Everything's Rosé in Mykonos

Galileo eloquently stated that "Wine is sunlight, held together by water."   My girls' weekend in Mykonos, Greece with Gina was all about sunlight, water and wine.  The cycladic architecture of the Greek Islands features the iconic white-washed cube houses with dominant azure blue accents, all against the backdrop of the turquoise sea.  But while editing my photos another color also popped out of many of the scenes.    The deep rose color of the wine that we shared over our four day escape. 

All the pink wine

Obviously, we don't need much guidance in finding the pink wine.

But, we thought you can't come to Provence and not learn a little more about what you're drinking.

So about 9pm one night we found ourselves trying to book a wine tour for the following morning.

Last minute booking?  No problem.  Viator was happy to accommodate us.

Because the larger tour was already fully booked, we ended up with our very own private tour.

So, we hopped in a little car and were buzzing around Provence with our lovely guide.

 "On this private wine tour from Avignon, admire the beauty of Provence

as you travel to the famous wine villages of Tavel and Chateauneuf-du-Pape for wine tastings.

Sip signature rosé wines and red wines — reputed to be the favorite of French kings and popes — 

while learning about winemaking in southern France’s stunning Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

At the end of your wine tour, you’ll take a panoramic tour of Avignon,

passing the medieval city walls and seeing the famous Pont Saint-Bénézet (Saint-Bénézet bridge)."

That is exactly what we did. 

We absolutely enjoyed the wine and the company.

But, these views simply took our breath away.

I think each of us had a pinch me moment looking out across the vineyards

and scenery straight out of a travel brochure.  It was magical and the

sweet buzz wasn't just from the wine.

If you are ever in Provence, you just can't miss the views

from the ruins of the medieval castle at Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

 

"The wild movement of the grenache vine battered in the Mistral"

 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is known for this asymmetrical bottle designed for a competition in the 50s.

Such an easy, breezy holiday.

If you hear about a pink wine shortage in France, we know nothing.

How do you feel about rosé?

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | SUBSCRIBE | BLOGLOVIN

London Cru Urban Winery

A few weeks ago, Sunny in London and I were invited to visit

London's first and only urban winery, London Cru for a tour and tasting.

You know I love wine, so I was happy to visit.

Close to Earl's Court, the winery is a small space in a building that once housed a gin distillery.

The gleaming equipment was quiet the day that we visited.

All of the hard work was done in the fall when they created their first batches of wine.

But the process was explained from the handpicking of the grapes to the barreling.

The wine is now resting in the magic oak barrels and maturing into something wonderful.

They plan to bottle it later this year.  We were then treated to a tasting.

We tasted a Syrah, Cabernet Savignon, Barbera and a Rose.

They've also created a Chardonnay, but as it's more delicate they don't want to disturb it before bottling.

The red wines were robust and flavorful.  I don't have the most advanced palate,

but I could taste that it wasn't quite ready yet.  The potential for a lovely, enjoyable wine was certainly there.
I can't wait to taste it again after it's been bottled.

 This first year they plan to produce 1,250 cases of liquid gold

and next harvest they hope to double that volume.

Soon you may see it on the menu at your favorite London restaurant.

 Making wine in the heart of London is a labor of love for this London wine crew.

 If you would like to learn more, check out their website to schedule your own visit.

They offer 45-50 minute Meet the Cru tours each Saturday for £15.

They also offer the more advanced Winemaker for a Day events for £125. 

 Have you ever visited an urban winery?

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | SUBSCRIBE | BLOGLOVIN


*I was a guest of London Cru for the purposes of review.
 All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  

Celebrating Spain with Rioja

*I received two complimentary bottles of Rioja from Roberson Wine.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you know that I'm in love with Spain.

We visited earlier this year and had a fabulous time.

 

Here are my top five reasons to visit Spain.

Another great reason... Wine!

 We were introduced the Spanish wine Rioja at the Rioja Tapas Fantasticas and we both loved it.

When Roberson Wine offered to send us a few bottles to sample at home, how could we resist?

The bottles arrived packaged safely and I tucked them away for a special occasion.

It was quite difficult to keep Matthew from taking a corkscrew to them until last weekend.

We had some friends over and it was the perfect time to open the Rioja.

(But not before I pretended to be a food and wine stylist with more grapes from the garden.)

 

Viña Tondonia Reserva 2001

Lopez de Heredia

 "Vanilla and dried berry aromas on the nose. Rich and dry on the palate with smooth, well developed tannins. A nicely balanced wine."

 

 

Decenio Rioja Reserva 2002

Bodegas las Orcas

"This Reserva Rioja from Decenio is made from low-yielding 70 year-old Tempranillo vines. The wine is matured in French oak barrels for 24 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered to retain its character and flavour. A developed nose of blackcurrant, tobacco and leather, this is not a big blockbuster wine, and that’s a good thing. It is light on its feet, wonderfully balanced and refreshing to drink."

They were both lovely, but the gang's favorite was the Tondonia Reserva.

 It had great "legs" and was very rich.  (That's about all of the wine talk that I know.)  Matthew certainly approved.

  I see much more Rioja and tapas in our near future.

Next weekend, I'm off for a 3 night cruise with MSC Cruises.  
The last stop is Barcelona where Matt will join me for a few extra days enjoying Spain!

How do you feel about Rioja and tapas?

¡Salud!

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | SUBSCRIBE | BLOGLOVIN



*I received two complimentary bottles of wine from Roberson Wine for the purposes of review.
All photos, writing and opinions are 100% my own.  

 As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.