Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) In celebration of Boston’s 115th Fisherman’s Feast, North End favorite Prezza is offering a special seafood-focused menu available from August 1–17. Prezza is marking the occasion with six limited-time dishes, available a la carte, that showcase New England seafood with a Mediterranean twist.

The ‘Fisherman’s Feast’ menu includes:
Patriot Oysters with Cucumber Mignonette and Cocktail Sauce
Fried Clams paired with a Lemon Caper Aioli
Bluefin Tuna Crudo including Cara Cara Orange, Fennel, Citrus Vinaigrette, and Calabrian Chiles
White Anchovy Crostini with Garlic, Wine, Cherry Tomatoes, and Olive Tapenade
Octopus Flatbread containing Potatoes, Arugula, Lemon, Black Olive Tapenade, Feta Cheese
Warm Buttered Lobster, Brioche Toast, Lobster Butter, as well as Italian Cole Slaw, and Old Bay Fries

2) On August 6, MAZÍ Food Group (Desnuda Cocina & Bar, Gigi, Ilona, Kava Neo-Taverna) will debut the newest addition in its growing restaurant collection: Louis Corner. Situated on the corner of Tremont and Waltham streets, in the South End,  Louis (pronounced Lou-ee) Corner will be an elevated American gastropub concept.

Using a blend of seating options to encourage a lively social experience, the 48 seats are a mix of bar settings, brown leather banquettes and mid-top tables flanked with bronze-studded chairs.  MAZÍ Food Group’s executive chef and owner Jesus Preciado has reimagined a menu rooted in core American cuisine with occasional Irish influences. Designed for sharing, guests can expect a collection of starters like pickled vegetables, Rockefeller oysters, fried cauliflower, deviled eggs, and a variety of local oysters. Spanning regional specialties from the Northeast to the south, highlights from the dinner menu include a smashburger, mac and cheese, fish and chips, and jambalaya while classic sandwiches preparations – from a lobster roll to roast beef and a Cubano – grace the menu at lunchtime.

Louis Corner’s beverage program will encompass cordials, beer and wine while paying tribute to classic American cocktails. The wine program has been curated to celebrate American vintners, with endeavors based both stateside and overseas, while the beer selections will showcase local and craft offerings available by the can and bottle. Louis Corner will be open weekdays beginning at 11:00am with brunch service available weekends beginning at 9:00am. 

A Culinary Road Trip To Ipswich+

Are you looking for a day trip idea, especially one with a culinary theme? One of my favorites is to drive up to Ipswich, and the surrounding communities of Rowley, Salisbury, and Newbury, visiting farms, bakeries, butcher shops, a clam shack, a candy shop, wine shop, and more. I've had a number of people ask me for a list of the places I visit, as they too would like to check out those places when they visit the Ipswich area. 

So, I'm now offering a curated list of my favorite places, but please note that this isn't a complete list of all of the potential stops, and you might find something else that appeals to you while you're driving around the area. There is much to explore in this area, so keep your eye out while you're in the area in case something catches your eye. 

I believe Friday is the best day for this Ipswich trip, with Saturday a close second, for two reasons, which I'll explain below. You can go on any other day if you wish, but a couple of excellent options won't be available. 

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Sandpiper Bakery: When I visit Ipswich, one of my first stops is usually this bakery, to have a breakfast snack. It's a bit hidden, in a building next to the Public Library, and it doesn't have a large sign indicating its presence. Inside, there's two small counters where you can sit, and they have multiple tables outside on their patio. They are open for breakfast and lunch, offering sandwiches and salads, and have a full case of bakery treats. 

I usually get a Ham & Cheese Croissant, which is flaky and buttery, and often slightly warm. This is definitely one of top favorite croissants, and highly recommended. It's a great way to start the day before exploring Ipswich.

Some of the other tasty items you can purchase include Scones, Banana Bread. Cardamom Muffins, Coconut Macaroons, and more, 

One of my other favorites is their Whoopie Pies! They appear to be seasonally available, and now is that season. The light chocolate cake is soft and tasty, with a satisfying creamy filling, and the entirety is not overly sweet. This is one of my Top Favorite Whoopie Pies and I always get some when I stop here and they're available.

