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Best advice yet!Don't expect anything. Just let it happen.
I love Aquarius, always ask for the "Libre" version, but unless you buy it in a shop it ends up costing a fortune, so now I carry effervescent tablets of electrolytes.Don't you just hate it when you ask for Caz Limon or Fanta Limon and they offer you Aquarius! Don't like it, it is nothing like the real deal.
I was amazed in West Africa how the locals mixed Coca Cola and boxed red wine into a blend that actually tasted a lot like Sangria. Unfortunately the effects ended up in a sugar infused alcoholic fueled hangover. Just stick to one vice or another, but never a cheap one.Sangria is often a headache in a glass. To many times it is a way to serve cheap wine or champagne. But, I do not like pop in my drinks either.
Don, how are the Riojas they import and sell here in the US? I see a fair amount of them in stores, usually running between 10-20 dollars.Totally agree to trying the local wines of the region you are visiting, there are some wonderfully rich and sublime differences between the wines in Spain.
In Biarritz we are constantly debating the quality of the Rioja reds v the Bordeaux red and try out the roses, some are perfect on a hot day.
Pastis, the breakfast of champions from Provence, doesn't have any scary sounding substances in it!
The only time I think you'll need a corkscrew is if you're having wine with lunch, picnic-style, or if you're fixing your own dinner in an albergue with a kitchen. I drank wine with dinner every night, either as served in an albergue which furnished meals or a pilgrims' menu at a local bar. I never needed a corkscrew. It either came in an open bottle, or was opened by the server at the table, or, in the case of local house wines, came in a pitcher. (The typical pilgrim's menu comes with a bottle of wine or an equivalent amount in a pitcher for each two people or so.) If you have a glass of wine with or without tapas at a bar on a break, you obviously won't need a corkscrew....
Afternote: I wasn't going to pack a corkscrew, but its starting to sound like an essential piece of equipment! Pity the rest of the world has not yet adopted the use of 'Screw Caps'. Or have you? Makes things much easier...
"you might prepare a suitable sign at home. I would suggest making it two-sided, printed in a very large font..."
The Riojas I've seen that are being sold in the US typically have a slightly higher alcohol content, but the biggie is the added sulfides. To my unsophisticated taste, they can't compare to the real thing in Spain, and we've been somewhat disappointed with the ones we've tried here since returning.Don, how are the Riojas they import and sell here in the US? I see a fair amount of them in stores, usually running between 10-20 dollars.
Mark, I can't make direct comparison with the US and the UK because import duty and taxes intervene. In the UK it is a reasonable assumption that the first £4, $7, €5 is duty, shipping and retailers wedge. After that you need to consider production costs and bottling costs. The £€$ after that are reflective of the quality / value of the actual wine. I buy good wine, sometimes very good wine, at @£10 a bottle in the UK. You will just have to experiment in your own market.Don, how are the Riojas they import and sell here in the US? I see a fair amount of them in stores, usually running between 10-20 dollars.
I believe those thinking they will need a corkscrew are thinking of drinking outside of an establishment, be albergue, bar or restaurant, or at the albergue outside of a prepared meal. I see people walking around carrying a bottle of wine on the side of the backpacks ...The only time I think you'll need a corkscrew is...
Yeah, I thought maybe that was the case. I'll probably drop ten bucks or so anyway on a bottle just to try it.The Riojas I've seen that are being sold in the US typically have a slightly higher alcohol content, but the biggie is the added sulfides. To my unsophisticated taste, they can't compare to the real thing in Spain, and we've been somewhat disappointed with the ones we've tried here since returning.
I have never had a bottle of wine in Spain that did not list sulfites in the content. I watch because I react a bit to sulfites. I cannot speak to the wine in pitchers, but I assume that it is made in the same wineries. Of course, I have not consumed all the bottle production of wine in Spain, so there may be a lot without sulfites!the biggie is the added sulfides
Sulfites are a natural by-product of fermentation and are present in all wine to a greater or lesser degree. Vintners will often add more as a preservative, particularly if the tannins are low.I have never had a bottle of wine in Spain that did not list sulfites in the content. I watch because I react a bit to sulfites. I cannot speak to the wine in pitchers, but I assume that it is made in the same wineries. Of course, I have not consumed all the bottle production of wine in Spain, so there may be a lot without sulfites!
I was amazed in West Africa how the locals mixed Coca Cola and boxed red wine into a blend that actually tasted a lot like Sangria. Unfortunately the effects ended up in a sugar infused alcoholic fueled hangover. Just stick to one vice or another, but never a cheap one.
