In summer, free time is to be enjoyed and nobody likes to spend it in front of the cooker, that’s why we opt for fresh and quick to prepare recipes, without renouncing, of course, to a healthy and nutritious cuisine.

Cooking is a reflection of our lifestyle at this time of year and we can continue to take care of ourselves with delicious and easy-to-prepare recipes. That is why we recommend three recipes to combine with our two Blume varieties: Verdejo, Verdejo Selección and Sauvignon Blanc.

We start with a cold and refreshing soup:

Cucumber, yoghurt and mint cream

For two people we need:
2 small cucumbers, 1 Greek yoghurt, half a spring onion, half a clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, a dash of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of ground black pepper, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, a few leaves of fresh mint, a bottle of Blume Verdejo Selección

The recipe is as simple as chopping the vegetables and adding them to a blender. Add the vinegar, pepper, olive oil and fresh mint. Finally add the yoghurt and whisk again. Refrigerate and add the mint for garnish.
*Note: if it is too thick, it can be thinned with water.

Uncork your bottle of Blume Verdejo Selección and enjoy the freshness of the cold cream and the aromas and notes of dill and hay of our DO Rueda wine.

Grilled squid with pesto and mozzarella mille-feuille Capresse

2 medium-sized cleaned squid, 1 tomato, 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, basil, almonds, sesame seeds to taste, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and a bottle of Blume Sauvignon Blanc.

Wash the squid and remove the water by blotting with kitchen paper. Heat the frying pan and when hot, grill them for 3 minutes on each side.

In a blender, add the basil leaves, almonds, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blend until you get the texture of pesto.

Thinly slice the tomato, cucumber and mozzarella.

Arrange on the plate by combining a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzarella, a slice of cucumber, and place a teaspoonful of pesto sauce on each slice. On the last layer, decorate with sesame and pesto and a drizzle of olive oil.

Use a toothpick to keep it in place. Present the squid next to the mille-feuille. While the recipe is being prepared, keep our Blume Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge. Its light, lively and fruity palate will provide the ideal freshness to accompany the fish.

And finally a dessert:

Cherry ice cream

1 sweetened yoghurt, 500 gr of cherries, chocolate and/or toppings to decorate and a bottle of Blume Verdejo Viura to enjoy.

Pit the cherries and freeze them. Put the yoghurt in the freezer too. When everything is frozen, place in a blender and blend to the consistency of ice cream. Pour into a container and freeze. Serve in small balls with a drizzle of melted chocolate or coloured sugar toppings.

The fresh and light flavours of Blume Verdejo, made from Verdejo and Viura grapes, are ideal to accompany this dish. Serve a glass of our DO Rueda chilled.

We are becoming ever more familiar with the term “night-time harvesting”. It is easy to visualise all that this implies for an activity so closely associated with daytime hours and which, as a result of climate change and the longer, hotter summers it brings, can no longer be carried out during the day. Night-time harvesting is habitually and ever more frequently carried out in the southernmost designations, and of course, in Rueda.

It is based on the requirements and optimisation of the harvesting time; this is a process that should not exceed a maximum of six or seven hours from when the grapes are picked in the vineyard to when they arrive at the winery’s warehouses. We must keep in mind that the temperature variation in Rueda can change by 20 degrees at harvest time, dropping from 30º C that can be reached during the day to 9º C, and therefore night-time harvesting makes a big difference.

Every year is different, but what was once the exception has now become, over the years, the “new normal”: high temperatures at the time of the grape harvest and especially during excessively hot summers in which the temperature doesn’t drop at night. This means that the temperature of the grapes can be excessively high, and they can tend to split open during handling, and thus not reach the winery in optimal conditions. In any case, even ensuring the best conditions, the wines can end up having a shorter flavour due to the grape losing its aroma, which is precisely one of the most highly appreciated features of D.O. Rueda wines.

In contrast, when the grape is harder and firmer, it balances out the fermentation process and, depending on the harvest hours, enables the rehydration of the fruit, consequently reducing the alcoholic level of the final wine.

On a final note, this type of harvest is more appropriate for white grapes as they are more sensitive to light due to their colour and type of skin, while red grapes have a more resistant skin.

And now, LET’S ENJOY IT!

It is an undeniable fact that gin & tonics are all the rage, and with that in mind, the cocktail world surprises us every day with more interesting and delicious combinations. For this summer, we suggest you discover the Verdejo Winetonic, a delicious combination of Blume Verdejo white wine, a drop of gin and tonic water.

Cocktail Recipe

• 15 cl of BLUME VERDEJO SELECCIÓN white wine
• 3 cl of white gin
• 20 cl of tonic water
• Thinly-sliced white grapes.