Russell Orchards: On my day trip, I usually visit about four farms in the Ipswich area, each with its own special attractions, but I'll note there are even more farms in the area that you can visit. Russell Orchards sells its own produce, some kitchen supplies, books, ice cream, baked goods, gourmet foods, wine and cider. You can pick your own fruit, dependent on the season, such as blueberries, raspberries, apples, and more. Plus, they have some farm animals which you can see, which is a popular attraction for children.   

My favorite Cider Donuts are made here, a light and flavorful donut with such a delicious apple flavor. They don't need a dusting of cinnamon/sugar, and are much better than the heavy, cake cider donuts you find elsewhere. If you're lucky, you'll get some when they are still warm. I'll usually eat a donut or two before I even reach my car in the parking lot. You can even get a Cider Donut Sundae at their ice cream booth. 

And if you enjoy wine and/or cider, you can check out their tasting room and sample some of the variety of the wines and hard ciders they produce.

Northern Lights Farm Stand: Located diagonally across from the Clam Box, Northern Lights has a small farm stand with produce, including Duck Eggs (which I enjoy), and a variety of jarred fruits and vegetables produced by the Mennonites (also a good choice). 

One of their main attractions is also all the animals they have on their property, including donkeys, a pot-bellied pig, turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits, and more. 

One of the stars is Samson, a HUGE rabbit, and this photo doesn't do justice to his great size. Samson usually wanders free on the property, is fairly friendly, and can be petted. Children will love all the animals. 

Marini Farmstand: This farmstead has lots of produce, including some of their own grown fruits and vegetables, as well as a bakery, and some chilled cases with meats, dairy products, beverages and more. At Christmas time, this farmstead has a beautiful display, with lots of decorations and ornaments for sale.  

This is one of the only local farms where I've found Purple Peppers, which have a spicy heat to them. They currently also have Sicilian Eggplant, which certainly looks different from the usual eggplant. 

And if you want Cider Donuts, covered with cinnamon/sugar, you can find them here.

Tendercrop Farm: This local farm has farmstands in Newbury, Wenham, and Dover, and I usually stop at either the Newbury or Wenham location on my Ipswich journey. Both are fairly similar, offering lots of fruits and veggies (many of their own grown), as well as flowers and plants. They also sell dairy products, baked goods, frozen foods and snacks. 

In addition, they have a butcher shop, offering meat from the many animals on their farm, including beef, chicken, turkey, and pork. Their meats are excellent quality and reasonably priced, and I've never been let down. Their Boneless Pork Chops ($6.99/lb) are thick cut, very tender and flavorful. Such a great deal and I usually get some when I stop here. I've seen other butcher shops offering the same thing for twice the price. I've also enjoyed their grass-fed Filet Mignon, Marinated Steak Tips, Duck Breast, Turkey Tips, Sausages, and more. Definitely a great stop to satisfy your carnivore cravings.

Clam Box of Ipswich: For lunch, I can't consider going any place else except the Clam Box. It's my favorite clam shack and never disappoints. It's celebrating its 90th Anniversary this year! Their fried seafood is superb, from the fried clams to the fried scallops, and their service is top notch. They are very customer-driven and have impressed me multiple times in the past. You can dine inside or outside, and during the summer you might have to wait in line as it is very popular.  

On Fridays only, they commonly offer Fried Lobster Tails, which are difficult to find elsewhere. Each lobster piece is basically half a lobster tail, and you can see above the plentiful portion you receive. The lobster is delicious, with a nice, light and crispy batter, sweet lobster, and some melted butter for dipping. The dish comes with two sides, and I always opt for French fries and onion rings. This is one reason why I recommend making an Ipswich road trip on Fridays.

The Fried Clams and Scallops Combo plate is also delicious, with plenty of fried seafood, and some of the sweetest fried scallops you'll find. You can get the clams with or without the bellies, although I prefer with the bellies. Plus, the Clam Box nows offers Steamed Clams, which I recently enjoyed and would recommend. 

