News of NorthWestIberiaWineTours

Zamora Toro and Sayago wine regions

Zamora, Toro and Sayago wine regions

Wine regions     Zamora The ancient town of Zamora, just 1.5h north of Madrid by train, means different things to different people. For lovers of History and architecture, it boasts the largest collection of Romanesque churches in Spain. Leaping forward eight or nine centuries, many of the buildings in the historic quarter are lovely examples of…

Silice Viticultores Sober Ribeira Sacra Galicia Spain

Kicking up Roman roof tiles in a vineyard

Sílice Viticultores Sober, Ribeira Sacra, Galicia, Spain   In a world (Galicia) where some establishments still insist on foisting heavily oaked rioja on you, it comes as a very pleasant surprise when more and more clued in bar and restaurant owners stock vigneron wines from the Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras, Monterrei and Rías Baixas regions. An…

In pursuit of Shad, both Allis and Twait

The River Miño/Minho has long attracted gourmands from all over Spain, mainly during the first quarter of the year for sea lamprey and elvers which are on their annual ‘run’ upstream at this time. One other migratory species that shows up on the gourmand’s radar is the Allis Shad (Alosa Alosa). The Allis Shad and…

ATLANTIC AMBASSADOR

Atlantic Ambassador

With a name that’s guaranteed to raise a titter among Galician and Portuguese speakers, Fai un Sol de Carallo 2013 is the latest high end D.O. Ribeiro to seduce punctilious palates across the Atlantic, achieving an impressive 93 points in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Galicia, in Spain’s verdant misty north west is definitely not the…

Roxóns – Pressed Pork

Chicharrones, roxóns, roxós, roxois, rinxóns or rinchóns, all different names for the same thing depending on the area, are the fatty, lower quality cuts of pork cut into chunks and gently boiled down till you get a shredded sort of texture. They are a typical and much loved tapa in the northern part of Galicia.…