Spanish Wine Education

If you have hung around Woodhaven Ramblings for any length of time, you know that Rob and I are wine fans. We drink wine, we make wine, we talk about wine, we travel for wine. We realized long ago that the more we learn about wine, the less we really know about it. Nevertheless, we keep trying to crack the code on la vida de vino.

Driving our desire to travel to Spain was to learn about its wine. We didn’t know much about it before we got here. Now that we’ve spent about a week touring the northern wine-making regions, we know a bit more. We hung out in two main areas: the Ribera del Duero and Rioja. Here’s what we know!

• The world of Spanish wine is a LOT less complicated than, say, French wine. Or even American wine.
  
  

  

  That's Rioja behind us!

  
  
• There’s basically one grape that dominates Spanish wines. It’s a red grape, called Tempranillo. It accounts for about 40% of the grape vines planted in Spain.
  
  

  

  The vines already had little teensy grapes on them!
  Everyone was saying the harvest is going to be 
  early this year.

  
  
• Tempranillo is an early-ripening, early-harvested grape. The grape is named after the Spanish word “temprano” which means “early.”
  
  

  

  Rob checking out the tiny clusters.

  
  
• Since there’s really only one grape in Spain, the winemakers pay a LOT of attention to things like soil and fermentation vessels and aging techniques. They experiment and play with these factors to try to distinguish their wines. They also care a lot about the differences between tiny plots of vines, determined to suss out which plots yield which wine characteristics.
  
  
• The main soil types in the areas we visited are clay, limestone, and sand.
  
  
• Spanish winemakers ferment and age their wines in a variety of materials including stainless steel, cement, oak, and clay.
  
  

  

  Sadly, these cement eggs do not come in
  home-winemaker sizes. I desperately
  want a mini one to name Mork.

  
  

  

  We have stainless steel tanks in the US, but these
  look more European for some reason. Or like a
  blender base. Very kitcheny. Speaking of which,
  I still don't have one. A kitchen I mean.

  
  
• There are 96 designated wine regions in Spain (called DOCs). They all have pretty strict rules. Like France, Spain controls how much grapes farmers can harvest per hectare (in weight) in order to concentrate the quality. The typical restriction is about 7,000 kilograms per hectare which translates to about 3 tons of grapes per acre (shout out to Rob and his mad calculator skillz!). Basically, they are focusing on quality over quantity.
  
  
• The designations of Crianza, Reserve, and Grand Reserve for Spanish Tempranillos do not necessarily indicate quality. Instead, they only tell you how long the wine was aged before being bottled. A Crianza is aged for less than 2 years; a Reserve is aged for 3-5 years; and a Grand Reserve is aged for more than 5 years.
  
  

  

  It smelled wonderful in this barrel room!

  
  
• The Tempranillos Rob and I have had made from grapes grown in the United States (or South America) are not nearly as good as the Spanish versions. Now that we can compare, American Tempranillos tend to be lighter, chalkier, and more tannic. Spanish Tempranillos are all about red fruits (strawberry, raspberry, cherry) but can also have the weight and dark fruitiness of a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Nevertheless, Spanish Tempranillos are a great BBQ or pork or fancy pizza wine -- lighter than a Merlot, heavier than a Pinot Noir.
  
  
• Spanish Tempranillos tend to have a subtle undertone in their nose (smell) of Magic Marker or a light, sweet chemical smell. This isn’t a bad thing. It’s just a really cool discovery that will help us identify Spanish Tempranillos in the future!
  
  

  

  This photo doesn't really have anything
  to do with Magic Markers. I just love
  the photo and the memory of us being
  in a wine cave standing next to an
  enormous barrel that was well over
  100 years old.

  
  
• There ARE some other grape varieties in Spain. Most of the red ones are used to blend with the Tempranillo. Main red blending grapes are Garnacha (Grenache), Graciano, and Mazuelo (Carignan).
  
  
• The main white wines we tried were Verdejo (as the name suggests, this wine had grassy notes) and Albillo (my notes included descriptors of pickle, barnyard, and litter box. Yeah, not a fan). I also tried a few rosés made from Tempranillo. I wasn’t a fan of those either. They were more farmy and less fruity and floral than my preferred rosés made from French Rhône varietals.
  
