Travel & Wine

09/08/2024

Great discovery : Amassa ( which means Together in Occitan) , wine produced by Alex SICHEL from the Domaine Peter Sichel in South East of France in Cucugnan Languedoc Roussillon , 100% Grenache , 12 months un barrel and only 880 bottles produced. Worth paying a visit on my next year trip!

03/07/2024

Last wine tasting in the Pyrenees and then back to Spain again!

26/06/2024

Next event before the summer, on Friday 28th 19:00 at L’ atelier de Franck. This event is free of charge and will give you the possibility to taste delicious wines from the region and discover 4 great artists, different styles, different people but all together great art! See you on Friday night!

21/06/2024

Spending more time in France I would like to share with you some hidden gems from my home region the Béarn in south west of France. The D.O Jurançon near Pau in the foothills of the Pyrenees .The main grape varieties are the Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, , Courbu, Lauzet and Camaralet. Better known for its deliciously flavored sweet wines , I was surprised by the high qualities of the dry wines called Jurançon Sec. in this region you will also find strong reds and subtle rosés from the appellation Madiran and AOC Béarn. If you are interested in other regions like the Bordeaux area, the Loire Valley or ready to come and visit me in the South of France , please contact me! Next year we will develop another wine region in France and go to the Languedoc wine region , another great adventure ahead! Tchin Tchin!

Local business

18/06/2024

Same group + my dad….different wine region, wonderful tasting in the company of F***y at domaine Bayard

16/06/2024

Our trip through France was followed by a great tasting at Château Fonplegade in St Emilion, delicious wine and always in good company!!! One of my favorite in the Bordeaux region

12/06/2024

A little feedback on VinumArt first Wine and Art exhibition , it has been a great succes thanks to all the participants: Pierre Jean Gaby , Franck Oscamou and Christine Drouillard .d.d for their amazing artwork , Annie & Benoit Burgué-Seré for their delicious wines, Celine Oscamou and Thomas for spending so many hours cooking the appetizers and making sure our guest left the event well fed, AgnesB for her communication and organisation skills and of course to all the guests who decided to support us and joined us for that great evening. The next event will take place on June the 28th with 4 artists and 2 winemakers, don’t hesitate to drop by if you are in the neighborhood!

30/05/2024

Another great tasting at Bodega Roda, even with limited time the Roda team did very well thank you ! A thank you as well to Giovanni , our Italian Translator, without him the tour wouldn’t have been the same! Grazie!

23/05/2024

Visit and tasting at the winery Eguren Ugarte followed by a conference about La Rioja hosted by Javier Portu Reinares , investigator at ICVV ( instituto de ciencias de La vid y del vino). Thanks to Silvia and Fernanda for such a great organisation! # winetours 🍷

17/05/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ZWqrhWMfnF7xDX8Y/?mibextid=WC7FNe

17/05/2024

The first if many visits and tastings in La Rioja, thanks to the Luis Cañas team , the visit was very enjoyable, they knew how to handle such a big group in such a little time , I will be back! 🍷

07/04/2024

On my last trip to France , I created together with Celine and Franck Oscamou an association called VinumArt, our goal is to offer interactive experiences which will wake up your senses through wine tastings , gourmet appetizers and of course art exhibitions. On May 31st we will have our first official event. For more information please click the link below or the QR Code. Thank you!

https://www.helloasso.com/associations/vinum-art/evenements/ivresse-des-sens-2

31/03/2024

19/02/2024

Spanish Wine Tours: Immerse Yourself in the Flavors of Spain🍷

Our Spanish wine tours offer an exclusive opportunity to explore the diverse terroirs and immerse yourself in the authentic flavors of Spanish wines.
Treat yourself to an exquisite wine tasting experiences.

Engage in intimate conversations with passionate winemakers, take leisurely strolls through the vineyards, and immerse yourself in the timeless charm of Spanish wine culture.
For more information , contact me at [email protected] , See you soon in Spain!

09/02/2024

Quinta das Carvalhas, Duero, Portugal

Located just across the river from Pinhão, there sits another local treasure quinta_das_carvalhas
The vines here are planted on various altitudes (from 80 to 500 metres above sea level) and at various degrees of slope (between 40% and 70% of steepness). They also have different sun exposure.
Carvalhas’ old vines are a post-phylloxera plantation, which have reached the respectful age of a century old and represent one of the richest selections of ancient indigenous Douro varieties. The younger vines are also planted, and this mix allows the winemakers to be really playful and experimental and to produce wines of wonderful complexity. This is the last post about Portugal until late April with new adventures from Lisbon!

02/02/2024

Quinta de la Rosa, Duero, Portugal

After overindulging on port, I was curious to try still wines of the Duero Valley so made a visit to Quinta de la Rosa, also known for its restaurant and a sirenic hotel.
While trading traditional port wines since the early 19th century, La Rosa was one of the first Quintas to produce wine using indigenous port grapes in 1991.
So here we are tasting wine from port grapes, as well as obligatory ports of course !

25/01/2024

Quinta da Roêda, Duero, Portugal (Croft Port wines)
First stop is Quinta da Roêda.
Founded in 1588, it is the oldest firm still active today as a Port wine producer. But history isn’t a baggage here. The winery keeps innovating not least producing Croft Pink, the first ever rosé Port. Deliciously refreshing, it has also become mixologists’ favourite.
Fantastic place to start the introduction to port for those who are interested. Very impressive choice of various styles – bottle aged and wood-aged.