Dairy Queen: After you leave the Clam Box, you'll probably be too full for dessert, but you might still be able to drink something else. Just down the road from the Clam Box is a Dairy Queen, and it serves the Orange Julius, a frothy orange drink. I've been drinking them since I was young, and still enjoy an occasional one. 

Ipswich Shellfish Fish Market: Once you've enjoyed lunch at the Clam Box, you might still have a hankering for some seafood, but which you can prepare at home. So, only on Fridays and Saturdays, you can check out this seafood pop-up, which is my favorite seafood market. This is the second reason why journeying to Ipswich on Friday is a good idea.

They have plenty of fresh, local seafood, as well as some excellent frozen fish. Quality is high but prices are reasonable, and the service is excellent. The staff can cut the fish to any size you need, and can offer suggestions for preparation as well.  

They also sell a variety of prepared foods, from tinned seafood to pasta, to their owns soups, sauces, and seafood entrees. Their house-made Corned Bread is delicious, moist and flavorful.

Every Thursday, they post a menu for their Friday and Saturday offerings. For instance, they currently stock local Halibut, Swordfish, Striped bass, and Bluefish. You'll also find seafood from Alaska, Canada, Norway, Iceland, and more. You can find frozen Lobster Tails, split for the grill, as well as live lobsters. So many choices! In the past week, I've dined at home on their King Salmon and local Halibut, and both were absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!

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Winfrey's Fudge & Chocolates (Rowley):  Just a few miles from the Clam Box, you can find U.S. Route 1, also known as the Newburyport Turnpike. At 42 Newburyport Turnpike, you can check out the chocolates and candies at this large store. They have stores at four other locations. I especially enjoy their Chocolate Turtles. 

Agawam Diner (Rowley): At 166 Newburyport Turnpike, in Rowley, you'll find the famed Agawam Diner, which is celebrating its 85th Anniversary this year.  They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

They have an excellent breakfast menu, with delicious pancakes, homemade hash, breakfast sandwiches, and more.  

They also have a bakery in their basement where they produce numerous pies and pastries. If you just stop by the diner, they have some whole pies and pastries available for purchase, but if you want to ensure you get a specific type of pie, you should order ahead of time. Over the last few months, I've stopped by the diner a few times and purchased their three cream pies: Coconut, Banana and Chocolate. They were all delicious, quite amply sized, and not overly sweet. They generally cost $30 each. 

Market Basket (Rowley): At 231 Newburyport Turnpike, there's a Market Basket, which I think is one of their best locations. It's very clean and has a greater variety of products than many of their other locations. And prices are very good compared to many other supermarkets.  

Nancy's Marshview Cafe & Bakery (Salisbury): If you continue to follow U.S. Route 1, about 8 miles from Market Basket, you'll cross a bridge into Salisbury. You'll soon come to Nancy's Marshview Cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch, and also has a bakery. I haven't yet eaten breakfast here, but the menu looks enticing, and I've enjoy their baked goods very much.

Doughnuts, muffins, cinnamon rolls, chocolate desserts, and more can be found here. They also sell a variety of pies, and their Banana Cream Pie is excellent, and the price was only about $20. It's worth coming here just for the pies. I plan to have breakfast here in the near future, and will report back then. 

Bucciarelli's Butcher Shop & Deli (Salisbury): Very close to Nancy's Cafe is this butcher shop, which also sells gourmet foods and wine. It's worth checking out, although their meat prices seem to be higher than at Tendercrop. 

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Cellar Door Culinary Shop: Back in Ipswich, check out the Cellar Door, a place for gourmet food, wine and beer. You'll find cheese, cured meats, sauce, olive oil, noodles, chocolates, and much more. 

The wine selection is well curated, with wines from all over the world, including many natural wines. These are not your usual suspects, but less commonly known wines, and well worth checking out. 

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Some other spots you might want to check out, which aren't on my usual route, in the Ipswich+ area include:

The Ipswich Green Grocer

Ipswich Butcher Bros.

1634 Meadery

Mill Rivery Winery (Rowley)

Stephanie's Village Pancake House (Rowley)

Three Sweet Peas Bakery Cafe (Rowley)

If you have any other suggestions in the area, feel free to send them on to me. 

