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Home , Els Quatre Gats, Isabella (grape), Laietani, Macabeo, Marca Hispanica, Timeline of Barcelona

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Temple de la Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family) — Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece of — is Barcelona’s most striking landmark. Begun in 1883, this UNESCO World Heritage site is still under construction. Cruise Globally…Sip Locally

ravel through the Roman province of one could rest, shed the burdens of travel, and was always dusty, and very enjoy the freshest of seafood – especially the Toften dangerous. Nowhere was this legendary oysters – washed down with the hearty truer than the section of the Via Augusta that of the Laietanian hinterland. ran between Narbo (modern ) and This small settlement was Barkeno (spellings the old Phoenician seaport at Taraco (modern vary), a name possibly derived from that of the Tarragona). Here the road swung inland through Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal’s the lands of the Laietani clinging to the hills father, who had occupied the area briefly toward and avoiding marshy, and potentially malarial, the end of the 3rd century BC. To the Romans, stretches along the coast. But there was a bright however, it was the Colonia Faventia Julia spot: a small garrison on Monte Tabor, the low Augustus, adopted son of Julius Caesar and first Roman (27 BC-AD 14), was deified by the Senate after his Augusta Pia Barcino, fortunately shortened to extension of the waterless Montjuïc massif. Here death and worshipped as such in the forum at Barcino. Barcino by the Emperor Augustus c. AD 15.