  

  

  Super cool winery architecture! And our most
  fabulous guide -- and now friend -- Itzi!

  
  

Cheers to traveling for educational purposes!

Hola España!

Well, here we are! We have been in Spain for almost a week and we are about half-way through our trip. We have completed our Spanish Wine Education and are making our way to Barcelona in a few hours. We’re excited because we get to take a train! In Spain! And it might rain!

I will write separately about my Spanish Wine musings, in case that’s not your glass of vino. This post is more about my thoughts and observations about Spain.

In a word:  GORGEOUS!

Just a random view out of a hotel
window. STUNNING!!!

I had no idea what to expect from Spanish scenery. What I have found are mountains and rolling hills and steep cliffs and fields of grain and slopes of vineyards. There are rivers and mesas and pine trees and lots of leafy trees. Because it is mid-May, it is also SO GREEN! Apparently it will turn golden brown and yellow in a few months, much like California.

This is looking mostly north towards the
Basque region. The Atlantic Ocean is on the other
side of the mountains.

Vineyards in the Ribera del Duero wine area.

And that was an early observation by both of us – how much parts of the Spanish countryside remind me and Rob of California. Especially the central parts of the Golden State – inland from Monterey, where there is agriculture and wide plains.

This could easily be in the area inland from
Monterey, California.

We’ve toured the northeastern part of the country. At times we were closer to France than to Madrid. As we made our way south yesterday to a city called Zaragoza, the terrain flattened, the soil dried, and it looked much more desert-y. I’m really curious what Barcelona – on the Mediterranean and about as far east as you can go in Spain – will look like.

About an hour north of Barcelona. MUCH 
different terrain! From the train!

The weather has been fun. Very Springlike. Sunny, fits of showers, cloudy, cold enough to wish I had brought jeans, warn enough to wish I had brought shorts. Mostly, menopausal.

We’ve gotten along fine with English. Rob said “Ocho” for our room number and shocked the hotel employee that he – clearly an English-speaking American – knew Spanish numbers and used them. It really doesn’t take a lot to graciously try to express some international respect. Nevertheless, we haven’t had any sizeable language barriers and have only leaned on Google Translate a few times.

Google Translate has its limits...

Photo added later – from an
announcement in the Lisbon airport.
The "finger walkway" ended up
being the jetway to the airplane.

The food. Well, we – and especially me – have struggled. I didn’t really know what Spanish cuisine is. It’s a lot of seafood and parts of cows and pigs I don’t really want to nosh on (cheeks, elbows, ears)... Our dinner menu last night was a great representation of what we’ve encountered. Squid, octopus, eel, truffles, mushrooms, tuna, and eggs plopped on top of things. At this point, I’m mostly surviving on bread, cheese, prosciutto, potatoes, almonds, and olives. Sure, not a bad life, but I’m really hoping Barcelona cuisine might offer some new options.

A pretty typical menu. Things sounded
good at first and then they turned 
weird and unappetizing.

This is what I ended up ordering 
from the other side of the menu. It was
called "Melted Brie Toast with Iberian Ham"

We’ve had a couple of “gastronomic experiences” arranged by our travel agent. We just canceled the final one scheduled for Portugal because it seems like a waste of fancy food, and the anticipation was prompting a gag reflex. Rob has been a champ, eating sardines and anchovies and squid ink. I’ve been less adventuresome and had chanterelle mushroom sprinkled with truffles. I can eat a lot of weird stuff (see years of Fair Food Feast Parades), but I have found my limit in Spain. In related news, my pants are a little looser…

This was the green course.

This was the yellow course, featuring
the mushroom I bravely ate.

I got excited because these looked
like tacos. They were not tacos.

I think this counted as 4 courses. The bowl 
had broth in it.

This was dessert. We didn't eat the grass.

Much like France, I have determined I am a bigger fan of street food, local stuff, pub fare, Spanish food that might be served in a home. Yesterday we went on a “Tapas Run” with Itzi, our tour guide. It was so fun! It felt like what every food cart pod in the US wants to be but will never achieve. Because the US doesn’t have the history, culture, or sense of just slowing down to enjoy life.

Tapas Run!
Without actually running...