19/01/2024

Portugal Wine Tours: Discover the essence of Portuguese winemaking.
We are happy to introduce you to our new wine destination: Embark on an enchanting journey through the vineyards of Portugal and uncover the rich heritage of winemaking. Our Portugal wine tours offer an exclusive opportunity to explore the diverse terroirs and indulge in the authentic flavors of Portuguese wines.
From the robust refs of the Douro Valley to the crisp whites of Vinho verde, each sip captures the essence of Portuguese winemaking traditions. For more information please contact me at [email protected]. See you soon in Portugal!

19/12/2023

Quinta do Panascal, Duero, Portugal

An obligatory stop at one of Fonseca’s port houses, Quinta do Panascal.
Fonseca is the only Port house with four 100 Point scoring wines, but it is probably best known for its Bin No.27 port. Created over a century ago for family consumption, and only released commercially in 1972 it has been a hit ever since.
Absolutely stunning land with what looks like endless terrasses all the way from the river leading up to 400 meters above the sea level. A lot of sun exposure! This terroir and winemakers’ skills make for distinctly complex Fonseca wines: full of force yet very aromatic.
Privilege to drink and what a spectacular conclusion to the trip!

10/12/2023

Routes des vins du Jurançon, in South West of France, delicious wines, great food and the best company ever: my dad! Thanks to Jean-Louis@dom__nigri__ , Benoit@domaine Burgué-Séré, & Thoma@clos_labree for sharing your hard work and passion. The day was too short and I wish I could have visited many more, next year again! 🍾🍷🍾🍷🍾🍷🍾

12/07/2023

A wonderful day with my cousin and first post without a drink in my hands! 4 hours up, 2 hours down and not able to walk for 2 days ….but it was worth it! Thank you Audrey!

02/07/2023

Sophie_travel_and_wine
“L’ Ivresse des sens” event organized in South of France with the participation of 3 artists: Franck Oscamou L'atelier de Franck, Marc Bouygard,Jean-Noël Delettre Jean-Noël Delettre Artiste Peintre and 2 winemakers from the DO Jurançon: Thomas Pissondes from Clos Labrée Clos Labrée and Nelly & Jean-Louis Lacoste from Domaine Nigri Domaine NIGRI, a wonderful evening surrounded with beautiful pieces of art and delicious wines! Can’t wait for the next one!

02/07/2023

“L’ Ivresse des sens” event organized in South of France in my home town with the participation of 3 artists:Franck Oscamou , Marc Bouygard, Jean-Noël Delettre and 2 winemakers from the D.O Jurançon:Thomas Pissondes from Clos Labrée and Nelly & Jean Louis Lacoste from Domaine Nigri , a wonderful evening surrounded with beautiful pieces of art and delicious wines! Can’t wait for the next one! , , ,

21/06/2023

Return to Ribera del Duero.

This gorgeous region isn’t short of places to stay but I chose Castillo de Curiel for its history, lovely traditional interiors, and the glorious views from 927 meters up! The charming and enthusiastic manager Jesus looking after us was an unexpected and welcome bonus 🥂

With

27/05/2023

A recent cheeky visit to to see if I can arrange a tasting. For curious wine-lovers on the look out for unique finds there are several reasons to be excited.

Bodega Numanthia produces wines made exclusively from the native and rare Tinta de Toro grape, “the blackest of black grapes”. I am expecting full fruit but with strength!

The plots lie across 8 terroirs of the D.O. Toro giving a good appreciation for the impact the terroir has on the grape and the resulting diversity of tastes from this fascinating variety that blossoms in the inhospitable weather conditions famously referred to as “nine months of winter, three months of hell”.

And if this isn’t enough, just look at those views!

12/04/2023

We are in Portugal! Beautiful landscape and delicious Port 🍷 about to enjoy 3 days of tastings 😉 🍷

09/04/2023

Easter with friend and family in South of France , tomorrow direction Ribera del Duero , going back to Spain! 🍷🥰

02/04/2023

This Sunday marks the beginning of Semana Santa (the Holy Week) in Spain. My British and American friends might be surprised to know that there are no Easter eggs or giant bunnies here. Easter week in Spain is very much about family time which is a good excuse for indulgent food and celebratory drinks.

So as the drinks go, I’d like to talk about , the sparkling wine of , a relatively new category which recognises the length some houses go to deliver those perfect, sophisticated bubbles.

The Association of Wine Producers and Growers Corpinnat, formed in 2015 and ratified by the EU in late 2017. The Corpinnat producers must make wines from 100 percent organic, sustainable vineyards that have been harvested by hand. The wines must be made within the Corpinnat territory, entirely vinified on their premises, aged for a minimum of 18 months, and they must contain a minimum of 90 percent indigenous grapes.

Not surprisingly, there are only 11 producers who fulfil these strict criteria. The name Corpinnat was appropriately chosen as the combination of two Spanish words and translates to “the heart of Penedès”.

Here are the pictures from the group tastings I organised last year at Llopart, one of Europe's oldest winemaking families. They have been producing quality sparkling wines for more than 135 years, firmly defending the traditional method and craftsmanship of the wine, with respect for sustainability and always seeking the authenticity of lengthy aging.

What better way to celebrate than drinking excellent sparkling in a beautiful vineyard 🥂