During my trip to Rias Baixas, Spain, our gaggle of journalists spent an evening in the dining room of Chef José González-Solla, owner of Casa Solla in Pontevedra. We were in for a delightful interpretation of Galician cuisine, many of which came with a variety of textures, flavors and colors. After dinner I sat down with the chef to talk about his food philosophy and the way he plays with his food. You can see the photos of our various courses below.

www.restaurantesolla.com

Two exciting announcements this week: Our new Knife Skills 101 course is live in our new CMN Academy, so learn the correct techniques (along with some tips) from Chef Mark. We’ve also added Brian Franklin’s DoubleShot Coffee Company coffees to our Gilded Fork Boutique, so oh my, yes, get to sipping.

And in the world of rants, I share my thoughts on the latest piece of inane legislature to be introduced: A ban on salt. You read that correctly.

Music: Beau Hall (www.beaurocks.com), Kevin MacLeod (www.incompetech.com)

Food Philosophy is a production of the Culinary Media Network
(www.culinarymedianetwork.com)

Photos from our dinner:

“Gin & Tonic” and Olive chips with anchovy paste

Tomato confit with parmesan foam

Potato foam over a roasted onion

Navaja (razorneck clam) with lemon cream

Croqueta cream with shrimp

Caballa (mackerel) in sea salt

Mero en escabeche (grouper in escabeche)

Squab (pigeon) on cornbread crumble with spinach

“Queso de País” cow’s milk cheese

Accompaniments for the cheese course

Almonds four ways (cake, ice cream, cream, toasted/crushed)

Chocolate & strawberries

During my trip to Rias Baixas, I snuck into the kitchen with Chef José González-Solla, owner of Casa Solla in Pontevedra, to watch him prepare our main course. This chef likes to play with his food, and he treated us to an inspirational twist on traditional Galician flavors.

You can also listen to my interview with Chef Gonzalez-Solla on the next Food Philosophy audio podcast. He is a delightfully sweet human being, and we had such fun as we talked about playing with our food!

www.restaurantesolla.com

A production of the Culinary Media Network.
www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Travel & accommodations provided by Wines from Spain and the Rias Baixas wine region.

On our visit to the Condado do Tea region of Rias Baixas, we spent the afternoon with renowned winemaker Cristina Mantilla (right), who showed us around the beautiful Pazo San Mauro vineyard before taking us inside for a tasting.

Pazo San Mauro Winery:
http://www.marquesdevargas.com/
Wines from Spain:
http://www.winesfromspain.com

We also got a wonderful lesson in wine, color and flavor from wine expert Marnie Old, whom Jennifer would like to bring with her on every wine tour from now on. She explains wine in a way that is so completely accessible and intelligent, it was like having a personal tutor along with for the trip.

You can find all of her content, including book and how-tos, at http://www.marnieold.com/.

Disclosure: This wine tour was sponsored by Wines from Spain and the Rias Baixas wine region.

My tasting tour of Rias Baixas led to a wonderful discovery: The female winemakers in this region have made an indelible impression upon the quality of the wines and the respect Albariño grapes have earned internationally.

I spent an afternoon at Pazo de Señoráns with Marisol Bueno, one of the founders of the Albariño D.O., along with her daughter Vicky and their team to learn the history behind the creation of the appellation. Like many of the smaller wine regions around the world, Marisol wanted to showcase the grapes inherent to Rias Baixas, taking advantage of the terroir of Galicia and its unique qualities to craft what has become one of my favorite wines.

Winemakers often become philosophical about the “struggle of the grapes” and how it lends character to their flavor profile. In Galicia the grapes do indeed face difficult conditions, as the climate is consistently moist, presenting the ever-present danger of mildew. Albariño grapes must be coaxed to grow in a manner that enables sunlight to penetrate the vines and keep them dry, which winery manager Javier Izurieta Romero explains in detail in the following video.

Note: This wine tour was sponsored by Wines from Spain and the Rias Baixas wine region.

