Spain and Portugal - part one

July is the calm before the storm in the winemaker’s calendar so Libby and I took our two-week summer holidays. And yes, you guessed it, we went to visit some wine regions, however we compromised with some lovely hotels with spa and swimming pools along the way to ensure it wasn’t a pure wine holiday!

This is not just a blog, but a little insight into a fascinating journey which may help you discover, as I have, a truly beautiful, gastronomic, off-the-beaten-track wine route. Hopefully others will use the addresses I have put together to enjoy the local traditions and hospitality we experienced.

After France, our second most-favourite country is Spain: such a diverse, energetic, happy and although-laidback, extremely dynamic country. We decided to start our travels in the North East Basque region. This area is rich in history, food and wine and of late, the superb town of Saint Sebastien has kept stopping us from going any further! This year, we drove purposely straight past it (trying not to think of the glorious tapas bars) and onto the vibrant city of Bilbao, capital of the province of Biscay, just three hours from Bordeaux.

Bilbao may not be the most picturesque place in the world but it is an absolute must. Nestled in the green lushes of the Txakoli wine region, it’s home to the world-famous Guggenheim Museum. The town is almost like it was once perched up high on the hills before falling into a trough like a box of jumbled up Lego, eventually coming to rest around the estuary of Bilbao on the Iberian Peninsula. On the surrounding hills the dry petillant white wines are made from the Hondarribi beltza and Hondarriba zuri grapes. There is a lot of rain here and no surprise the area is known as ‘green Spain’.

We found our hotel easily, the modern but well-priced Barceló Hotel on the top of the city. The hotel is in a very good location, with easy parking close to the town centre. The only problem is there are a few steps down to hub of the city; however a late night seven-euro taxi ride back up the hill with bellies full of tapas is a reassuring option!

The walk down to town is very pleasant, with houses supported by little bars rising up from the cobbled staircase. After ten minutes or so you are embraced by a warren of streets and hidden plazas full of life and tapas bars!




On recommendation from our Basque and Chai Au Quai vintage flying winemaker friend Maitena, we headed straight to the source: the Plaza de Nueva and the ever busy Café Bilbao. Here we dined on the best fresh ham and salt cod croquettes and other delicacies from the tapas selection, washed down with superb zesty dry white Txokoli. Later on the central square was alive and buzzing with fire wielding acrobats until well past midnight.















The next day we were up in good time for a day at the Guggenheim museum (design by US architect who sketched the design on the back of napkin in a local café and also is responsible for the incredible Rioja bodega Marquis de Riscal). Back down the steps and after walking for 20 minutes along the estuary, the titanium-clad mad building suddenly appeared, shining in the sunshine and reflecting off the water.

Crazy sculptures of Dali-like spiders, smooth Charlie and the Chocolate factory-type foot bridges and 30ft huge cats made of flowers decorate the outside of the museum. Please allow the whole day for the visit and a reasonable 12-euro entry fee and decent bar and food inside caters perfectly for tired legs. Not actually a huge fan of modern art but after all, it’s Libby’s holiday too! I actually found the exhibits diverse, interesting, interactive and incredibly exciting. Six hours passed very quickly indeed!

That evening we wandered back to the Plaza to another recommendation: the Victor Montes restaurant where we ordered Piri Piri Salt Cod and white asparagus. It also has the most extensive list of old Spanish wines from the owner’s personal cellar … and the prices are irresistible! We had a 1994 Ribera del Duero red from Pesquera for 20 euros!

The town centre was buzzing well into the night with lots of amazing fire acts in the main Plaza! A couple more nights in Bilbao would have been perfect but the mission was to keep going to discover more!




The following morning we headed north to the Basque coast to the tiny fishing village of Mundaka. We stayed in the beautiful, family-run Atalaya Hotel situated in the village centre and with good parking. (Sorry to keep mentioning parking but driving a huge car on holiday, the minimum I ask for is non-stress parking!)

Mundaka is world-famous on the surfing scene for the longest left hand breaking wave in Europe. This powerful wave is due to a consistent sand bar that jacks up the Atlantic swell and mixes with the currents of the Guernika river mouth to form exotic Hawaiian like hollow tube waves up to 14ft! However, it is an extremely calm and laid-back place, apart from when it stages the World Surfing Championships in the month of October.

We ate some of the best seafood here; the highlight being at the easy-to-find La Fonda restaurant. Their speciality is locally caught squid cooked in it own black ink (around 20euros for two people) accompanied simply with small grilled green peppers (pimento verde) and of course, cold Txakoli.


Reluctantly escaping another paradise yet again (where we could have easily stayed for a week) we headed directly two hours south to Peñafiel, in the heart of the Ribera Del Duero wine region. Watch this space for part two!

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VINEXPO Bordeaux

Last week, one of the largest Wine Exhibition Fairs was held in Bordeaux. Called VINEXPO, the fair is held here every two years and attracts thousands of winemakers and wine buyers from all over the world, hoping to buy or sell wines.

Almost everybody in the wine trade attends and fortunately (or unfortunately) for me, that means A LOT of friends in one place at the same time. After a long day’s gruelling tasting, walking up and down literally miles of stands, every evening is time to get together for some food, wine and to talk about our recent and past adventures.

I had the pleasure of my best winemaker buddies Norrel and Stefan from Spain to stay. Both, like me, are Grenache devotees and Tuesday we went into Bordeaux centre to the ‘G-Night’, organised by the Grenache Symposium. I’ve signed up to the club! It was full of excellent Grenache wines from all around the world and I hope to present the Vent de Folie and GG at the next event!