Bluefin Tuna Dinner at Tonno (Wakefield): Can't Get Any Fresher!

It's only natural that a restaurant named "Tonno," an Italian word for "Tuna," would host a special bluefin dinner, accompanied by a tuna butchery demo. 

Back in 2016, Chef/Owner Anthony Caturano (of Prezza fame) opened Tonno, an Italian Seafood restaurant, in Gloucester. And then in 2018, Chef Caturano opened a second location of Tonno, in Wakefield. The concept of Tonno is to feature "coastal Italian seafood and other treasures from land and sea. The culinary program is designed to showcase Italian seafood classics, with nightly specials that reflect the catches of the day from the local waters." From the start, I was a fan of the cuisine of the Wakefield location of Tonno, and as it was only a short distance from my home, it was convenient.  

Last week, Chef Caturano held a multi-course Bluefin Tuna Dinner at Tonno, and also conducted a butchery demo of the tuna (which is pictured above). The tuna was originally about 6 1/2 feet long, although the head had already been removed before the demo. About 80% of the tuna yields meat, which is certainly a significant proportion. As it's relatively early in the bluefin season, the fish was a bit leaner, which is good for restaurants that want to prepare tuna steaks. 

Here's a ten minute video of Chef Caturano butchering the bluefin, which was certainly fascinating as he explained the process while he worked. Plus, you knew that you would soon after receive dishes made from the tuna you just watched being prepared. 

After the tuna was almost completely butchered, you can see the end result above. However, there was still meat on the tuna, between the bones, and Chef Caturano used a spoon to remove some of it. The rest was likely removed back in the kitchen as it would have been a laborious, but worthwhile, effort to remove all of it by spoon.  

To accompany the bluefin, I opted for a Dolcetto, a lighter-style Italian red wine, and it worked well, especially with the pasta course and the grilled tuna steak. 

We began our dinner with a complimentary course, some of the tuna that had been scooped out, from between the bones, with crostini. It was silky and flavorful, a tasty way to begin.

The First Course was then Tuna Belly Crudo, with fennel, radish, cucumbers, pickled red fresno peppers, chive oil, and a blood orange vinaigrette. The Crudo slices were firmer and a bit chewier, and the citrus flavors, with a touch of heat, made a nice accompaniment.  

The Second Course was a plentiful mound of Tuna Tartare with a chive oil and crostini. Again, the small chunks were silky and flavorful, almost melting in your mouth. The crostini added a nice textural element. 

The Third Course was Rigatoni Pasta, with seared tuna, tomato, black olives, and capers. The house-made pasta was prepared al dente, and had a pleasant firmness. The sauce complemented the seared tuna pieces and there was a pleasing salty element from the olives and capers. 

The Fourth Course was a Grilled Tuna Steak with heirloom tomatoes, fennel puree, and chive oil. Again, this was a hearty portion of tuna, and it was tender and delicious, accented by the chive oil, with a nice light char. 

For Dessert, we enjoyed Strawberries with mascarpone whipped cream and a balsamic glaze, and a small biscotti. Fresh and sweet, this was a tasty summer treat, and a nice ending to the tuna dinner. 

Overall, this was an excellent dinner, with plenty of delicious bluefin tuna, which couldn't have been any fresher. The butchery demo was educational and interesting, and more people should understand more about how their food is prepared. The five-course dinner cost $165 per person (which included tip), and drinks were a la carte. Kudos to Chef Caturano for hosting such a fun and tasty event. Check out Tonno, in Wakefield or Gloucester, to enjoy their cuisine. 

Rant: You Should Celebrate World Baijiu Day!

There's National Chardonnay Day and National Cabernet Sauvignon Day, as well as wine holidays celebrating Merlot, Moscato, Champagne and much more. Plus, there are Drink Days celebrating everything from Rum to Egg Nog, Margaritas to Mai Tais. The basic idea behind such days is to promote a grape, wine, beer, spirit or cocktail, and savvy marketers take the opportunity to highlight and push their products. However, do we really need all of these wine/drink holidays?

