News

English speakers should consider chucking the French word "cuisine" in favour of "cocina," the Spanish word for the same thing, because the country that's making the biggest culinary waves right now is Spain.

They've been up to some wild, cutting-edge stuff over in the land of Antonio Banderas and Miguel de Cervantes -- like raw oyster foams, baked veal knuckles, and egg yolk pudding with mango and lavender-flavoured rice. A couple of years ago, The New York Times even published a 14-page spread devoted to cutting-edge Spanish food, coining the term "new nouvelle cuisine" for the movement.

The patriarch of the transformation is Ferran Adria, chef at El Bulli, today's undisputed mecca of avant-garde dining. And there are other superstars, such as Santi Santamaria and Juan Jose Castillo.

Adria's philosophy, in a nutshell, is to stress lighter main ingredients (such as seafood and vegetables, rather than hunks of meat) and lighter bases (such as waters, consommés and juices). He also likes to play with textures and temperatures while preserving the purity of each ingredient's flavour, as in his famous foams whipped up with everything from raw shellfish to cooked potatoes.

On the wine front, a revolution has also been taking place for decades. But the message has been slower to rock the globe. The tired rap against Spanish wines is that they're rustic and bitter. Many were, thanks to the country's blistering sunshine and poor irrigation in its vast, dry expanses, which tended to yield over-ripe, shrivelled berries with thick, bitter skins.

Credit the introduction of refrigeration, pioneered in the 1960s by the Torres firm, and better irrigation for much of the improvement. And credit a new generation of cosmopolitan wine makers, who have been peering over the Pyrenees and across the Atlantic for cues to better quality.

No producer embodies that modern sensibility better than Alvaro Palacios, the Ferran Adria of the wine world. The 41-year-old Palacios, who tutored under Chateau Petrus's Jean-Pierre Moueix, is best known for his $600-a-bottle L'Ermita, a much ballyhooed red he launched to instant acclaim in the early 1990s. He is also synonymous with the Priorat, a once largely abandoned wine region in the northeast that has become the hottest agricultural real estate in the land.

Palacios's signature touch is to combine modern, fresh-fruit flavours typical of New World wines with Bordeaux-style elegance and the satisfying rusticity and charm of Spain's classic Riojas.

Three of his wines lead off today's big Spanish release at Ontario Vintages stores, and all three have something to recommend them. The best is Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses 2003 ($41.95, No. 977843). It's full and rich, with plum, blackberry and licorice nuances set against slightly firm, dry tannins. It's a good candidate for five to 10 years of cellaring and a good match for juicy steak.

More suitable for current drinking is the soft, elegant, medium-bodied Herencia Remondo La Montesa 2003 ($21.95, No. 674572) from Palacios's Rioja estate. This blend of grenache, tempranillo, graciano and mazuelo shows flavours of blackcurrant, violet and cedar, with a hint of smoke. Perfect for roast poultry. Even the entry-level La Vendimia Tempranillo 2004 ($15.95, No. 674564), also from the Rioja region, shows an elegant hand, though it's lighter than the previous two, medium-bodied and bright, with cherry-like flavour and hints of plum and cedar. I could see it pairing nicely with paella, roast chicken or red-sauced pastas.

Turning to other reds in today's release, don't miss one of the best values, Torremayor Tempranillo Crianza 2001 ($14.95, No. 672634). Medium-bodied and very dry, it hints at maraschino cherry, plum and cedar and would complement braised meats or stews.

Also excellent for the money is Pago de los Capellanes Joven Roble 2004 ($20.95, No. 678177). It hails from another red-hot region, Ribera del Duero, showing ample body, an inky-purple hue and notes of plum, violet, currant, vanilla and spice. Cellar it for four or five years if you can, and serve it with a hearty red meat dish.

The splurge-worthy red is Alion 2001 ($64.95, No. 707166), a rich, plumy, leathery bruiser with hints of earth and minerals enveloped in nicely integrated tannins. Ten years in the cellar would do it proud.

Among whites, the most modern-styled is 1707 Chardonnay 2003 ($16.95, No. 662213), full-bodied and silky, with ripe, pineapple-like fruit and buttery-toffee nuances.

And Toronto readers interested in having their Palacios bottles signed by the man himself can head to the big Summerhill liquor store off Yonge Street, south of St. Clair, where the visiting Alvaro Palacios will host a tasting on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. If you're lucky enough to have a bottle of L'Ermita in your cellar, I'm sure he would sign that too.

Pick of the week

Herencia Remondo La Montesa 2003 ($21.95, No. 674572). This blend of grenache, tempranillo, graciano and mazuelo shows flavours of blackcurrant, violet and cedar, with a hint of smoke. Perfect for roast poultry.

bcrosariol@globeandmail.com