by Catherine Partridge, Sommelier

The National Capital Sommelier Guild’s Spanish vintages tasting held at the Vendange Institute on March 26th , arrived with heavy spring rains, a perfect evening for warming up with a selection of Spanish wines—every seat was filled and participants were enthusiastic. Worthy of mention, my latest food and wine intrigue is Culinaria Spain (Culinaria Espana), a 2008 Ullmann publication, and imprint of Tandem Verlag GmbH/Günter Beer, featuring editor Marion Trutter. There are several different photographers, authors, and food stylists contributing to the seventeen regions portrayed in the book.

Discovered among the stacks of books at Costco, it displays over 1,200 photographs and illustrations and includes 200 authentic recipes. This book leads you through the major regions of Spain, also known as the Iberian Peninsula, including the Canary and Balearic Islands, capturing the culinary evolution brought about by the land, its people, and their history.
Culinaria Spain is a view into Spain’s hands-on approach to the country’s self-sufficiency, as it has been for centuries, such as the culture of tapas, how fighting bulls are raised, scenes of hunting in the Pyrenees, the perilous harvesting of gooseneck barnacles in Galicia, the making of Turrón (honey/almond nougat), shellfish farming, and the abundance of tropical, Andalusian fruit, rice, nuts, and spices established by Arabic culture as early as the 8th Century. Most impressive is the vast cheese industry particularly from the northern Basque, Cantabria and Asturias regions.

Culinaria Spain brings a fresh viewpoint to well-known wine regions including Navarra, Castile-León and La Rioja, and to those regions and wines less familiar, such as Basque’s Txakoli and Madrid’s Chinchon (anis schnapps); to regions like Castile La Mancha, the largest white (airén) grape growing region in Spain, Extremadura’s cork industry, Valencia’s Utiel-Requena red Bobal variety that produces “doble pasta” wines, a bi-product of rosé wine production, and Fondillón a late harvest dessert wine made from Monastrell (also known as Mourvèdre or Mataro); and the South Eastern regions of Murcia that possess expansive Monastrell vineyards. This ancient Spanish variety is most often blended with Granacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tempranillo. Spain, as with other countries, is experimenting with other varieties, modernizing, and, in some regions. rediscovering its winemaking potential—something to anticipate in future vintage tastings.

In the words of editor Marion Trutter, “[t]his book aims to awaken the reader’s appetite for Spain’s variety, the countless facets of nature,culture, and cuisine which it offers.” Whether or not you have been to or plan to go to Spain, Culinaria Spain is an enriching experience for those interested in food and wine.

The book cost $14.95 at Costco, but prices vary elsewhere. Several other Culinaria books have been published: Culinaria European Specialties, Culinaria France, Culinaria Italy, and Southeast Asian Specialties, to name a few. See www.powells.com, also search www.amazon.com and check out the interesting collection of other Ullmann publications.