Yes, I guess it is a bit excessive but yours truly took a quick longweekend trip to Spain. Why you ask? To root on our US Davis Cup team. The US made it to the finals of the Davis Cup playing against the tough Spanish claycourters! We got our butts kicked! Seville was the home site of the games. Largest crowd ever to watch a tennis match. 28,000 people screaming for their country! An incredible experience. Davis Cup is the pinnacle of tennis!
Of course while there I had to try some of the local cuisine and wines. Two major growing regions of Spain are the well-known Rioja region and the lesser-known del Duero region. The Rioja wines are more well-known in the US and tend to be considered more typical of Spanish wines with a bit more dryness to them; however, do try the del Duero region. The Duero River runs through this north central region of Spain and the wines are smooth and silky. 2001 was an incredible year, maybe one of the best in 25 in Spain, much like our '97, and the '01 wines throughout Spain are spectacular. My personal preference is the del Duero wines. The tennis bums and I hit the local little Spanish hangouts and tried the paella. Gets no better than this! The-50 minute wait for the dish was well worth every second. Of course it allowed us time to try another bottle of wine. Americans beware, restaurants don’t open for business until 9pm. I know most of us are getting ready to settle in for a good evening of The Practice by then but when in Spain…. or is it Rome? Oh well, when over there push your lunch later in the afternoon, take a siesta at 4, and get ready for some great culinary delights latenight! The boys took in an authentic flamenco show in some dark back alley which took us several miles of walking to find but well worth it. This is the home of flamenco and worth experiencing. You cannot visit Spain without sampling the tapas! Good chance to sample some local wines by the glass along with a few tapas, then on to the next bar for more. A real fun way to try lots of different things with some local flavor and color of the bartenders.
A beautiful country with warm and friendly people; despite them kicking our butts on the tennis courts, their food and wine are incredible. Don't underestimate the Spanish cuisine and wines.
Mercy... better luck next year, boys!
Yours truly,
glen
