Alimentaria - Day 1

23/24-Mar-10 - Another day, another airport: this time it's off to Barcelona for the Intervin division of Alimentaria where I was giving interviews and doing a presentation on 'Improving International Communication about Spanish Wines'. In deference to my creaking joints I now routinely ask for a lift on the milk-float to the gate, and they very obligingly picked me up from the Lindfield Lounge. Such was the level of service that I began to feel that I might actually start enjoying flying again - it's all a matter of getting organised in advance. Join Priority Pass, use the lounge, book Special Assistance on check-in and it all runs like clockwork. The flight was packed but it's only about two hours, and I managed to get a couple of large ones to help pass the time. People complain about Easyjet but I've always found the on-board staff to be excellent. The drinks aren't cheap but then, the air-fare is, so I don't complain.

My hosts for the trip were A Taste of Spain, who had arranged a series of tastings and seminars over the period of the fair. They had very generously put me up at the Hotel Condes de Barcelona in the Passeig de Gràcia which is, of course, one of the poshest areas of the city and with some of its most spectacular architecture. That evening I'd arranged to meet a former client, Bobby Lim, who is an importer from Singapore, for dinner and he wanted to go to Cal Pep, which is a very trendy place on the edge of the old town. Unfortunately it turned out to packed, with people spilling out on to the street, so Bobby had established himself at a tapas bar across the road. We sat outside (in March!) and had a very pleasant evening with excellent tapas and a bottle of Álvaro Palacios's Petalos de Bierzo, which was simply sublime (and only €25 on the table!).

Next morning it was off to the Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía, which is the newer part of the city's exhibition complex, and appears to be several miles long. There's an elevated walkway which crosses its eight aircraft-hangar-sized pavilions but which is well-supplied with benches to pause for breath along the way. Here's a piece of anorak information: at the top of the escalators inside the main entrance, walking towards the pavilions, there's an unmarked door on your right. Behind that door is a catwalk which leads up on to the roof, where there are two helicopter landing pads (see 01-Feb-08: this is where we flew from in a fleet of helicopters to see the Torres vineyards from the air). Not many people know that.

The Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía. To the right of the wiggly-woggly entrance area you can (just) see the helicopter pads (click to enlarge). If you can't, then search Google Maps (satellite view) at Carrer de les Ciències, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). The red tower in the foreground is the new Porta Fira Hotel, designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, and predictably panned by all other architects ("I could have done it better..."). Pic.: Fira de Barcelona

Fortunately the centre is also well-supplied with lifts and escalators so I reached my destination well on time to meet Marta and Fátima, who were my hosts. Having had a quick look around and met some old chums I joined one of the tastings, conducted by Roger Viusà, who is the sommelier at the splendidly-named Restaurant Moo at the Hotel Omm (which is also on the Passeig de Gràcia) and who won best sommelier in Europe in 2007 and was runner-up to the best in the world in 2008. He was presenting wines which he recommends with some of the classic dishes served at Moo, and although we didn't get to taste the food he did show us the recipes and explained the decision-making process which guides the sommelier to the right choice. We did, however, get to taste the wines:

Marfíl Generós Sec, Solera 1976, DO Alella, made from Xarel·lo (known thereabouts as Pansà Blanca). I had arrived slightly late and tasted this one blind, and I had it pegged as a good old dry Amontillado from Jerez, whereas it's one of the traditional rancio wines of the east coast - big, nutty aromas, a long, 'dark' finish and bone dry - truly excellent 18/20. It sells for about €28 (50cl) in Spain.

2007 Masia Carreras, Martí Fabra, DO Empordà, made from Cariñena blanca. This looked interesting but the bottle served at our table was slightly corky so I didn't mark it. It sells at €14.50 in Spain.

2008 Taleia, Castell d'Encús, DO Costers del Segre, a Sauvignon/Sémillon mix, part barrel-fermented. It had the characteristic 'white-Bordeaux-style' aromas but with lovely fresh, clean Mediterranean fruit on the palate, and a delicious finish - 16/20. It sells at €17.50 in Spain.

1999 Torcas Merlot, Viña Magaña, DO Navarra. In some vintages this also has Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec, but the nose here offered a great, big 'Rowntrees Fruit Gum' concentration of blackcurrant fruit (I wrote 'delicious!' before even tasting it). On the palate: lovely ripe, mature fruit with musky oak and a long finish - 17/20. It sells at €24.90 in Spain.

1995 Quinta do Noval Colheita. Nice to see a decent Port being served by a sommelier as a food accompaniment: warm, delicately nutty nose, big spice and still quite a bit of tannin on the mid-palate, remarkably fresh for a '95 colheita - 17/20. Sells in the UK for £34.99 a bottle.

I made a mental note to go to Moo next time I'm in town and have some free time to see how they really go with the food.

And, speaking of food, there was a special Ibérico con Compaña restaurant showcasing Spanish foods to match with the wines, such as Ibérico de Bellota ham with coca bread, salad with Ibérico de Bellota cured loin and goat cheese, Ibérico sirloin medallion with apple compote and, well... You get the idea. Marta guided me around the self-service counter and the idea was to choose three items - something hot, something cold, something else, and match it with a selection of wines and olive oils. I'm not sure if you were allowed to go round a second time but after the first I had done very well. A million fabulous combinations were available, but I had work to do, stands to visit, wines to taste...

That night I didn't venture out of the hotel (my feet seemed to have become separated from my legs after going round the exhibition) so opted for a room-service steak sandwich, rather beguilingly served in a toasted pitta and with a 'sardine tin' of baby chips, and a bottle of Conde de Valdemar Crianza - an excellent way to end the day.

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