For the more popular choices, like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, I don't think we need a special day to showcase these grapes. Nearly every wine consumer knows about those grapes. So, as they're already hugely popular, we should be shining a spotlight on grapes that are more worthy of attention, grapes which are less popular or less known. 

There are plenty of under appreciated grapes and wine types, such as Assyrtiko, Rkatsiteli, Pošip, Baga, Mavrud, Manzanilla Sherry and more, which would benefit greatly from their own special day. There are other alcohols worthy of more attention too, from Sake to Shochu. These niche wines and spirits need the publicity, to boost their sales and recognition. 

I would much rather see days celebrating the drink underdogs, helping to gain them recognition and new fans. I want people to broaden their palates, and taste something new for them. They need to be enticed to step out of their comfort zone. For example, Sake is still vastly under appreciated in the U.S. so having a day that celebrates and promotes it makes sense. Did you know International Sake Day, which is celebrated each year on October 1, has existed since 1978, nearly 50 years? That makes it far older than most of the other wine and drink holidays.

On Saturday, August 9, we should celebrate World Baijiu Day, a holiday created by Jim Boyce, who runs the nightlife blog Beijing Boyce and wine blog Grape Wall of China. The intent of this holiday is to raise awareness of Baijiu, to highlight its wonders beyond the borders of China. Even though Baijiu is the most popular spirit in the world, most Americans know little, if anything about it. As I've said before, Baijiu seems to be the Durian fruit of the spirits world, both having a reputation for funkiness which turns off some people, while others become fervent fans. It's a fascinating beverage, with much diversity of flavor and taste, and I strongly encourage everyone to seek it out and sample some of its wonders.

When is the last time you saw a drinks writer pen an article about Baijiu? It's a rarity, indicating that more attention needs to be paid to this spirit. Not enough people are writing and talking about this unique beverage, despite its intriguing history, production methods, and customs. We need to change this and World Baijiu Day is an important way to help spread the word, and maybe entice more writers to talk about Baijiu, and for more consumers to sample Baijiu in cocktails on its own.

Over the years, I've written sixteen articles about Baijiu, covering a diverse selection of topics, from Baijiu reviews to a the detailed explanation of its production methods. This is a great place to start your education about Baijiu.  

Baijiu: The Durian Fruit Of The Spirits World (Part 1)
Baijiu: Its Unique Production Process (Part 2)
Baijiu: Drinking Etiquette & Some Reviews (Part 3)
Baijiu: Cocktails, Boston & World Baijiu Day (Part 4)
Baijiu: Food Pairings (Part 5)
Vinn Bajiu: Made in Portland
Baijiu: The Essential Guide To Chinese Spirits by Derek Sandhaus
World Baijiu Day: August 9
Taizi Baijiu: A New Zealand Treasure
Historical Tidbits About Baijiu, The World's Most Popular Spirit (Part 1)
Historical Tidbits About Baijiu, The World's Most Popular Spirit (Part 2)

Rant: Stop Drink Hate

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen: World Baijiu Day & Dine Out Boston

Luzhou Laojiao: Mainstreaming Baijiu With Cocktails

Baijiu Pop-Ups at Backbar: Learn About This Fascinating Chinese Spirit

A Baijiu Class with Derek Sandhaus

In celebration of World Baijiu Day, there will be events held all over the world, from Beijing to Auckland, Dublin to Stockholm. In the U.S., there will be Baijiu events in Baltimore, New York City, and Chicago. In the Boston area, Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, in Kendall Square, Cambridge, will once again celebrate World Baijiu Day, offering two new Baijiu cocktails for August. In addition, the food at Sumiao is excellent, and they are celebrating their Eighth Anniversary this summer. 

As Sumiao's website states: "A Baijiu Bash is Brewing — Only at Sumiao! This August, we’re proud to partner with World Baijiu to bring the spirit of China’s most iconic liquor to Kendall Square — just in time for World Baijiu Day (8/9). Whether you’re a curious first-timer or a baijiu believer, these East-meets-West creations offer smoky, citrusy, and tropical twists on tradition. Cheers to sipping something unexpected."