Our tapas run was two streets in a town called Logrono. Each doorway was a different specialty. We browsed from one tiny restaurant to another, ordering just one or two items. The food arrived quickly and we stood at small tables, nibbling, sharing, sipping on uncomplicated wine and beer before moving onto the next round. The street was full of energy and noise and just people enjoying life and food. WAY more my speed than fancypants celery sticks coated with a pea-based béchamel sauce.

Roasted peppers -- so good! And 
fried cheesy things and potato things.
YUM! 

Potatoes and a kicky red sauce.

Hey look! It's meat and cheese!

Our hotels so far have been unique and striking. The first was a 12th-century abbey that has been converted to a tranquil hotel and spa in the Ribera del Duero wine area. It was quiet and peaceful and lovely. And a touch echoey.

The hotel's dining room and scene 
of the Gastronomic Adventure.
And breakfast.

The second hotel was a work of post-modern art designed by Frank Gehry who was the Guggenheim architect. The locals assured us they are grateful for the purple wavy eyesore (claimed to be a loping animal of some sort) on the edge of a medieval Spanish town, as it has “put the town on the map.” Have you ever heard of Elciego? Cuz that’s the town that’s now supposedly map worthy.

There are only 14 rooms across the front.
We stayed in one of them. The room was "normal"
but the view was anything but (see below).

Last night’s hotel was a city hotel boasting it itself  as a “bleisure hotel” where you can seamlessly blend both work and pleasure. Honestly, it was a little too hip for us, what with the provided yoga mat and biodegradable toothbrush. The bed slept like a glorified futon – just ask our backs, hips, and necks. The view out the window was also much more urban than our prior views. So, amusing for one night but I’m grateful we are moving on.

View from our room in the Abbey

View from our room in the purple
wavy hotel

View from our room in the bleisure hotel.
The homeless woman relocated at night
but returned to her spot during the day.

So, so far we are having a great time and are thoroughly enjoying Spain. But we are also a little hungry and a lot tired. I have been smacked hard by jet lag and can’t seem to fall asleep before 2:00am local time. So, I’m getting about 4-6 hours of sleep per night but it starts with frustration. I fully expect I will finally be acclimated when it is time to head home.

Next stop:  Barcelona!

Airport Anecdotes - Observations and Questions

As of last week, I am more than halfway to the annually required 144 volunteer hours at PDX. The airport has been a fantastic place to escape to while Tim is underway. Except for that day when the airport construction crew was banging and drilling and sawing away an old restroom near my Mobile Information Booth. I was grateful when they took their lunch break. Otherwise, it sounded like a 3-hour root canal.

I have definitely found my place with the Mobile Booth. I love being able to sit or stand as my back demands. I love being post-security where there is more to discuss than the locations of Baggage Claim, Ubers, and rental cars. And I love watching planes taxiing outside huge windows I station myself facing.

PDX is so calm and beautiful and peaceful.
I love hanging out there.

The people watching is awesome, too.

As in real life, I am entertained that I have reached the Age of Invisibility. It amuses me how many people walk directly towards my booth and then veer off at the last minute without saying a word or even acknowledging I’m there. I've quickly learned not to engage people until they are stopped in front of me. Awkward!

It’s amazing how many younger people do not register a middle-aged, white-haired woman sitting in their midst. Recently, a gaggle of 6 teenage boys gathered right behind me, talking about the waterfalls they had visited, completely unaware that they were totally in my personal space. I didn’t dare make a movement, though, as I was enjoying eavesdropping. Even though they parted around me, I’m still pretty sure they have no idea I was there.

Having said all this, people DO chat me up. Mostly bored, on-a-layover people, including the occasional flight attendant or pilot. My mobile booth is plastered with the command to “ASK ME!”  As are my blue Volunteer vest and a button I wear next to my face. Most passengers understand that the intention is to ask me travel- and airport-related questions. But others take it as a personal challenge to be (their definition of) clever. 

And others – and it always surprises me – feel the need to apologize for asking me a question. Many start with “This is a dumb question but…” and it is NEVER a dumb question! And I always tell them that’s why I am there – to answer questions.

So with that, here’s my updated list of questions I have been asked at my Mobile Information Booth:

What is the meaning of life? My answers are either “42” or “Hope” depending on my quick read of the questioner.

How do you keep a turkey in suspense? Asked by a man in his 70s who then stared at me with a smirk and walked away.

