When I received an invitation to meet up with a scion from the famous Rioja winemaking family Martinez Bujanda at rather short notice, I jumped at the opportunity. It was a fabulous autumn day and I felt a bit of melancholy in the air as I crossed the Sydney harbor on a Manly Ferry as, in spite of the beautiful blue skies and the serene atmosphere, I instinctively knew that the long days and excitement of summer were over. Of course, Sydney siders know that autumn brings the nicest weather of the year (apart from spring), when the temperatures are mild and the skies are blue with sufficient sunlight to maintain ones positive spirits and feel good about life.
My destination was a well-known Sydney restaurant “Wildfire” generally frequented by businessmen with “big expense accounts”, located at the Overseas Passenger ship terminal (See article on Wildfire Restaurant).
I was aware that the restaurant was rather expensive and, as I had been there previously and knew their well-known sommelier, that they had an excellent Wine List with a good selection of Spanish wines to accompany the Churascao dishes and the “excellent seafood”, that this place enjoys a well-deserved reputation for.
As I was compiling a review of the Top Spanish wines now available in Australia and planning on publishing a magazine in Australia, I reflected on the famous Conde Valdemar brand and my recollections of it. Funny enough I used to see the wine up in the Baltics and had quite enjoyed the Conde Valdemar Rioja Crianza on numerous occasions, normally with some Jamon Serrano and olives (one of my favourite combinations), and numerous vintages, but I hadn’t really tried either the Bodegas Valdemar Reserva or the Gran reserve, nor did I really know anything at all about the winery, I merely recognized the label as a good one from past experience. (Incidentally Valdemar itself is a popular name in Poland and the Baltics, so that alone would guarantee it some favourable recognition in those countries.)
Signor Carlos Martinez Bujanda