4 w w w . TimeTravelingGourmet . c o m 1 Barcino was good to Rome, sending gold, Eventually ’s son, Louis the Pius, silver, , grain and fish sauce back to the reclaimed most of the land north of the capital. And, in turn, Rome was kind to the little River, including Barcelona in AD 801, and settlement. Emperor Tiberius graced its forum turned it into a series of small counties (the with a temple dedicated to the deified Augustus, Marca Hispanica) designed to serve as a buffer resplendent with Corinthian columns over nine between Moslems and Christians. Although meters high. Life was good, but it wouldn’t last. quasi-independent, the Marca were usually As the weakness of the central administration under the control of the of Barcelona, radiated out to the fringes of the empire, Emperor a title that was made hereditary by William Claudius II (reigned AD 268-270) was forced the Hairy (Guifré el Pelôs) when he held the to raise Barcino’s walls to a height of over eight position from AD 878-897. meters. But this only slowed the inevitable and the Over the centuries Barcelona has suffered more local economy continued to sink into decline. than its share of pestilence and plague, especially During the late 4th and 5th centuries, a variety of the Back Death. During the first outbreak (AD After Tariq Ibn Zayid brought his army across the Straits of Germanic (Gothic) tribes, including the notorious Gibraltar he burned his ships to preclude retreat, saying he 1348-1351) it is estimated that 40% of the city’s had come to conquer or to perish (Gibraltar £5 banknote). Vandals and , took advantage of the population died, and it may have been the impetus deadly bombing by Mussolini’s air force in support situation and slipped southward through the filter for the construction of two of the most beautiful of Gen. ’s “Nationalist” forces. On of the where they settled down, gradually churches in the city: Santa Maria del Mar and adopting both the trappings and substance of January 26th, 1939, Franco marched into Barcelona Santa Maria del Pi, both striking examples of the and declared total victory. The Generalissimo would the Hispanic-Roman culture. Surprisingly, life soaring Catalan Gothic style. in Visigothic Hispania was one of culture. Art, rule Spain as a dictator until his death in 1975 at the age of 82. He was the longest ruling dictator in architecture and literature flourished. With the marriage of I of Castile to Ferdinand II of in AD 1469, and the modern European history. subsequent discovery of the Americas, the But the phoenix would rise again. Two days economic interests of the shifted after Franco’s death, Juan Carlos I was crowned away from the Mediterranean and to the Atlantic. King of Spain, retaining (“by grace of God”) the Barcelona’s economy began to falter again, a millennia-old title: . As has situation made worse by Catalonia’s complete loss been the case so often in the past, the relationship of autonomy after the Battle of Barcelona brought between Catalonia and the Crown remains a rocky the Wars of the Spanish Succession to an unhappy one today, but progress is being made despite the ending in AD 1714. fact that calls for self-determination always seem During the 19th century, fueled by prosperity to be simmering — just below the surface. generated by the Industrial Revolution, Barcelona enjoyed an economic and cultural renaissance The of (La Renaixença) whose symbol was appropriately A mosaic of the Three Graces decorated the floor of a 3rd-4th Cava (KA-va) is the wine of Barcelona, and century AD Roman villa in Barcelona. Museu d’Anquelogia the Phoenix rising from the flames. In 1856 the refers specifically to a made by de Catalunya (Bridgeman: AIS 290115). medieval city walls were torn down and the city the methode traditionelle in which secondary To the south, however, storm clouds were was allowed to expand, ultimately leading to the fermentation (the one that produces the bubbles) gathering. In AD 711 Tariq Ibn Ziyad and his architectural explosion known as takes place in the bottle. Often referred to simply as army crossed the Straits of Gibraltar and drove made famous by Antoni Gaudí, Joseph Puig i "Spanish " (champan, champaña, northward, taking what would become known as Cadafalsch and others. Xampany, etc.), the word Cava ("cave" or "cellar") Barchinona just six years later. For the next 80 Barcelona’s suffering during the Spanish Civil was adopted in 1970 at the insistence of the EU in years it would be directly under the thumb of the War (1936-1939) was observed first hand by order to distinguish it from similarly crafted wines Caliph of Cordoba, a part of al-Andalus (“The and vividly presented in Homage from the French Champagne region. But there Paradise”) as the invaders referred to the portions to Catalonia. Less than a year after Hitler rained is more than a nominal difference. Whereas the of the Iberian Peninsula under their control. havoc on tiny Guernica, Barcelona suffered days of three major varieties used in Champagne w w w . TimeTravelingGourmet . c o m 2 are , , and Meunier, Cava acid (think Granny Smith apple). Although it RED GRAPES utilizes three Spanish (actually Catalonian) provides the framework upon which the other Cava can also come in color: the pale, salmon- varieties: , , and Xarel-lo. And, two Cava grapes are hung, it also makes an pink color of a Cava Rosado. Several grape while Spanish DO (Denominación de Origen) interesting wine on its own. Creu de Lavit by varieties are allowed in its production: Garnacha regulations allow Cava to be produced in several Segura Viudas is a still wine made completely (AKA or Vernaccia), Monastrell (AKA areas, Catalonian Penedes makes about 95% of all from the juice of hand harvested Xarello grapes Mourvèdre), or Pinot Noir being used by most of the Cava produced today. that are fermented in to add a subtle of the major houses. But the mysterious Trepat smokiness to the base flavors of apricot and Cava was born in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, a few ripe pear. Recaredo makes an excellent 100% miles west of Barcelona, where the famous Xarello Cava from a planted in 1940. Codorníu, , and Gramona houses are Hands-on attention to every detail combined located. Here in the 1870’s, José Raventós of with long aging sur lees, limits production to Codorníu began experimenting with sparkling fewer than 3000 – individually numbered - wines after a trip to Rheims/Epernay. Later, bottles a year. when swept through , he was Macabeo (mah-kah-BAY-oh) is another thick- ready – with the help of the new and rapidly skinned, heat-resistant grape that has been expanding rail industry - to meet the demands of planted widely across northern Spain for centuries. the international market. And, when the disease Although possibly related genetically to Xarello, eventually struck the of Spain, they were it may ultimately be shown to possess a Middle replanted with the canonical Cava grapes, grafted Eastern pedigree. Slightly floral and fruity, with onto more disease-resistant North American low-medium acidity, it is usually the dominant rootstock, resulting in the popular beverage that grape in Cava. we enjoy today. The individual characteristics of Macabeo are The Trepat grape adds color and fruitiness to Cava Rosado. WHITE GRAPES most easily encountered in the white wines Three white grapes are considered to be the Holy of the DO where the grape is known grape can also be used. Grown mostly in the Trinity of Cava, the blending of which, and the as Viura. However, keep an eye out for wines Conca de Barberá, just inland from Penedes, percentages of each, will dictate the individual from L’Olivera, a Catalonian cooperative it adds vibrant color and hints of red-berried characteristics of a specific wine. whose members, self-described as “people with fruitiness (and some say cinnamon) to the blend. Two excellent 100% Trepat Cavas are made by Xarello or Xarel-lo (Sha-RAIL-loh) is a pale, difficulties,” participate in the entire process. Agustí Torelló Mata: Rosat Trepat Brut packaged thick-skinned grape of relatively local origin Their Agaliu (quite dry) and Missenyora (with in standard 750 ml bottles and Bayanno Rosat that that is high in sugar with medium to high some residual sugar) are both mono-cépage Macabeo wines that are fermented in oak and is available in 375ml bottles. allowed to sit on the lees until spring. Parellada (par-eh-LYAH-dah) is a fruity, SIX DEGREES OF aromatic grape that grows vigorously along the Ebro River to the west of Barcelona. Although SWEETNESS blended to add its acidity and a degree of freshness DRY to Cava, the grape also makes a very good wine on Brut Nature its own. Gramona’s Moustillant Blanc Brut, made Brut from 100% Parellada demonstrates the citrus Brut Reserve (grapefruit) flavors of the grape, while single Sec/Seco , still wines such as Miguel Torres’ Viña Sol Semisec/Semiseco and San Valentín tend to evoke (ripe) stone fruits Dolsec/Dulce that intensify when served at temperatures above SWEET The Xarello grape is one of the three traditional grapes of Cava. the recommended 8C/46F.

