Bodegas Hidalgos is not an unfamiliar name when it comes to wines, especially with its very popular reds, the Arvisa Rioja Crianza and Reserva. These wines have earned their place beside the many high quality Spanish wines now present in the country.

One particular facet of Spanish wines that many Filipinos have not discovered is the consumption of sherry with food, which on occasion can be quite an enjoyable pursuit. As an aperitif, a chilled glass of this fortified wine paired off with the correct food can start the pace for an exciting dinner. It can also end it well, as in the case of a Pedro Ximenez with dessert or their sweet cream Alameda.

At one particular dinner, Oscar Garcia, our Bodegas Hidalgos man here in the Philippines and sherry aficionado, presented a flight of different sherries produced in their bodegas from Sanlucar de Barrameda in Cadiz. The special microclimate by the riverside near the sea gives their special yeast an all year round growth and adds special flavors to the sherry.

First in the flight is their highly rated Manzanilla. All the sherries were served chilled, and this clear, bone-dry Manzanilla is reminiscent of herbs, sea brine, and almonds. This went well with the appetizer of Fried Almonds and Olives and a piece of Tuna Sushi. This was tasted side by side with a Fino Sherry from Jerez that seemed to be more one sided and did not have the same vibrancy as the Manzanilla.

The Manzanilla’s dryness also did well with the Mariscada, a seafood stew that was rich and lusty with tomatoes and herbs with powerful flavors of shellfish, crustaceans, and other seafood. Next came an older Amontillado Napoleon, which is a solera of seven years. This Amontillado was slightly nuttier reminiscent of vanilla and lightly roasted almonds.

This was paired off with a slice of pork chicharones or jellied pig’s feet and ears with a mustard sauce and a pheasant consommé with a dumpling from its meat floating in it. Both courses were complimented well, the cool gelatinous pig’s feet had its richness cut by the Amontillado, while the consommé was intensified with its caramelized vegetable flavors mingling with the “madeirized” qualities of the wine.

Our next flight was the heavier, woodier Oloroso Faraon, which seemed to have a heavier roasted flavor of nuts and oak on the palate. Stronger flavored food such as a slice of smoked Spanish mountain cheese or Idiazabal paired of perfectly with it, as with a slice of raw German smoked Schinken ham whose saltiness seemed to soften the power of the Oloroso.

Last in this group was the famous Palo Cortado. As was mentioned by Oscar Garcia, their Palo Cortado is authentically government certified (with a government sticker) as a 30-year-old wine. Many claim to be Palo Cortado’s, yet are only seven to 12 years only. This very limited and very expensive wine was very complex. Every sip was evocative of praline paste, pastry fillings, toffee, and brown raw sugar. It seemed to cut the saltiness of the blue cheese and was brightened at the edge by a drizzle of honey on the palate.

After the Palo Cortado, we were supposed to take a breather. I really didn’t know what that meant because a main dish was served. It was quite apt for our Arvisa Rioja 2001, which is very ready for drinking and very soft with its flavors of plum and oak. It was a good pairing to a very rich, machismo stew of gelatinous beef knee caps and shanks with baby carrots and turnips. The long simmered stew was well enjoyed by everyone sopping the sauces up with pieces of bread.

To cap the meal, Oscar did not serve us their Cream Alameda which he said was a sherry blend. Though popular and used as a dessert wine or aperitif and served chilled, Cream Alameda is a blend of Pedro Ximenez and muscatel. Oscar instead decided to serve us a pure Pedro Ximenez!
This was a decadently heavy and syrupy dark liquid that was not shy of dried fruits such as figs and dates with light touches of caramel candy. It worked really well with a sinful Chocolate Prune Cake oozing with warm dark chocolate sauce and dulce tostado. The special Burned Butter Ice Cream with toasted, smoky, buttery flavors in a very smooth velvety base was the third scene stealer on the dessert plate.

Hopefully, we will have another dinner like this, as promised by Oscar and just maybe we can pace ourselves and have enough room for his Reserva brandy. Everyone didn’t get this far.