This summer I was invited by Wines from Spain and the Rias Baixas wine region to explore their viniferous offerings. I came away from the trip with a lot of new thoughts on white wines, as they hadn’t held much excitement for me — until I discovered why. A big part of enjoying wine comes from finding out what you like, the reasons you like it, and building from the flavor notes that attract your senses, so much was revealed to me in the span of this tour. With 3 winery visits a day for the better part of a week, I really got to know the nuances of Albarino grapes and Rias Baixas winemaking, so I now feel more empowered and knowledgeable in my search for the flavors that awaken my palate. I hope my findings will help you to discover the sparks that awaken your own.

During my trip I toured the 4 sub-regions of Rias Baixas exploring both large and small winemakers, including Pazo de Señoráns, the winery of the D.O.’s founder, Marisol Bueno. The region is known for the fortitude of its female winemakers, which I have to admit, made me smile.

I’ll be releasing a series of videos and stories about the region, but for now here’s a little taste of my arrival in Santiago de Compostela, a site of pilgrimage for many Catholics. You might hear a sound that is quite unexpected coming from Spain. (Please pardon the video quality — been working out bugs with the conversions.)

A production of the Culinary Media Network (www.culinarymedianetwork.com).

Full disclosure: Travel and accommodations for this trip were provided by Wines from Spain. Any opinions expressed, however, are my own.

I am off on another exciting food and wine adventure, this time for my first visit to Spain! Interestingly, I’m visiting what some might consider to be the most atypical region of the country, Galicia, to explore the wines of Rias Baixas.

When one thinks of Spain, one immediately thinks of red wine and paella; however, Rias Baixas is most well-known for its signature grape, Albariño (al-ba-REEN-yo). A protected varietal, Albariño is the only DO (Denomination of Origin) white wine in Spain, and wines labeled as such must be made with 100% Albariño grapes. Known for flavor profiles of honeysuckle, citrus, pear, melon, and even bright green apple, these wines have grown on me over the years, and I now find them to be a refreshing summer favorite.

Galicia is situated on the Atlantic coast of Spain, just above Portugal. The region was settled by Celts in the 11th Century BC, so it is not unusual to hear bagpipes in a ceremony or two, as one can see a very strong Irish influence in the local culture. (Last year at NYC’s Rias Baixas celebration, the wines were, in fact, piped into the room.) The cathedral at Santiago del Compostela in Galicia’s capital is well-known to Catholics, as it is the final destination of a pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago, which begins in Germany and winds its way through Italy and France, ending in Compostela. I do hope said pilgrims take the time to savor a glass or two at the end of such a long journey.

Given the region’s coastal location, Albariño wines are perfectly paired with seafood, so I’m looking forward to exploring the freshest of the ocean’s offerings, particularly given the time of year. We’ll be visiting a number of sub-zones, including Val do Salnés, O Rosal and Condado do Tea, with visits to the vineyards and fish markets, so this trip should provide much fodder for summer cooking creativity. Best of all, we’ll be staying in paradors, which are castles and other ancient buildings that have been converted to hotels. The first, Parador Hostal Reyes Católicos, is considered to be the world’s oldest hotel, and the second, Parador de Pontevedra – Casa del Baron, is the former residence of the Counts of Maceda. (This is my kind of traveling, ladies and gentlemen.)

Along with our hosts from Wines from Spain and Wines of Rias Baixas, two of my travel mates for this journey include wine expert (and sassy gent) Anthony Giglio and Amy Zavatto, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Bartending. Based on brief meetings I’ve had with both in the past couple of weeks, I’m counting on them to keep me entertained throughout the trip. Otherwise I can refrain from spitting and keep myself entertained. What inspires me is that Anthony is known for being one of the funniest, most approachable wine experts out there, so all hail those who see wine as a fun source of exploration.

I will do my best to send updates from the road, including photos, tweets and quick videos when possible, but I never know how good internet access will be when I’m abroad. If I can manage to conjure up access, you can find updates here on CMN, where I’ve also added a Twitter widget to the sidebar, as well as on my Facebook page.

Wines of Rias Baixas: http://www.riasbaixaswines.com
Wines from Spain: http://www.winesfromspain.com

Chef Mark and I recently attended a luncheon in NY to preview some of the Albarino wines, so here’s a quick little video including an informative conversation I had with Paul Grieco, co-owner of Hearth Restaurant: