It escapes no one that the chef José Andrés is possibly the best ambassador that Spanish cuisine has worldwide. It may not have Michelin stars and it may not appear directly on our televisions, but its prestige in the United States is very high and, almost, what it says gastronomically goes to mass.
In this way, we could also say that the Asturian chef is a luck of the Pope of Spanish cuisine, although that does not mean that it is infallible, since we already know that gastronomy is not a matter of faith.
However, as in any religious celebration, Wine also becomes important for chef José Andrés and recently he has opened an oenological Holy Grail on his blog Longer Tables to put on the table a white wine and a region that is well known in Spain and that outside our borders does not make as much noise.
Warning that it was not Rioja – which is evident, since we do not know its wines from their white versions – and that it was not Albariño grape wine either, José Andrés has broken a spear for Rueda wines, warning of the quality of the wines that are made with Verdejo grapes in this Castilian-Leonese designation of origin that includes wineries that are in Ávila, Segovia and Valladolid, although it is in this last province where the most wines and wineries appear.
It is also one of the wineries in Valladolid that José Andrés refers to, although it does not need too much publicity for those who already know something about Rueda wine, since it is Belondrade, an oenological adventure started by Didier Belondrade more than two decades ago in the municipality of La Seca, in what is considered the Golden Mile of this designation of originwhere the most sought-after vineyards are between Serrada, Rueda and the aforementioned La Seca.
You don’t need to be a linguist either to verify that Belondrade, in origin, has little or nothing Spanish and a lot of French, which perhaps gives more value to these wines and a terroir that conquered Didier Belondradea former Air France executive who abandoned his professional career to enter the world of wine.
Belondrade Quinta Apolonia white wine. Wine from the Land of Castilla y León.
*Some prices may have changed since the last review
In addition to extolling Belondrade, José Andrés also briefly reviews the history of the DO Rueda and How the Verdejo grape vineyard was about to disappear until Marqués de Riscal—one of the most powerful names in Spanish wine—decided to bet on this territory of white wines.
Belondrade and Lurton white wine. DO Rueda
*Some prices may have changed since the last review
To top it off, José Andrés’ gastronomic recommendation is to accompany Belondrade wines and, in general, DO Rueda wines with food like some garlic prawns.
Images | Atlantis The Royal
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