Mix the wine and gin in a cocktail shaker and shake it gently; if you don’t have a cocktail shaker, mix in the glass, stirring lightly with a spoon. Then pour the tonic water very slowly to avoid bursting the bubbles. Serve in a balloon glass, decorated with the grape slices and lots of ice cubes.

During the hottest time of the year we love to eat dishes packed with exotic and fresh flavours and if they’re healthy too, even better. Below we have listed 3 options from tropical regions to enjoy and dazzle guests at your summer dinner parties.

1. Poke Bowl with scallops: Poke Bowl dishes are a trend all over the world; they are super healthy, simple, exotic dishes, and above all, delicious. In this version, we’ve set aside the traditional salmon or tuna options, replacing the fish with tasty scallops. Are you up for a change?
2. Vegetarian Chilli with Bulgur wheat: this vegetarian chilli has nothing to envy traditional chilli con carne. Bulgur wheat is a grain naturally high in fibre and low in fat and calories! Combine it with chilli’s traditional ingredients: onion, red beans, carrots, garlic and celery and season with chilli, and you won’t notice the difference.
3. Arepas Reina Pepiada: This is Venezuela’s most famous arepa, its surname meaning “good curves”, and it was named after the Venezuelan model, Susana Duijm, “Miss Universe 1955”. The filling is easy to prepare, and above all, very tasty; you just need chicken breast, avocado and a bit of mayonnaise. Mix everything together and fill those delicious arepas.

And how about the drink? Blume Sauvignon Blanc obviously! Its fruity character and tropical aromas pair perfectly with these exotic dishes.

Sushi is one of Japan’s typical foods and has been well established both in international cuisine and in Spain for many years. From top restaurants to franchise restaurant chains that have “democratised” Japanese cuisine, these dishes have become more accessible to everyone and especially younger crowds who are always more adventurous and experimental when it comes to food.

As you all already know, sushi is prepared in small bite-sized portions, and depending on its shape and the presentation of ingredients, it receives a different name: the terms “maki”, “sashimi” and “nigiri” are already fully implanted in our minds.

The different ingredients used in sushi, raw fish, nori seaweed, soy sauce and spicy wasabi, make this dish a very attractive/different option, but pairing it with wine can prove a bit difficult.

Our advice/suggestion is to select wines with a light and aromatic profile on the palate, so that they don’t compete with the intense flavours of the food, while also complementing all the aromas, in the search for that optimal balance, and the BLUME range is a fantastic option for this.

This wine profile is the natural territory of white wines, but not all of them fit the bill, and therefore, we need to point out three key characteristics: the wine must be fresh, fruity and also aromatic.

We would like to highlight our winery’s two favourite grapes: one, the Verdejo grape with BLUME SELECCION, a perfect match thanks to its fresh and balanced character with good acidity and an accentuated bitter tone with fruity green notes. Two, BLUME SAUVIGNON BLANC, for its nose, always reminiscent of citrus, and for its low acidity, which combines perfectly on the palate with subtler flavours.

Now, as always, let’s enjoy! Happy Pairing!

By the way, let’s not forget the chopsticks and how they are used – this always provides for “amusing” moments depending on the skill of the diners. We’ll leave that for another post…

Many of you ask us on your visits to wineries and social networks about the qualities of the Rueda Verdejo grape. It is true that, based on the market success of our Designation of Origin, our offer has grown year after year, but there is only one Rueda Verdejo grape. What is it that makes our grapes so recognisable and different? To put it simply and avoid technicalities, we have summarised it in four key points:

First of all, the altitude of the vineyards, which are located between 700 and 800 metres above sea level, on flat lands that are high up, withstanding cold and very long winters.

Secondly, latitude. The Rueda region is located in the Mediterranean.

Naturally and very distinctly, the weather: short springs with late frosts and hot, dry summers. The scarcity of rain, which forces the vines to seek moisture in the deepest subsoil.

In addition, the difference in temperature between day and night provides a balance between the sugar the grape gains from the sun and the acidity it maintains during the cool nights. Sunshine hours reach 2,600 per year, which would be too much if it were not for the late ripening of the grape. The names of the grapes, in certain cases, have a clear meaning. In the same way that the ‘Tempranillo’ red grape refers to an early ripening, the ‘Verdejo’ white variety refers to its green status most of the time, which indicates a late ripening.

Finally, soil composition. The ground is a surface of stoned pebbles with good aeration and drainage. The mineral composition is rich in calcium and magnesium. The stones have considerable thermal inertia, they retain the heat during the day and gradually release it at night.

All this confers a highly characteristic aroma of lowland grasses, with fruity notes and excellent acidity. The extract, a characteristic feature of excellent white wines, is noticeable for its volume, a slightly bitter note and a great expression of fruit.

As you can see, there are many and varied factors that influence the end result of the wine; all this is summarised in the concept that the French call “TERROIR” (“TERRUÑO” in Spanish), which is ultimately what provides the unique and differentiated personality to each wine.