A wonderful gastronomic experience from the hand of Chef Rafa Centeno, the sommeliers Luis and Alejandro Paadín, and the D. O. Monterrei
According to the Royal Spanish Academy of Language (RAE), the word gastronomy is born from the union of two Greek words: gastros (stomach) and nomos (knowledge). In a strict sense, its object is culinary art and enjoyment, the relationship between preparing, serving and consuming food.
However, a gastronomic experience is the set of sensations experienced by a person when going to a bar or restaurant to enjoy the dishes on its menu, its wine cellar, and the atmosphere. It encompasses everything from the decoration of the place, the lighting, the closeness of the staff to the menus of dishes and drinks offered by the establishment. Gastronomy is the main element and each dish, each wine, each element of which the menu is composed, is a universe to discover.
A good gastronomic experience is achieved with the combination of all the elements mentioned above, to which you can add some more, of an extraordinary nature, such as in this case learning about the pairing of wines from a certain wine-growing area, with a series of dishes prepared by a qualified Chef. The lucky ones present at the “Harmony of Monterrei wines” event held at the Maruja Limón Restaurant in Vigo were able to enjoy a unique, exciting and memorable experience.
Each dish on the menu prepared by Chef Rafa Centeno is not only an elaborate set of ingredients, but a work of art capable of enveloping those who enjoy it, therefore, a gastronomic experience is more than simply eating something, it is a whole sensory experience. , which goes beyond the palate and captivates all our senses.
Well, all this is what we have been able to enjoy with the help of three characters and a Monterrey Denomination of Origin, sponsor of the event, organized by Luis and Alejandro Paadín, from Paadín Eventos, at the Maruja Limón Restaurant in Vigo, recognized with a Michelin star. which its Chef Rafa Centeno proudly displays. A perfect combination that predicted a memorable day, as it was.
The day began with a tasting with an explanation by Luis Paadín of 7 wines from the D.O. Monterrey to know and understand the particularities of these depending on the variety of grapes with which they were made, and the type of soil: sediments, shale or granite on which the vines are grown.
The pairing of dishes and wines
Pairing is the process of combining a food or a certain dish with the drink that best pairs with it. In the field of catering, pairing normally refers to combinations of dishes and wines, and the sommelier is in charge of recommending the combinations to diners.
Rafa Centeno, Chef of the Maruja Limón Restaurant, prepared a menu for us for the occasion consisting of two appetizers, four dishes and a dessert, all of them presented by the Head Chef Juan Díaz Santos-Agaba, and paired the dishes with eleven wines from the D.O. Monterrei, presented and explained the pairings by Alejandro Paadín.
Appetizers:
Mushroom and truffle fritter, paired with two Godello Regional wines:
* Alma de Autor 2022
Celtic rooster royal and chestnut mole
* Crego y Monaguillo 2022
Dishes:
Wines:
- Quinta das Tapias, Colección 2022
- Serra de Alén 2021
Wines:
- Tabú Stivadia 2022
- Vía Arxéntea 2022
Wines:
- Fanrela 2022
- Triay 2022
Wines:
- Fraga do Corvo 2022
- Ladairo 2022
Dessert:
About the D. O. Monterrey
The production area covered by the D.O. includes 566 hectares. of vineyards spread across two clearly differentiated sub-zones: El Valle and La Ladera. This differentiation is given by the great variety of soils that, together with the microclimates generated on the slopes, produce wines with differentiated, personal characteristics and great complexity of aromas.
As far as climate is concerned, the DO Monterrey belongs to the Duero River Basin, which is where the Támega River flows through the territory from north to south. The climate is therefore temperate Mediterranean with a continental tendency, and influenced by air currents from the Atlantic Ocean. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold, with large thermal fluctuations in the fall, which is beneficial for the proper maturation of the vineyard.
It exists in the D.O. a wide variety of soils: there are slate and schistose soils, very suitable for red wines, while sandy and granite soils, with a very low pH, give very fresh white wines with intense aromas. Also in the area there are clay soils that favor moisture retention in times of drought.
All this variety of soils and climates make it possible to grow the native varieties of this D.O. in optimal conditions, which allow us to obtain wines of great character and marked personality. Well, it is in this area that the 389 winegrowers in the area work, sending their grapes to the 27 wineries for conversion into wine. Side. It is the youngest of the Galician DOs, but in the years of its existence it has achieved great notoriety for the quality of its wines.
The preferred varieties of the D. O. are:
* White: Dona Branca, Godello and Treixadura
* Reds: Mencia and Merenzao
The authorized varieties of the D.O. are:
* White: Albariño, Branca de Monterrey, Caiño Blanco and Loureira
* Reds: Tempranillo, Caíño red and Sousón
About Rafa Centeno
Rafa is a self-taught chef with more than 20 years of experience. He achieved his Michelin Star in 2010. He is also recognized by the Repsol Guide with two Suns. What Rafa proposes to us in his menu is a fresh and clean vision of Galician gastronomy, based on local products, respecting the tradition of Galician cuisine, because only by understanding its roots can creative cuisine be made.
About Luis and Alejandro Paadín
Luis and Alejandro Paadín, father and son, have dedicated their entire lives to the wine-gastronomic dissemination of Galicia, both Members of the International Federation of Wine Journalists and Writers (FIJEV), as well as the Association of Sommeliers of Galicia “Gallaecia”, they are also founding members of the Association of Rock Wine Presses of Spain, collaborators on wine and gastronomy topics for the Traveling and Cepas y Vinos Magazines, and they participate in various radio an TV programs about gastronomy.
They are regular participants in regional, national and international tastings and competitions, such as the Concourse Mondiale of Brussels, Vinalíes, Top Ten Portugal, Tastevinage de Bourgogne, Concourse das Vins du Val de Loire, Terravino Israel, or Citadelles du Vin.
Their passion for learning about the world’s wines led them to visit more than a hundred wine regions in more than 30 countries around the world. But his life’s work is the preparation of The Guide to Wines, Spirits and Wineries of Galicia, whose first Edition was in 2010, and which is now in its 13th Edition. The Guide is a very complete compilation with scores not only of all the wines of Galicia, but also contains information on the wine production of the region, on the cave winepresses of the region, as well as a series of gastronomic notes on wine harmonies. , places to eat, hotels to sleep in and the best stocked wine stores in Galicia.
The Wine Guide is a reference work for those who like to know about Galician viticulture and gastronomy, a work of which I am honored to support as a patron since its first Edition.
Source: Guide to Wines, Spirits and Wineries of Galicia 2023
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