What lottery numbers should I play? Correctly guessing he was a Dog Dad, I suggested his dog’s birthday, Flag Day, and 57 for steak sauce. Hey, if you are going to ask me a random question, you are going to get a random answer.

Are you married? Asked by a woman who was traveling with a difficult husband and was looking to offload him, with the full support of her accompanying daughter and son-in-law.

What is your skin care routine? And how old are you? Asked by a kind woman who then told me I needed to be the spokesperson for Olay products. As generous as she was, her gasp at my answer of “58” was a little unsettling.

Shouldn’t he get in trouble? Asked by a tween cheerleader who was doing cartwheels on the tile floor in the middle of the concessions area. She was concerned that her tagging-along brother was also cartwheeling but was not as talented as she was (just ask her). I pointedly replied that I thought all of them should get in trouble since what they were doing was dangerous. The exhausted gaggle of parents was over it and playing on their phones.

What is the square root of pi? The embarrassed wife of the “I’m so clever” husband apologized. I surprised both of them by answering, “1.7 something?”

Can I borrow $20? Asked by an airport employee as he wheeled his garbage cart past me. He didn’t wait for an answer, so I wonder if he asks this question of every Ask Me volunteer he sees.

What kinds of questions do you get asked? Asked by a SkyWest pilot who was killing time. He loved the turkey joke and planned to spring it on his flight crew.

Do you use AI to answer questions? Asked by a fellow Gen Xer. I replied, “No, I’m old school. All my answers come from up here!” as I tapped my white-haired head.

How do I read this paper boarding pass?  What gate am I supposed to go to? The first person who asked this was a young woman in her 20s who sheepishly explained she had never seen a paper boarding pass before. However, many people of all ages ask this. And I don’t blame them. Each airline has their own format and many of the info bits aren’t labeled. I now reassure the unnecessarily embarrassed passengers who ask this that the passes are confusing.

Where can I find...? New additions include toothpaste, a hairbrush, ice cream, headphones, and a steak. I had good answers to all of them except the steak one. Burgers? Absolutely. A steak? I had one guess. I later asked the Volunteer Coordinators. They said that steak isn’t served in the airport because then a steak knife would be required. And steak knife + post-security passenger = why did I bother going through TSA?

 

Hither we go!

After church today, I counted how many Sundays Rob and I will miss before we are back in town. Seven. Good Heavens. We haven’t missed that much church since we started attending church! I’m grateful we can watch the sermons on YouTube, even though we will miss all the fun chit chat afterwards.

So where are we going for nearly 2 months? Hither and yon! It’s actually two trips with a brief return to Woodhaven in between.

Trip 1 – Hither – starts tomorrow morning, although we are spending tonight in a hotel near the Portland airport to hopefully make the long travel day a teensy bit shorter. So we have officially departed Woodhaven. I am both nervous and excited. Soooo…nervcited??

Over a year ago – long before our kitty Sarah was showing any signs of her age and therefore Tim wasn’t even on the radar – Rob and I decided to take another Wine Exploration trip with that lovely British travel agency that guided us as we drank our way through France a couple of years ago. Checking off dream trips on our Travel Bucket List, we are heading to Madrid tomorrow! Ole! And cheers! And I can't believe we're finally doing this!

It’s a two-week itinerary, starting in the northern part of Spain sipping Rioja wines and noshing on tapas, a quick couple of days in Barcelona being tourists, and then a flight to Portugal to learn about the origins of port – the delicious dessert wine that I have long loved but know very little about.

I don't want to tell you how long I spent 
creating this map. But hey, I'm retired.

Having learned a few things on our last wine trek about heavy suitcases and stairwells and a dearth of elevators and escalators in European train stations, we have significantly reduced our load. We will be toting 3 small carry-ons and 2 travel backpacks around Iberia. I already miss my washing machine.

I'm pretty sure we're still checking the 3 bags
even though we could carry them on. It's up
to Rob. He's blessedly the schlepper.

As for Tim, we are excited to see where he is at when we come home in a couple of weeks. Mel is still working on the official schedule, but last week we got the OK from the engineer about cement pilings, and the cabinets have been ordered. YAY!

