Glühwein / Mulled wine

Glühwein...

You may have not heard about that, but if we talk about Mulled Wine, everything changes.

The first time I tried mulled wine was in Austria, I remember it perfectly. It was a winter afternoon, it was very cold, several Erasmus students were going out to have dinner, but first, we wanted to test this typical winter drink. We headed to one of the terraces on Landstrasse and finally tried Glühwein.

It is a hot drink, we just need red wine, sugar, lemon or orange, clove and cinnamon.

First, red wine is heated and sugar is added in moderation. Next, we will add the lemon slices, cloves and cinnamon and stir without allowing it to boil. Once it is rested, it is ready to drink.

It has a strong flavor, which we are not used, trying it does not leave anyone indifferent.

Soraya Meinema

Architecture and wine

The wine is undoubtedly linked to the architecture and the places where it has been made.

In La Rioja, the "lagares ruprestres" were the first constructions made of stone, carved outdoors where the grapes were stepped on and then the wine was obtained.

Later, cellars were built under houses or in areas where they were concentrated in small neighborhoods.

They come in different sizes, small but very deep and joined together as are the cellars that are in the town of San Asensio or Rodezno, and on the other hand would have broader cellars as wineries of El Barrio de la Estación in Haro .

López de Heredia Winery, Haro

RODA Winery, Haro

Lecea Winery, San Asensio

Former Paternina, Conde de los Andes, Winery, Ollauri

From ancient cellars to modern wineries, as we saw in the last post of Bodegas Baigorri, but there are many others, this constructions make the architecture the first motivation for tourists to visit this places.

Two prominent examples are Bodegas Ysios and Bodegas Marqués de Riscal, this one known for its spectacular hotel.

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Arrope

After a few posts, I think it is necessary to explain you what is the Arrope, and how to prepare it, as it is the name of this blog.

The arrope was prepared many, many years ago, it was very traditional in several Spanish regions, especially in wine regions.

Recipe:

The must has to boil in a pot, during this process, foam is produced and it has to be removed. It is ready when the must is thick enough ( the must will lose part of the liquid during this process). To find the ideal thicken, as my grandmother says, we have to put a little bit of arrope in a plate, and move it, if it doesn´t move sideways, it is ready. It is usually eaten with bread.

Another thing similar to arrope is mostillo, it is the same process, and when it´s almost ready, nuts are added, after it has to boil a little bit and it is ready.

Then you only have to bottle it!!

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From the bottle to the glass...

From the bottle to the glass ...

What is the best way to keep wine in good conditions?
There are many types of corkscrews ... What is the best one?
Once I open the bottle...  should I decant it? 
Once you open a bottle ... How can I keep it in good conditions for the next day?

All of these are questions that everyone has, and that in today's post I will try to solve.

• I have a bottle of wine, how do I keep it good conditions?

Most of us do not have a wine bar in which we can control the temperature and other conditions to keep wine in good conditions. For this reason, we would have to follow the next conditions to keep the wine in the best conditions.

-The Temperature must be constant
-The Ideal humidity is around 65-80%
- Light should not be given directly to the bottles
- Wine must be in contact with the cork, so that the bottle must be horizontal

• It's time to uncork the bottle

There are different types of corkscrews, the first time  we uncork a bottle will be difficult, but after that, with some experiene we will improve and we will see what kind of corkscrew is more comfortable for us.

• Serve wine

If we have aged wines, it is advisable to open the bottle at least 1 hour before and decant it, so the wine can breathe, and decant the bottle remove the precipitates that may arise.

• Keep wine in good conditions

To keep wine in good conditions, so it won´t lose its properties from one day to another, you need burping. There are various and different brands, but the one we see next is easy to use and very useful. Simply putting the cap and absorbing the air until there is no more, we can keep the wine.

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Wine temperature & types of bottles

Another issue related to wine, and it certainly can magnify or destroy a wine is the temperature.

Not all wines must be served at the same temperature, but what they do have in common is that to keep them at home, we have to do it in a place where the temperature is constant throughout the year and the light or other elements can not damage the wine.

Temperatures:
- White wines: between 6 to 8 degrees
- Young white wines: 8 degrees
- White wines with aging: between 10 and 12 degrees
- Rosé wines: between 6 to 8 degrees
- Young red wines: between 12 and 14 degrees
- Red wines with body: between 14 and 16 degrees
- Red wines with aging: between 18 and 20 degrees

What is known as "normal temperature" for red wines doesn´t work, because that temperature can vary from one moment to another moment.

Another issue related to wine, is the terminology of the different capacities of the bottles, we can see a picture with different names for each bottle:

 

Source: http://elcuriosodelvino.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/las-botellas-de-vino-sus-nombres-y.html

Wine world, is much more that what we can imagine it is.

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Wine benefits

Is it good to drink wine?

Like everything, nothing is good in excess, so does the wine.

Many doctors and specialists recommend drinking at least one glass of wine at every meal, but what are their benefits?

1. It is a protector against heart disease

2. It is a natural antioxidant

3. Improves blood circulation to the brain

4. Decreases the chances to have varicose veins and hemorrhoids 

5. It is recommended to drink it with meat, as it helps to digest 

proteins

6. Helps fighting agaisnt cavities , gingivitis and sore throat (According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)

And we could go on listing the advantages of wine.

The most important thing, drink it in moderation and with good company .

Soraya

La Rioja Alta, heart of Rioja

One of the most famous and enigmatic areas of Rioja is La Rioja Alta. This area goes from Logroño, capital of La Rioja, to Haro, close the region of Álava, in the south reaches the town of San Millan de la Cogolla (where the monasteries of Suso and Yuso are located; world heritage sites and the place where the first words in Spanish were written).

Fuente: http://www.amigosdelarioja.com/tierra_riojana/index_riojaalta.htm

Cities full of history, culture, life and especially vineyards and wineries, many of them are from the 19th century and even older.

Vineyards located in San Asensio (La Rioja Alta)

All the cities and villages deserve to be named and admired, but first I will start with Haro, capital of La Rioja Alta, and very well-known worldwide. The town of Haro was founded in the tenth century; after several historical disputes, in the late nineteenth century, Queen Maria Cristina awarded Haro with the title of "city"; after this the "Teatro El Breton de los Herreros", the Bullring and Wine Research Centre were created. 

In the mid-nineteenth century the disease phylloxera arrived in France, damaging its vineyards and forcing their owners to move to other areas looking for better vineyards. Thus the French arrived in the area of Rioja. This moment marked the history of Rioja; progress and improvements to produce wines recognized worldwide. From this moment, the production and marketing were improved, using the train as a mode of distribution; that is the reason why we find the "Haro Station District", home of the largest concentration of ancient cellars in Europe.

Photo of the city of Haro from the Haro Station District

A lot of wineries are located in the city of Haro, the most well-known are: Bodegas Bilbaínas, Bodegas CVNE (Compañía vinícola del norte de España), Bodeas Carlos Serres, Bodegas Federico Paternina, Bodegas Gómez Cruzado, Bodegas La Rioja Alta, Bodegas López de Heredia, Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta, Bodegas Ramón Bilbao and Bodegas RODA.

In the next posts we will know more about this amazing wineries.

Soraya