Tomatoes – Huesca and Catalonia
Spain’s Mediterranean climate is ideal for growing a wide variety of intensely flavoured, juicy tomatoes. While perusing markets in northern Spain, look out for the intense pink tomato of Huesca, Rosa de Barbastro, grown in the foothills of Aragon’s Pyrenees, and the uniquely shaped Montserrat tomato, famous in the neighbouring region of Catalonia. “Pa amb tomàquet”, more widely known as “pan con tomate”, is a breakfast staple in Spain. Toasted bread is rubbed with garlic, topped with grated fresh tomatoes and topped with olive oil and sea salt. Duck into any of Spain’s bars in the morning and you’ll see locals building their own tomato bread stacks and tucking into with an espresso or cortado (espresso with a splash of milk).
The affinity between the Province of Valencia and the making of wine is one with a long and noble history; ongoing archeological exploration traces the thread over a period of 2,600 years, with none of the great civilisations of antiquity – Phoenician, Greek and Roman – left out of this fascinating story.
Throughout the period the indigenous influence of the Iberians themselves was hugely significant; they ensured that, while a lot of Europe was languishing in its Dark Age, this part of Spain was able to develop and refine its culture, most specifically its winemaking culture, to new levels of excellence.
At the heart of this historical tapestry is the Denominación de Origen (DO) of Utiel-Requena, its two eponymous municipalities identified from the earliest times for their potential for viticulture.