We have made all the decisions we can think to make, including the orientation of outlets (landscape) and where to relocate a central vacuum outlet (breakfast nook). We have purchased an International Phone Plan so that we can stay in text/talk/FaceTime touch as needed, notwithstanding the 9 hour time difference. So, we’re as ready as we can be to walk away from a huge remodeling project and let our implicitly trusted contractor continue plugging along. Nervcited!!!

Off we go!

View through the Sunroom into the kitchen.
Two of those vertical pieces are temporary
supports. All three verticals will go away.
Eventually. 

Tim Update – We’re Officially Permitted to Proceed!

As I write this, I am snacking on my chocolate stash, lounging on our bed, listening to Randy bang on the floor of our optimistically-named Sunroom. He’s working on opening our crawl space so a cement footing and other Big Time Construction things can be added to make our new kitchen more spacious.

I am grateful I know myself and knew
this little collection of calm was needed
within desperate hands' reach. It currently lives 
next to my nightstand. It might never migrate
back to the kitchen drawer.

To be honest, I can’t entirely envision what’s happening. I’ve learned I can visualize things to a point and then I hit an imaginary wall (THAT I can see all too well…). All I know is, a big beam is coming down, a small wall is going away, a different sturdy beam is being added, and all this requires a somewhat elusive Building Permit. A permit that was applied for on March 25 and approved on April 30.

Yes, I am tracking dates in a spreadsheet. To the surprise of nobody.

I might color-code it.

Tomorrow is the Month 2 mark of us beginning this little Tim Adventure. While I wouldn’t say we are used to the chaos, Rob and I are growing more accepting of it. We’re exhausted, though, on any number of levels.

In an attempt to keep ourselves busy and occupied during the day, we are finding ourselves very busy and occupied. We assumed our weekends would be when we could relax – when we could comfortably lounge about in our quiet bedroom/bathroom faux apartment. But instead, weekends have become a whirlwind of doing laundry and paying bills and mowing the lawn and taking care of the Business of Life. I know there’s a balance to all this, but we haven’t found it yet.

Lounging at home takes a bit of work, too. Trying to go elsewhere in the house requires some serious thought and planning. I have officially lost all self-consciousness in traipsing around our yard in my pajamas on my way to the front door to snag early-morning Amazon deliveries. I also learned the hard way – repeatedly - that a house key is required when leaving our bedroom.

My newly acquired spare key.
Any guesses where I bought the
key chain? 

A house-level Google Maps function would be so handy. I could enter all the road construction/road closed markers throughout Woodhaven, helping me plot my route to get upstairs to our files or into our living room so I can visit my Tupperware strainer. Instead, I am left staring at the wall in our bedroom, channeling my inner Land Navigator, imagining which path to take to the garage then laundry then upstairs office. I am thisclose to acquiring a compass.

I vaguely remember when I used to 
strain stuff.

In terms of the construction itself, Tim is going along pretty well. We’re still deep in the Demolition Phase. Most of the offending tile is gone, our dining room no longer features a hazardous step down, and our kitchen is full of studs. Sadly, no tight t-shirts are involved.

It never made sense to us why Woodhaven was
built with a step down into the dining room.
We've almost lost a couple dinner guests to the 
step over the years. No bueno!

Can't wait to see carpet in there! 
And furniture!

The kitchen ceiling will be higher. Raising the roof
by getting rid of the fluorescents!

The cabinets will be ordered by next week. We’re meeting with the electrician tomorrow to nail down how and from where we want to control the 21 lights that will be illuminating different areas of our new kitchen. Having that much cooking light is rather ironic, since I long ago adopted the wizardry and distraction of soft lighting for any meals I serve. I’m not the only thing that magically looks better by candlelight.

We still don’t have a sense of timing for the completion of Tim. The schedule was sort of hinging on the Building Permit. Hopefully Mel will let us know next week what our summer looks like. I’m guessing it will be a lot of this.

I love our bed. Good thing since it's
most of our furniture at the moment.

Your Nearest Exit May Be Behind You

Rob and I are about 5 months into our Airport Volunteer Gig. We are having an absolute BLAST!

PDX has been undergoing massive changes for the past 5ish years. Recently, just about every week (no exaggeration), something is new. Stores close, others open, restrooms change locations, escalators go out of service for upgrades, mass transit stops move. I try to soothe exasperated, confused locals by telling them, “Don’t feel bad! I’m here a lot and I start every shift by walking around to see what’s new.” Talk about a dynamic workplace!