2 w w w . TimeTravelingGourmet . c o m 3 Celebrate! Sweet Tooth Choosing a celebratory beverage in a land where Barcelona has enjoyed a love affair with chocolate, sparkling wines are commonplace can be a ever since it was brought home from the "New challenge. So why not break with tradition and try World" five centuries ago. After all, Salvador Dalí a sweet passito from the grape, a claimed that his favorite dish was lobster with rare and distinctive member of the Malvasia family, chocolate sauce. So why not visit the Museu grown in a small (6 acre) vineyard at the Hospital de Saint Juan Bautista, just 20 miles SW of Barcelona. Produced and marketed by volunteers in order to support the hospital, the grape was brought to the area originally by Spanish mercenaries returning home in the 13th – 14th centuries. At one time close to extinction, the grape’s survival is due to the generosity of Manuel Llopis de Casades who willed his small vineyard to the hospital provided that they would continue to make the wine. A poster by young became the cover of the Menstra (Menu) of El 4 Gats Restaurant, home of Bohemian If, however, only a sparkler will do, try to find a bottle Barcelona (Brown Gallery). of Vega de Ribes’s Ancestral, made by a technique brainchild of painter who was that is thought to predate the methode traditionelle. inspired by the famous Parisian cabaret Le Here the juice of the Malvasia Sitges grapes is Chat Noir. It served as a place of refreshment, fermented in chestnut barrels, cooled, and bottled conversation, and entertainment for some of the Catalonian artist Salvador Dalí (1904-1923) memorialized while the wine is dormant. Then the temperature is most famous artists of the day including Antoni in the chocolate that he loved so much. The , Barcelona (Photo: Mishti). raised and the fermentation is completed without the Gaudí, Joan Miró and a teen-age Pablo Picasso. de la Xocolata (Carrer del Comerc, 36). It is a need for dosage. Slightly sweet, while retaining the This is the perfect place to sip a cold glass of Cava, celebration of all things chocolate, and takes you acidity of the grape, Ancestral goes very well with a enjoy the complimentary plate of olives, and drink on a journey from the growing and processing box of celebratory Spanish chocolates. in the spirit of Modernisme. of the cacao pods to their transformation into a And if you are in search of something to bring tempting array of mouth-watering confections, Wine Bars and back to the ship, go directly to the Vila Viniteca many of which are available for purchase in the Bottle Shops in the Bari Gòtic (Carrer Agullers, 7) where it gift shop. Along the way you will be treated to a Although it can be difficult to find,Els 4 Gats has been since 1932. With estimated holdings of variety of chocolate sculptures that range from ( at Carrer Montsio, 3 bis) is between 4000 and 7000 bottles and a very helpful a somber Pieta by Michelangelo to a whimsical definitely worth the search. Housed in the Casa multi-lingual staff, you are sure to find something tableaux of Asterix & Obelix. And don’t lose your Martí, designed and built by Modernist architect that you like. They also own the gourmet food ticket! It is an individually numbered bar of extra fine chocolate (minimum 73% cacao). Joseph Puig i Cadafalsch in 1897, it was the shop at No 9, which is also a must.

The Time Traveling Gourmet is, in reality, archaeologist Albert Leonard, Jr., Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona (Tucson). In addition to his Academic preparation (PhD from the University of Chicago), Al has studied Cheers at Le Cordon Bleu (London) as well as the Culinary Institute of America (Napa Valley, CA) where he was partially In Barcelona, just say supported by a Robert Parker Wine Advocate Scholarship. He presently resides in California’s Russian River Valley where he is a member of The Society of Wine Educators and the Northern Sonoma County convivium of Slow Foods International. ¡ © 2013 Albert Leonard Jr. SALUD! (Sa-LOOD/T) The concept of The Time Traveling Gourmet and the contents of these pages are the intellectual property of Albert Leonard, Jr. who retains all rights to their dissemination. w w w . TimeTravelingGourmet . c o m 4