Bottoms Up!

Everything you may have read about Spain being such an intoxicating place is true. There are a wealth of experiences here that are so enticing that they seem to seep into your soul and make you want to stay a little longer.

And the nature stop at Delika, happens to be one of those places. The Nervion is Spain’s largest single drop waterfall measuring 222m and getting there you must weave your way through farm land and along rocky creek beds until you arrive at the magnificent cliff face itself. The water that’s shed from this location feeds the green valleys of the Basque Country, eventually finding its way to the Bay of Biscay. A great stop before exploring Vitoria Gasteiz.

Now anyone who knows me realises that I love a great coffee, but I also enjoy the benefits of a great red. It’s one of your 5 a day right. So, when my trusty driver decided we should visit Vitoria Gasteiz, the capital of Rioja and the surrounding areas which are famous for producing high quality Spainish red wines, I was in a state of utopia. Being introduced to the Spainish wine culture was high on my list of tasting experiences, especially if that red wine could also be used to make the perfect Sangria or two.

It goes without saying that Bodegas Valdelana is one of Spain’s best wineries and offers one of the most interesting wine tours available. The history here is truly remarkable and to think the family has been making wine since 1583 is astounding. Each wine we tasted we could appreciate the passion that had gone into making it, whether it was the family involvement, refining special techniques over time, them paying gratitude to the land, sun and river or acknowledgement of Spainish art and culture that has influenced the aging of each grape as it has matured in its oak. It sounds intense…well that’s because it was.

Needless to say we shouted ourselves to half a dozen bottles, staggering back to our van for a well deserved Spainish siesta.