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Gastronomy - Wine shops
Ànima Negra
In 1994, three young wine enthusiasts from Felanitx decided that they wanted to create a vino tinto from the Mallorcan Callet grape variety that would be better than your average Mallorcan wine. After some trial and error, they set up a small bodega in 1997, and they have never looked back.
Their Ànima Negra red wine was an instant success and recognition from international wine authorities was immediate. In 1999, Ànima Negra won the praise of being Spain’s best Red Wine of the Year. There were only two problems: they could not produce enough volume to keep up with demand, and they ran into a trademark dispute and had to rename their wine. It is now called ÀN.
They experimented with, but discontinued, a Cava sparkling white wine, and also started a blend of red grapes, the ÀN/2. Today, there are three tintos: ÀN, ÀN Son Negre, both with 95 % of the Callet grape variety, ÀN/2, with 65 % of Callet, plus Quíbia, a fruity white wine made from Premsal and Muscat grapes.
The 2008 grape harvest started this week. The grapes shown here are destined for the ÀN Negra Viticultors S. L.; the grape shown is the Syrah variety, I believe. This year’s harvest promises to make for a good quality wine, but not many grapes survived the massive rainfalls in May and June of this year.
Resource:Mallorca Daily Photo Blog
Tempus Est Amicus Meus
Have you been treated to some Mallorcan Brandy yet? Let me introduce you to a splendid distill from our very own shores: Brandy Suau 1851.
Way back, during the 1840s, a Capitán from Mallorca by the name of Joan Suau y Bennaser moved to Cuba to set up a Rum and Anisados distillery there. After a number of years, Joan Suau fell in love with a girl from Mallorca and decided to return to his homeland. Señor Suau set up his bodegas on the outskirts of Palma and commenced to blend Brandies, Rum, Caña and other alcoholic delights in Mallorca, based on the expertise that he had gained abroad.
Brandy Suau has been produced in Mallorca since 1851, and seems to be getting better all the time. In my opinion, this brandy is right up there with other fine Spanish brandies, such as Magno, Terry or Carlos I, but with the benefit of being a small, virtually hand-crafted product. The secret of the Suau distill is in the application of the old Solera process that has not changed in over 150 years, and in using oak barrels that allow the brandy to oxidize and thus acquire its special aroma and taste. The main ingredient, however, is time. The Suau philosophy expresses it nicely: Tempus est amicus meus. Bodegas Suau initiate the craft, but only time is deciding the final outcome, and ever so slowly.
Suau 1851 Brandy can be found in local supermarkets. A 70 cl bottle of the 15 year old Reserva will set you back some 18 €. It is really good stuff. If you should feel up for a special treat, you could try Suau Etiqueta Negra, which is Suau’s 25 year old Reserva. It comes in a golden box and will set you back some 45 €, but your taste buds will enjoy it, as no doubt, will your friends’. And should you win the Gordo (Christmas lottery), you might want to celebrate with some Suau Gran Reserva Privada, which is no less than 50 years old and comes in a blue velvet sack. That might break the bank at 85 € a bottle, but what a delight it would be.
Source:Mallorca Daily Photo Blog