From whirlwind vineyard tours to sampling Spanish delicacies, here’s a recap of Barteca’s October 2014 trip to Spain led by Wine and Spirits Director Gretchen Thomas and Culinary Director Adam Halberg!
Day 1: Madrid
La Ardosa is home to the best tortilla ever. “One of two styles I’ve encountered. Simple and rustic with a few ingredients that combines to make something terrific. The tortilla at La Ardosa was a perfect example.” Brandon, GM in Barcelona Fairfield.
Sala de Despiece is a new favorite place in Madrid. The restaurant is like dining inside a butchery, with creative and delicate tapas. Beef carpaccio with truffles, salt, and tomato pulp, wrapped it into a little bit size pocket, table side.
Day 2: Bodegas Mauro
Their private collection cellar, with Export Director Matthew Roberts giving us the tour.
Matt (who missed the Liverpool vs. Madrid game to come out for gin and tonics) with Andrea.
Day 3: San Esteban
Emery, Andrea, and Gretchen enjoying a glass of wine and the view with the winemaker, German Blanco.
The Barcelona gang having dinner and being serenaded with the owners of San Esteban. These gentlemen have all known each other since childhood, when they were part of a regional music group of talented youth that traveled the country singing regional and national music. Now, they all have their own careers (surgeons, lawyers, etc) but have returned love of their small home village by creating San Esteban, a project to reclaim land that was once all covered in vineyards, and later devastated by economic failure, and turned into pine forests for the paper industry. They have re-planted about ten acres of land and have plans to expand. They hired German as the winemaker and main viticulturist, who is famous in the area for his micro winery, Quinta Milu. Barcelona started importing their wines 3 years ago, and we were their first customer outside of Spain! They love us, and always show us a gracious, and raucous good time.
“This is what I Sundays to be at Barcelona; everyone sharing bottles and food and singing!” Emery, Manager in Barcelona West Hartford
Day 4: Palacio de Fefinanes
A tour and tasting of the iconic winery followed by a delicious seafood lunch.
Day 5: La Boella and Barcelona Tapas Tour
A tasting of their olive oils offerings – this one pictured is the unfiltered.
Xix Bar, the oldest gin bar in Barcelona, and one of our favorites for a world class gin and tonic. On the Bar is a spread of their house-infused gins like cardamom and hibiscus!
Day 6: Barcelona
Final lunch at local chef hangout Paco Meralgo.
