El Chocolatero

El chocolatero

Crtra. Burgos-Logroño 14

Castildelgado, Burgos

This is a place plenty of lorry drivers. They provide a fixed price menu for 12.5 EUR that offers a reasonably good quality-price ratio.

patatas con chorizo

menestra de verduras

paella

cordero guisado

calamares en su tinta

mandarinas

tarta helada

Gramona vi de gel Gewürzrtaminer

Vi de Gel Gewürzrtaminer

Gramona

In my opinion, the most amazing fact of this outstanding wine is the texture in your tongue. "cristal texture" extremely good. the unique drawback of this wine is the bottle size (in fact it is half size of a "normal" bottle) and the high price (around 15 EUR). They also produce vi de gel with Riesling grape but I think that this one is better.
According to the the producer, the sensorial analysis is the following:

• Sight: light yellow with yellow-greenish tones.
• Nose: Citric and exotic fruit notes, lichens, loquats, apricot. Delicate floral perfume, fennel and rosewater that
will evolve toward the hydrocarbon nuances typical of the variety.
• Taste: As a sweet wine, it stands out for its major fluidity with a surprisingly well-integrated sharpness. A silky, unctuous and meaty glycerine taste, with a marked fruit presence. This harmony makes it highly drinkable

Taking his inspiration from the Eiswein (ice wines), made by the freezing of grapes on the vine, later cold pressing and fermentation at low temperatures, Jaume Gramona sought to produce
wine of similar characteristics with grapes from a vineyard where it does not freeze during the harvest months.
Following a late harvest, the only natural way to concentrate this must even further is by its partial freezing, which enables full oenological control of the process: supraextraction and cryoextraction in a cold chamber. To do so, a yeast with an accentuated plasmolysis effect, especially selected by the University of Bordeaux, is used. The result is a highly concentrated, fruited wine that is at once sweet and tart, endowing it with fluidity and character, aging capacity and fascinating possibilities for in-bottle evolution.

San Domingo

San Domingo

Gonzalez Byass

http://www.gonzalezbyass.com/

I think that it is more difficult to produce a good white sweet wine than a red one. This one is around 7 EUR. Although I have really enjoyed this sherry in the past, nowadays, I feel that Muscat de rivesaltes is much better.
On the other hand, the bottle design was also nicer in the past.

Almendra tostada hijos de Mariano Zanuy

Hijos de Mariano Zanuy

This is a tribute to an outstanding company that produced, mainly, very high quality toasted almonds. Unfortunately the company was sold to a new owner and now they are more focused on tex-mex products. Nevertheless they keep on the original name Zanuy. On the other hand, they are not any more in Tamarit de Llitera. Below you fill find several snapshots of a beautiful metallic can, modernist design. You can even found older designs from the 30's that are sold as collectors item.

Malvasia Cavicchioli 1928

Malvasia Cavicchioli 1928

http://www.cavicchioli.it/

This is a nice, cheap and easy-to-drink sparkling wine from Italy. Nevertheless, I prefer moscato di Asti. According to Robert parker its score is 85.

Mostra de vi novell i cuina del bolet 28-29-30 de Novembre 2008

Mostra de vi novell i cuina del bolet 28-29-30 de Novembre 2008

Argentona, Barcelona

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this event...
Fortunately, I will be in Valladolid during these days...

Les Ginesteres (3)

Les Ginesteres

urbanització "Les Ginesteres". Argentona (Barcelona)

I have gone again to this outstanding place for mushroom lovers, Les Ginesteres.
You will find more details in my previous posts:
http://dalpescatore.blogspot.com/2008/10/les-ginesteres-argentona-barcelona-12.html
http://dalpescatore.blogspot.com/2008/10/les-ginesteres-argentona-barcelona-22.html

This time, I will just put some nice photos of other dishes. We were fully satisfied. Worth to visit it!

duck with foie
beef with mushrooms

baby ribs

cod with mushrooms

homemade icecream with "yema quemada"

Can gavatxo wine tasting 20/11/2008

wine tasting at Can Gavatxo
C/ San Lluis 35, Barcelona

http://www.cangavatxo.com/

This is the report of a very nice wine testing hold at Can Gavatxo. It has really been a great experience. I received much more than expected. It is true that it was not a professional tasting with detailed explanations, a new glass for each wine, and so on, but all this paraphernalia was not necessary. The owner is a very good guide!
For 12 EUR we tasted:
* Champagne Fay Berjot
* white wine chateau Haut Gardere 1998
* Red wine le chemin des murettes 2007 (DO Cotes du Rhone)
* Red wine Chateau Caruel 2002 (DO Bordeaux)
* Red wine Chateau Lauriol 2003 (DO Bordeaux)
* Red wine Chateau Jamin 2005 (DO Bordeaux)
In addition, he provided a large amount of assorted meals (see the last photo).
Definitely: we received much more than we paid. I m looking forward to a new event on this outstanding place!

Champagne was OK, but I am not very keen on sparkling wines (the unique exception to this rule is moscato d'asti)


White wine was quite strong (honey and smoked flavor). It was not the usual white wine.

The first red one was, by large, my favourite one. A young red wine from Cotes du Rhone. Surprisingly, according to my criterion, it beats the tasted Bordeaux wines!

le chemin des murettes received a gold medal in a competition in Orange (France):

I think that the next one was too old, the wine was almost died!

Reasonable one:

Again, a very good wine. This was the favourite of almost everybody:

The outstanding meals

the shop offers a large and good selection of french products. Worth to visit it!

Solera 1847

Solera 1847

Gonzalez Byass

This is an excellent quality/price ratio sherry. If you do not feel comfortable with the outstanding Pedro Ximenez, you can try this one. Less amount of sugar, less density, but it also has a great and rich taste. In fact it contains a 25% of Pedro Ximenez grape.
I paid 5.1 EUR for one bottle, which is almost the same than I paid for Meus Amores. Definitely this is much better option.

vino de licor Meus Amores

Vino de licor Meus Amores

This is a typical wine for "tarta de santiago" at galician restaurants. It is also reasonable with turron de Jijona. Definitely, with almonds. Anyway, if you try to drink it alone like sherry, you will feel that it is quite rude. In my opinion you can buy better products for their price (See the next post. In my case I paid 4.7EUR for a bottle of Meus Amores)

Fontvella sensación Té Rooibos

Fontvella sensación

Té Rooibos

Several days ago I received a sample of Fontvella sensación Te Rooibos. Mainly it is water with some aromatic substances. In my opinion it reminds apple juice, a little bit acid. Not bad at all.
Anyway, the keypoint is: what hells is Rooibos? It is a kind of tea originary from Aphrica. It seems that it is becoming quite fashion now. You will find more info here

Antic celler d'en Marc

Antic Celler d' en Marc

Muralla de Sant Llorenç, 14 bis, Mataró, , Barcelona

This is a special place, where you can take a reasonable fixed price menu (9.8+VAT) without suffering other customers close to your table.

Museum reserva, DO Cigales

Museum Reserva

http://www.bodegasmuseum.com/

This is one of my favorite wines. Excellent quality/price ratio. In a blind wine tasting at home it was the winner. Worth to taste it! although it is slightly close to Rioja wine (more aromatic than classic Valladolid wines) I think that you will be fully satisfied.