Hello everyone! I will be taking the Camino de Santiago next week, would like to find out which one you recommend? Is the French open this time of the year? Please advise. Thank you.
I was amazed in West Africa how the locals mixed Coca Cola and boxed red wine into a blend that actually tasted a lot like Sangria. Unfortunately the effects ended up in a sugar infused alcoholic fueled hangover. Just stick to one vice or another, but never a cheap one.
It is never closed per se, but pilgrims are often advised in the winter that the Route Napolean is not usable. Another 20-30cm of snow is expected, along with avalanches, in Roncesvalles in the next couple of days. "Next week" is still to far ahead for an accurate weather prediction. The Pilgrim Office in SJPdP can advise you on your departure date about the existing weather conditions.Is the French open this time of the year?
Even better under the hot sun near the equator, however we had no access to ice.Calimocho in Spanish graphical symbol.
Kalimotxo in Basque graphical symbol.
Sounds identical.
The Kalimotxo is cocacola and red wine fifty & fifty with a lots of ice.
It's perfect in the summer time.
Exactly...you should know . It's my understanding from talking with the wine guy I usually buy from, as well as my neighbor who is a wine importer, that the US requires additional sulfides as a preservative in wines imported to the US.... Vintners will often add more as a preservative...
It requires a label, but does not require any additional sulfites to be added.the US requires additional sulfides as a preservative in wines imported to the US.
I was wondering how long it would take for kalimotxo to be mentioned!Calimocho in Spanish graphical symbol.
Kalimotxo in Basque graphical symbol.
Sounds identical.
The Kalimotxo is cocacola and red wine fifty & fifty with a lots of ice.
It's perfect in the summer time.
Thanks, Falcon, for your research. I was going by second-hand information. But it still doesn't make the Rioja red wine sold here in the US taste as good as that consumed on site. Maybe I'll load my backback, put on my Camino clothes, and go take a 20-mile hike, then taste a glass of the US version of the wine and see if that makes a difference.It requires a label, but does not require any additional sulfites to be added...
I don't know what the answer is, but what makes people think that Spanish wines sold in Spain are any different than the ones shipped here? Could it be just in the labelling? Because a good wine will be expected to age, whether in the US or in Spain. If sulphites help with conservation, then why would they not be also used in Spain? Is it a matter of labelling? (Perhaps the EU does not require it?) You certainly don't see US wine collector avoid Margaux and al. because they have sulfites added. Could this just be an urban legend?Thanks, Falcon, for your research. I was going by second-hand information. But it still doesn't make the Rioja red wine sold here in the US taste as good as that consumed on site. Maybe I'll load my backpack, put on my Camino clothes, and go take a 20-mile hike, then taste a glass of the US version of the wine and see if that makes a difference.
People must be respected for saying "No" to things they do not like. Personally, I'd love a glass (or two) of red, but in nice manners.
Don't know if the lack of response was only due to the question being asked in the middle of "wine talk" but I was taken aback by the fact that someone is leaving in a week for the Camino but doesn't know if the CF is "open". Where do you start? Other than with "good luck". Honnestly, goodluck, because the OP does not seem prepared at all and it is February.Hi and welcome! You have a better chance of getting your questions answered if you start a new thread and not post in an unrelated one
I should also say that I sometimes enjoy 4-5 glasses of red. I have no problems with that. It all depends on the people and circumstances. Some evenings can be very joyful with new friends and good conversation. No problem. And those who prefer water should not be considered a problem either. Each to his/her own, and respect.People must be respected for saying "No" to things they do not like. Personally, I'd love a glass (or two) of red, but in nice manners. I find it nice and friendly to share a glass of two with fellow pilgrims, but it is not nice to have drunken people around you. Just my attitude.
My husband, a non-pilgrim, would say "Of course not, it's in late May or June."Is the French open this time of the year?
Love your humor, I'll add this to the "mystery" for the OP.My husband, a non-pilgrim, would say "Of course not, it's in late May or June."
I was wondering how long it would take for kalimotxo to be mentioned!
We were in a tapas bar in Pamplona when I noticed the young men were drinking a specific drink that looked.....odd.
When I asked what it was and they described it, it sounded absolutely horrific. Seeing I was a pilgrim, he bought me one and it was really refreshing. The only downside was the caffeine in the coke kept me up all night after drinking a few!
When I describe it at home, all have the same horrific response!