Today, in the wee hours, another huge change happened at PDX: the exits are now totally different. The old way is now closed and the new way is a much shorter walk, assuming you know where you are going. Rob and I aren’t part of the crew today helping passengers find their way out, but we will be soon. We hope today is going well so far!

Last week, Rob and I got a sneak peek at the new exits. Not just a peek, though. We got to saunter through the new exits – on both sides of the airport – many, many, many times. We volunteered to be Mock Passengers for the operations folks to test out the automatic exit doors. It was a hoot!

Super cool photo snagged from an employee
newsletter. Hi, Rob!!

I think the shirts were homemade, 
but I totally want a "Trial Human"
t-shirt. And sticker. And phone case.
Serious swag opportunities here!

About 75ish airport employees signed up to participate. Also onsite were about a half-dozen other Volunteer Information People, two people in wheelchairs, an antsy toddler in a stroller, and at least 6 therapy dogs with their handlers. Our job was to lap around each side of the airport, walking through the new exits at our natural pace, while a bevy of folks with safety vests and clipboards watched, took notes, and made adjustments.

Safety Vest + Clipboard = Life Goals
Please tell me there's a spreadsheet summarizing
the findings.

Some of us were given Test Luggage. This was quite fun…for two laps. The bags were heavy – clearly someone overpacked. After the second lap, I told an organizer I could no longer pull the suitcase (my back was already talking to me). He assured me that it was not a problem and pointed out where I could leave the suitcase. Each subsequent lap, the collection of abandoned bags grew. In all honesty, I felt better knowing I wasn’t the only one wimping out on lugging the luggage.

The Test Bags even had Test Bag
claim stickers on them!

Rob and I started out walking together, but waves of people eventually separated us. I spent several laps chatting with a woman who had just completed her 2 weeks of training for the airport cleaning crew. She was going to be working the 2:30pm to 11:30pm shift each night, with weekends spent catching up with her 14-year-old son. Single parents are exhausted heroes.

I caught up to Rob! LOVE this photo
taken by Mindy, one of our AMAZING
volunteer coordinators!

At one point during our moseying, a soccer ball was thrown into an exit. It was a planned test, to see if the doors responded appropriately (I assume they were supposed to close and not allow any more movement until an Official – not Trial – Human intervened). We were warned this was going to happen. Despite my deft and enviable Wii Fit skills dodging soccer balls, panda heads, and soccer cleats on my TV screen, I was nonetheless grateful my unathletic self was not in the exit when the sports ball arrived. 

(Good Lord -- I just looked it up. Wii Fit was introduced 20 years ago. Man, I'm old. But with excellent balance, thanks to my apparently ancient Wii Fit.)

We got to see some cool stuff under construction!
The Meet & Greet/Waiting Areas have the 
iconic Vintage PDX Carpet!

A Breach was also planned. I’m not sure what that was. I just know I had to stop in place when an alarm sounded. I also know that the Faux Breach on the second set of exit doors never happened since they had an actual problem that was better than any simulation. Thankfully, the two folks in wheelchairs were not stuck between the swinging doors for very long. I was also super impressed there was absolutely zero panic and instead many comments along the lines of “This is why we test the system! Thank you for being here!” PDX ROCKS!

The exit lane with the red X was
inoperable for the rest of the test once the 
wheelchairs got out. 

According to my pedometer, we walked 4 miles for the test (it was a 16,067-step day since I worked a 4-hour volunteer shift in the morning because Tim). During our Sizzle Pie pizza dinner break (thanks, PDX!!), I downloaded a handy tracker app so I could tap my phone’s screen each time I went through the exit. 16 laps for the second half!

Even though it was a long day with almost 7 miles of walking, I had so much fun being a Mock Passenger! The folks who work at PDX take such pride in their work and their workplace. I truly feel honored to be part of the PDXPeople community…AND get to hang out in such a beautiful space.

Truly, if you haven’t flown through Portland’s airport in the past…week...you should! It’s beautiful, it’s calming, it’s fun. And it’s always changing!

This will very likely end up on our
Christmas card this year.