Yesterday I stumbled across this video on rooftop farming, and I think it deserves a post!! This might not be new, but I haven´t seen anything like it in Spain. The size of this roof garden is just unbelievable!
Wouldn´t it be great to have a farm like this on top of your building?? Fresh vegetables and herbs every day!! And it´s good for the building and the environment too!!! Maybe in the future we will have hundreds of these around cities…. Dreams can come true…
–Rocio
This last weekend and until Wednesday, Madrid is the capital of fashion celebrating Cibeles Fashion Week. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend any of the fashion shows this weekend, but I’ve been keeping up with what’s going on and checking all of the designer’s creations through the Cibeles Fashion website.
Spain’s fashion is very popular and has gained a lot of international attention in the past years, mostly for its affordable brands like Zara and Mango than from individual designers. But the truth is that these big, global brands get many ideas from the smaller, exclusive designers and change the outfits into accessible fashion, and something that everyone can buy. That is what we call the democratisation of the fashion world. Nothing wrong with that, I´m a huge Zara fan!!
During this week we can see what is going to be in or out next summer (It´s such a difficult thing to imagine 2011 summer fashion when it’s barely Autumn). I wanted to share with you some of Spain´s fashion so you get a taste of what is going on here!!
Enjoy!!!
–Rocio
Alma Aguilar
Hannibal Laguna
One of the crazy desings by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada
A week has nearly passed since we started the harvest, so now we can start tasting some wines at different stages, a part of my job that I enjoy very much! It´s very exciting to try to figure out how the wine will evolve during these days. Yesterday we got in the laboratory with the winemaking team and got our hands dirty (well actually my t-shirt as I always get drops of wine after tasting so many tank samples.…).
Sample tasting is a lot of fun. We play music and taste tons of wines, while writing down our impressions of the numbered tank samples. At the same time we start running the different analysis we need, so at the end of the day we have a good base of information.
Yesterday we tasted some of the grapes that haven´t been picked yet, and I have to say the Cabernet is very promising. When I discuss the winemaking process, I try to explain how the different varieties behave in our Estate, and with the Cabernet there is definitely a story to tell… the berry size of the Cab is so small that we have to get it very ripe, otherwise the tannins overwhelm the wine due to the ratio between seed, skins and pulp. Right now, the seeds are already pretty ripe so by the time we pick the Cabernet it’s going to be perfect!!
More to come!! Stay tuned!!
Have a good weekend!
–Rocio
Do you like cycling?
Do you like fine dining?
Then maybe you will love this initiative called Love Velo! Basically, they organise bike tours that come complete with exclusive lodging, food prepared by great chefs, scotch and wine tastings, yoga, and of course an awesome bike route. Check out the different bike routes here: www.lovevelo.co.uk
If cycling through the countryside for about 5 days is a bit too much, maybe enjoying the luxuries of fine dining at a picnic would be better (and way cheaper!!). Before the weather gets too cold, gather some friends, your bikes, a bottle of Tempra Tantrum and check out some yummy picnic recipe ideas! Just remember to be safe!!
However you enjoy wines and bikes, one thing is for sure, Contador wouldn´t have won the 2010 Tour de France with this bike!!!
–Rocio
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