The heat wave has also struck here in Bordeaux and temperatures rose to 40°C by midday, last night was unbearable at 28°C! The vines are continuing to advance and are still on for a 3-week-early harvest.

With all the Chai 2010s now in barrel and bottling of the 2010 whites done, it is the winemaker’s quiet time in the cellar. Therefore I am making the most of this period and will be taking my Summer holiday when we’ll be heading to Northern Spain and Portugal. Keep up date with what I discover by twitter!

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Midi, Midi, Midi Part Two

Thursday 15th
Stayed over at JC’s place last night in Maury and was up early … but not as early as JC! I didn’t even see JC this morning as he started in the vineyard at 4am. The hours here are dictated by the wind and the heat so a normal working day is 4am to 11am.

JC has a tractor problem and can’t afford to fix it right now so he is back on foot with a back pack sprayer. He was spraying some dry sulphur on to the vines this morning and the early start is critical. It’s the only time the relentless Tramontane wind calms down enough to allow the job to be done efficiently, otherwise it blows over someone else’s vineyard.

Even by the time I awoke the temperature was already 27°C and after 11 am it is physically too hot to work! I met up with the others at La Cave de Maury where I make the XV du President and guided everybody to more remote, hot inhospitable Grenache vineyards to have a look!

Lunch was ever-looming so we got a shift on and made our way to Latour de France. This is actually where the old border between France and Spain existed and the remains of this period can still be seen, as can the Spanish influences. Hervé and Laurent met up with us to show us into the Cabalié vineyards.

No time to waste; lunch awaiting us in Limoux! We drove 'the long and winding road' west from Maury to Limoux, temperature dropping dramatically in the gorge and it is gorgeous! A good 10 degrees cooler than in Maury and we are only 50 odd km’s away.

Good old Laurent and Guilhem were waiting for us in downtown Limoux, a lovely little square and a great lunch menu at the 'Le Concept' restaurant. We tasted 2009 Roche Lacour white and rose – lovely – and a 6% vol sparkling Mauzac with natural sugar, which was perfect and so refreshing.

Once the food was ordered Laurent pulled out from nowhere a great treat, six 2009 single vineyard Chardonnays two from each of the terroirs of Limoux. I was especially excited as this is what gave me the inspiration for La Voute which is also a single vineyard Limoux Chardonnay and I think we have done better (sorry Laurent!), try it for yourself!

Afterwards, we had a look round the sparkling wine cellars, walking warily around the gyropalettes. These metal robotic cages hold the sparkling bottles and move automatically to encourage the sediment from the natural bottle ferment to slide into the neck. However, they don’t warn you before springing into action … it’s almost like having a cellar full of evil Edna’s!!

Carcassonne for dinner and bed.

Friday 16th
We trekked back across into the Minervois to meet Hervé and Laurent at the Peyriac co-op and taste Domaine Genestieres 2010, delicious and lovely rose (speak of colour). It was great to be back in the Minervois and lunch at the Meulieres cafe in Minervois La Liviniere village was simply perfect. With a lovely little Sauvignon for apero, local lucques olives, then an unknown local white from Gastou family, anchovy salad and pork cheek for the plat du jour! Tony chose the red (served chilled) with the 'pork cheek'. He remembers the Piccinni family from the early days and now with their own property, Domaine Piccinini, the 2009 was a fine choice.

The dusty heat of Midi vineyards didn’t do much for my windscreen and finding my screen wash empty after lunch in the vineyards I had no choice but to use sparkling Perrier water. What a result … and the ‘pope mobile’ (the Chai car) seemed to like it too!

With the Minervois explored we headed to the hotel in Narbonne. Great place, Narbonne, and the Novotel downtown is fine with a good pool. Very important after a long day in the vineyards and without any Perrier!

Dinner was Hervé’s choice and only a quick 10-minute drive out of Narbonne. We were in the hills of La Clape, some great wines made here. If the Midi did get organised (unlikely) this area and some others we have visited would be in their premier cru. However, it’s not very organised and I like that!

The restaurant ‘Le Souquets’ was just amazing, perched in the hills amongst vineyards and garrigue with the Med a stone throw away. All outdoors, big open grill, fresh whole fish presented at the table to choose from and the finely sliced duck breast (marinated in five spice, chive, onion and finely chopped garlic, flash fried on the planxa and served cold) was to die for.

Saturday 17th

Back on the road, this time to another breathtaking appellation called Pic Saint Loup and Domaine de l'Hortus, lodged high up in between the actual Pic (peak) of Saint Loup itself and the l’Hortus mountain (a huge square wall of granite). These two mountains create a remarkably unique micro climate in the valley below, perfect for the sun worshiping Mourvedre on the south-facing slopes and Syrah on the North facing cotes. Whites do well here too, Roussanne, Viognier, Sauvignon Gris and even some experimental Petit Manseng. We make the Dolines l’Hortus cuvee with the Orliac family – 2008 tasting fab – so unique and the taste describes it better than any photo!

We rounded off the trip with a stunning lunch at the restaurant of Domaine de Baumes recommended by the Orliac family. There are no signs to this place until you actually crash into the drive way … but I would try and find it if I were you!

Have a look at my map; I reckon it’s all you need to discover the Midi along with some of my restaurants tips! No point taking a proper map as there is only one way to be in the Midi and that is lost … otherwise you'll never find anything!



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