. I finally had to ask the way and found the place - a former bank (what else?) with a huge vaulted ceiling, large informal brasserie and a more formal restaurant behind. The interview with Herbert Berger was really about his 40 years in the business (as of summer, 2008), his lifelong encouragement of young chefs, and his comments, at the time of his 40th anniversary, on TV 'celebrity' chefs. He didn't mince words. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph he's quoted as saying: "A number of high profile chefs are behaving like spoilt divas who have lost sight of why they began to cook in the first place. Their behaviour detracts terribly from what they should be doing: concentrating on giving value for money to their customers, preparing the best food and training and looking after the young chefs. Petulant children do not ordinarily make the best chefs." He is not alone in those sentiments.

We did have a long and civilised conversation about his life's work, the restaurant, how things are in the City given the current financial crisis, and what impact that is likely to have on the business. He was upbeat about the situation, and you can read the full story in the April 2009, issue of YES CHEF! Magazine, including a follow-up question about the loss of the restaurant's star in the 2009 Michelin guide. But a very nice man and an excellent lunch.

YES CHEF! Issue 8 is out

05-Jan-08 - Issue 8 is out today, and in the editor's letter I recall how there were those who said we wouldn't last three issues... Well, they do say that the best revenge is to succeed, and we've just completed our second full year. Issue 8 has a major feature with half a dozen gastropubs about whether they feel that the economic downturn might be a blessing in disguise, as customers 'trade down' from the more high-profile restaurants; an interview with Simon Hulstone of The Elephant in Torquay, who won Knorr Chef of the Year at the Restaurant Show in October last; and a look behind the scenes of TV's Market Kitchen. We revisit Lyon and look at its two-star restaurants, and this issue's ingredients (and recipes) are wild boar, scallops, and rice, the staple of half the world. You can subscribe with a credit card at the YES CHEF! website.

Simon Hulstone on the cover (above right)

Index to 2008 Posts

05-Jan-09 - As I started this blog in a couple of fallow weeks during August, 2008, the posts for Jan>Aug-08 are all in one large file, so I thought I'd include an index of what's there to make searching easier - please search on the dates for full information. If you're mentioned in any of the posts and you'd like to sponsor a link to your own website, please contact me at john@johnradford.com.

21-Jan-08 - Madrid Fusión
01-Feb-08 - Penedès for the Torres opening
12-Feb-08 - To Chile via Madrid with O. Fournier
15-Feb-08 - Argentina
11-Mar-08 - Barcelona for Alimentaria
17-Mar-08 - Lancashire and Lyon (Paul Bocuse)
25-Mar-08 - To Ribera del Duero for the Congreso
08-Apr-08 - To Lyon again (L'Auberge de l'Île)
11-Apr-08 - Bordeaux for the Challenge International du Vin (with video)
13-Apr-08 - London for the Livre Gourmand Awards (won!)
14-Apr-08 - London for L'Ambassade de l'Île, evening at Food, Worthing
15-Apr-08 - Málaga and Ronda (Winecreator conference)
21-Apr-08 - London for the DECANTER World Wine Awards
29-Apr-08 - Stratford-upon-Avon for the Midlands Wine & Spirit Association
03-May-08 - Dinner in Horsham, lunch at Hammerpot
05-May-08 - Birthday open-day at Splash FM
16-May-08 - Gatwick horrors, Nice>St.-Tropez for Michel Roux
21-May-08 - Excel horrors, London Wine Trade Fair
22-May-08 - To Seville for TopWineSpain
24-May-08 - To Barcelona for a presentation, then train horrors, Seville>Jerez for Vinoble
01-Jun-08 - To Empordà via Barcelona for another presentation
03-Jun-08 - To Oporto>Lisbon for a feature on Portuguese food and wine
10-Jun-08 - To Edinburgh for Vinos de Madrid, then London for the OLN tasting
16-Jun-08 - To Logroño via Bilbao for a presentation on Rioja, plus private visits
21-Jun-08 - Annual Caer Gwent strawberry tea
26-Jun-08 - Ribera del Duero tasting at DECANTER (with video)
15-Jul-08 - Plumpton college, Findon Probus
29-Jul-08 - Lyon again for wedding anniversary (Paul Bocuse)
04-Aug-08 - Booze cruise to Dieppe
12-Aug-08 - Lunch at l'Ambassade de l'Île in London
26-Aug-08 - To Reus>Montsant>Rioja for consultancy clients
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04-Sep-08 - Madrid>Tordesillas>Oporto for the François Lurton opening
05-Sep-08 - Eton and The Waterside Inn for YES CHEF!
20-Sep-08 - Hastings Wine and Seafood Festival
22-Sep-08 - Buckingham for YES CHEF!
23-Sep-08 - To Bordeaux for Cognac day 1
24-Sep-08 - Cognac day 2
25-Sep-08 - Cognac day 3
26-Sep-08 - Cognac day 4
28/29-Sep-08 - To Bristol for a presentation on Montilla PX
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05-Oct-08 - Jeremy Watson's 70th at the Royal Overseas League
07-Oct-08 - The Restaurant Show and Knorr Chef of the Year dinner in London
08-Oct-08 - Judging the preliminary round of the Rotary Young Chef, Durrington
09-Oct-08 - Asturias week in London
14-Oct-08 - Douro wines in Brighton, Spanish Embassy reception
17-Oct-08 - Bolney Wine Estate
18-Oct-08 - Judging the National Town Criers Championships, Hastings
21-Oct-08 - Rueda tasting, London
23-Oct-08 - Lunch at Pintxo People, Brighton
24-Oct-08 - An unexpected mention!
29-Oct-08 - Magnificent Madeira and Sparkling Vodka in London
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06-Nov-08 - Weird wines and Strange Spirits
11-Nov-08 - The new Chivite Pago wines at Galvin's Bistrot
12-13-Nov-08 - Rioja 2004 tasting at DECANTER
19-Nov-08 - Hand and Flowers in Marlow for YES CHEF!
19-Nov-08 - Giving up smoking: a strange story
20-Nov-08 - Lunch with Grana Padano at the Intercontinental, London
22-Nov-08 - DECANTER Fine Wine Encounter
24-Nov-08 - Last night at The Eversley - 1
25-Nov-08 - Homage to Catalonia tasting, London
26-Nov-08 - Valencia tasting, London
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01-Dec-08 - An unusual birthday card
04-Dec-08 - Mad dash to Montreuil for a potato tasting, and a lost passport
07-Dec-08 - Memories of Roussillon (with video)
24-Dec-08 - Alicante tasting, and It's That Time of Year Again
29-Dec-08 - Christmas at The Eversley
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