There two new Baiju cocktails include:
● Eastern Sun: Smoky baijiu and mezcal meet juicy passion fruit and lime for a sunrise-inspired sip.
● Golden Dynasty: Elegant and zesty, this Earl Grey–washed baijiu cocktail glows with honeyed cognac and citrusy charm.

Baijiu is also becoming more readily available at liquor shops in the U.S., though previously you might not have even realized it existed. I also just learned of a distillery in Connecticut which is producing Baijiu! Baijiu may be hugely popular in Asia but it needs much greater exposure in the rest of the world, including in the U.S. It is a unique and delicious spirit and well worth seeking out. This is a Drink Day that I wholeheartedly support and hope that everyone else takes this opportunity to acquaint themselves with Baijiu. 

Expand your palate and try something different and more unique. Drink some Baijiu and celebrate World Baijiu Day!

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Dine Out Boston is coming August 3-16, with numerous local restaurants offering prix fixe menus, for Lunch or Dinner, at multiple price points. Here are a few highlights:

Back Bay steakhouse Abe & Louie’s will be dishing out a two-course prix fixe menu ($32) for weekday lunch. For starters, choose between a roasted summer vegetable gazpacho with basil oil and corn relish, or a grilled little gem salad with cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta, avocado and green goddess dressing. Entrée options include Brandt beef flatiron steak frites drizzled with chimichurri aioli, or monkfish Milanese with lemon, arugula and radish. 

Atlantic Fish Co. will feature a weekday lunch menu ($32) with a duo of appetizer and entrée options. The appetizers are chilled crab and lemon gazpacho with basil oil, or an arugula and watermelon salad with red onion and balsamic dressing. For entrées, choose between pan-seared cod with roasted corn salsa and whipped potato, or trout almondine with green beans, roasted fingerling potatoes and lemon beurre blanc. 

Coach Grill, in Wayland, will offer a three-course dinner menu ($55) available Sunday through Friday . To start there are roasted beets and goat cheese over arugula with candied pecans and citrus vinaigrette, or a Tuscan kale salad with golden raisins, parmesan, croutons and a honey-lime vinaigrette. The entrée options come threefold: pan-seared duck breast with melted leeks, fig, port wine and vincotto; linguini and clams with tomato, white wine and garlic; or prime bavette steak with whipped potato, grilled asparagus and red wine reduction. For desserts, a choice of chocolate mousse with Chantilly cream and cookie crumble, or cheesecake with seasonal mixed berries. 

Bistro 5, in Medford, will offer a three-course dinner menu ($55) offering a choice of four appetizers, four entrees, and two desserts. Start with Calamari, Burrata, or Beef Carpaccio. And then move onto Tagliatelle Bolognese, Seared Salmon, Gnocchi with Fat Moon Mushrooms, or Grilled Chicken, And then end your meal with Chocolate Pots du Creme or Creme Brûlée. 

Perfection In A Bottle 2: Bodegas Yuste Conde de Aldama Palo Cortado Sherry

For my recent birthday, I thoroughly enjoyed a special wine from my cellar, a wine that some might consider an antique. It's a wine that's over 100 years old and it was superb! 

This wine was the Bodegas Yuste Conde de Aldama Palo Cortado Sherry, and its fascinating history extends back to the early 18th century, when the solera system first started to be used by the Sherry industry. The bodegas of Aguilar y Cia were established in 1740 in Sanlúcar, and the solera that would eventually result in the Yuste Palo Cortado was founded sometime between 1740-1750. Just take a moment to consider the age of this Sherry when it was born, before even the U.S. acquired its independence, and maybe during King George's War. 

We then consider the family of León Aldama y Respaldiza, which came to Sanlúcar from the province of Álava, part of the Basque region. In 1823, León took possession of the bodegas of Aguilar y Cia, acquiring their old barrels of Sherry. His family became quite famed in Sanlúcar, especially for their vast vineyards and fine wines. When León died in 1863, his two nephews, Pedro Aldama Gaviña and José Gabriel Aldama Camba, became his primary heirs. Eventually, José became the first Conde de Aldama ("Count of Aldama") and seems to have taken primary control of the family's wine holdings and production.

During the 1880s, the dreaded phylloxera came to the Jerez region, destroying numerous vineyards and causing a number of bodegas to close. José lost some of his valuable vineyards and though American rootstock was used to save Spanish vines, José found fault with these new vines. He didn't care for the wine made from the new grapes and refused to add the wine to nearly all of his soleras, except for a few test cases. He basically stopped producing any further wine, and only purchased pre-phylloxera wine to add to his established soleras. Around 1888, José finally decided to seal at least some of this oldest soleras, such as those acquired from Aguilar y Cia, behind plaster, allegedly to protect their value and prevent them from being adulterated with wine from new grafted vines.

When José passed away, his nephew, Antonio Aldama Mendivil, the Marqués de Ayala, acquired the estate. Antonio took well to the Sherry business, acting as an almacenista for a number of other companies, and he also invested in other business, from mining to banking. The old soleras, hidden behind the plaster, remained untouched. Eventually, around 1921, there were significant changes and Antonio's financial situation came down crashing as he had started paying insufficient attention to his businesses, being distracted by other matters such as his philanthropy.

Due to his bankruptcy, Antonio was forced to sell off most of his businesses and investments. It then appears that in 1927, the old solera from Aguilar y Cia that had been hidden behind plaster was finally unearthed and then sold to Manuel Argueso Hortal, a wine company that no longer exists. Even under that new ownership, the solera remained essentially untouched, eventually being sold to Valdespino and then later being acquired, with a winery, by a property developer.

Bodegas Yuste was founded by Francisco "Paso" Yuste Brioso, and in 1991, he purchased the historic Bodega Santa Ana in Sanlúcar, and then in 1998, he bought the Viña La Alamedilla, 46 hectares of vineyards in the Jerez pago Carrascal. Around 2001, the property developer who acquired the old solera and winery from Valdespino sold it all to Bodegas Yuste, which took the materials to reconstruct the Bodega Los Ángeles, located in Sanlúcar. This became the home for the ancient solera begun so long ago by Aguilar y Cia.

To this point, the only wine that entered the solera was a small amount to compensate for natural evaporation. Bodegas Yuste later chose to bottle two Sherries from this solera, an Amontillado and, due to some barrel variation, a Palo Cortado. The average age of these Sherries is estimated at 130-150 years old. It could even be older than that. 

I've previously enjoyed the Bodegas Yuste Conde de Aldama Amontillado Sherry, which I called "perfection in a bottle." Would the Palo Cortado live up to the experience of the Amontillado? A Palo Cortado is a rare type of Sherry, somewhat a cross between Amontillado and Oloroso. I had high hopes for this Sherry, and it didn't let me down in the least.

I have to begin noting that words are truly inadequate to depict the totality of drinking this extremely old Palo Cortado. However, I will try to encapsulate some of its wonders. First, it possessed a fine, dark amber color. Second, the nose possessed a complex and intense melange of harmonious aromas that seduced and tantalized me. I could identify some of the notes, but others were more elusive, exotic hints of rare aromas. Third, my palate was overwhelmed with pleasure, such an incredible taste. Complexity and harmony, pure elegance and balance. There was even a measure of freshness to this sherry, which is amazing considering its great age. It also possessed a diverse melange of flavors, both familiar and not, including briny notes, almonds, caramel, dried figs, subtle citrus, and much more. An extremely long and pleasing finish. I never wanted to stop drinking this Sherry and it possessed everything I might desire in such a wine. I consumed this wine with some Italian cuisine, and it worked very well, especially with a veal dish topped by black truffles. 

I purchased this Sherry back in 2020, and only paid $120 for the 500ml bottle. I think that was an amazing value for such an old and unique wine, especially one which was pure magic to drink. Sherry is too often under-appreciated so you can sometimes find some amazing values. You would be hard pressed to find another type of wine, of a similar age, at close to this price point. However, it may now be difficult to find this wine anywhere, and I have been looking. Fortunately, I bought multiple bottles of this Palo Cortado, so I still have a few in my cellar for a future celebration.